Technology proves that it isn’t static, but evolving through making studying much more efficient, accessible, and personalized for educators. Further, it empowers several systems to combine and develop tools and software to provide students and employees with a comfort zone.
One such application that is becoming increasingly used across educational institutions and businesses is the learning management system (LMS).
It was developed in 1924 for the first time when psychology professor Sidney Pressey invented the first electronic teaching machine. That machine could administer multiple-choice questions. That was the time when LMS started evolution process for a better future of learning.
But… how does LMS use document bases in the cyber age? That’s what this blog post is all about!
What is a Document Database?
Document databases are NoSQL databases that store data in flexible documents rather than fixed rows and columns of one object and its related metadata in field-value pairs.
The values can be of various types and structures, including strings, numbers, dates, arrays, or objects. Documents can also be stored in popular programming formats like JSON, BSON, and XML. That’s why they are considered one of the most developer-friendly databases for beginners.
A key advantage of document databases is that not all documents in a collection must have the same fields. This is because document databases have flexible schemas that allow for the data model to evolve as application needs change. It is this flexibility that makes them ideal for learning management systems.
Today, the LMS market is worth $28.58 billion and is predicted to be worth $70.83 billion in 2030 as technology becomes further integrated with learning. RSM student portal, a remote learning solution, has targeted 75+ locations across North America for in-person classes with different programs, demonstrating how popular these LMS have become.
How Learning Management Systems Use Document Databases
Below are 4 ways learning management systems use document databases to improve students’ learning experience.
1. Managing Student Information
Learning management systems will store different bits of information on the students who are using the application. All student information, like names, contact information, and grades, can be stored in a single document because of its flexibility.
Document databases can scale horizontally and save extra nodes to meet LMS demands of high data volume. As more students and organizations use the LMS, it can seamlessly grow without any performance issues. This makes it ideal for big institutions like universities and large corporations.
2. Storing Course Material
Learning management systems widely use document databases because of their ability to store unstructured data. This is data that doesn’t have a predefined form or structure, which makes it difficult to store in the columns and tables of relational databases.
Course materials, like video and audio files, and applications are unstructured data and can be stored in a single file. This allows the learning management system to provide easy access to a wide range of materials all in one system.
3. Analytics and Reporting
Increased requests for data regarding learner performance and the growth of learning analytics have resulted in reporting and real-time analytics. These are key features of LMS software. Document databases can provide both operational analytics and real-time analytics.
This means that students and instructors can use the document database analytics and reporting capabilities to track learning progress. Further, they are also free to assess course effectiveness and make quicker adjustments to learning strategies for better outcomes.
4. Integration of AI
AI is fast becoming the next frontier in how people across the world learn. Moreover, many learning management systems have started to integrate AI into their applications. This has allowed LMS to deploy AI personalization tools to help educators to meet the needs and preferences of students.
Document databases can handle the data sources that are used by AI to generate lessons and provide personalized services. The operational analytics and real-time analytics capabilities also allow the AI to provide accurate insights and strategies for individual learners without human intervention.
Before You Go
As schools and companies advance to provide a dedicated LMS for their students and employees, the need for databases increases. They require such databases that can not only store the required information but also enhance the specific applications of LMS.
This is why document databases are being increasingly used by learning management systems. For more information on learning management systems, do visit our dedicated page.
