Top 10 eLearning Platforms for Business

There are many ways to train your employees. You couldorganize live seminars and deliver lengthy lectures in classrooms or hotel ballrooms.You can bring in industry experts and influencers and organize workshops. Moreoften than not, industry influencers charge a bomb for sharing their knowledge.Not only that, seminars and lectures are not always the best way for mostpeople to learn, and they take people off the job (lost opportunity, andunproductive use of time).  Live seminarsand classroom-based training may not be viable and cost-effective options forsmall and midsize businesses. And of course, you may give your employeeschallenging assignments and tasks and impart OJT (0n-the-job training) skills,but there are problems with both approaches too. Online eLearning platforms maybe the answer you should consider.

One of the most effective ways to train is to use an onlinelearning platform, or LMS (learning management system), to put together a seriesof courses prepared by experienced personnel. The same platform can also beused to deliver online lectures, organize eLearning, conduct employee tests,and assess employee performance. There are many of these online learning platforms andchoosing the best one is undoubtedly overwhelming.

Here are 10 platforms that will bring down your training cost.To learn more about the features and pricing for any of these platforms,readers should refer to the respective platform websites—products, fees, and featureschange from time to time.

1. MindFlash

This platform will let you customize all your course content.Right from creating and designing PowerPoint presentations, videos, and MS Worddocuments, to tracking the performance of trainees, you can create differenttypes of content that adheres to SCORM (Sharable Content Object ReferenceModel) standards. For all intents and purposes, this platform is scalable. Inother words, by using this eLearning platform, you can train not only your employees but also externalstakeholders such as contractors, partners, etc.

Social integration features are good and third-party servicesare decent. There’s a 14-day trial plan so you can get a true feel of the platform.MindFlash currently offers three variants—Basic, Advanced, and Pro.

2. Latitude Learning LMS

This learning management system has a vast array ofimpressive features such as HTML widgets, multi-language support, custom webpages, provisions for logo and image branding etc. Organizations can tracktheir employees’ performance by using different types of reports such as standardreports, ad hoc reports, etc. This platform can be used in different sectorssuch as retail, franchise, consumer durables, pharmaceuticals, etc. It’s anextendable eLearning platform. In other words, you can use this LMS to trainyour partners, affiliates, franchises etc.

Pricing is dynamic. There is an enrollment-based pricing planand there’s a contract option as well.

3. Litmos
   

   This is a cloud-based online learning platform that learners can access on desktopsand mobiles. It currently claims more than one million users. Its built-indashboard is simple, straightforward, and profoundly powerful. You can monitoryour sales activity by integrating the Salesforce app into this platform. Youcan create innumerable courses and modules.

   There’s a 14-day trial plan. You can use this trial plan toyour advantage. There are three price variants—Enterprise, Silver, and Gold.

4. CourseMill
   

   As the name suggests, CourseMill lets you create innumerablecourses. It has advanced tracking and reporting functionalities. For instance,you may access visual reports that are replete with charts and graphs. CourseMillcan notify learners about upcoming courses and other important updates. Notificationstake the form of emails, which often have links that direct users to newcourses or projects.

   CourseMill’s instant messaging feature is worth mentioning.Users can chat with each other and share subject knowledge.

5. TalentLMS

This platform makes learning absolutely fun. It has aplethora of gamification features such as rewards, badges, points, leaderboardscores, etc. Thanks to TalentLMS, course creation boils down to a few minutes.This LMS has a dedicated marketplace for buying and selling courses. Moreimportantly, there’s a provision for instructors to share their courses withnon-registered users.

There’s a free account option and functionality is top-notch.Advanced features such as automation of courses, user management, etc., areavailable in the Plus and Premium plans.

6. iSpring Learn LMS

iSpring Learn lets you create comprehensive, interactive, andengaging course content by using effective tools such as PowerPoint, SCORMpackages, audio and video support, reference documents, Flash, and HTML 5. Customizationoptions are many. As a matter of fact, you can change different visual entitiessuch as logo, color, language, etc., of your courses.

Upon completion of a course(s), learners automatically receivecertificates through email. Trainers can conduct quizzes and content securitymechanisms are pretty advanced. This platform can be accessed on iPad andAndroid tablets. Learners can save courses and complete them offline. And yes,there’s also a free 30-day trial plan available s0 you can test itscapabilities. This learning platform offers three plans—Starter, Pro, and Enterprise.

7. eFront

eFront is a new-age online platform that is scalable,customizable, efficient, and reliable. The user-interface is clean and prettymuch straightforward. It’s completely user-intuitive. It’s power-packed withmany gamification features. There are many provisions in eFront that helptrainers identify and reward quick and hardworking learners.

As far as content operability is concerned, eFront adheres toindustry standards. Right from basic courses on computer skills to advancedcourses on ethics in the workplace, this content-friendly platform lets youcreate every kind of learning content. Reporting features are extensive. Othernoteworthy features include video conferencing, discussion forums, offlinelearning support, multi-lingual support, etc.

8. 8. Absorb LMS

This is an intelligent and multi-purpose online learningplatform that is highly scalable and configurable. It’s available as both ahosted and an on-premise installation solution. It’s easy to create anddistribute training courses and there are many automation features. Thisplatform houses many course assembly tools such as quizzes, exams, assignments,etc. By the way, it’s optimized for as many as 20 languages.

There are many provisions to embed YouTube videos into different courses. There islittle information available on plans and pricing so you will need to contactthe company for the price list.

9. WizIQ
   If you are looking to offer self-paced training programs toyour employees, WizIQ is an affordable enterprise learning option. It’seffortlessly easy to use and mobile-ready. Its three-step assessment creationwizard is definitely worth your attention. There are many ready-to-use anddeploy templates which make massive open online course (MOOC) creation a rosy job.

   It offers four premium plans—Plus, Pro, Premium, andEnterprise. This platform is ideal for freelancers, small and midsizebusinesses, large enterprises, etc.

10. Digital Chalk
    Digital Chalk lets you use existing content from differentvideo websites and convert them into PowerPoint slideshows. There’s a comprehensivebuilt-in online editing suite. Right from uploading and synchronizing yourpresentations to adding checkpoints in quizzes, this eLearning platform letsyou play with its content management features. Its HD video streaming featureis noteworthy. There isn’t any information available about social learningfeatures such as discussion forums, live chats, blogs, etc. Gamificationfeatures are absent.

    Found this article useful? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments. Ifyou have any queries or concerns, shoot them in the comments. I shall reply ina day or two. Keep watching this space for insights and emerging trends oneLearning. Happy eLearning!