LMS vs eLearning: What’s the Difference?

The world of eLearning can produce some complex terms and job roles; after all, a lot of components go into making a comprehensive platform. As a specialist learning and development recruitment service, this blog will be an informed exploration of the exact difference between Learning Management Systems (LMS) and eLearning, defining some key terms that you need to know.

Experts in our field, at Instinct Resourcing, we can effortlessly connect your business with the digital eLearning professionals who can make a difference. Making IT online recruitment simple, we can help businesses across a range of different sectors to secure the specific specialists they need, from development experts to instructional designers.

Prioritising the needs of our customers, we realise that a quick eLearning hire can transform how your business operates. That’s why we promise a 24-hour turnaround time on contract clients, using our unrivalled talent pool of network and industry contacts to fulfil this. A boutique service that can help businesses of all sizes, our team is ready to be of service.

But, before you contact us and upload a vacancy, you’ll want to understand exactly how LMS is different from eLearning, so you know who you need to hire.

 

What is eLearning?

Short for electronic learning, and otherwise known as digital learning, eLearning is, put simply, the production and delivery of learning materials through digital means. Distributed in a variety of formats, eLearning can include training or education that’s carried out online on computers or through hand-held devices such as tablets and mobile phones.

Though eLearning is certainly not restricted to these platforms, with the emergence of new technologies allowing for digital education to take place using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR). Transforming how businesses educate new employees and clients, eLearning makes the onboarding process simple, saving companies time and money that would have been spent on physical training sessions.

What types of eLearning are there?

No two people learn in exactly the same way, with some people benefiting from some face-to-face contact, while others are happy to work totally independently. The need for different types of delivery for eLearning lessons is, therefore, essential, offering businesses flexible learning options that will suit their workforce. Just some of the most popular types of eLearning include:

• Asynchronous eLearning: Providing constant access to courses, learners can move through these eLearning lessons independently and at their own desired pace.

• Synchronous eLearning: This type of eLearning is a collaborative experience that encourages discussion in a real-time digital environment, with students working through courses collectively. 

• Blended eLearning: This type of eLearning sees students engage in a blend of digital lessons and face-to-face training courses. 

• Game-based eLearning: Game-based eLearning is becoming increasingly popular and uses games and competitive lessons to make learning more engaging.

• Mobile eLearning and microlearning: This type of eLearning delivers mini modules to students who can access lessons on their mobile phones to complete tasks in short bursts of training. 

Examples of eLearning platforms

Technological advancements and the opportunity to save time and money with digital learning options have made eLearning particularly popular in recent years. Businesses of varying sizes are creating eLearning courses for themselves, and consumers are taking advantage of preexisting services, both free-to-use and paid, that can elevate their skills. Just some of the most popular modern eLearning platforms include:

• Skillshare: Popular in the creative sector, Skillshare offers video-led sessions for its over 600,000 members. 

• Masterclass: Beloved by customers for the number of famous professionals who lead video-led courses on the platform that cover everything from cooking to acting. 

• Coursera: Take part in university-standard education and earn legal certifications and degrees. The platform hosts such global brands as Google and IBM. 

• Khan Academy: Made specifically for those in early education, Khan Academy is completely free for all users and provides video content and gamified lessons.

• Treehouse: Created specifically for coders in mind, Treehouse offers comprehensive video-led courses, with students going on to work with the likes of Nike and HubSpot.

What is an LMS?

Standing for Learning Management System, an LMS is a software used to deliver eLearning courses. Often tailored to the specific needs and working practices of a business, LMSs can be implemented using cloud-based software or traditional installation-based methods. Different from normal eLearning platforms in their accessibility and functionality, LMS’ hold the following benefits:

• Comprehensive compliance tracking and content management.
• Detailed reporting options.
• Robust analytics and certification management.
• Offer support for data storage, document sharing, instant messaging and more.
• Optimised for standardised training for large businesses.

What types of LMS platforms are there?

Your company can choose from a range of platforms for your LMS, depending on what kind of eLearning courses you wish to create. Different platforms will offer different benefits, so it’s important to choose the right one before you commit to hiring LMS specialists. Some of the most popular LMS platforms include:

Moodle: A free, flexible and open-source LMS that’s created for companies in the education sector to take advantage of.

Querium: Enhanced by AI, Querium is designed for mobile learning and is built to integrate with your existing LMS platform. It focuses on delivering key courses in the education sector.

Google Classroom: Google Classroom can be easily integrated with your existing LMS to offer intuitive courses with real-time feedback.

How is an LMS different from an LXP?

Standing for Learning Experience Platform, an LXP differs from an LMS and is favoured by many organisations. While LMS platforms are headed up by a course leader before being digitally transferred to each learner, LXPs offer more personalised learning experiences. This is achieved through the use of AI-driven content and better-integrated collaborative features.

