Elearning- tech terms demystified

LMS Vs Web server:

LMS- Learning Management System is often heard when we deal with e-learning. How it is different from a web server?



Fig: Diagrammatic representation of web server and it working.

The above diagram shows the working of a web server in a very basic way.
a) You are typing a URL or clicking a link.
b) Your computer send the request to the server.
c) Server retrieves the page and send the data back to your machine.

What we need in web based e-learning?
1) Richer and reliable interactions
2) The instructor needs more control over the students.
3) Instructor needs to track the progress of specific students in multiple courses.
4) Need to track the score in the post assessments.
5) Deliver different kinds of courses and content in right way.

If we stick in to a normal web server for e-learning how can we achieve more control over the learner? So we need something more than a normal web server to deliver the e-learning content over internet.

This is where LMS comes to picture. In simple words an LMS is a server in which the instructor or admin has a control over his/ her learners.

Customized LMS

When companies understood that LMS can do a lot more for web based e-learning, they started building their own LMS, according to their needs and likes. Such LMS is termed Customized LMS, which could present any type of web content on any subject with many different design possibilities.

Fig: Diagramatic representation of a Customized LMS

But the customized LMS has its own weakness also. The main thing was 'the content must be specifically designed to fit with in a particular LMS in order to work properly'. That means, if I develop a course for an LMS called X it may not fit for LMS Y.


Now think about a standard, by following the standard you can ensure that your courses will fit into any LMS which follow the specific standard? This is where SCORM comes to picture.

What is a SCORM?

Fig: Diagramatic representation of SCORM

A SCORM is a competitive edge conformance which helps the user to :

- use standardized packages of learning content.
- recognize individual students and collect info about their progress.
- use meta data

So now, your LMS can offer different feature sets, have differerent strengths, and be very different in look and feel but as long as they follow SCORM, the courses work pretty well.

Features of SCROM:

- Accessibility
- Adaptability
- Affordability
- Durability
- Interoperobility
- Reusability