Learning & Performance Tools SIG SITE

This is an attempt at a comprehensive and detailed list of considerations and desirable features for Learning Management Systems (LMSs). You are invited to help correct omissions or flaws in this list, and/or comment on it at bottom. If you do not have the required permission, contact: amdur@usgo.net 

A. Vendor Background: 

1. Locations of facilities 

2. Number of full-time employees

3. Years in business

4. Long-term financial health

5. Research and development

6. Customer lists, references

7. Awards and industry recognition

B. Costs

1. License Fees—cost of base system

2. Hosting Services Fees (if applicable)

3. Installation and Implementation costs typical in enterprises of similar size 

4. Maintenance and support services costs per year 

5. Costs of related education and training

6. Other Costs?

C. Potential for Enterprise Management Integration: Does the LMS include, or does the vendor offer, compatible tools/systems for the following functions, or otherwise accommodate integration with third party solutions for:

1. Social and Informal Learning (see F.11 below)

2. Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)

3. Performance Management (PM)

4. Talent Management (TM)

5. Knowledge Management (KM)

6. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

D. Implementation and Ongoing Technical Support
Vendor should describe:

1. Overview of implementation process with high-level timeline 

2. Resources provided to support implementation

3. Plan for integration of legacy data into LMS

4. Training provided/offered during implementation and after

5. Options for ongoing technical support (online, telephone helpline, automated help, user group, other?) Hours support is available.

6. Back-up, recovery and export of data

7. Standard service level agreement (SLA) for support describing severity levels and escalation procedures

8. Processes for product upgrades

E. Security

1. User creation process ensures security by validating users and assigning appropriate permissions 

2. Moderation technology: What tools are built in to automatically monitor forums for non-compliance with a government regulation. (Strategy: watch words?) 

3. Locked access to servers; employees with access to the operating system controls have passed background and security checksunder standards that are consistent with financial services organizations

4. Encryption technologies for guarded content consistent with those used for HR and financial data

5. Single Sign In for all tools 

F. Functional Requirements

1. Modes of delivery: Hosted SaaS or internally installed solution? 

2. Compatible with all OSs, browsers, mobile devices, SharePoint, and iPad

3. Ability to change configuration of interfaces by group? By individual?

4. View scheduled learning events (& attendant requirements) in a calendar format

5. Integration with email and calendar

6. Supports mobile deployments

7. Built-In Authoring Tools?

8. Validated support for all 3rd Party Authoring Tools and delivery media

9. Built-In Assessment Tools—What types? M/C, T/F, Matching, others? Easy to import questions and answers? Automatically randomize questions? Searchable question bank?

10. Enterprise 2.0 tools: virtual classrooms, web conferencing, threaded discussion, IM, blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, curated RSS aggregators, social bookmarking, file-sharing; real-time collaboration on through voice, pics, text, co-drawing/diagramming; video sharing & annotation, sharable calendars, timelines, surveys with graphic display of outcomes, decision tools, Idea Markets, Prediction markets, tagging, ratings, flagging material as inappropriate or sensitive, identify & rate experts based on usefulness of contributions

11. Manage Performance Support tools

12. Compliance with AICC/SCORM/SCORM 1.2/SCORM 2004

13. Capabilities for ADA 508 Compliance

14. Multiple language management

15. Advanced Search of learning objects and all online forums

16. Flexible interface—allow re-configuration of layout, allow embedding of widgets, iFrames, restful APIs, etc., on any page

17. Supports embedding of LMS functions into external systems via deep links, iFrames, and widgets

18. Tracking: Reports per job role as listed below

G. Administrator (Learning Officer) Controls

1. Delegation: LMS administrator can assign specific administration permissions/functions to others

2. Ability to view as trainer, manager, or student

3. User creation: Record contact info, business unit, department, role, location, manager, etc. Enforce validation criteria, passwords, eSignatures. Prevent duplicates.

4. Manage by group: Define groups by chosen criteria (business unit, department, role, location, manager, new hires—for onboarding, prerequisites, etc.), assign/approve/deny/cancel permissions, elements of learning plans, communities of practice, training events, report criteria, etc., by groups

5. Tracking: Enable automatic reports to administrator, managers, instructors, and learners, on progress, notifications, renewals, certifications, etc. Track training for external learners (customers, vendors, partners, etc…)?

6. Filter permissions and views of resources, offerings, etc., by users’ group or other criteria, but easily override if needed 

7. Manage Individual Learning Plans. Customizable templates for defining needed learning activities, success criteria, certifications, etc. Assign/approve/deny/cancel permissions, elements of learning plans, communities of practice, training events, report criteria, etc. Ability to track all of the above, plus external ad hoc learning activities (i.e., conferences, seminars, college credit courses, etc…) ePortfolios. Ability to view and update.

8. Manage Training: Track instructor schedules, registration, reservations of facilities, equipment, resources. Enforce learner registration cut-off time and capacity limits. Prevent duplicate registrations. Reserve seats and manage waitlist by group or individual—automatically update and advise. 

9. Ability to track costs and charge back to learners’ cost centers

10. Manage Learning assets with metadata

H. Trainer Support

1. Course Scheduling: Date, time, location, notes

2. Store trainer support resources (i.e., facilitator guides, instructions, learning objects, other documents, etc.) within the LMS

3. Attendance rosters and reports

4. Email by group/individual learner

5. Gradebook with weighted categories

6. Course authoring tools (see F.5 & 6 above)

7. Enterprise 2.0 tools (see F.11 above)

8. File Sharing

9. Drop box for student work

10. Assessment tools (see F.9 above) 

I. Manager Interface

1. Manage team as a group: (see G.3 above)

2. Manage Individual Learning Plans: (see G.6 above)

3. Tracking: Automatic reports of learners’ learning activities, schedules, progress, renewals, certifications, etc. Track training for external learners (customers, vendors, partners, etc…)?

J. Learner Support

1. Manage Individual Learning Plan & ePortfolio: (see G.6 above)

2. Tracking: Automatic reports of learning activities, registrations, scheduled learning events, waitlist status, progress, renewals, certifications, etc.

3. Enterprise 2.0 tools (see F.11 above)

4. Drop box for training assignments

5. Flexible interface (see F.14 above)

6. Allow learners to create and share personal study aids (notes, highlights, bookmarks and weblinks)