Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)
This page provides links to a number of resources on what a content management system (CMS) is and how to choose one, and what the difference is between a CMS and a LCMS (learning content management system).
Articles in date order, most recent first.
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"Learning management systems (LMS) and learning content management systems (LCMS) really have two very different functions. It's unfortunate that both have such similar names and a shared acronym, which only serves to confuse e-learning buyers even more." From Brandon Hall.
Added: 11 May 2006
Reviewer's Note:
An overview and summary of the differences
LCMS Research - Analysis and Market Activity
"Research and analysis on the LCMS market from Elearnity, Europe's leading corporate learning analyst. Includes comprehensive coverage of LCMS news and announcements from leading vendors, as well as research and articles from Elearnity."
Added: 20 February 2006
Reviewer's Note:
Articles and news relating to LMS
"This site is provided as a community service to everyone interested in looking for a means to manage web site content. Here you can discuss, rate, and compare the various systems available on the market today."
Added: 14 February 2004
Reviewer's Note:
The comparison tool is useful - you decide which products you want to compare
Why content management software hasn't worked
"Content management software hasn't worked because it was badly designed and massively over-hyped. Software companies lied about their products, charging criminal prices for crap software. It hasn't worked because organizations didn't understand content. They wanted a quick fix. They issued specifications that bore little relation to what they actually needed." Gerry McGovern, 3 March 2003
Added: 7 March 2003
Reviewer's Note:
A hard-hitting analysis of content management systems
Getting a handle on learning content management systems
"With as much as 90 percent of employee learning taking place outside formal business structures, there has to be a better way. There is." David A Williams, Darwin Magazine, January 2003
Added: 21 January 2003
Reviewer's Note:
"This article is excerpted from an extensive look at LCMSs, which can be found on the Human Capital Managment website (http://www.humancapitalmanagement.biz/). The site, which provides businesses with information about applying technology to improve the Human Capital Management process, is edited by the author, David Williams.
LMS and LCMS: What's the difference?
"If you're confused about the differences between a learning management system (LMS) and a learning content management system (LCMS), you're not alone. Not only are the names similar, some suppliers are positioning LCMSs as the new wave of LMSs. In fact, an LMS and an LCMS are complementary but very different systems that serve different masters and address unique business challenges." Leonard Greenberg, Learning Circuits, December 2002
Added: 7 December 2002
Reviewer's Note:
A useful article that summarises the capabilities and functionalities of the two systems
"IN THIS ARTICLE we'll build a simple, template-driven site that separates style, content, and structure in your website. We'll create a cross-browser stylesheet switcher that remembers the user's preferences, touching on php variables, cookies, if statements, and including pages with require_once."
Added: 9 August 2002
Reviewer's Note:
This is an alternative to buying a content management system - build your own with PHP
What's important in a learning content management system
"As trainers and other educators suddenly find themselves evaluating expensive and complex server-side software-software in a functionality category that didn't even exist two years ago-it's hard to know what's what. To begin with, evaluating enterprise-class applications is inherently hard. Even the IT professionals aren't always very good at it. To make matters worse, the tools are constantly evolving and previously distinct software categories are merging as vendors rush to cram every feature imaginable into their offerings in an effort to stand out in the crowd. This article is my attempt to help you sort through at least some of the noise by helping you to answer one important question: What do you really need?" Michael Feldstein, eLearn Magazine
Added: 6 June 2002
Reviewer's Note:
As Michael goes on to say: "It's easy to figure out which product has the most features. Much harder is figuring out which one has the right features."
"A Content Management System (CMS) can resolve a number of e-learning design, development, and deployment problems." Ed Mayberry, Learning Circuits, May 2002
Added: 10 May 2002
Reviewer's Note:
How to choose and implement a CMS
The evolution of the Learning Content Management Systems
"We're in the midst of an e-learning revolution, which brings with it rapid change, a myriad of emerging technologies, and greater opportunities to generate significant business returns on e-learning investments. During this period, technology has progressed in a series of evolutionary stages, which have had an increasingly profound impact upon the speed, content ownership, cost, flexibility, and business benefits of e-learning solutions. Reviewing the last five years of market developments reveals the emergence of LCMSs as a platform of choice for many companies seeking fast deployment of e-learning." Shelley, R Robins, Learning Circuits, April 2002
Added: 26 April 2002
Reviewer's Note:
What is an LCMS
How to evaluate a content management system
"Selecting and implementing a content management system (CMS) will be one of the largest IT projects tackled by many organisations. With costs running into the millions of dollars, it is vital that the right CMS package be selected." KM Column, Step Two Designs
Added: 17 January 2002
Reviewer's Note:
an approach for identifying the business requirements for a LCMS
"An LCMS is a multi-user environment where learning developers can create, store, reuse, manage, and deliver digital learning content from a central object repository." Internet Time Group
Added: 25 November 2001
Reviewer's Note:
An excellent explanation of LCMS and learning objects using jelly beans!
LCMS and LMS: Taking advantage of tight integration
"Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) represent two distinct but complementary product categories. Each has unique strengths and value propositions, and one does not replace the other. ... This paper analyses the relationship between the two systems and discusses the advantage of a tightly integrated LCMS and LMS solution, ideally from the same vendor." Raghavan Rengajaran, Click2Learn, August 2001
Added: 25 November 2001
Reviewer's Note:
Provides a good overview of these two systems and how they work together
"Learning content management systems promise to change the way people learn online. Will they deliver?" Chris Jones, Online Learning Magazine, June 2001
Added: 19 July 2001
Reviewer's Note:
A good explanation of LCMS
"Emerging systems manage content for personalised learning" Elsa Schelin, e-learning magazine
Added: 28 June 2001
Reviewer's Note:
a succinct overview of what learning content management systems are all about
LCMS = LMS + CMS [RLOs] - How does this effect the learner? The instructional designer?
"Going by the current buzz in the industry, a pattern seems to be emerging that follows the above equation. Before we discuss what this means to the learner, or the instructional designer, let us first try to understand this equation. To make it simple, I am going to treat this more from the content side, and less from the management side."
Added: May 2001
Reviewer's Note:
