As educators in both corporate and academic sectors start to embrace e-learning, the question of how to choose an e-learning platform becomes highly relevant. As vast as today’s choice of platforms for online learning may appear, they do differ in terms of usability and services. In this article, we will talk about important aspects to consider when choosing an e-learning platform for your needs.
E-Learning Platform Definition
Most people think an e-learning platform is just another way of saying ‘Learning Management System’ (LMS). This is only partially true, though. LMS core purpose is learning administration, storing documents, grading and reporting academic performance, tracking students’ attendance, etc. It may or may not incorporate interactive tools for delivering educational content, such as virtual classes, webinars, videos, chats, and discussions.
An e-learning platform is, essentially, an integrated environment providing educators with a set of resources that support the delivery of educational content. However, most of the e-learning platforms available on the market integrate prominent LMS features with a set of more or less sophisticated tools for content delivery.
Typical E-Learning Platform Features
As said above, a good e-learning platform integrates content delivery and learning administration tools. More specifically, it should include:
Virtual classrooms
A comprehensive set of tools for online broadcasting, streaming videos, chats, and discussions with interactivity features enabling educators to communicate with students, get feedback, and run Q&A sessions. On top of that, it should enable students to access the learning content both in real-time and on-demand.
Knowledge assessment
Tools for testing and evaluating students’ skills are an integral part of a professional e-learning platform. Educators should be able to assess and grade student’s knowledge without being physically present.
Administrative tools
Most of the modern e-learning platforms offer advanced LMS capabilities: like tracking progress and attendance, generating report cards, managing and tracking expenses, etc.
Data analytics
An e-learning platform typically collects and generates a plethora of data. Good e-learning platforms enable educators to make sense of it by offering data analytics of varying sophistication and quality.
On top of that, a list of typical e-platform features includes:
- Apps
- Discussion forums
- Files upload/download options
- Grading
- Online calendar
- Instant messages
- Push notifications
- Online tests and quizzes
- Widgets for connecting to social media, etc.
Read also: Top 5 Reasons To Embrace E-Learning
Now that we’re done with the overview of the typical e-learning platform features, let’s proceed with discussing important aspects impacting your choice.
Choosing an E-Learning Platform: 10 Things to Consider
So how do you choose a platform that would support your e-learning needs best? Below are some essential aspects you should consider.
1. Does the platform in question support your content formats?
Before you do your research, you should have a clear understanding of your learner’s goals. What, and most importantly, how do they want to study? If your learning program includes audio content, make sure the platform will support the formats of your recordings. The same goes for video and text content: check which formats students can access through an e-learning platform before making your choice.
2. Will you be overpaying for unnecessary features?
You want your e-learning platform to have an extensive list of features. On the other hand, choosing an overly complicated platform will be an unnecessary waste of money. Make sure your platform of choice supports exactly the right set of features you need for your educational initiatives.
3. Does the platform have enough features to support your learning goals?
Conversely, check if a platform is tailored to your students’ needs and be ready to invest in some extra features. For example, at VARTEQ, we have built an e-learning platform that integrates gaming modules – a great feature if you are working with young students and kids. Also, VARTEQ’s e-learning platform enables you to run online courses – which is exactly what you need if you’re building an advanced corporate learning system.
4. Is it a mobile-friendly platform?
Cross-platform availability is a must these days, ensuring that students can access your e-learning platform anytime from anywhere. Ask the vendor if the e-learning platform you’re considering will also run on smartphones, tablets, and on popular operating systems.
5. How secure is your e-learning platform?
Modern tools for e-learning aggregate large amounts of data, including students’ sensitive data and personal details. Your e-learning platform of choice should have a robust security system to protect this data from breaches and malicious attacks.
6. Does it scale on demand and have enough infrastructure capacities?
Will your e-learning platform scale to accommodate the increasing number of students? How well will it handle peak workloads if a large number of users login simultaneously? Does it have enough storage capacities to store your learning content? Ask all these questions before making your final choice.
7. Is it easy to use?
Bad design and confusing navigation can be a deal-breaker when it comes to attracting users. Make sure your e-learning platform has a clean and simple design and easy navigations – so that it would not distract the students from their learning goals.
8. Does it support a hybrid format?
An important feature for educational establishments that want to make learning available to students who can’t currently make it to class. The hybrid format enables you to run regular classes with part of the students present online. The VARTEQ e-learning platform has all it takes to support such a format.
9. Does it integrate with third-party platforms and systems?
If you’re already using Student Information Systems (SIS) or learning management systems (LMS) you may want your e-learning platform to easily integrate with them. This will save you precious time by offering automatic data input and integrated access to data.
Read also: Top 5 E-Learning Trends For 2020
10.Cost and payment options
Last but not least – how expensive is the e-learning platform you are considering? Does it have flexible payment options? You don’t want your e-learning tools to take a heavy toll on your budget or have complex billing that will be difficult to figure out. Surely, listing every single factor that impacts your choice falls far beyond the scope of this article. In some cases, out-of-the-box solutions won’t apply and you may need to build custom edtech software for your learning goals. One way or the other, make sure your vendor or a software development company is reliable and has experience in building similar solutions.
Need expert advice on choosing an e-learning platform? Contact us now for a free consultation!