Colleges have recently experienced an explosion of technology innovation and solution, similar to many other businesses and organisations. The sheer amount of tools accessible now, from registration systems to instructional materials, fundraising platforms, and more, is mind-boggling. But at the core of it all, learning management systems(LMS) have captured the interest and finances of colleges and institutions.

LMS has now evolved from merely administering student records and distributing course materials to today’s core system pulling together other technologies that are propelling education into the future. Modern LMS systems now incorporate analytics to give a 360-degree perspective of the whole learning process and a deeper knowledge of student performance in addition to hosting and delivering courses. Specifically from the perspectives of the instructor, administration, and student.

Here are some of the most important trends coming up in the higher education LMS market that would see even more adoption.

Application VR in LMS

In order to meet the diverse demands of students and keep them interested in their studies, LMS for higher education have started using immersive technologies like VR and AR. While augmented reality puts graphics onto a tablet or computer screen, virtual reality employs a head-mounted display that entirely alters a person's view.

Both VR and AR encourage deeper learning. Students will be able to increase their knowledge and retain course material by utilising their sensory talents with the use of these cutting-edge learning technologies in an LMS system. They are crucial to the advancement of learning in the digital age and play a critical role in assisting educators in preparing the next generation for the difficulties of a 21st-century environment.

For example, academic conferences have been held using virtual reality such as in Lethbridge College in Alberta for the last two years. Apparently, immersive technologies in the classroom have an immense impact on course design and delivery as these learning platforms help students interact with the world around them and help develop the students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Rise of E-learning Ecosystem

These days, people heavily rely on their mobile devices, and that makes sense because a smartphone is smaller, lighter, and, most crucially, less expensive than laptops and desktop PCs. According to Vidyasaarathi, a scholarship management service, 79 percent of Indian students use smartphones as their primary means of online study, with just 17 percent and 4 percent of students having access to PCs and tablets, respectively.

Today's LMS suppliers also provide their users with access to a wide variety of course resources.However, these are independent libraries, consumers are constrained to the provider of their membership. The LMS industry is anticipated to consolidate its libraries, enabling a shared, collaborative E-learning environment, driven by a rising client base of school administrators, educators, and students. Because there are more resources available to more users, this will provide for more individualised learning opportunities for students.

Likewise, there is no stopping LMS vendors from collaborating with other software systems like CRM to further extend the software’s capabilities and enrich the learning experience.

Surge in User-Generated Content 

The USG is one of the most common trends in the LMS industry, particularly in the higher education segment. Big universities are already implementing this trend, drastically reducing the reliance of outside resources to produce e-learning materials. This will not only allow room for the most modern teaching methods, but it will also speed up the rate at which knowledge and information can be disseminated throughout the higher education LMS.

It should be noted that this transition into a more sophisticated means of learning is not as a result of the pandemic alone, but as a result of technological advancements. In the coming days, these advancements will make UGC popular, as collaborations between the tutor and students will become smoother and more accessible. Once this is achieved, the growth in the LMS market would not only become significant; its adoption will also increase exponentially.

Moving Ahead

The technical developments mentioned above can only be seen as pointing to a new breed of LMS solutions that is more effective, streamlined, and potent.

Future LMSs are anticipated to be the "brains" that constantly guide stakeholders toward better learning paths at the group and individual level, a more effective way of managing the courses, and a more efficient channel for communication. They will no longer just be the engine driving online learning.