Learning Management Systems (LMS): Why Nepalese Schools Can’t Afford to Miss Out?
Learning Management System (LMS) for schools has become almost a necessity in Nepal for 2024. An AI-integrated, cloud-based eLearning platform with advanced features is something schools should adopt as quickly as possible. This statement might sound bold, but once you go through the points I’m about to share, you’ll see the logic behind it is completely justifiable.
In the 1950s, the first Nepali education plan was created, and in 2007, the law for free and mandatory primary education came into effect. After COVID-19, there was a boom in online learning, and following that, the trend of adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) in Nepal began. We’ve seen many ups and downs in the Nepali education sector, but all of this has been part of the journey that brought us to where we are now.
Now, the next step on the ladder is the broader adoption of LMS platforms in Nepal for school, colleges and other institutions. Platforms like e-Sikhai, MeroSchool, and our very own government’s Nepali Digital Education Platform have already made significant contributions to shaping the online learning journey. These tools are helping Nepali students gradually adapt to new learning methods, which is a promising development for the future of education in Nepal.
LMS Helps Cater the Karnali Kids
“Araniko Technical School students have been unable to receive proper education due to a lack of qualified teachers”, news like this will definitely become less common as we start implementing the LMS in the rural areas of Nepal.
A question may arise: Is it feasible to provide access where internet coverage is only 40%? This problem has already been addressed by modern LMS solutions using progressive web app (PWA) technology. The web application, released by Google in 2015, offers improved accessibility to learning resources and offline support.
Kids from Dolpa, Mugu, and Humla would be able to access quality educational content and experience a level of improvement, ensuring they no longer feel left behind when it comes to higher education in Kathmandu or other cities.
Lms As Performance Accelerator for Tutor
A teacher can cater to around 40 students in an hour of tutoring. Now, imagine the scalability—what if 1,000 students could learn at the same time in an hour? The same content, the same delivery, and at the students' convenience. Plus, it can be recorded, allowing anyone to access the content at any point in their life.
A page of content, a video, an infographic, once created, lives for more than we humans do; that’s what an LMS provides. One-time effort that stays the same over time, providing lectures a time bonus.
This allows them to use their valuable time for research, increasing the impact of that one hour of lecture. A Learning Management System (LMS) includes all of these benefits. Additionally, tutors can assess student progress and manage tasks themselves on the platform, which can also be monitored by their coworkers and supervisors.
Teaching in Many Languages, LMS Made it Easy !
Wouldn’t it be great to learn in Maithili, Bhojpuri, or Tharu? It’s not just about learning; it’s about preserving these languages and their essence, as we are losing them with each generation.
These would be easy and efficient as we integrate an LMS into our school system. What if, not only a kid from Saptari and Siraha learns their own languages, but also a child from western Nepal gains access to learn and know about Maithili? That would be amazing. All of these require high-level LMS features, which we hope will become more cost-efficient and less complex as AI continues to improve day by day.
Facilitating Personalized Learning
Squirrels, smart sparrows—don’t get confused, thinking what these are doing in an LMS blog. These are AI-driven technologies designed to enhance LMS (Learning Management System) experiences. These tools specialize in creating personalized learning paths and refining the learning process..
LMS pioneers like Moodle contributed to this field and gave new direction to individual course preferences. These systems analyze the learning styles of individual students, predict their learning behavior, and create custom learning paths. The more data we feed into the LMS, the better it works on behalf of online learners. It acts as a substitute for one-on-one tutoring on online platforms by enabling access to multimedia content.
LMS Keeps Things Running During Disruptions
250% increase in traffic for online learning after COVID-19 hit the world in 2019, which was nearly three times the original level of online education adoption. During that time, video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet, along with collaborative tools such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, helped a lot in getting the education wheel rolling. LMS platforms like Moodle, Canvas, and Blackboard were the complete systems for learning among the crowd. These systems were tested and proved their capability during that time.
LMS provides a complete package and is a cost-effective solution for schools, ensuring full operation even in the worst situations. It helps bypass future uncertainties, which could come in any form such as natural disasters, blockades, epidemics like COVID-19, or even technological failures. Cloud-based LMS supports learning as long as there is internet access.
