When selecting a learning management system (LMS), it’s important to carefully evaluate how user-friendly the system will be for employees and administrators.  Have each software provider walk you through a few learning sessions from an average user’s perspective so you can review all the options available in the LMS. 

During these walk-throughs, do your best to view the LMS through the eyes of one of your employees.  Keep in mind the tech savvy of your average employee. Are any areas confusing?  How can you address these challenges? 

Be sure to evaluate these sticking points during the walk-through:.

• How complicated is the log-in process?

• Is the home page self-explanatory and easy-to-understand by a computer-challenged user?

• How easy is it to search for and launch courses?

• If your employees will use the system to register for instructor-led classes, how easy is the registration process?

• Can an average user run a “transcript” of their completed courses? 

Some other considerations include: 

• Take a course in every format available.  In other words, watch a training video, play an interactive game, launch an electronic document, try a multi-module course, and so forth.

• Take a very thorough tour of the administrator dashboard, commonly known as the system’s back-of-house. Really concentrate. Squint. Does the dashboard confuse you?  How bad is the headache? Your admins are going to spend a lot of time back there. Make sure the dashboard makes sense.

• Review any tools specifically intended for a manager or supervisor. How friendly are these tools? Will using these tools cause supervisors to hate the system?  Annoyed supervisors will grumble to employees and turn them against the LMS. 

• Take an assessment. Does the procedure make sense? Is it easy to answer questions? 

For more advice, check out LMS Success: A Step-by-Step Guide to Learning Management System Administration, available on Amazon.