The severity of the second wave of COVID-19 compelled the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to cancel the 10th Board Exam and postpone the 12th Board Exam in 2021. Also, it makes it essential for students to study from home and schools to continue with online classes.
According to the Times of India,
“In India too, the second wave has been quite severe compared to the first one with the country now reporting over twice as many cases as it did during the first peak.”
But most schools in India lack the infrastructure and resources required for conducting and continuing online classes successfully. The cloud-based learning management systems (LMSs) make it easier for schools to continue online classes without building, managing, and updating onsite IT infrastructure. Educational institutions can further access and scale the cloud-based learning management system for schools by availing of computing resources based on the pay-as-you-use pricing model.
At the same time, the cloud-hosted LMS can be customized and updated according to the precise needs of individual schools in a few minutes. But no school can continue online classes and boost learning experience simply by opting for a cloud-based LMS. The decision-makers must remember that the LMS solutions differ from each other in several aspects. They have to focus on some important factors to choose the best LMS for schools in India.
10 Things Decision-Makers Must Consider Picking the Best LMS for Schools in India
Accessibility
According to the India Lockdown Learning Report released by the scholarship management portal Vidyasaarathi,
“Smartphone is the primary mode for online learning for 79% of students in India, while only 17% have access to laptops and 4% to tablets for learning purposes or attending online classes.”
Indian schools need an LMS that students can access seamlessly using a variety of devices – desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Usability
Both school students and teachers lack the technical skills required to use complex software solutions. While comparing the LMS for schools, the decision-makers must focus extensively on the software solution’s usability and user experience. They must test the LMS solution elaborately to ensure that students can use the software effortlessly despite having no prior technical knowledge.
Blended Learning
The schools in India can conduct online classes successfully only by combining teacher-led learning and self-learning. They must choose an LMS that enables students to learn on their own by accessing a variety of digital content and study materials on demand. At the same time, they need to ensure that the LMS facilitates teacher-led training by featuring video-based classrooms and virtual classrooms.
Multiple Content Formats
No school can make students acquire and retain knowledge in a virtual learning environment using a specific form of content. The decision-makers must choose an LMS for schools that allows students to learn by accessing a variety of digital content – ebooks, audiobooks, videos, journals, documents, PPTs, and infographics. They can easily enable students to access a variety of digital content by integrating the LMS with digital libraries.
Content Creation Tools
The schools can save the time and resources required to create content and study materials by integrating the LMS with ready-to-use libraries. But the teachers still need to make the online classes more effective by creating and customizing various lessons. That is why; the decision-makers must check if the LMS comes with built-in content creation tools.
Multiple Languages
According to TheQuint.com,
“The new National Education Policy (NEP) recommends that all students will learn three languages in their school under the ‘formula’. At least two of the three languages should be native to India.”
Hence, schools can use the LMS over a longer period of time only when the software supports multiple languages, including English and Hindi. A school can use the same LMS to teach multiple languages to students by integrating the software with libraries containing content in multiple regional languages in India.
Evaluation Systems
In addition to teaching students, the teachers will use the same LMS to evaluate student performance and track student progress. They need LMS for schools that come with built-in evaluation systems. The decision-makers must pick an LMS that allows teachers to use existing timed quizzes and mock papers, along with creating customized question banks and scheduling promotional and assessment tests.
Student Engagement Options
No school can persuade and motivate students to learn from home without keeping them engaged. In addition to attending online classes, the school students these days explore ways to interact with both students and classmates in the virtual learning environment. That is why; decision-makers need to shortlist the LMS that keeps school students engaged by featuring chats, discussion forums, query corners, leaderboards, and nuggets.
Gamification
While continuing online classes, schools must motivate and engage students by adopting some of the hottest trends in online education, including gamification. Most school students these days play video games and mobile games regularly. Hence, they love classrooms that are gamified. The new-age LMS platforms make it easier for schools to gamify both classrooms and learning experiences by providing options like badges and coins. Here is an interesting read on LMS gamification.
Integration
A school can customize the cloud-based LMS on demand according to its precise needs and strategies. Also, it can deliver a superior learning experience by integrating the cloud-based LMS with virtual classroom solutions and ready-to-use digital libraries. While shortlisting LMS platforms for schools, decision-makers must check if the software can be integrated with useful tools seamlessly.
Credibility and Recognitions
While comparing LMSs for schools, the decision-makers must assess the LMS provider’s reputation and credibility based on the rewards, recognitions, and certifications. For instance, decision-makers will definitely get a high-quality LMS by opting for an ed-tech startup or company that is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified. Likewise, they should check if the software is recognized as one of the top LMS software for Indian schools.
The cloud-hosted LMS system provided by Mintbook is designed specifically for schools, colleges, and universities in India. In addition to supporting both self-paced and teacher-led learning, the LMS for schools supports multiple languages, content formats, evaluation systems, and student engagement options. The schools also have the option to integrate the best LMS for schools with ready-to-use digital libraries and virtual classroom platforms containing multi-format content in more than 10 Indian regional languages.
