Technology is changing so fast that it almost seems like every day we have something new on the market. These changes have a huge impact on every aspect of our lives, and the learning sector is no exception.
So, it’s not strange that every owner of an educational centre asks themselves, “Should I choose a school management system or a learning management system?”. If you have the same doubt, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, you will find everything you need to know about the difference between the school management system (SMS) and the learning management system (LMS) and which one is more suitable for your centre.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What is School Management System
A school management system (SMS) is software specifically designed to manage and support your daily tasks like student data management, tracking student attendance, finance management, new student enrolments, data reporting and others. SMS can help you and support all of your administrative and non-administrative challenges and tasks.
Key Functionalities of SMS
1. Student Management
One of the main features of a school management system is to manage and organize student information like records, enrolment, attendance, grades, etc. Thanks to this function, you will reduce the time and effort spent on these tasks.
2. Student Attendance Tracking
Attendance tracking is one of the most relevant metrics for every educational institution because it can have a huge impact on identifying students who are struggling. With the school management system, you can track student attendance in real time and keep an eye on student progress and engagement.
3. Fees Payment Management
SMS is a true game-changer when it comes to managing the school finances. You can easily monitor and track fees collection, issuing receipt and even visualize your finance performance in one click.
4. Reporting and Analytics
A school management system lets you get useful information about the most important metrics such as student’s attendance, new enrollments, retention rate and makes it easy to analyze on the performance.
Advantages of SMS
- Enhanced efficiency. One of the most significant advantages of the school management system is reduced risk of errors and saving time which substantially improve the general efficiency.
- Better communication. Thanks to automation in sending notifications and messages, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to inform students or parents and general communication will improve.
- Higher quality of data management. A school management system will help you improve managing any important data and statistics.
- Improved financial management. Anything from tracking student fees, generating invoices, and receiving payments will be more organised and standardised with a school management system.
What is Learning Management System
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application anticipated to help you with organising academic processes like creating the curriculum and tracking students’ behaviour and progress.
Usually schools and other learning centres use this tool to conduct online exams, track student progress, and organise online virtual classrooms and other activities. Moodle, Schoology, and Blackboard Learn are some of the most widely used LMSs in educational institutions.
Let’s have a look at how a learning management system can perform.
Key Functionalities of LMS
A learning management system will be handy for you when working on any academic activity. It will help you make the learning process easier and smoother.
We’ve prepared a list of key functionalities:
- Monitoring progress and performance;
- Increasing accessibility without geographic limitations;
- Personalising the online training and learning experience;
- Effectively updating modules and curriculum.
Advantages of LMS
- Innovation and creativity. Probably the biggest advantage of LMS is that it gives more opportunities to learn and go beyond the traditional classroom. At the same time, this refers to both—students and teachers.
- Improved reporting and assessment. LMS provides a precise tracking tool that helps educators better understand students’ challenges, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Straightforward. LMS is really easy to use and provides smooth access for users.
There is only one question left.
SMS vs. LMS: Which Is The Best For You?
The main difference between an SMS and an LMS is that an SMS focuses on managing administrative tasks, while an LMS is focused on facilitating teaching and learning activities.
In order to decide which suits you the best, depending on the needs of your educational institution. If your focus is on teaching and learning, then an LMS would be suitable for you. However, if the primary concern is to manage administrative tasks, then an SMS would be more appropriate. In some cases, both systems can be used together to provide a complete solution for educational institutions.
If you think you need a school management system, check out AOneSchools—a school management system with more than 2,000 satisfied education centres and 150,000 active users.
Get in touch with us today and find out how we can make your everyday work easier!
