LMS: how to use them well in professional training?

LMS: how to use them well in professional training?

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have long been pillars in professional training, offering extensive access to educational resources. However, despite their ubiquity, the effectiveness of these tools as facilitators of sustainable learning remains in question. How, then, can they evolve to better serve the practical needs of professionals today?

The LMS decrypted: much more than a course container

In the vocational training sector, an LMS is a central device for organizing, deploying and managing training courses in business. Beyond a simple course directory, the LMS is an essential infrastructure that allows all employees, regardless of their geographic location, to access training programs designed to develop their skills and know-how. Businesses therefore use the LMS to massifying and standardizing training on a variety of professional skills, such as operational procedures, customer service, and information technology.

The guardians of the coherence of the training

Traditionally, LMSs in a professional context are the guardians of the uniformity and consistency of training. They support online training, allowing employees to self-train on specific topics, to complete mandatory compliance modules, or to monitor the evolution of their learning, all at a reduced cost. For example, an insurance company may implement an LMS to ensure that all agents are up to date with current legislation and industry best practices.

A multi-faceted solution for continuing education

In its role of promoting continuing education, an LMS for vocational training offers a wide variety of learning content, ranging from interactive modules to realistic simulations. This allows professionals to not only improve their current skills, but also to acquire new knowledge in line with the changes in their field of activity.

A key impact on professional development

LMSs play a decisive role in professional development by facilitating the development of employees and by monitoring their progress. They serve as flexible platform for targeted training courses, adapted to the needs of the company and the individual goals of the employees. Thus, intelligent use of an LMS can be a growth engine for the company by equipping its employees with the tools they need to meet professional challenges.

In the field of vocational training, an LMS is therefore the preferred instrument for accessing training, monitoring learners' progress and centralizing educational materials. These systems are designed to making learning more accessible and to support the continuous development of professional skills across the organization. However, their effectiveness is closely linked to their ability not only to inform but also to transform employee skills into concrete actions in the workplace.

The limitations of traditional LMS

Quantity does not necessarily rhyme with quality

The ease of access to vast amounts of content is a praised feature of conventional LMSs, but it reveals a critical gap when it comes to training effectiveness. In practice, propose A continuous flow of information does not necessarily correspond to effective learning or better performance at work. An employee can complete dozens of modules on an LMS without being able to connect them to the real situations they face in their job. To illustrate, just because a financial professional reviews modules on the latest regulations doesn't mean they can interpret or apply them during audits or investment advice.

Superficial learning: a barrier to practical application

The learning activities offered by traditional LMSs tend not to sufficiently encourage critical thinking or practical application. Knowledge multiple choice quizzes or basic drag-and-drop quizzes are often the only assessment tools provided, offering a limited measure of short-term retention rather than in-depth understanding. For example, an engineer may know how to identify security risks by answering a quiz correctly, but This does not mean that he will know how to manage these risks when they occur in practice on the ground.. Likewise, for a salesperson, recognizing the characteristics of a good sales pitch in an LMS module is one thing; executing it effectively in a customer meeting is another.

The need for learning transfer

Finally, what the use of conventional LMS reveals is a lack of emphasis on learning transfer - the process that allows learners to apply what they have learned in new contexts. In the field of project management, learners may theoretically master the planning steps in an LMS environment, but not be prepared to adjust them in the face of the unpredictable contingencies of a real project.

The limitations of traditional LMSs are therefore mainly due to their focus on the distribution rather than on the profound appropriation of knowledge. The absence of concrete and personalized training activities often results in a disconnect between the theoretical knowledge absorbed and its effective use in daily professional situations. To go further, do not hesitate to read our article 3 essential keys to move from memorization to application in eLearning training.

What should happen to the LMS

Focus on practical exercises

To create tangible changes in professional practices through LMS, it is essential to have a high proportion of practical exercises in the design of training courses. This means going beyond simple MCQs and offering activities where learners must actively apply the concepts studied. An example is problem-solving simulation that immerses learners in complex scenarios, where they must use their judgment and knowledge to find solutions, just like a network technician diagnosing and resolving a critical failure on a real system. Another example would be the training of salespeople: instead of just reading about sales techniques, they will participate in digital role plays, practicing to identify and respond to customer needs, a practice much closer to their daily professional life.

Precise and constructive feedback

Personalized and constructive feedback is also crucial for promoting learning and enable learners to recognize and improve their weaknesses. Such returns are specifically adapted to individual performance of the learner and offer relevant advice for improvement. For example, an engineer proposing a solution to a technical problem in an LMS would receive feedback not only on the accuracy of their response but also on how to refine it for future applications. We talk about this in more detail in our article. Learning by trial and error: unleash the potential of feedback

An LMS focused on learning transfer

For LMSs to become vectors of real professional transformation, their design must aim at learning transfer: the ability of learners to apply what they have learned in diverse contexts and, above all, in their workplace. So, rather than being limited to a content distributor role, a transformed LMS becomes a catalyst for the practical application of acquired knowledge, facilitating the subtle but vital transition - from theory to practice.

Didask: more than an LMS, a learning transformation platform

Didask is positioned not only as a learning management system, but as a true transformation platform thanks to a innovative educational AI system. The latter converts raw content into powerful e-learning modules, offering trainers the opportunity to create highly impacting learning paths in record time. Feedback from Didask users also confirms an impressive engagement rate, with 94% of learners saying that the training had a real impact for them.

Concrete and contextualized situations

Didask excels in creating contextualized scenarios that reflect the real challenges faced by professionals in their workplace. Thanks to interactive simulations and elaborate case studies, learners can immerse themselves in concrete situations where theory needs to be put into practice. For example, a Didask module in project management could involve learners in creating a responsive project plan in the face of an unexpected crisis, thus encouraging the direct application of the skills acquired (See Interactive simulation: an apprenticeship in which you are the hero)

Personalized feedback and transformation

Didask guarantees tailor-made feedback that guides the learner towards constant improvement by providing specific comments and areas for improvement. This marks a significant advance over the usual generic evaluation of traditional LMSs. Thus, a marketing professional working on Didask and submitting an advertising campaign as an exercise receives detailed feedback that evaluates and advises on aspects of design, audience targeting, and commercial messaging.

Accelerating content creation

The Didask platform allows business experts to create eLearning modules quickly thanks to its educational AI. With an estimated speed of ten times higher than the market, Didask facilitates the development of formative content without requiring excessive intervention by technical or educational teams. For example, this allows a cybersecurity specialist to produce an educational module on the latest computer threats in a few hours rather than several days.

An approach based on the needs of the learner

By focusing on the needs of the learner rather than on the content to be transmitted, Didask embodies a “learner first” approach that is more relevant to current training requirements. This focus promotes course engagement and relevance, which is crucial for a successful learning experience. In short, Didask distinguishes itself by equipping professionals to training resources that truly value and strengthen their skills with a view to effective and relevant professional application.

A platform like Didask is rethinking the use of LMS, focusing on real applicability and the development of professional skills. Tired of traditional systems that act as simple course directories, Didask provides an experience that aligns with concrete workplace challenges thanks to innovations in educational AI. As the training industry continues to evolve, Didask offers an alternative focused on the effective engagement of learners and the transition from raw information to field transformation. So, ready to take the path of impact?

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À propos de l'auteur

Philip Moore

Philip is the Product Director at Didask. Very involved in educational effectiveness issues, he co-designed the Didask agile methodology. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics, Philip is also the author of “Tous Pédagogues” co-written with Svetlana Meyer, published by Foucher editions.

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