10 key steps to implement an LMS in your business

The digital age has revolutionized corporate training. LMS or online training platforms have become indispensable tools for skills development. At Didask, we have proven that the integration of recommendations from cognitive science, artificial intelligence (AI) and adaptive learning is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of online training. In this article, we guide you through 10 essential steps to set up a successful LMS platform.

Step 1: Define your training goals

The first step in creating a successful online training platform is to clearly define training goals. These must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Cognitive science shows that clear goals increase engagement and learners' motivation. Don't be afraid of numbers or of being ambitious. For example, a specific goal like “increasing project management skills by 20% in six months” provides a clear and measurable direction.

Step 2: Analyze learners' needs

Understanding the specific needs of your employees is crucial. To do this, use surveys, interviews, and data analysis to gather relevant information. Many tools exist, and even the simplest ones like online forms are useful. AI can also greatly facilitate and improve this stage by analyzing past learning behaviors and identifying individual gaps and preferences. This way, you can later personalize the content to meet everyone's specific needs.

Step 3: Design training content

Before choosing the solution, your company must define who the content creators will be: educational engineers, internal experts, external experts; in which case the work will not be the same. Design represents significant work unless equipped with a solution that can absorb pedagogical complexity, which makes it possible to work better with internal thematic experts, a growing trend that is becoming more and more successful.

The training content should also be aligned with the objectives defined in step 1. Cognitive science recommendations for structuring and presenting content effectively are particularly effective. For example, use techniques like chunking (breaking information into small units) and spaced reminders to improve information retention. However, this work requires some pedagogical prerequisites and that is why the use of LMS that have integrated its principles into their AI, like Didask, is very useful to entrust creation to everyone.

Multimedia content, like videos and infographics, can also make learning more interactive and engaging. To go deeper into this key step, you can consult our article: Developing and implementing online training: the guide to get started and our White Paper How to create truly effective courses 10x faster with educational AI

Step 4: Integrate AI to personalize the experience

AI offers extraordinary possibilities to personalize the learning experience (adaptive learning). AI-based systems can analyze user interactions with the platform and adjust content in real time to meet their specific needs. Didask offers a platform using this technology to, for example, interact like a coach with each employee, and thus maximize the impact of training for the company. Note that the initial challenges related to the costs and complexity of adaptive learning are now being overcome thanks to AI, making the concept more accessible, relevant... and profitable.

To learn more about Adaptive Learning, read our article Adaptive Learning: Why and how to apply it in vocational training.
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Step 5: Develop effective evaluations

Les valuations are essential for measuring learners' progress and the effectiveness of training, but they are also and above all a great learning tool. Situations or practical cases in fashion trial-error-feedback have more than proven their worth, and your LMS should make it easy for you to set them up. In addition to these formative assessments during the learning process, combine summative assessments at the end of the training to get a comprehensive view of performance and statistics on progress. AI can also play a crucial role in providing instant and personalized feedback, helping your employees understand their mistakes and continuously improve.
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Step 6: Test and improve your LMS

Before launching your LMS platform, it is crucial to test it with a small group of users. Gather their feedback and analyze the data to identify areas for improvement. This testing phase makes it possible to correct bugs, adjust content and optimize the user experience. AI can also help analyze user behaviors during the testing phase to provide valuable insights.

Step 7: Train trainers and collaborators

To ensure the success of your LMS platform, it is essential to train both your designers and your learners. Onboarding provided by your e-learning platform should represent a major criterion in choosing your platform. This onboarding depends on the success of its deployment and the engagement of learners and content creators. Host training sessions, video tutorials, and provide detailed guides to help everyone get started with the platform. Also, be sure to set up technical and educational support continuous to answer questions and resolve issues quickly.

Step 8: Launch your LMS

The launch of the platform should be well planned and executed. Communicate effectively across your organization to let everyone know about the launch. Use internal and external marketing strategies to promote the platform and encourage users to sign up. Organize launch events to create excitement and encourage active participation right from the start. Again, a good LMS should be able to give you simple and effective tools to communicate simply with your teams involved. Do not hesitate to consult our article In eLearning, how can you improve the engagement of your LMS? on the pillars of e-learning engagement.

Step 9: Track performance and iterate

After your launch, it is crucial to monitor the performance of the platform using KPIs (key performance indicators) such as completion rate, user satisfaction, and skill improvement. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and iterate accordingly. AI can also provide advanced analytics to help understand user behaviors and continuously optimize the platform. Didask AI even makes recommendations to the trainer for specific actions based on the data. This allows the designer to focus on where they need to do things and eliminates the need to review all the indicators to identify the problem and find solutions.

Step 10: Choosing the right LMS platform

A bit surprising to put this at the last stage of our article, because after all, the choice of the LMS comes much earlier in the process... which is true. So why put it at number 10? Simply because by going back to the 9 previous steps you will have a relevant list of criteria to take into account to identify the LMS solution you need to meet your challenge:)

Conclusion

By following these 10 steps step by step, you have a clear structure for a project to set up an effective and engaging online training platform. Of course the task is complex and can take time, but you will have understood that the most innovative LMSs can greatly facilitate your task while keeping a focus on ROI. Integrating cognitive science, AI, and adaptive learning like Didask does can transform how your learners interact with training, increasing engagement and results. Do not hesitate to book a personalized demo or to contact us for advice on deploying your platform.
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