(Our Illuminating Ideas newsletter and Illumina Insights blog articles have tended to focus on the many facets and roles involved in the creation of training content – from instructional and graphic design to programming and project management. But in this article, we’d like to focus on a different aspect, and one that can be vitally important to the success of an eLearning rollout: the Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator. The article’s co-writers, Ashley Collins and Ashley Shaffer, are on staff at Illumina Interactive and provide LMS administration and quality assurance support to a number of our clients, and were pleased to share their insights below.)

Illustration of an adult learner participating in an online professional development course. the scene includes certification icons, progress bars, and digital course content displayed on the computer screen, signifying modern e-learning.

LMS adoption among US and global organizations has seen significant growth over recent decades, with estimates that well over 80% of US companies have incorporated eLearning and cloud-based LMS platforms into their training initiatives. Most now clearly recognize the value of eLearning and Learning Management Systems, especially since the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, many teams planning eLearning rollouts don’t always fully realize how vital is it to have someone who is actively involved in maintaining and enhancing the platform and dedicated to ensuring that learners are actively engaging with it.

LMS Administrators are key to the successful and impactful utilization of an LMS.

Having a successful implementation and utilization of an LMS includes ensuring that the platform aligns with the organization’s vision, supporting and maintaining the user experience as seamlessly as possible, and innovating to continuously improve that experience and keep learners engaged. To achieve this, there needs to be a designated individual, or team, depending on the size of the organization, to make it happen.

An illustration showing an administrator responding to requests from learners on their digital assignments using an online learning management system. the scene highlights the interaction between the administrator and learners in a modern, tech-driven educational environment.Let’s start with technical support. If you’ve ever been on the learner side when navigating an LMS, you may have reached out to support about a technical issue. If you’ve waited more than 24 hours for a response, you may have been frustrated or even discouraged from returning to complete any required training or wanting to take additional courses. If you’ve received a response that sounded like it came from a robot, you may not have felt that your request received the care and attention it deserved – or maybe it wasn’t even resolved properly. A designated LMS administrator or support team can alleviate these problems and reduce the barriers to a successful online learning experience for all.

There shouldn’t be any barriers to learners accessing eLearning on an LMS. If learners run into technical issue, there should be a designated support chat or link and/or person they can reach out to, and it should be as clear and straightforward as possible.

Illustration of an adult learner participating in an online professional development course. the scene includes certification icons, progress bars, and digital course content displayed on the computer screen, signifying modern e-learning.Support inquiries can be simple, and quick to resolve – such as needing to reset a password – or complex, and needing considerable effort to address. In one instance a few years ago at a previous company, we ran into a situation where multiple learners reported that the LMS was losing their course progress and certifications. After considerable sleuthing, we determined that these learners – hourly shift leaders – had a specific job code, and that their training data was being deleted each night, at which point the system would automatically re-enroll them in the assigned courses. We realized that two groups were inadvertently assigned the same job code and that the nightly batch import for one was overwriting the data for the other. This is one of the more complex issues we’ve ever encountered. Having a dedicated LMS administrator to locate and resolve these kinds of problems builds a stronger relationship and engagement with learners while keeping the LMS running smoothly.

An illustration showing an administrator responding to requests from learners on their digital assignments using an online learning management system. the scene highlights the interaction between the administrator and learners in a modern, tech-driven educational environment.Amid resolving issues and addressing inquiries from learners, and in general removing barriers to access, LMS administrators can also leverage their skillsets, experience, and expertise to help innovate. They often have a frontline view of the learner experience with the platform and can make recommendations to developers to help ensure that access is seamless and meets the objectives and goals of the company. By continuously sharing feedback from learners, LMS administrators can help anticipate and address potential issues, make needed adjustments to enhance the overall experience. Additionally, by tracking and analyzing learner data, LMS administrators can identify trends and areas for improvement, allowing them to refine the learner experience based on real performance metrics.

One final aspect of the important role of an LMS administrator is that they are often the final checkpoint for quality assurance testing. LMS administrators play a crucial role in the overall quality assurance process by rigorously testing learning content and functionality and troubleshooting issues before they reach the end user. Their attention to detail helps in maintaining the integrity of the learning experience, ensuring that the platform functions smoothly, and that learners have a positive experience. Quality assurance extends even beyond just technical checks – it can even include evaluating the relevance and effectiveness of the training materials. LMS administrators often work closely with course instructional designers and share feedback on how the content meets the learning objectives and is aligned with the organization’s goals.

The role of an LMS administrator is multifaceted and indispensable. From managing technical issues to enhance the learning experience, to ensuring quality assurance and leveraging data for continuous improvement, LMS administrators are the backbone of an effective eLearning environment. Their expertise ensures that learners have a seamless, engaging, and productive experience, which ultimately drives the success of the organization’s training programs.

As eLearning continues to evolve and grow, the role of LMS administrators will remain central to the successful implementation and utilization of these crucial systems and the learner experience.

A vibrant, playful illustration of a person seated at a desk, engaging with educational content on a computer screen. the background features abstract, colorful shapes, symbolizing creativity, learning, and technology, fostering an inspired study environment.