Continuing Education versus Standard Learning Management Systems: How Your Association Can Benefit!

By Anna Micha Djaja, MBA

In a rapidly changing world, it is crucial for associations to look for new ways to not only attract and retain members, but to also generate non-dues revenue. For many associations, having a solid continuing education (CE) program has proven to be one of the most effective ways to meet these needs.

From the member perspective, access to quality CE programs is critical to ensure that they stay up-to-date and have the required skills to remain competitive within their profession. Associations that offer members CE programs in easily accessible ways–whether as on-demand courses, live webinars, or in-person sessions–are poised to increase both non-dues revenue and member satisfaction!

As online learning progresses for associations, it is no surprise that more technology vendors are continuing to enter the space. That said, what are some of the key factors that associations must consider when choosing a platform for their CE programs?

To start, a standard LMS can work wonders for an association offering education programs. These powerful systems can host courses, resources, and certifications, allowing for intuitive management on both the front-end (for users) and back-end (for administrators). They can provide huge time- and cost-saving benefits, offer extensive details on registration and completion, and generate thorough user reports.

However, when it comes to offering CE programs for accreditation and mandatory CE requirements, an association may have to look beyond a standard LMS.

A platform tailored for these purposes has specific capabilities that can add great value to both the association and its members. Below, we’ll explore three key features that differentiate standard learning management systems from continuing education platforms for associations:

1. E-Commerce Functionality

A standard LMS may not come with flexible e-commerce functionality for member and non-member pricing, nor other tools to promote course sales. Associations that require users to go to multiple different sites to complete payment often see much lower sales of their online content.

Some advanced CE platforms allow associations to charge different pricing for members and non-members, as well as have the capability to administer coupon codes for associations that allow them to run specific promotional campaigns. Having the flexibility to charge different prices has bonus morale benefits, as it reinforces the value of the membership to members; this may even entice non-members to join!

By having a platform with flexible e-commerce functionality, associations can simplify life for their members. Such a platform will ensure a seamless user experience which, in turn, translates to higher non-dues revenue for the association. Additionally, through the integrated sales reports the platform provides, the education team can further analyze relevant information to better inform their decisions on the types of content to create for members.

 

2. Progress Tracking

Although a standard LMS can track when a user has registered and fully completed a course (i.e. 100% completion), it may not have a tracking capability advanced enough to see how far along a user is in their progress (e.g. 30% completion, 65% completion, etc.).  This is a critical feature for CE, for both the users and the association--especially when the CE courses are for mandatory credits.

Some of the more advanced CE platforms also have tracking functionality for video-based courses, allowing users to start where they last left off--similar to Netflix. This is extremely useful for professionals who may not have the time to complete a full course in one sitting. For example, they can watch the first 20 minutes of a video and then easily come back the next day without having to start from the beginning.

Not only this--through advanced reporting features, association staff could, for example, see that a user has been stuck at 40% progress for three months. For many associations, this is valuable information that could help them personalize their outreach, allowing them to go above and beyond member expectations!

 

3. Provision of Specific Continuing Education Requirements

Depending on the primary target audience of the LMS, different features may be provided. For example, an LMS geared for university students may focus on lengthy evaluation capabilities that allow professors to grade students’ knowledge at the end of a full semester.

Meanwhile, a platform focused on CE may offer more flexibility. For example, CE courses are, on average, one to two hours in length, while longer certification programs are often completed within a few days. A platform tailored for professionals to complete CE may focus more on quick knowledge-reinforcement questions throughout the course, or on a short quiz at the end of the program. The key takeaway here is that online learning requirements for high school and university students are not the same as those for professionals looking for CE.

In addition to this, more advanced CE platforms prevent skipping ahead on videos to ensure that users go through courses in their entirety. Because CE course users must typically track and report credits to their respective regulatory body, an advanced CE platform can provide an automated certificate of completion, which can be accessed once the user has fully completed the course. This reduces administrative work for association staff, as they no longer need to administer certificates manually, thus allowing them to focus on more valuable initiatives.

Altogether, these key features can be significant enough to determine the success of CE programs for associations, as well as the level of non-dues revenue they can generate.  With the world changing at a rapid pace, having a robust CE platform can provide a tremendous opportunity for associations and members alike.

Members join associations that are tailored to their profession, and associations must consider a CE platform that fits both their program objectives and the needs of their members. After all—the better the program, the better the satisfaction, the better the revenue!