Members who join an association expect to connect with others in their field, pursue learning opportunities, and develop professionally. A well-designed educational program can help them achieve these goals. Most associations recognize this, with over 80% offering professional development and training programs.
An association learning management system (LMS) houses all elements of an association's educational program. It also simplifies the delivery of learning and certification programs, enabling your members to participate and learn wherever they happen to be in the world.
The best LMS is intuitive, so members can quickly find the information that they need. It also makes administrators' jobs easy by simplifying the organization of learning materials, learner profiles, and certificates, ensuring that associations can spend more time designing creative content for their members.
Let's look at a few ways that associations can use an LMS to engage members and help them meet their learning objectives.
1. Use Learning Paths to Create a Personalized Learning Experience
Personalization in the context of an association LMS refers to features that enable the system to cater to the needs and characteristics of the individual member, including their level of expertise, cognitive abilities, interests, prior knowledge, preferences, skills, and learning styles.
This capability is designed to enhance a learner's satisfaction and performance within a course. One way that an LMS can help associations deliver unique learning experiences is through learning paths. These help members achieve their educational objectives by enabling them to follow a structured series of courses, modules, or other activities designed to guide them logically through a particular topic or subject.
Since the paths can be customized to meet members' specific needs and interests, they can support various learning goals, including basic skills development and advanced knowledge acquisition.
Learning paths also enable members to focus on the things that interest them and provide them with a structured road to follow. Overall, this can increase member engagement, motivation, and participation.
2. On-Demand Learning Enables Members to Learn from Anywhere
An association LMS makes it easy for associations to deliver learning content to their members twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, whether they're at home or on the go. It also levels the educational playing field, as members who can't attend conferences can still participate virtually. All they have to do is log onto the LMS to start or continue their learning journey.
Associations can use an LMS to provide learning programs of various lengths and formats to all of their members. This flexibility empowers members to take charge of their learning, as they can access the on-demand learning resources at their convenience, fitting them into their busy schedules.
On-demand learning enables members to learn at their own pace. If they need to review a difficult-to-grasp topic, they can do so as many times as they'd like without slowing the progress of others. Members can also choose the most relevant materials, giving them control over their learning experience.
The versatility of on-demand learning can improve educational outcomes and help associations increase member engagement, participation, and satisfaction.
3. Members Can Connect with Peers through Social Learning
Members joining your association often want to network with others in their field. Although most of your association's learning program will take place online, that doesn't mean your members must learn in isolation.
Associations should leverage their LMS to provide members with opportunities to interact with each other through collaboration and social learning. These methods encourage members to connect even when not attending in-person events.
When associations emphasize social learning, they give members a forum to share their knowledge and experience, promoting a dynamic learning environment where they can learn from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Associations can use an association learning management system to facilitate social learning by hosting discussion forums where members can ask questions, share insights with their peers, and debate topics. To keep members on topic and ensure productive conversations, an association staff member or a subject matter expert can moderate these forums.
Another way that associations can use social learning to engage members is through group projects that members can work on through the LMS. Furthermore, hosting webinars and other virtual events on your association's LMS is an excellent way for members to connect with others, build their network, and engage with experts in their field.
4. Microlearning Enables Members to Learn in Short Bursts
Your members are busy juggling personal and professional responsibilities, so they won't always have an hour or two to commit to your learning program. Associations can get around this problem by incorporating microlearning into their educational offerings.
Microlearning enables your members to use your association LMS to access bite-sized learning modules. It gives them the flexibility to decide how much time they can dedicate to a subject without worrying about returning to a course and trying to pick up from where they left off.
Beyond making learning more convenient for your members, microlearning may also help them learn better. When information is presented in small chunks, it can be easier to retain. Associations can incorporate quizzes, graphics, and videos into their microlearning modules to capture members' attention and keep them engaged.
Final Thoughts
An association learning management system, along with a well-designed educational program, plays an essential role in helping your members achieve their learning objectives. An LMS provides associations with a central hub for managing all aspects of their learning program and enables them to deliver value to members through diverse activities that help them meet their educational goals.
Elevate, the leading LMS for associations, enables professional educators to develop curricula, certifications, knowledge sharing, and social learning to help association members meet their learning objectives. Schedule a demo today to see how your association can use the platform to its advantage while delivering exceptional professional experiences.
