Does the best Learning Management System exist?

    A Learning Management System, often referred to as an LMS, is a key component in today’s edu technology suite. Originally viewed as a refined techy addition to several on-campus college and university programs, the LMS has actually garnered quite the amount of attention in the educational software world. As the online edu era continues to develop at full speed, universities are tasked with choosing an LMS that will bolster their online programs and successfully integrate online education technology into their academic core. Does the best LMS exist?


    In the world of higher education, rankings are highly relative. What one university may deem as great can very well be deemed as poor by another university. This general rule of thumb works for online educational software such as an LMS. In order to truly find the best LMS, it will be helpful to find a consensus amongst the higher education community. 


    Let’s take a look at the most highly valued systems in the higher education market below!

    Blackboard

    Blackboard has been a key player in the higher educational software game for a long time. Utilized by more than 17,000 schools and educational institutions or organizations, Blackboard has earned quite the reputation for being the go-to online education platform. Combining mobile functionality and virtual class integration capabilities, Blackboard has shown its ability to adapt with the times and stay relevant for years to come.



    Schoology

    Schoology is well known for its functional dexterity and strong community emphasis. It is used by more than 1,000 schools and organizations. Schoology is all about built-in integrations, with tools such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and YouTube already integrated seamlessly into the platform. Schoology boasts that they provide the best communication between professors and students when compared to other LMS. 


    Canvas

    Canvas has been making a lot of noise as a newer LMS on the higher educational software scene. It is used by more than 300 colleges and universities, Canvas prides itself on being the only LMS that provides total comfort, ease, and functionality for its students and faculty. With a fresh and simple-to-use interface that combines cloud services and speed, Canvas has shown that it has the chops to compete strongly in the education technology market. 


    Moodle

    Although not as clean cut as the LMS above, Moodle offers a highly functional platform with over 1,300 plug-ins. It is used by 440 colleges and universities worldwide. It has become popular choice as it is an open source LMS. In other words, Moodle is free to download!


    Which Learning Management Systems are being used by some of the top online colleges and best online universities these days?


    Check out the list below to see what some of the top online higher education institutions are using as their LMS of choice.

    Southern New Hampshire University

    SNHU has seen tremendous growth since it began offering online courses and online programs through distance learning. With an online student enrollment of 87,000, SNHU trusts in Desire2Learn to deliver an overall pleasant online learning experience for all its online distance learners. Commonly referred to as D2L, it is known for its cloud-based learning system, customization capabilities and modern user interface. D2L is widely known for being a dependable LMS and is used by over 1,200 colleges, universities, and schools around the world.


    Purdue University Global

    Purdue University Global is a member of the Purdue University System. It offers online courses and distance learning programs for adults. It was established in 2018 through Purdue University’s acquisition of Kaplan University and now has an online student population of 30,000. Just like SNHU, Purdue University Global uses D2L. 


    University of Texas—Arlington

    The University of Texas at Arlington has offered online courses and programs since 1998 and has quite the experience when it comes to competing in the online higher education market. To serve its student population, UT Arlington utilizes Canvas as their LMS of choice.

    UT Arlington decided to switch to Canvas in the Fall of 2018. Without a doubt one of the most up and coming LMS on the market, Canvas seems to be popping up all over the country and is poised to dominate for the years to come.


    University of Phoenix

    Online college and distance learning are automatically associated with the University of Phoenix. While it is not necessarily the highest-ranked online provider of education, the University of Phoenix has the largest reach with over 100,000 enrolled students.

    What is the LMS of choice used by the University of Phoenix? The answer is Blackboard Ultra!

    Is Blackboard Ultra just a fancier version of Blackboard? For the most part, yes. Blackboard Ultra offers the user a more advanced interface with improved features that facilitate the learning and teaching experience for students and faculty. There are at least 62 institutions using Blackboard Ultra since its 2018 release.