Choosing an experiential and clinical learning management system - no matter which direction you go in - represents a major university experience shift. And you have to make sure you thoroughly consider every factor at play when making that choice.
So, what matters when considering an experiential and clinical learning management system? What exactly does it do? How does it differ from a traditional Learning Management System (LMS)?
We’re going to unlock all of that information for you in this two-part guide.
What can an experiential and clinical learning management system do?
An experiential learning management system is designed to support the management, tracking, and assessment of experiential learning activities within educational institutions or organizations.
Experiential learning is to gain experience through hands-on experience, which is why an experiential and clinical learning management system is the preferred solution for life science universities in fields of research, nursing, etc. An experiential and clinical learning management system has functionalities that support these kinds of learning experiences and helps students and administrators track key learning programs, such as:
- Externships
- Fieldwork
- Clinical rotations
- Experiential Learning
Some of the key specialized features and functions students and administrators find particularly beneficial include:
- Rotation management: Institutions can easily manage and schedule experience-driven learning rotations or placements for students in programs such as nursing, medicine, radiology, etc.
- Student tracking: The system tracks student progress and activities during their learning engagements. It helps capture key information like hours worked, tasks performed, and learning outcomes achieved for the student and gives administrators a clear view into their progress.
- Assessment and evaluation: It often includes assessment and evaluation tools to submit feedback on student performance and progress.
- Document management: The system provides a centralized area for storing and managing documents related to experiential learning. This includes student agreements, site evaluations, progress reports, and reflective journals.
- Communication and collaboration: With a centralized information hub, the system eases communication and collaboration among students, faculty, internship sponsors, and site supervisors.
- Reporting and analytics: The most efficient systems will include reporting and analytics to monitor experiential learning programs, providing insight on student performance, program outcomes, and institutional compliance.
You can seek out an experiential and clinical learning management system that integrates with an existing Learning Management System (LMS) to provide a seamless learning environment for students and faculty. Ideally, the integration will ensure data exchange, single sign-on, and consistent user experiences.
Why are experiential and clinical learning management systems popular?
Experiential learning management software has gained attention and recognition for managing and enhancing experiential learning programs, though it is grouped with more classic Learning Management Systems (LMS). Its compounded annual growth rate is expected to exceed 14% by 2030, meaning adoption is only expected to grow. Regardless, analysts and experts often highlight the following benefits and trends related to experiential and clinical learning management systems.
Improved program efficiency
An experiential and clinical learning management system’s greatest benefit is that they are designed to ease administrative tasks, automate processes, and centralize the management of experiential learning activities. This improves efficiency by reducing paperwork, simplifying coordination, and enabling better tracking and assessment of student progress.
Enhanced student engagement
An experiential learning management system is built to provide interactive features, collaboration tools, and real-time feedback mechanisms. These features are intended to enhance student engagement and participation, providing opportunities for reflection, communication, and active learning.
Data-driven insights
Like an LMS, the experiential system offers reporting and analytics capabilities that provide institutions with data-driven insights into student performance, program outcomes, and institutional compliance. Reporting is a key component for administrators to influence decision-making, program evaluation, and continuous improvement of experiential learning initiatives for the student body.
Integration with learning technologies
These systems often work with larger Learning Management Systems (LMS), student information systems, and assessment tools to provide a seamless experience at the User level. This integration facilitates seamless data exchange, improves workflows, and provides a unified learning experience for students and instructors.
Customization and flexibility
You can customize certain tools to make them fit into your program or university's unique program requirements. This flexibility can usually be done around program requirements, assessment methods, and institutional branding. Some offer more comprehensive customizations depending on how robust the tool is.
Mobile accessibility
This is a very important consideration at the administrator level, as students increasingly expect a mobile-friendly LMS experience, and would demand the same from an experiential and clinical learning management system. One study found that 81% of university students use a smartphone for learning activities at least once a week.
Compliance requirements support
System features usually support compliance with industry standards and regulatory guidelines. For reputable system providers, this includes collecting, tracking, and storing all student requirements in a single area. For experiential learning, this would mean storing and tracking their CPR certifications, background checks, HIPAA training, and more.
Ideally, providers will have features like push notifications and automation reminders for expirations.
Look out for our next blog post, part two of this guide, which will discuss key factors to consider when selecting an experiential and clinical management system and the most common mistakes institutions make when evaluating different systems.
For more information on CORE's experiential and clinical management system, check out the ELMS solution page here.
CORE Higher Education Group
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