I'm about to start freelancing and want to know what in need regarding LMS. My potential clients may or may not have their own LMS. How do I share my work if they do not? Also, how do I share my work if they do? Also, what is a good product that is easy and cost effective to use as an LMS? I've used Moodle but am wondering if there is anything else people would recommend.
Some great questions! So far all my clients have had an LMS in place but for review stages I used to upload it to my site via FTP but was a hassle to manage and house-keep.
Sadly, I am still on SL2 so I now use http://tempshare.articulate.com, you simply drag and drop a ZIP file of your published for web course and it gives you a temporary URL which expires after ten days. Obviously there is no tracking but it allows anyone to with the link to view it.
Which version of SL are you using? SL360 includes the Review app which is really handy.
Thanks so much Len. i'm planning on using SL360 so the review app sounds good. I guess i'm wondering what to do if my client dosnt have an LMS. if the client is a small business could I simply create a moodle for them and either they or I could manage it. lots of things to consider.
Hi Lisa, one of the things you should determine at the beginning of each new client project is how your client plans to host the work you will be creating for them. If they have an LMS make sure they provide you with the specifications for hosting on their LMS (Publish settings, Story size etc). Also find out if they want to use their LMS for the review cycle or for any field testing before they accept the final product from you. If they want to use their own LMS for reviews, factor the additional time for preparing the files into your development costs because it can add up depending on the number of reviews.
If they don't have an LMS and are looking for a solution, you can offer to help them determine the best solution for them if you feel you have the expertise in this area. If you go this route, I would advise setting up a separate contract (project) from the course development work so that you do not muddy the waters.
If I were just starting out, I would think twice about offering to host client courses on my own LMS because of the additional admin, support and maintenance that comes with hosting. If you do this, you should really have a service agreement in place with your clients and should charge them some sort of fee for hosting the courses.
I have a free account with SCORM Cloud LMS, so I can publish & test courses in an LMS. When clients run into various problems with their Learning Management Systems and the published module, publishing to SCORM Cloud helps me review and resolve any issues.
I've also found that sometimes (a LOT of the time), my clients' LMS people don't seem to know a great deal about their LMS, and asking them to troubleshoot issues with tech support for their LMS is not successful. So, it really helps to be set up with the SCORM Cloud account!
I agree that the tempshare and SCORM cloud sites are very useful. SCORM cloud has a file size limit though, which I've sometimes found is a bit of a hindrance. The review app with 360 is invaluable. The client can also upload 360 courses to their website or even their intranet. This option doesn't allow the results of courses to be tracked, but not all clients need that facility.
Amazon still has a service which will allow you to to share a link to a 360 course. No time limit and no file size limit. Not too expensive and I think you still get the first year free. It's a little baffling to learn how to use, although that's probably just me.
6 Replies
Some great questions! So far all my clients have had an LMS in place but for review stages I used to upload it to my site via FTP but was a hassle to manage and house-keep.
Sadly, I am still on SL2 so I now use http://tempshare.articulate.com, you simply drag and drop a ZIP file of your published for web course and it gives you a temporary URL which expires after ten days. Obviously there is no tracking but it allows anyone to with the link to view it.
Which version of SL are you using? SL360 includes the Review app which is really handy.
Interested to hear what others suggest...
Thanks so much Len. i'm planning on using SL360 so the review app sounds good. I guess i'm wondering what to do if my client dosnt have an LMS. if the client is a small business could I simply create a moodle for them and either they or I could manage it. lots of things to consider.
There are a number of sites that offer free LMS's where you can showcase your online portfolio -- and your talent at building online courses, too!
Links to free LMS systems/courses:
Moodle: www. moonami.com
Hi Lisa, one of the things you should determine at the beginning of each new client project is how your client plans to host the work you will be creating for them. If they have an LMS make sure they provide you with the specifications for hosting on their LMS (Publish settings, Story size etc). Also find out if they want to use their LMS for the review cycle or for any field testing before they accept the final product from you. If they want to use their own LMS for reviews, factor the additional time for preparing the files into your development costs because it can add up depending on the number of reviews.
If they don't have an LMS and are looking for a solution, you can offer to help them determine the best solution for them if you feel you have the expertise in this area. If you go this route, I would advise setting up a separate contract (project) from the course development work so that you do not muddy the waters.
If I were just starting out, I would think twice about offering to host client courses on my own LMS because of the additional admin, support and maintenance that comes with hosting. If you do this, you should really have a service agreement in place with your clients and should charge them some sort of fee for hosting the courses.
Hi Lisa,
I have a free account with SCORM Cloud LMS, so I can publish & test courses in an LMS. When clients run into various problems with their Learning Management Systems and the published module, publishing to SCORM Cloud helps me review and resolve any issues.
See the article on this website: How to Troubleshoot Your LMS with SCORM Cloud -
https://community.articulate.com/articles/how-to-troubleshoot-your-lms-with-scorm-cloud
I've also found that sometimes (a LOT of the time), my clients' LMS people don't seem to know a great deal about their LMS, and asking them to troubleshoot issues with tech support for their LMS is not successful. So, it really helps to be set up with the SCORM Cloud account!
Hi Lisa,
I agree that the tempshare and SCORM cloud sites are very useful. SCORM cloud has a file size limit though, which I've sometimes found is a bit of a hindrance. The review app with 360 is invaluable. The client can also upload 360 courses to their website or even their intranet. This option doesn't allow the results of courses to be tracked, but not all clients need that facility.
Amazon still has a service which will allow you to to share a link to a 360 course. No time limit and no file size limit. Not too expensive and I think you still get the first year free. It's a little baffling to learn how to use, although that's probably just me.
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