LMS and Wikis: Potential Benefits

The use of LMS platforms and wikis is a fairly new concept that few organizations are taking advantage of. However, the trend is beginning to catch on, leading to new levels of potential for these platforms.

Wikis on their own are unlimited pools of constantly evolving knowledge. In a sense, this is the goal that many developers have for LMS platforms. The two together form a team that creates a comprehensive and expansive source for unlimited knowledge.

In this article, we will break down what a wiki is for those who are unfamiliar. We will also outline why these resources are perfect when combined with LMS.

What Is a Wiki?

If you have ever browsed the website Wikipedia, you at least slightly understand what a wiki is. A wiki is a comprehensive piece of knowledge on one specific topic. How a wiki is set up is similar to an encyclopedia.

The article contains a title focusing on the main topic and sub-headlines based on different categories about the topic. However, a wiki can generally be edited by certain people to add and edit the information contained within the article.

These are particularly useful in cases of information and topics that are constantly changing. Wikis about people, current events, cities, sports teams, movie franchises, and other information are perfect because information constantly changes.

Many people don’t believe wikis are useful sources of information because of the fact many people can edit them. However, fact-checkers constantly monitor the information added to wikis to make sure the information is reliable and truthful.

The Goal of LMS Platforms

One of the primary goals of learning management systems is to ensure that they can constantly be updated with new and relevant information regarding an organization, compliance issues, and other elements. In a sense, an LMS platform is a constantly evolving source of knowledge that is updated in real-time.

While a wiki is a knowledge source for the outside world to receive updated information regarding multiple subjects constantly, an LMS platform isn’t dissimilar. A wiki is a knowledge source for a corporate organization that is updated in a similar manner and contains the same type of comprehensive information.

What is the current relationship between wikis and LMS platforms? How are wikis evolving the way employees learn on these programs? In the following section, we’ll outline different ways wikis can be incorporated into an LMS platform.

Wikis and LMS Integration

Currently, multiple ways exist to incorporate wikis into your LMS platforms. Some of these methods are incredibly creative and deserve attention and consideration.

Using Wikis to Preserve the Knowledge of Your Veterans

Wikis are a great way to preserve the knowledge of the veterans in your organizations. Many retiring veterans on the way out the door have a plethora of useful knowledge that should be saved somehow. This knowledge is vital, and perhaps the unique thing about it is its age.

Veterans possess knowledge regarding an organization that often can’t be duplicated by AI and learning programs. These lessons and experience come from decades of hard work and hands-on labor, so passing these on is crucial. It’s especially vital for your corporate culture.

Consider the following scenario. All of the veterans within your organization have access and permission to create wikis focused on their specific departments.

All the veterans of one department are encouraged to focus on their specific wiki and add knowledge on a weekly basis, building a living, breathing database of gold. This is one of the perfect ways to capture the knowledge of the valuable long-timers within your organization and receive real-time updates as it comes to them.

Giving them the ability to update the wiki as they see fit allows them to dish out this knowledge when it’s fresh in their minds. This is a surefire way to receive the best account and tips regarding a certain department or area of your company.

Wikis Promote Collaboration

Another way wikis are useful on an LMS platform is through the way they promote collaboration. You can create a team project for your learning course, asking new hires to partner up and create a wiki based on the information surrounding their department or a big job.

Each team member should have a responsibility for the information they’re expected to update, and collectively, the team should produce a quality wiki. This actually accomplishes two things for your organization.

Number one, it helps new hires and team members to learn how to work together and accomplish goals collectively. This helps them get to know one another and become comfortable obtaining goals together.

Allowing them to work in this manner also allows them to work on a remote basis, as each team member has the opportunity to update the wiki on their schedule. Obviously, deadlines are involved, but the flexibility of working at home or on the road allows freedom that promotes higher engagement and more efficient learning.

You’re also creating a knowledge base for future hires and team members. The wikis that current employees create as part of their training can be used for new team members of the future to learn from. They can also add to these wikis, or draw inspiration when they’re called to create wikis of their own with their peers.

Additionally, using these two methods together could be a great way to bring together veterans and fresh team members. You could even make it a challenge, pitting new team members against veterans in a contest that challenges each side to create the best wiki.

This would give new hires a chance to work closely with veterans and learn from them directly. There are multiple ways to take advantage of wikis, and all of them boost engagement and promote more efficient learning.

If you’re unfamiliar with using wikis with your LMS platform, you could be missing out on some serious benefits. We encourage you to contact the rep in charge of your account and LMS platform and ask them about incorporating wikis into your program. This could give your organization the boost you’ve been looking for! For a free consultation, contact us today!