11 Aug 2021|Learning Management

Distance Learning System (LMS) is an essential tool in the work of e-learning professionals.LMS can be a major expense if you are looking for a reliable, one-stop distance learning system that meets all of your e-learning staff development needs.

The following distance learning systems are distributed free of charge and may interest you.

1. Moodle

Moodle is undoubtedly one of the most popular open-source LMSs today.

Moodle offers the user various toolbars, the ability to track student progress, and multimedia support. The system makes it possible to create courses adapted for mobile phones and is quite friendly towards the integration of add-ons from third-party developers.

For those who want to make money on their courses, Moodle has integration with the PayPal payment system, which makes the ordering and payment process simple and straightforward. Another major benefit of Moodle is the user community. Unlike many other free LMS, here you can almost instantly get answers to most of your questions by contacting the online technical support base.

In addition, the service offers a number of ready-made templates that you can use to save time and not create a course from scratch. Perhaps at first Moodle will seem complicated and incomprehensible to you, but if you are looking for a program that gives the user the maximum amount of freedom, then do not be lazy and spend a little time studying the Moodle interface.

2. ATutor

This distance learning system has many useful features, from email notifications to file storage.

One of the most striking advantages of ATutor is its customer focus and easy and intuitive interface, which makes this system an ideal tool for those who are just starting to master the world of e-learning.

Atutor also offers the user a number of pre-installed themes to speed up the course creation process. And it should be noted the various assessment tools, file backups, statistics, and the ability to integrate surveys.

3. Eliademy

For teachers and tutors of training, this system is completely free, a small fee is taken from users if they want to take advantage of the premium account.

Eliademy offers eLearning course catalogs, assessment tools, and even an Android mobile app for educators looking to develop mobile courses and targeting people who want to learn on the go. E-Learning Coordinators can easily download courses and send invitations to students to their email addresses.

5. Forma LMS

From analyzing the general level of knowledge to detailed statistics and reporting, Forma LMS boasts a fairly extensive set of available functions.

The service also has a variety of certifications, competent leadership support, and a wide range of virtual classroom management tools, including various calendars and event managers.

This system is ideal for corporate training programs and offers access to an active online community where you can find many helpful tips on how to get the most out of the service.

6. Dokeos

If you are looking for a distance learning system with ready-made course elements, then Dokeos, available free for groups of up to five users, is for you.

This system offers many ready-made templates and e-learning courses and of course authoring tools with which you can minimize the time spent on creating your course.

On their website, the developers offer the user a ton of useful information, including step-by-step video instructions on how to create your own courses. The intuitive interface makes Dokeos a great option for newbies to eLearning and those who don’t want to spend time studying instructions.

7. ILIAS

This distance learning system can be called the first open system to comply with distance learning standards such as SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004.

This flexible universal system meets all the basic requirements necessary for the successful sale of copyright courses.

It should be noted that ILIAS is one of the few distance learning systems that can be used as a full-fledged platform for e-learning, thanks to the ability to communicate within the team and transfer and store all documents. The system is absolutely free for all e-learning organizations, regardless of the number of users.

If you have hundreds, or even thousands, of people studying with you, this system will help you to significantly reduce costs, since many other LMSs charge fees depending on the number of users.

ILIAS is used by both private business trainers and large companies with a developed network of branches.

Unlimited storage. You can download an unlimited number of training materials in the LMS: courses, videos, books, presentations.

Mobile Learning Courses can be opened on a computer, tablet, smartphone, even offline, for example, on a train or plane. There are mobile apps for android and iOs

Detailed statistics. The system collects detailed statistics and helps to monitor the progress of employees. The reports show which courses the user has completed, what passing score he scored, how many mistakes he made in the test. There are 11 types of reports that can be downloaded to .xls and .csv for further processing.

Webinars. The platform integrates Zoom, a professional video conferencing and webinar service. You can share your desktop, presentation, or video, write in public and private chat. The system automatically sends the participants a reminder of the next online meeting and informs them about the change in the schedule - everyone does not have to write personally. Webinar recordings are saved.

Installation on the client’s server. The provider is ready to install the platform on the customer’s servers, in this case, the payment for the platform will be one-time.

8. Opigno

The possibilities provided by the Opigno system cannot but rejoice. Certificates, class schedules, forums, authoring e-learning tools, grading systems, and video galleries are just a few of the impressive list of functions available to the user.

This distance learning system is written in Drupal, a popular content management system. This gives you the ability to manage curriculum, track student progress, and integrate e-commerce with just one tool.

Opigno also offers the user online surveys, instant messaging, and live chat, which makes it possible to quickly provide and receive feedback and effective collaboration.

9. OLAT

Assessment tools for e-learning, social inclusion, and the learner homepage are just a few of the many benefits of OLAT.

In this system, you will also find a schedule, email notifications, the ability to add bookmarks, file storage, and certificates.

With OLAT, you can quickly and easily add new users to the system and develop comprehensive e-learning courses. Another interesting feature is the ability to check browser compatibility. With just a few clicks, you can make sure your course material is displayed correctly in all browsers. OLAT is ideal for multi-platform e-learning courses designed for various devices.

Open source distance learning systems give you the opportunity to create and effectively develop eLearning courses, especially if you are willing to spend some time thoroughly learning all the possible functions of the system. In some cases, the use of such systems can affect the learning curve, but the cost savings and freedom in choosing the appearance and content of the course, in the end, covers all possible difficulties.

If the distance learning system has its own online community, do not hesitate to familiarize yourself with it before you make the final decision on the use of a particular product.