The LMS market caters to users from both the academic as well as the corporate world. The market consists of various large and niche players who provide proficient software solutions such as content management, performance management, communication and collaboration, administration, and learner management.
With an LMS, training is managed seamlessly, this permits employees as well as supervisors easily access courses and training reports. As LMS technology continues to develop, it brings with it latest opportunities and challenges for educators and learners. One of the biggest challenges is to create an avenue for continuous assessment that provides a way to understand how much has been learned. Given that an LMS is designed to augment teaching and learning, use of the assessment engine is still quite low.
However, the good news is that the evolved LMS provides necessary features to help learning managers create and distribute effective assessments for continuous learner engagement and evaluation. Here are some top features of that make LMS assessment engines truly effective:
Multiple Question Format: Modern LMS assessment engines allow learning managers or administrators to author multiple question types including true/false, multiple choice, match, and subjective questions. This provides a well-rounded framework for testing the learners’ understanding of the content. It also makes sure that practical, as well as theoretical, aspects of the course are well comprehended and applied by the learner.
Attaching Documents & Images: Questions can be made more in-depth with the option of attaching images or/and supporting documents. This provides variety for learners who are often tired of answering the same type of assessment questions.
Creating Online Assessment: For learners who are often on the move, online assessments can be available that can be taken without logging onto the LMS. The score and other assessment details are automatically synched on the LMS.
Bulk Upload Questions via CSV: Instructors or learning managers can upload questions in bulk to create a question bank through CSV format. This can be easily and quickly accomplished without any added interventions from the IT team!
Time Limits and Automatic Submission: They can also set time-based assessments to make sure that the learners are not taking too much time on each question. Once the assessment sheet is completed, administrators can opt for the ‘automatic submission’ option and make sure all completed assessments are successfully submitted.
Instant Feedback on Objective Assessments: Feedback is provided instantly on all objective questions to make sure that learner can utilize the value of an assessment fully and efficiently.
Past Assessment Sheets: For administrators, evolved LMSs also provide the option of making available past assessment records of the learners. This helps them understand the learners’ progress as well as chart their further learning plan.
Disconnections Issues and Restoration: Many learners often log onto the LMS from different offices or even off-site. In this case, they can often get slow or limited internet connectivity that can be a hassle while taking assessments. But the modern LMS makes sure that if learns are disconnected mid-assessment, they can log in again and the assessment will begin where they left off.
Custom Certificate Generation and Management: Certificates are a part of most learning programs and most solutions have the certificate generation feature, with multiple templates available. Learning managers can fill in the custom details to create the certificate of their choice.
Print/Download/Share Certificates: To make sure that the learners are suitably encouraged, certificates can be printed out for learners as keepsake. Learners or managers also have the option to download them for future use or even share with peers as well as stakeholders.
An effective assessment system utilizes new-age features to create a continuous process of skill and knowledge development within the learner group. It also creates avenues for reflection and re-designs to create more and more effective modes of assessments that not only evaluate, but also engage.
– Arunima Majumdar, Senior Marketing Consultant, G-Cube