Often preferred by learners, the use of an LXP allows an individual to personalise their learning journey and take responsibility for their experience. These platforms also feature a more in-depth use of data, tracking the learning experience of users more effectively than an LMS.

How do LMSs and eLearning platforms compare?

While LMSs and eLearning are similar and often interpreted as the very same thing, there are significant differences that separate them from one another. An LMS is a platform that can be used for tracking, reporting and implementing a rigid eLearning service. Meanwhile, an eLearning platform offers specialised, specific courses where learning is delivered in a variety of formats.

Let’s break down exactly how both are different from one another.

Integrated features

LMSs are far more flexible than eLearning platforms, offering extra functionality such as file sharing, data storage and internal messaging options. On the other hand, eLearning platforms are far simpler in their integrated functionality, being limited by the capabilities of the programme you choose. If you want to easily keep track of your learners, an LMS is for you.

Accessibility

One of the main benefits of eLearning platforms is that they are generally hosted, which means they can be accessed anywhere where someone has an internet connection, giving them the accessibility to learn whenever they want. LMSs are hosted on the premises of the relevant organisation and are only available on that specific network.

Complexity

LMSs are far more complex to set up than eLearning platforms, which is why you need to invest in the necessary specialists to help you construct a comprehensive solution. The hiring of these technical experts and the considerable time it takes to create an LMS and integrate it with your current applications make them more expensive than eLearning solutions.

For clarity, study the graph below for a clear and concise breakdown of how eLearning and LMS compare.

Purpose	Integrated Features	Accessibility	Complexity	Customisation
LMS	Monitor user progress and deliver standardised learning	Flexible functionality, including file sharing, data storage and more.	Hosted on the premises – limited accessibility.	Difficult and expensive to create.	Limited content adjustments – created for standardised business workflows.
eLearning	Delivers eLearning content for specialised subjects.	Limited options – restricted by platform.	Generally hosted – accessible anywhere at any time.	Cheaper as they don’t require the creation of a platform.	Very flexible, with options for multiple learning paths.

Which is best for you? LMS or an eLearning platform?

While you will now know the difference between an LMS and an eLearning platform, you may still be wondering which option is best for you and your business. Offering different strengths and weaknesses depending on what kind of platform you’re looking for, it’s crucial to consider the needs of your business before committing.

An LMS is perfect for your company if…

• You’re a large business wanting to deliver corporate compliance training, track progress and confirm certifications of completion.
• You’re a university or an organisation in higher education that needs to deliver consistent, unvarying, large-scale courses.
• You want to deliver blended learning.
• You want to execute a structured learning experience.
• You’re looking for built-in features, such as performance tracking, that eLearning platforms lack.

LMSs are ideal if you’re working in a structured environment, such as a large business or educational institution, where rigid learning with performance tracking is a priority. 

An eLearning platform is perfect for your company if…

• You’re in the creative sector and need a versatile platform that’s suited to constantly changing modes of working.
• You’re looking for more creative, innovative ways to engage your students, including videos and quizzes.
• You’re an SME with evolving business needs.
• You want to deliver focused teaching on specific skills.
• You want to keep training informal.

While an LMS is perfect for standardised learning for many people, a company would use eLearning if they wanted to deliver a more focused, self-paced digital learning experience. 

Ready to invest in either an LMS or an eLearning platform?

You should now be ready to choose between an LMS or an eLearning platform for your organisation, recognising the strengths and weaknesses of both options. Next comes the recruitment of the industry professionals who can bring your digital learning platform to life, whether you’re looking for administrative and maintenance experts or project managers.

No matter what kind of specialist you’re looking for, when you choose to recruit through Instinct Resourcing, you can easily be connected with a large talent pool of professionals. Putting the needs of your eLearning project at the very heart of our operations, we are a boutique service that’s dedicated to optimising how your business works with a focus on high-quality hires.

Able to connect you with contracted professionals in just 24 hours, we can help to effortlessly streamline your commitment to digital learning, using our vast network of professionals to get the hire you need. Able to pinpoint the perfect individual in a crowded, competitive market, by working with Instinct, you can optimise your recruitment process. Allow us to do the heavy lifting of recruitment, from the initial consultation all the way through to our aftercare services.

Elevate your eLearning capabilities today with Instinct Resourcing.

Reach out to us

FAQs

What is SCORM?

Standing for Shareable Content Object Reference Model, SCORM is an authoring tool. It is used alongside the creation of content to make sure technical standards are appropriate for learning resources to be easily implemented into any LMS. When making a course, it’s crucial to make sure that it’s SCORM-compliant since most LMS platforms recognise this model as standard, allowing you to easily run it and track learner data.

What is xAPI?

Also known as ‘Tin Can API’ was created to perfect learner tracking and recording. Essentially a more intuitive version of SCORM, xAPI allows you to track learning data from students from a variety of different places, including websites, videos and VR, even when offline. Data from this is sent to a Learning Record Store (LRS), which collects this for the use of the course leaders and software managers.