Education Learning Management Systems (ELMS)

Education Learning Management Systems are commonly called Course Management Systems but I believe that is too easily confused with Content Management Systems).  They are also called Virtual Learning Environments (VLE).  They are similar to corporate LMSs and/or LCMSs but specifically target the formal educational environment.  Some education oriented systems call themselves LCMSs because their primary function is the creation and delivery of content.

Educational institutions are usually already well equipped for registration and management of classroom instruction so Education LMSs tend to be strictly for online learning and typically do not include classroom registration capability.  They usually provide course authoring and some content management features as well.  They also emphasize communication and collaboration features.  They are generally built on the assumption that an instructor is always available to build course content and to communicate with students. 

There are two categories – commercial (proprietary) and open source.

There is overlap between the two types.  Most open source systems are designed primarily for formal education but some businesses have adopted them.  Sometimes a corporate LMS is appropriate for the formal education sector, for example, one that will be used for distance education.