14 Feb 2024
Accomplishing academic goals, addressing learning gaps, and maintaining teaching and learning quality are critical for all institutes. Despite all efforts and teamwork, they might face delays, inefficiency, and miscommunication.
Institutes can overcome or prevent such issues easily with the LMS software, which helps to streamline all administrative activities. For instance, organising and conducting online or hybrid classes or facilitating examinations becomes smooth and hassle-free.
But is that it? Well, there’s more to it than meets the eye when it comes to the MasterSoft LMS software, so let us have a look.
What is LMS software?
LMS, or Learning Management System, is an advanced and powerful tool that enables institutes and teachers to create and sort out content. Furthermore, it is a robust tool that has transformed the medium of teaching and learning.
Students no longer need to limit their research and assignment activities to textbooks, as they can rely on various online materials. Similarly, teachers can use the tool to employ various pedagogies with digitalized resources and establish a stimulating learning environment.
Hence, it would not be incorrect if one were to define the software as the perfect educational companion. Why? There are multiple reasons; hence, it is only fitting to explore why the software is an ideal ed-tech solution.
1. Course Creation
How long does it take to create a course or program? There is no easy way to answer that, especially when a lot of work and time goes into research and preparation. Consultation with subject experts and following the guidelines of the regulatory bodies are primary concerns.
When the institute completes the initial necessities, it moves on to making the course publicly available. Hence, executing the course creation-related activities without the use of technology only serves to lengthen the process.
On the contrary, when the admin staff use the LMS software, they succeed in creating and managing course content conveniently. Furthermore, they can collect the learning materials from valid and credible sources.
Besides, it includes learning resources and materials that align with the curriculum, classroom activities, assignments, and projects.
2. High-Quality and Varied Learning Content
Textbooks and libraries will always have a special place because they are the original resources for gaining or gathering knowledge. Nevertheless, in today’s modern era, the demand for fast and reliable educational materials has increased significantly.
Fortunately, the learning management system has come to the rescue, allowing students to access various types of content. The system enables teachers and admin staff to store multiple kinds of content, including videos, PDFs, PPTS, documents, etc.
Hence, whether it is for a project or an assignment, they can rely on online resources, enhancing the learning experience. Besides, boredom and monotony are nowhere near when students engage in such an interactive learning process.
Additionally, the system’s reporting module generates a comprehensive report of students' progress throughout the year. Therefore, it helps teachers and stakeholders track the students' course progress and their participation rate
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3. Develop Instructional Activity Plans
A common assumption is that the institute heads are always under pressure to ensure the quality standards of the institute. Running an institute is teamwork, and all stakeholders bear equal responsibility to accomplish set goals.
However, the teachers are at the forefront of all student-related activities; hence, they carry the weight of expectations. Therefore, they multitask things like setting up assignments, keeping a close watch on students, and preparing reports.
They can divide various portions of the syllabus, align them with the lesson plans, and update them accordingly. Consequently, it helps them keep track of how far the class has progressed through the course.
4. Strategic and Purposeful Assessments
Examinations that go beyond testing students’ subject knowledge and that serve to assess their progress are the need of the hour. That is why teachers and institutes must develop a modern and strategic assessment system.
The software enables teachers to create different kinds of formative assessments as part of regular classroom sessions.
Besides, They can assign E-Learning and Traditional Paper-and-Pen Tests in the form of the following:
Short questions in the form of quizzes implemented at the beginning, end, or middle of the class help to determine the student's understanding.
Multiple-choice questions are a great way to assess students' ability to detect the right answers from an array of options.
Teachers can also assign them assignments and projects related to real-world problems, which they can work on using multimedia. Hence, they can include presentations, slides, and documentaries to prepare their projects.
Conducting surveys at the end of each week or month enables teachers to understand students' issues.
Hesitation, nervousness, and anxiety are real obstacles that stop students from sharing their perspectives with the teacher. LMS software provides a platform to conduct one-to-one sessions through audio/video teleconference or online chat. As a result, students can communicate in real time and express their doubts and issues.
5. Improved Communication System
Communication is the foundation of a healthy student-teacher relationship, without which neither party can accomplish academic goals. Besides, it might not always be possible for parents to come to the institute's premises to inquire about their child’s progress.
Therefore, a robust communication platform is key, allowing teachers and institutions to send regular updates about their respective students. Hence, whether it is about attendance or ongoing class and test performance, parents get timely updates.
On the other hand, the in-built live chat and mailing features help to create a stimulating learning environment. These features enable students to engage and communicate with each other on projects and assignments. Also, they are equally useful during brainstorming sessions, as all students can participate and contribute.
Additionally, the mailing feature allows administrators and teachers to send notices or notifications regarding upcoming scholastic events. Besides, parents can use the same platform to inquire and put forth queries requiring solutions.
6. Gamification of Courses
Motivating students in a competitive learning environment where everyone expects them to excel and score high is difficult. In fact, learners struggle the most when it comes to self-determination amidst academic and peer pressure.
Therefore, if there is a way to lessen their stress, it is certainly worth a try. For instance, gamification is one such endeavor, wherein teachers can integrate gaming elements into the learning process.
A Few Interesting Examples of Gamifying the Courses are as follows:
Point Systems:
Teachers can assign points to complete specific tasks, tests, or assignments.
Badges:
Badges are tokens of recognition and acknowledgment, and they demonstrate a student’s hard work and achievement.
Leaderboards:
Teachers can use leaderboards to track student performances to incorporate a sense of healthy competition.
Besides, gamification helps to enhance the learning and educational experience of students and instills an active learning process.
7. Analytics and Reporting
Is the lesson plan effective? What pedagogies are more useful than others? What would be an appropriate instructional methodology for a particular class? These are important questions that teachers must address and find appropriate answers to.
A learning management system enables teachers to highlight these issues and solve them accordingly. Moreover, they can use the system to monitor how students respond to a particular methodology and their performance reports.
On the other hand, they can also use the system’s deep analytics and BI reporting tools to obtain insights into students' performance. Additionally, they can check the attendance rate, course completion rate, assessment scores, etc.
8. Real-Time Feedback
Students often have to wait until after the examination to check the results and find out how they have performed. Then the teachers provide accompanying advice regarding how particular students can improve their performances.
However, teachers can leverage the software to make optimum use of the tool and provide real-time feedback to the students. Furthermore, they can offer suggestions and personalised messages concerning various areas of improvement.
As a result, students get immediate insights into their shortcomings and strengths, allowing them to take the necessary steps to make changes.
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What makes the MasterSoft Learning Management System stand out in the market?
- Robust and highly scalable software
- State-of-the-art analytics and reporting features
- Modern, in-built features to implement comprehensive assessments
- Efficient communication and collaboration tools
- High-security compliance
- Smooth integration and compatibility
Final Thoughts
A learning management system is one of the most sought-after educational tools that facilitates an engaging learning environment. It provides plenty of resources, helping to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
It is a modern assistive technological solution that helps provide personalised learning pathways to students. Hence, it helps to cater to the needs of individual students, enabling them to learn at their own pace.
Poonam Nathani,
Academic Consultant