Navigating School with Child
The chair spins in the office, hands go into pockets, the phone is picked up, and the LMS app is clicked to scroll through the performance metrics of his kid. That’s no longer a fantasy, the Learning Management System provides that luxury. It gives a common ground where parents can access their child's progress at their fingertips. It tracks the course content covered in school, along with progress over days, weeks, months, and years. The LMS keeps a record of everything and even provides dedicated reports for each student.
Further, a payments section is also available, covering dues, installments, expenses, and detailed cost breakdowns. It also helps each parent plan their finances effectively. Moreover, it’s not just for individual parents; it is scalable and caters to multiple parents. It provides transparency and a clear overview for students, helping them do the same.
Maximizing Every Rupee with LMS
ROI—LMS gives that at an industry standard, but in the long run. The initial investment or cost for LMS may seem huge, but as time passes, the realization comes for the LMS adopter that the decision was on point. Also, the cost of an LMS for schools is comparatively lower as compared to corporate LMS in Nepal.
LMS substitutes books, guides, classrooms, and other administrative costs. Research published on the e-learning industry shows that, on average, adding an LMS reduces costs by 50 to 60%. Additionally, cloud-based LMS platforms like Plexler reduce costs by 25 to 60% compared to traditional LMS.
Cost saved can be invested in content curation or other areas of the school, or it can be used to make investors happy by distributing dividends. Additionally, it is scalable and reduces the need for paper resources and human resources. Further you can dig into LMS buying tips in Nepal to reduce the cost.
Getting Student Digital-Ready
What if we build thousands of "Milos of Croton" with the help of an LMS? Just as Milo became a world-class athlete over time by carrying a newborn calf every day, we can prepare our students to be digitally ready without them even realizing their growth. Isn’t that fascinating?
Integrating LMS from the primary level, or even lower elementary levels, at a basic level of integration, gives students an edge as they progress to secondary and high school at a gradual pace. It provides them with an advantage in the tech world. As technology evolves over time, every Nepali school can keep pace without burdening students with extra syllabi to learn after completing high school.
Learning Analytics
If you want the progress report of a student—how many days they were present in class, their grades, test results, and performance data over time—all in a single platform, LMS provides this facility. Similarly, it offers performance insights for teachers based on metrics like student progress, engagement rates, and student satisfaction.
J. Hixon first introduced the concept of LMS analytics in the early 1970s, which was later carried forward and executed by platforms like Blackboard and Moodle. Apart from tracking the performance of students and teachers, LMS also provides insights into curriculum efficiency and resource allocation, offering comprehensive information on these aspects. Blackboard analytics and Canvas data, along with advanced AI analytics, provide accurate predictive insights into student learning, teacher performance, and overall resource management at an optimal level.
Learning Inclusivity
Students want to learn visually, LMS provides it; if they prefer auditory, there is also the option. Learning rurally, it gives access. Learning in their own language, it has got your back. LMS has covered every aspect of learning styles, which makes it a fully inclusive platform.
Notification pops up, showing that you should learn visually rather than through text, and it's not just made up but also backed by data from your past behavior. Wouldn’t that be good? LMS analyzes the learning style of individual participants and recommends the optimal learning path.
The adoption of consortium guidelines by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 2010 spread the reach of inclusivity. Features like screen readers, text-to-speech, and customizable display options made it easier for specially-abled people to access content.
Getting Set to Compete Globally
Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario: Nepali students start adopting LMS platforms like Moodle and Google Classroom from the day they enter school and continue to have daily access as they progress through elementary, primary and secondary until they reach class 10 or 12. This approach would make students globally ready in terms of the learning environment. In addition to adoption, student engagement, performance, and attendance would also increase.
Imagine taking courses while studying in Nepal and collaborating with lecturers from Canada—picture the enriching environment this creates. LMS platforms definitely prepare students to learn and work in diverse settings and help them explore more about themselves and the world.
LMS: Why It Matters for Nepalese Schools?
Students receive quality education in their preferred way and parents can stay informed about what their child is doing in school. Costs are reduced by 25% to 60% in the long run, with omnipresent accessibility as long as there is internet, inclusivity, and a reliable system. What could be a better option than an LMS?.
So, every school should upgrade their system with an LMS in Nepal—no, an AI-powered cloud-based LMS. There are many in the pool, but few are designed considering Nepali schools like Plexler. Explore the digital side of learning and earn more efficiency and return.