5 tips for cleaning and organizing your learning management system

Spring is just around the corner and a freshening up of your surroundings is probably in order. The same can be said for your learning management system (LMS). Like any well used space, an LMS can become cluttered and messy as time goes on. Spring is a good time to clean and organize your LMS to ensure that it stays  tidy  for the remainder of the year.

‘Sounds like a good idea, but where do I begin?’ I hear you say. So, I’ve gathered my top 5 tips for cleaning and organizing your LMS:

1. Delete irrelevant content and store old content elsewhere

Resist the temptation to use your LMS as a company locker. Take the time to delete irrelevant content. For example, if you have courses for products or services you no longer support or offer, remove them from your LMS.  Should you need to keep them as an archive store them in the cloud or on a drive but don’t let them collect dust and impede navigation on your active LMS.

2. Purge inactive users

Identify inactive accounts to delete and find duplicates that may need to be merged. Old data can impact the reporting accuracy of your LMS and confuse course instructors.

3. Schedule version or system updates and down time

Much to our chagrin, LMS software can need version updates or systems tied to the LMS may need maintenance. It is important to schedule these tasks, agreeing on times and dates that work well for all impacted parties. Staying up to date with versions ensures that your LMS will run smoothly and that you will have access to all the features that you are paying for.

4. Reorganize modules in a logical order 

Despite our best efforts, the only constant in eLearning content is change. Take a moment to meet with content developers and be sure to logically adjust any modules that have content that has been added or changed. Keeping the modules in a logical order helps your users and instructors as they navigate your LMS and reduces support calls when someone can’t find an item they need.

5. Cut out the “fluff”

We all have added a widget or a plugin to our LMS at some point, then discovered that it was not helpful or not required. When it comes to the user interface of an LMS, less is more. Remove any unnecessary or unused items to help keep your LMS appearance clean and avoid cluttering the space with “fluff”. Not sure if something is in use? Conduct an anonymous survey or check your LMS’s reporting for information on usage.

Engaging in these 5 cleaning tasks will help to ensure that your LMS stays the functional and practical space that everyone can feel comfortable in.  If you are not sure where to begin and need help with the heavier scrubbing, we’re ready and waiting to help you Spring clean your LMS.

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Now you’ve given your learning management system the spring clean it needs; are you sure you’re promoting courses to learners in the right way? Check out our blog ‘Promoting your eLearning courses: Are you getting the word out effectively?‘ for some of our top tips!