What is a virtual learning environment vs. learning management system? | Unboxed Training & Technology

As remote work continues to become the new normal, ensuring that remote teams are well-trained and engaged is essential. Providing your employees with remote, flexible, and continuous training is an investment that promotes high workforce productivity and creates a skilled and adaptable team.

But how do you make remote training happen?

With online and virtual e-learning systems!

In the business world, there are many acronyms to keep track of. Though the terms LMS (learning management system) and VLE (virtual learning environment) tend to get used interchangeably, there’s a difference.

So, what is a virtual learning environment? And, how does it differ from an LMS environment?

To help you understand whether to choose a virtual learning environment vs. learning management system, we’ll address the following:

• The definitions of LMS vs. VLE
• Characteristics and benefits of both LMS and VLE
• The essential differences between the two
  
  

Keep reading to learn why knowing the difference between a virtual learning environment vs. learning management system will help you make the best training decision for your business.

Virtual learning environment vs learning management system

The main topic in today’s article is LMS vs. VLE. So, let’s just jump right on in and discuss what makes these two platforms unique.

Here’s a rundown of what each of these terms means and their benefits.

Learning Management Systems

First and foremost, what is an LMS?

LMS stands for Learning Management System. It’s a form of software that enables businesses to create, manage, and deliver off-the-shelf or customized courses, lessons, and other training materials to their employees quickly and efficiently. Often, an LMS can also easily integrate with other systems you’re already using, like your CRM.

In addition, the top LMS platforms allow managers to more effectively coach their employees and manage training outcomes. With real-time reporting and immediate feedback, an LMS improves a manager's ability to lead their team.

LMS characteristics

An LMS supports the development of your new and current employees by giving your company a place to store, edit, and manage your training content. It allows employees to work on the content, complete courses, and interact with each other all in one place.

So, how does an LMS do all this?

Some characteristics of an advanced LMS include:

• Personalization: All of your employees have different learning styles, abilities, and training needs. Your virtual e-learning system should cater to these specific needs by providing personalized training programs that deliver the most effective learning experience for each user or role type.
• Microlearning with multimedia features: People learn and retain information best when it’s given to them in digestible bite-sized chunks. An effective LMS allows you to incorporate video, audio, quizzes, and games, making your content interactive, engaging, and even enjoyable.
• Collaborative learning: An effective LMS promotes connections among your employees. They can participate in activities and contests together, ask questions, and interact with each other and upper management.
• Progress Tracking: As a manager or team leader, an LMS allows you to track and monitor your employees’ progress, identify their strengths, and monitor their weaknesses so you can adjust your coaching style accordingly.
• Effective management and adaptations: The environment your business operates in is constantly changing. You need an LMS that can adapt along with it. A modern LMS allows you to effectively organize, manage, and update training as needed.
  
  

More businesses than ever are turning to an LMS to support continuous learning and skill-building opportunities. Let’s explore some of the key benefits.

LMS benefits

Traditional training and learning are quickly becoming antiquated. Thankfully, we’ve figured out that employees don’t learn as well when stuck in a conference room for hours listening to lecture after lecture.

By using an LMS, your company will benefit from:

• Heightened employee engagement
• Improved training completion rates
• Greater employee productivity
• Increased financial savings
  
  

And that’s not an exhaustive list of benefits, either!

Now that you understand the definition, characteristics, and benefits of an LMS, let’s look into VLE software and what it is.

Virtual learning environment

What is a virtual learning environment?

A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a collaborative platform that helps educators and students teach and learn more efficiently from anywhere. VLE software platforms allow teachers and students to create, upload, and share resources, including activities, assessments, and personal interactions.

VLEs are becoming increasingly popular with colleges and universities since they make learning fun and accessible 24/7 from almost anywhere in the world.

VLE features and benefits

A few common features and benefits of a virtual learning environment system are:

• Personalized user experience: This allows for content customization based on how students learn and how they are progressing.
• Resources and tools: VLEs allow users to maintain a library of content such as lesson plans, articles, videos, quizzes, research,
• Data tracking, reporting, and analytics: Educators can keep track of their students’ progress, assess their learning abilities, and determine the effectiveness of course materials. Students can also track their grades and view their progress in the courses.
• Flexible testing: Teachers and educators can create and upload tests for students to take on their own schedule when they feel ready to perform at their best, optimizing their course outcomes and satisfaction.
  
  

Now when you hear someone ask, “What is VLE?” you can explain what a virtual learning environment entails!

LMS vs. VLE: What’s the difference?

when it comes to LMS vs VLE, there are some similarities. They’re both virtual e-learning systems that provide remotely accessible content to individuals. They make learning easy, fun, and engaging. These two virtual learning systems also allow for in-depth data analysis and reporting.

However, there’s a clear VLE-LMS difference—the intended audience.

An LMS is designed to help employees and organizations work toward professional goals in business settings, while VLE software platforms are geared toward students maximizing learning and achieving educational goals in school settings.

If you’re a company, business, or organization looking for the best way to train and coach employees in a remote world, then you’ll want to invest in an LMS.

Secure the Right LMS with Unboxed

If you’re weighing your options between a virtual learning environment vs. learning management system, an LMS is the best choice for a business setting.

With it’s remote accessibility, customization, and real-time reporting (among other features!), an LMS is a perfect tool for managers and employees.

But how do you determine which is the right LMS for your organization?

You could do your own research and find an LMS that can:

• Make training easy to access from any device, anywhere
• Keep training bite-sized and engaging
• Provide a place to organize, store, and evolve content
• Connect employees and management through real-time coaching
• Keep your team motivated, focused, and eager to learn
• Make skill-building easy and fun
• Has daily database backups, 24-hour monitoring, and enterprise-level security
  
  

Or, you can just contact us today.

At Unboxed Training & Technology, we’ve built all of the above and more into our Spoke® LMS environment. Spoke® is a learning technology platform that can also integrate with your existing HR and learning platforms to keep everything in one easily accessible place. It’s also the perfect sales enablement tool for sales teams or coaching platform for managers. Spoke has everything you need and nothing you don’t. So, get your hands on it today.

Request a free demo of Spoke to see how it can help you and your teams achieve your goals.