The online student’s “window” into the virtual classroom is through a school’s learning management system (LMS) or E-learning platform. This platform and its features, functionlity, and ease of use (or lack thereof) really makes or breaks the experience of an online learner. You see, the E-learning platform is the classroom, professor’s office, study hall, administrative offices all rolled into one. That’s why it is important if you are considering enrolling for online studies that you carefully research and ask intelligent questions about a school’s virtual classroom and LMS.
What are some of the most important features of an E-learning platform? Here are several of the most important ones:
- Easily navigable and easily learned
- Presentation of materials and instructions must be clear and engaging
- Learning materials must be accessible
- Communication through email and announcments must be available within the tool
- Discussion boards are a must
- Testing and grading must be incorporated within the platform
- Platform must be stable with no or minimal downtime.