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I approach the implementation of a Learning Management System with mixed feeling of excitement and caution. Excitement because I have seen an LMS bring flexibility and improvement to the teaching and learning experience many times over ten years and across many eLearning projects. Caution because I have learnt through these experiences that there are many factors that need to be considered and each decision you make has long lasting consequences. I’ve also had potential clients with unmoving/unrealistic timeframes for implementation. I am happy to not touch those projects anymore.
My tips for successful implementation of an LMS assume you have already chosen an LMS and taken into consideration its functionality, integration with other systems, costs (upfront and long-term), hosting specs, staff training requirements, LMS life cycles and life span support and you have also pilot tested the LMS properly. Here we go...
I guess that is the thrust of my advice in this article, it cannot be rushed.
The LMS is NOT your content, it is NOT the learning design, the LMS is not the learning experience. The LMS is only part of a set of tools that support all of the above.
System integrations can be messy and require long-term support. Some integrations are worth it but avoid ‘Bolt Ons’ and ‘Bridges’ that you aren’t prepared to maintain.
Effective implementation can be pulled apart by competing agendas, so be clear on your project goals while balancing requirements for functionality, administration, branding and system reporting.
Keep a focus on a Phase 1 always keeping a Phase 2 and 3 in mind.
Create a user experience map that details real scenarios of access points, learner journeys/user stories and user support. If you haven’t carefully ‘walked through’ a user’s experience of the system, don’t expect to launch anything that is well received.
It is wise to spread the knowledge across the team while also looking for opportunities to empower specialist staff with deeper capabilities.
Connect with the LMS user community, if there is one, and refresh your thinking and approach each cycle to explore the full capabilities of the system.
