E-Learning Platforms: Choosing the Right
One for Your Institution

10 Oct 2023

The education system has undergone a major transformation, wherein schools and colleges have adopted e-learning. In fact, most of the institutes have been incorporating digitized tools to enhance the learning and teaching process.

However, facilitating smooth online learning classes and remote examinations is not an easy task; institutes need software and reliable services. With so many tools available in the market, it becomes hard to choose the right one.

Crucial Factors that you can Consider while Choosing the Best E-Learning Platform

1. Interactivity and Design

The learning and teaching system must not be static; instead, it should be dynamic, making it possible for teachers to use varied instructional approaches. That is why you must ensure that the e-learning platform that you choose should have interactive features and modules.

The availability of a broad selection of features like video, images with texts, animations and other cutting-edge tools is essential for the following reasons:

• E-learning designers can collaborate with teachers to make courses engaging with the help of authoring tools.
• They can add interactive elements, such as polls, quizzes, etc., helping to create a participatory learning environment.
• They can customise and develop their interactive activities and elements within the authoring tools.
• The platform has a wide selection of templates and styles to create personalised lessons and activities.

The interactive design of the platform allows students to take an active interest in their learning by participating in various activities. It also caters to the students' different learning needs, enabling them to improve their performance.

2. Varied Assessments

The conventional examination system is a pen-and-paper-based approach that includes the same kind of questions with little or no changes. Although it helps to check the subject knowledge, it provides no scope for assessing student’s overall development.

On the other hand, online examinations are the perfect medium to assess students’ academic and overall progress. But to obtain such an assessment, you must employ an appropriate platform that allows you to customise the monthly examinations and weekly tests.

Furthermore, you must check whether or not the platform has the built-in mechanisms to support a variety of examinations. For example, it must allow teachers to conduct free-form writing assessments and qualitative and quantitative questions.

Other vital question types include multiple-choice assessments, drag-and-drop assessments, and other interactive-type questions. Besides, ensuring that the assessment features allow teachers and course designers to customise the exams to fit their learning objectives and specific needs is equally crucial.

3. Data-Based Reports

Why are some students doing well while a few others are struggling? Is there a way to connect in-class activities with online activities? How can we improve students’ performance in specific subject areas?

These are some vital questions teachers often consider while preparing monthly performance reports of students. This is where formative assessments play a major role by allowing teachers to identify weak and strong areas of students.

Paper-based exams provide an incomplete picture, but online exams can provide a more complete one. In fact, the best LMS software in India comes with dedicated analytical and reporting tools that provide:

• A detailed performance report of students.
• Progress reports of individual students allow the teachers to see the growth or decline of students.
• Performance reports also indicate trends and patterns of success of specific methodologies.

4. Easy Integrations

Institutional success relies on a number of things, including productive workflow, academic progress, continuous monitoring of performance, etc. Hence, schools and colleges need robust tools to carry out important operations effectively.

While choosing an e-learning platform, you must ensure that it is compatible with your existing system and it has built-in mechanisms to support other tools. For instance, one of the most important things you need to check is whether the platform allows SCORM courses.

Besides, the platform must have a fully documented Application Program Interface (API), which enables you to integrate your existing systems easily.

Also, it must have elaborate and dedicated service plans to allow you to integrate the latest applications and tools to create assessments and implement learning activities.

5. Scalability

Institutes expand with time in terms of student enrollment and overall functionality; therefore, they need an efficient workforce and robust system. Likewise, when they conduct hybrid or in-person classes, the system should be equipped to handle multiple activities.

There have been several instances wherein students encountered obstacles in the middle of an online exam or class due to mismanagement or ineffective applications. Hence, it is vital to choose a system that assures high scalability.

The most significant advantage of intuitive and scalable tools is that they ensure smooth operation and prevent overload. For example, multiple users can access the system and continue to work without delay or technical issues.

6. Price

Integrating or implementing any educational tool is a major investment that the institute leaders are aware of. However, before purchasing any tools and services, you must enquire about charges or subscription models.

Determine the following :

• Clarify if the charges are a one-off fee, monthly or annual subscription system.
• Check the different pricing tiers, which will allow you to choose the price level, and it will easily scale up as the institute grows.
• Check if there are extra charges for onboarding, content loading or customer support.
• Most importantly, check the terms and conditions to ensure you are not signing up for an unclear, unreasonable or vague period.

7. Easy to Use

Does the authoring tool allow the teacher to create assessments easily? Does the platform allow the recording of audio and video? How many interactive options are available on the platform? Can the students access the recorded lessons remotely?

These are some of the questions that indicate the usability of the e-learning platform; you can raise further questions that align with the learning needs and specific requirements.

Most importantly, the platform must have an easy-to-use interface, allowing instructors to design courses and lesson plans conveniently. Last but not least, it must be compatible with mobile devices, helping to provide a continuous learning experience.