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Is a free LMS practical? Explaining how to install and what to look out for

Learning Management System (LMS)
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An LMS is a system that completes all in-house training and learning online, and more and more companies are adopting it in recent years. In this context, many managers and educators may want to adopt a free LMS in order to reduce costs.

In this article, I will explain the advantages of implementing an LMS, how to implement a free LMS, and some points to keep in mind; if you are thinking of enhancing your educational system with an LMS, please read on to the end.

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What is LMS?

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LMS is an abbreviation for "Learning Management System". In Japanese, it is called a learning management system. It serves as a portal site where contents such as textbooks and videos for students to learn are managed, and is useful for managing learning of a large number of students.

An LMS is provided as an online service using a browser or a dedicated application. A single LMS can have a large number of functions, and the variety of functions available depending on the system is also attractive.

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Advantages of implementing an LMS in a company

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LMSs are being introduced in various fields, and they offer many advantages such as the ability to learn regardless of time and place, and cost reduction. There are many people who would like to know the other specific advantages of implementing an LMS.

This section introduces the advantages of implementing an LMS for each user: management, educators, and students.

Management side

One of the major advantages for the management is that it can reduce various costs related to learning. In particular, training that requires a large number of participants incurs a large amount of costs such as venue fees, rewards for lecturers, and transportation and accommodation costs for participants.

Educator's side

The advantage for the educators involved in the actual operation of the system is that they will be able to easily manage the learning progress of their students. Since all the data of the student is stored in the cloud, the information can be centrally managed and the learning history and status of the student can be closely monitored.

One of the major advantages of the system is that the data is stored so that individual measures can be taken according to the progress of each student. Specifically, we will be able to give pinpoint advice on each student's weak areas, and concentrate on those areas. Accurate feedback based on the situation will also lead to increased motivation for the student.

Student side

The advantage for the students is that they can do any study at any time they want. If the content is not live-streamed, you can use the LMS to study according to your own schedule. If you use a smartphone or tablet, you can devote your spare time to learning during your commute.

Another major advantage is that the quality of the course is always consistent, regardless of the instructor's ability. Not only is there no difference in the content, but you can also select materials according to your own level and brush up your learning content, which is the appeal of an LMS.

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How to implement an LMS for free

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There are many business owners who want to use an LMS but want to keep the cost as low as possible. In this section, we will explain how to implement an LMS for free.

Choose a system or service that is free.

Now that LMS and e-learning content is becoming more and more available, various systems and services have been released by different companies. Most of the services are fee-based, but there are some services that allow you to use some of the content for free, so it can be an effective way to take advantage of them.

In such cases, the number of people, period of time, and available content may be limited, so research beforehand is recommended.

Develop LMS system in-house.

One way to eliminate the cost of paying externally is to develop your own LMS. By allocating your own resources to develop an LMS, you can freely build a system that meets your objectives and uses.

However, it is essential to set up some large-scale projects for requirements definition, specification, development, and operation. It should also be noted that it is not completely free, as development costs must be taken into account.

Development using open source

If you do not want to use another company's service, but want to free up operating costs by developing your own, open source development is also recommended. The base platform is already prepared, so even if you lack the technical skills, you can develop if you have a certain level of skill.

When doing so, choose a highly secure one, taking into account the characteristics of open source, which allows anyone to freely edit and share. This is a very important item from the perspective of preventing damage caused by malware.

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Points to keep in mind when implementing a free LMS

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A number of partially free LMSs have been released, but if you don't know what to look for when implementing a free LMS, you may face unexpected problems.

To ensure smooth operation, please take the following precautions before implementing a free LMS.

Check the number of people available.

Most free LMSs have a limit on the number of people who can use the system. How many people can use the system depends on each service, but most of them do not support more than 10 people, so they are not suitable for use by companies of a certain size.

Make sure you know how many people you can handle in advance.

Check the usage period.

When using a free LMS, it is important to check the usage period. Some LMSs are only free for a month, so if you neglect to check, you may end up in a situation where you sign up and then find out that you have to pay a monthly fee.

Make sure to check in advance how long the free service will be available for.

Check the function

When choosing a free LMS, make sure that it has the right features for your company's purposes and use. different LMS systems have different features, and many systems have unique features that differentiate them. It is important to choose the best LMS for your company.

It also depends on which devices the system is compatible with, such as PCs, tablets, and smartphones. We recommend that you choose a system that takes into account the learning environment for your students.

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Try the free version of the LMS as a test!

LMSs are used by many companies to facilitate student learning. Although there are limitations on functionality and duration, why not try using a free LMS as a test first? Once you have determined that it is highly practical, you can then proceed to consider whether or not to spend money on it.

With our LMS "learningBOX", you can use almost all of its features for free and indefinitely for up to 10 accounts. Anyone can use it easily, so let's start with Free Plan.

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Case Study - NAC Corporation | learningBOX e-learning system

In this issue, we spoke with NAC Corporation. The company uses LearningBOX to conduct online quizzes and standardized tests to improve the level of its delivery staff, as well as to report on the activities of its sales representatives nationwide.

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