Best Practices for Using an LMS

The vast majority of associations have professional development as part of their mission. Whether you’re offering continuing education, offering professional certifications, or simply helping members with their career, a learning management system (LMS) has become the go to tool over the past decade. However, having an LMS is only the first step, how you use it determines whether members see value and whether your organization meets its goals.

In this post, we’ll walk through best practices for using an association LMS. These are proven strategies that help you increase engagement, improve retention, and drive both mission and revenue.

Why Associations Need an LMS in 2025

Professional learning expectations are shifting more than ever with AI on the forefront of everyone’s mind. Today’s members are digital-first, time-constrained, and results-driven. They want accessible, on-demand, and personalized learning experiences that align with their professional goals. Employers also expect their association to provide education to their members and will pay handsomely for it.

For associations, this shift means:

• Relevance Members expect value beyond conferences and newsletters. They want tangible career benefits to help them get promotions and salary boosts.
• Revenue: Online learning can diversify non-dues revenue through course sales subscriptions, and certification programs.
• Retention: Engaged learners are more likely to renew and see the association as an essential resource.

An LMS provides the backbone for this. When used strategically, it goes beyond course delivery, becoming the hub of your member value proposition.

Secure Leadership Buy-In and Stakeholder Alignment

Setting up an LMS isn’t a one-time technology project. Instead, it’s an organizational transformation. Without buy-in from all teams, adoption lags and resources dry up. Associations that succeed invest time upfront inbuilding consensus.

• Show ROI clearly: Tie LMS goals to revenue streams, workforce development, and mission outcomes.
• Involve multiple teams early: Education, membership, events, IT, and marketing/communications all touch the LMS in different ways.
• Position it as a member benefit: Leaders need to see education not as a cost center but as a value driver.

When the entire team and the board views the LMS as central to growth and member service, it becomes easier to secure funding, staff support, and promotional resources.

Set Clear Goals and Track the Right Metrics

Associations often measure the wrong things like logins, page views, or downloads. While these matter, they don’t fully reflect member impact. Instead, focus on metrics that link learning to member outcomes.

Examples include:

• Impact: Course completion rates, exam pass rates, CE credits earned.
• Engagement: Time spent learning, repeat enrollments, participation in discussions.
• Organizational impact: Renewal rates for members who complete courses vs. those who don’t.
• Revenue impact: Total non-dues revenue generated from course sales and certifications.

By focusing on meaningful metrics, you can show the need for continuous investment in education.

Deliver a Seamless Member Experience

A clunky LMS is a major member turnoff. Associations must deliver easy, personalized, and supportive learning experiences to compete with professional platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning.

Simplify Access by using Single Sign-On (SSO)

Integrating your LMS login with your AMS is an absolute must. If you users need to remember to sets of passwords they won’t be happy and have to call your team for help.

Personalize Learning Paths and Recommendations

Use member type, location, title etc. to help personalize the learning that is delivered to your members.

Offer Training, Tutorials, and Support

Don’t assume members will intuitively know how to use the LMS. Give short FAQ’s and a video tutorials that are less than 5 minutes.

Integrate Your LMS with Core Association Systems

A standalone LMS creates silos. The best practice is to connect it to your AMS, CRM, event tools, and certification systems.

• AMS/CRM: make sure there is one source of truth (typically your AMS or CRM)
• Certification systems (e.g., PARS, CPE Monitor): Automatically report credits to reduce admin work.
• Event platforms: Tie live and virtual events into learning pathways for blended learning.

Integration gives staff a 360° view of member engagement and allows learners to see all activities in one place.

Support Content Standards for Scalability and Future-Proofing

Content standards ensure your learning programs remain flexible and compatible across platforms.

Ensure SCORM and xAPI Compliance

SCORM is a common e-learning type that allows large courses to be portable. Ensure your LMS accepts SCORM.

Centralize and Reuse Learning Assets Across Programs

Webinars, slide decks, and recordings can all be repurposed. Store assets in your LMS to build new programs quickly and cost-effectively.

Design Engaging Learning Experiences

Associations often have unique advantages over corporate providers: a trusted community and subject matter expertise. The key is to deliver that in a modern, engaging format.

Optimize for Mobile and On-the-Go Access

More than half of learning is consumed on mobile. A mobile-responsive LMS ensures members can learn anytime, anywhere.

Build Community with Social and Peer Learning Tools

Encourage networking and knowledge-sharing with discussion forums, peer feedback, and study cohorts. This enhances both learning and member loyalty.

Choose an LMS Partner That Knows Associations

Many LMS providers cater to corporate training, not associations. Selecting the right partner ensures you have the features and support unique to associations:

• Continuing education workflows (certification, CME, CE credit tracking).
• Non-dues revenue models (course sales, subscriptions, hybrid events).
• Onboarding and customer support designed for staff with limited tech resources.

A vendor who understands your world will help you implement best practices from day one.

Turning Best Practices into Member Value

An LMS isn’t just a software, it can be the gateway to your association’s value. By getting buy in from the entire team, setting measurable and impactful goals, delivering seamless experiences, and choosing the right partner, associations can transform online education into a strategic advantage.

The outcome? Happier members, stronger retention, and sustainable growth.

Ready to see how Oasis LMS helps associations put these best practices into action? Book a demo today.

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