Your LMS "IS" the "MENU"

About 15 years ago I started working with Learning Management Systems. In that time much has changed and a lot has remained the same.  One thing that has remained the same and is often a point of confusion is that when you have an LMS, the LMS is the menu for your course.

In all these years, I have yet to meet an instructional designer or eLearning developer that realizes that the LMS is the Menu!

What does this mena?

When you design a course, it is usually organized as follows for larger courses:

• Course - this is the course name
• Introduction
• Module 1
• Lesson 1
• Lesson 2
• Lesson ...n
• Module 2
• Lesson 1
• Lesson 2
• Lesson ...n
• Module ...n
• Course Summany
• Assessment

A shorter course may be simpler and have the following:

• Course
• Lesson 1
• Lesson 2
• Lesson ...n
• Assessment (there could be an assessment at the end of each lesson and a Course assessment at the end of the course as well)

In many cases, the Instructional Designer and/or elearning developer creates one HUGE piece with everything in it. Or several pieces all launched by a Main Menu embedded in each lesson. This Main Menu then either branches to the section in the piece or launches a separate piece.

Sounds OK, right?

Well, not really...

The whole purpose of the LMS is to:

1. Organize
2. Launch
3. Track, and
4. Analyze

If you structure a course in the LMS as strictly one launchable unit (SCO), you lose the visibility of what the learners are doing. You also lose the ability to analyze completion and performance.

When designing a course that will reside on an LMS, think of the LMS as the Main Menu of the course. Your LMS could be organized as follows:

• Course (the name of the course you will be taking in the LMS)
• Introduction (a short lesson that introduces the material that follows)
• Module 1 (a divider in the LMS that describes the lessons to follow)
• Lesson 1 (a discreet lesson that covers specific information in this Course/Module)
• Lesson 2 (another discreet lesson that covers specific information in this Course/Module)
• Assessment (either a Course/Module/Lesson assessment)

Each Lesson and Assessment can be launched independently of each other. Dependencies can be set up to ensure proper sequencing of the content for the learner (i.e. Intro must be taken before Module 1 is taken. Module 1 needs to be completed before Module 2 is started, etc).

By launching smaller objects (lessons), you now have the ability to track a learner through the Training process and to ensure performance levels are met.

Launching smaller objects also allows for more efficient course design and "chunkable" learning content versus massive courses and lessons. When was the last time you enjoyed seeing "Page 1 of 545" in a course?  Much more palatable for the learner to take smaller lessons when time permits...

It's very easy to define LMS course structures. Once you get the hang of it, it will make your instructional design process much easier as well. Sure, the LMS is not the prettiest of menus, but it does help an organization "organize" learning in a much more productive and digestible format for the learners.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them here.  Thanks!