WordPress plugins (additional modules) are software add-ons – separate units of program code, which we install on our WordPress site to expand it and introduce new functionalities. WP plugins are usually said to do one of the following two things: make our lives easier, or the site runs and looks fantastic. This is also an effective learning management system that you can use to create online lessons and courses. We will take you through popular and commonly used solutions, also sharing a few tips you need to know before installing one.
Sensei LMS for WordPress
For a course instructor on a budget, this is probably the best place to start working on courses of different kinds and with attractive features. Encouraging you to start teaching for free, the add-on is applicable to writing, coding, business, music, pottery, yoga, and many other fields – just name it.
Sensei LMS is a fully customizable solution that requires no coding skills at all. Built by WooCommerce authors, it is designed to provide an array of features to people who want to add a new instance of knowledge to their profile. Thanks to its quick and easy setup, the add-on has a faithful and strong community of users focused on teaching.
According to Elaine Cooper, a WordPress developer at PapersOwl and an author of many publications about WordPress, “The add-on is perfect for creating an online academy where you can choose to offer free or paid courses. It works in an intuitive and understanding manner, where you can quickly and effectively implement it on your website.”
While the essence of this add-on promotes a cost-free policy, it is still possible to download paid extensions with special membership fees. For example, tutors can offer downloadable certificates upon completion or create a media-rich lesson with media files. Another option is to include additional materials for each student, such as slideshows, PDFs, and audio files that will enrich any online course.
LearnDash
This is probably the most well-known WordPress plugin that you can use to create courses for a growing army of online students. Created by e-learning experts, this is a powerful and award-winning solution named the winner in Capterra Top 20 Training Software competition. Using this add-on, you can create impressive and content-rich courses with the following features included.
First, we have a branded learning portal where participants won’t be distracted in any way. Next, there is a course creation module with drag & drop building functionality. Creators will appreciate an advanced quizzing mode with up to eight types of questions for quizzes, tests, and customizable messages. The branded Dynamic Content Delivery mode allows videos and drip-feed lessons.
Finally, another branded feature is called the Flexible Prerequisites module and enables creators to come up with a set of prerequisites while setting access to learning materials. From the students’ perspective, LearnDash comes with a variety of handy tools, including automated notifications and email messages sent upon certain actions.
It is also possible to engage in discussion forums and earn badges or certificates for your overall progress. When needed, leaderboards can show the most successful performers. Finally, learners who complete a stage in the course can receive course points, while all participants can receive individual or group assignments.
When it comes to payment, the LMS plugin supports integration with PayPal, 2Checkout, and Stripe. This way, participants can choose the most suitable and stay free of any security issues.
WP Courseware
This is the first and still frequently used course creation add-on featuring a drag-and-drop builder that works in a fast and intuitive manner. The LMS plugin was published in 2012, and so far, more than 21000 affiliate course creators have used this.
The list is quite extensive and includes the names of Pagely, Udemy, Verizon, University of Kentucky, iThemes, and more. Even more interesting, the add-on has managed to generate over $4 million in lifetime course selling since inception. This makes it one of the most successful in its specific WordPress niche and one of the best performing in the CMS ever.
The Courseware add-on, next to the powerful builder, combines a media-rich environment with unlimited courses an instructor can have. There are no limits in the number of students allowed to participate either. It is also possible to guide participants through all lectures, as well as to schedule a course and give different assignments to participants.
Each course comes with a dedicated classroom where students can communicate, post a comment, track their progress, check for messages, and more. Content provided here is downloadable regardless of format, which means you can include PDF, different media files, texts, charts, and many more.
When it comes to customizable options, self-enrolment and automatic enrolment are possible, just like exports and imports. The add-on offers multiple methods for payments and works with any theme.
Namaste! LMS
This is another free-of-charge LMS for WordPress dubbed smart and interactive – an opinion based on active customers’ reviews. With reliable support and affordable pricing, the add-on powers many projects in different areas of education. For example, it is the starting point for a major photography school but is also used for monetization and gamification. Prospective customers can work with different assignments, manage classes, build new content, and manage pages just like they do in a regular WordPress site.
Namaste-LMS is connectable with other add-ons such as Watu or WatuPro, meaning that it is possible to connect with exams created that way. Unlike some other custom systems, here, a user can get full stats and reports but also sell a course to schools. Remember that certain functionalities come with extra fees ranging from $27 to $47. Using a paying module, you can generate more detailed reports or create an improved communication tool just like adding themes to beautify the content.
Depending on your needs, chargeable courses are available just like those where participants can enroll freely. Upon completion of a course, those who passed it successfully will get a downloadable certificate.
What Is Important When Choosing a Plugin?
Before installing a certain add-on that you haven’t tested so far on the WordPress site, always pay attention to a few details.
Reviews and ratings
A mandatory probe is the ratio of 5 and 1-star ratings and when they are awarded. If you notice that the last few ratings are only 1 or 2 stars, read reviews of why this is the case and which version it is. It also immediately checks when the last update occurred. Users often give a 1-star rating for add-ons that cause problems on the websites. If the authors of the add-on have not updated the code for a long time, and the ratings are for them a stable version of the add-on, it is a red light. So, try to avoid such add-ons.
Support
Do the plugin authors respond to queries, and do they handle them successfully? A very important question. If the authors do not respond to queries, they usually do not even maintain the add-ons… and this usually means another red light and a reason to avoid that add-on.
Screenshots
Before installing the plugin, take a look at the screenshots to see if this is what you are looking for. This way, you can see all the options that the plugin has and what it can do. Here is very useful information to avoid unnecessary installation and testing.
The number of installations
Although not a crucial fact, it says a lot about the popularity of the add-on and whether it is a legitimate or malicious add-on.
Checking the FAQ
Usually, there is a FAQ section at the bottom of each plugin’s page. These are the most common instructions from the author on how to do something or how to monetize your site. Also, it comes with answers to frequently asked questions. There you can find 99% of the answers to questions that would interest you. The remaining 1% of responses came through code reviews.
Conclusion
While WordPress LMS plugins are fantastic, you need to be very careful about their amount on your site. It is not enough that all plugins on your site are tested and of good quality; if you install 20, 30 of them, you will have more harm than good. That’s why you need to use them wisely to get the most out of this great blogging and website development platform. Beyond functionality, considering plugins like WP Force SSL to ensure secure connections, and WP Login Lockdown to prevent brute force attacks is crucial in maintaining the safety and trustworthiness of your site.
In addition to the above-mentioned, we can also recommend LearnPress and Masterstudy LMS for WordPress, where the choice of the most appropriate definitely depends on your needs and scope of work.