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How to Connect Your SIS and LMS for Seamless Interaction

If you currently use a student information system (SIS) and the Moodle learning management system (LMS), then you should look into integrating them for better efficiency.

Both systems are useful for online learning. However, the way these two systems function is slightly different.

Because of this, you’ll need to look for real-time SIS integrations with the Moodle LMS. Doing this will allow your SIS to communicate with Moodle, which eliminates timely manual processes that can be automated through integration.

When you have a connected SIS and LMS, there are many benefits provided that focus on limiting redundancy, expediting processes, and having the most current data available.

Le’s take a look at how you can connect your systems to take advantage of these fantastic benefits.

How Do an SIS and LMS Overlap?

To start, it’s helpful to know exactly what each system does. This will allow you to understand how the two systems overlap and how communicating eliminates redundancy.

A student information system (SIS) is used to store data relevant to students. This includes common bits of information about their education, like their grades, transcripts, attendance records, and anything else a school would want to keep track of for a student.

On the other hand, a learning management system (LMS) has a focus on enabling learning for students. It can be used to create online courses complete with exams, activities, and a gradebook.

Putting the two together, an SIS is more of a database while an LMS serves as an educational tool. The LMS will create records via grades and scores that can then be transferred to and stored on the SIS.

The overlap exists in that a majority of the information generated on an LMS is used for the SIS. This means that a student’s grades, scores, and attendance are all pieces of information that can be found on both systems.

If your systems aren’t connected, then a manual transfer of data will be required to keep the SIS up to date.

How Can These Systems Integrate?

With this in mind, the transfer of information is certainly achievable through integration.

There are two primary ways of connecting an SIS and an LMS.

With the first method, you’ll be relying on either system’s built-in features that allow for connectivity. If you’re lucky, then you’ll already be using an SIS and LMS that can communicate without issue.

As a result, there will be settings that you can easily toggle to make data transfer and any other processes automatic. Unfortunately, integration is usually not this simple and requires the use of an application programming interface (API).

An API can be extremely confusing to use, especially if you don’t have any prior experience with one. This will allow you to manually connect the two systems so that they can communicate.

Unless you’re a savvy programmer, then you won’t understand how to integrate your SIS and LMS. Fortunately, several digital companies excel at this. Typically, they will use an API to do this or they may create a unique solution for SIS and LMS integration.

Regardless of how it happens, they will do the hard work for you so that you can enjoy the benefits of two systems being in sync.

What Benefits Are Earned Through Connection?

Speaking of benefits, there are several earned from SIS and LMS integration. Here are a few common ones:

  • Current Information – When your two systems interact, it means that both will feature the most recent data. Rather than waiting for a manual push or collection, your SIS will feature all relevant information instead of outdated data.
  • Automation of Manual Processes – Simple tasks like syncing data are time-consuming and not a good use of it. This can be easily automated when your SIS and LMS communicate with each other and allow for quick transfers.
  • Mistake Minimization – With fewer manual process involved, there is less margin for error. Automation eliminates human mistakes in the form of mistyping, skipping a step, or forgetting to perform a task altogether.
  • Less Downtime – Integration also reduces any downtime as the two systems will instantly communicate with each other. This means that students will have quicker access to their courses and grades rather than needing to wait.

 

This list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates the point that having two similar systems working together will reduce your overall burden through the convenience of automation.

Closing Thoughts

Your student information system (SIS) and learning management system (LMS) are two great softwares that relate to student education.

The systems operate differently, but the data generated on the LMS is used to populate fields shown on the SIS. As a result, some direct overlaps exist that are unnecessary to manually address.

Instead, you can use an API to integrate the two systems so that they communicate with each other. This can be done by you if you have programming knowledge but is best left to an expert that understands the interface well.

A few benefits of connecting your two systems include having the most recent information available, automation of manual process, fewer mistakes, and a reduction in downtime.

Take the time to find a solution for your SIS and LMS connectivity needs to boost their effectiveness and save yourself some time!

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