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LMS and LCMS – What’s The Difference?

Do you get confused about the difference between a learning management system (LMS) and a learning content management system (LCMS)? Since they are so similar, it is not surprising that many people get these two terms confused or use them interchangeably. Yet, an LMS and an LCMS, while complementary, are two very different systems that serve different purposes and address unique business issues. What is an LMS?
A learning management system is a software package that enables the management and delivery of online and instructor-led training content to learners. Most LMSs are Web-based to facilitate anytime, anyplace and any pace access to learning content and administration.

Generally, an LMS will allow for learner registration, delivery of learning activities and learner assessment in an online environment. You can also get more comprehensive LMSs that will include tools like:

• competency management


• skills-gap analysis


• succession planning


• certifications


• resource allocation

Overall, an LMS is a high-level, strategic solution for planning, delivering, and managing all learning events within an organization, including online, virtual classroom and instructor-led courses. It is the perfect solution for replacing isolated and fragmented learning programs with a methodical means of assessing and raising competency and performance levels throughout the organization.

What is an LCMS
A LCMS is a system that creates, stores, assembles and delivers personalized e-learning content in the form of learning objects. Though an LMS manages and administers all forms of learning within an organization, an LCMS concentrates on online learning content, usually in the form of learning objects.

The LCMS gives instructors, course authors and designers the ability to create e-learning content more efficiently. The goal of a LCMS is to create just enough content, just in time, to meet the needs of individual students or groups of learners. For example, traditionally, an entire course would be developed and then adapted to multiple audiences. With a LCMS, instructional designers will create content chunks that are reusable. These are then made available to course developers throughout the organization. The LCMS eliminates duplicate development efforts and allows courses to be developed rather quickly.

The LCMS can also provide certification and tracking for individual learners, who need specific knowledge to certify for regulatory needs, professional licensure, or quality control. For instance, a hospital with a new piece of medical equipment can use an LCMS to ensure that all nurses and doctors are fully trained on the processes for the new medical equipment. Certification results could then be provided to necessary regulatory bodies.

Which One Does Your Organization Need?
As you will note, there are some overlap and some differences between the LMS and LCMS. Both a LMS and a LCMS manage course content and track learner performance. Perhaps the biggest difference is the ability of the LMS to manage and track blended courses and curriculum assembled from classroom events, online content, virtual classroom and other sources. The LCMS doesn’t manage blended learning, but it does allow organization to more easily restructure and repurpose online content.

Experts suggest that because an LMS can have a direct impact on the work of thousands of learners and manages all aspects of organization learning, that organizations start with an LMS that can be easily integrated with an LCMS down the road.

To help your organization evaluate your needs, turn to Learn.com, the world leader in on demand workforce development and productivity. Their systems are in use by some of the world’s most successful organizations producing dramatically more effective, efficient and organized learning systems. Contact Learn.com today to find out how our LCMS tools can help your organization turn into a competitive powerhouse.