In my LearnDash review, I explore the popular WordPress LMS plugin, well-known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop course builder. I delve into various features, including course creation, quizzes, assignments, drip-feed content, focus mode, reporting, analytics, and administrative tools.
My review also discusses packages, and pricing options, and weighs the pros and cons of using LearnDash. Additionally, I share my experience with the platform, from getting started to creating and publishing courses along with what some other course builders think.
LearnDash Summary For Those Skim Readers
Here are the main benefits of the LearnDash LMS Plugin:
- Complete control over course creation
- Designed by educators, for educators
- Advanced features for managing assignments and collaboration
- Customizable courses with support for various themes and page builders
- Seamless and engaging learner experience
- Focus Mode to eliminate distractions and improve learning outcomes
- Reward learners with badges, certificates, and course points
- Automated notifications and reminders for increased accountability
- E-commerce flexibility to grow your business and generate passive income
- Integration with popular e-commerce tools (PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce, RazorPay, 2Checkout)
- Support for recurring subscriptions and limited coupons to earn repeat customers
- No additional fees from LearnDash; retain full course profits
Many businesses are built via a WordPress domain. WordPress is one of the most popular site-hosting platforms out there. Part of this popularity stems from its overall customization options, provided partly by the many other plugins you can assign to your site.
Learning management systems, otherwise known as LMS, are popular WordPress LMS plugins. They enable the user to create either an individual course or a wide range of courses, entirely on the topic of their business or niche topic. LearnDash is an example of an LMS.
Through the course of this LearnDash review, we’ll take you through the overall scope of the service.
This LearnDash review will guide you through the complete details, use cases, and operational details such as how you can create a course, to the complexity of features available for your courses, and how LearnDash supports you following course publication. Let’s get into the LearnDash review.
What is LearnDash?
LearnDash is a Learning Management System (LMS) plugin available for WordPress. It is often lauded as one of the popular WordPress LMS plugins due to its ease of use and high functionality. It features an easy-to-use drag-and-drop course builder, so your online course can look exactly how you want it to with little complication.
However, this ease of use is not immediate. There is a learning curve to this right and best WordPress LMS plugins, despite its user-friendly drag-and-drop course builder. Having said that, the bells and whistles associated with using LearnDash may make it worth it, provided you have the diligence.
LearnDash reviews often hail it as one of the most efficient WordPress plugins for course creation available. However, In this LearnDash review, you will know whether this product is made for you or your organization or not.
Read More: What Is Learndash Used For?
If you are looking to create online courses that are aimed at training organizations and entrepreneurs on a variety of lessons and topics, this may be the online course builder for you. Naming it just a course builder is not fair, it’s a complete platform for managing and selling online courses.
Read More: How Do I Sell Courses On LearnDash
Learndash provides a simple way to create courses and quizzes for your website. You can add questions, videos, images, text, and other media to your course.
Learndash also includes an advanced quiz builder that lets you create quizzes with different question types such as multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions. Learndash has many features that make it easy to build courses on WordPress sites.
You can integrate externally hosted videos as well as host them on your WordPress website.
It is the WordPress LMS plugin and there are no limits on how many courses can be created on one WordPress site or how many people can enroll in those courses at one time. You can sell online courses to as many people as you want.
As an LMS, LearnDash has been the recipient of several awards and recommendations. Particular praise goes into its ease of use, ever-expanding user experience, and its commitment to customer service. How it achieves this is via its unique partnership model.
Additional LearnDash plugins to boost features
LearnDash does not act solely as an LMS plugin online course builder for you to funnel course content into. Instead, it posits itself as a collaborative effort between the businesses it works with and its course expertise. The LearnDash course builder is just a part of the whole package.
This customer service includes starter guides, a responsive help desk, live webinars, and a vibrant community with which to review ideas.
For installing LearnDash from the WordPress dashboard. You need to first download and then integrate it into the word press. Once integrated it can be managed from the WordPress dashboard.
What Features Are Available by Using LearnDash?
One of the key aspects we want to review in this LearnDash review is its extensive features list. LearnDash features plenty with Learndash course builder yet remains an easy-to-use learning platform.
As a WordPress LMS, LearnDash succeeds in promoting a positive user experience while still providing an effective course builder. The course builder also integrates a course prerequisites section where the learners can see the prerequisites of the courses.
The LearnDash course builder does so much more than help you to fulfill your e-learning ambitions and create course content.
The course builder is competitive with other platforms such as self-hosted course WordPress websites. LearnDash also helps you to monetize and review your online course through a variety of add-ons. The customer service also grants you access to imperative advice on promoting your online courses.
LearnDash is loaded with features for you to review. Listed below are just a few that LearnDash has on offer beyond the classic drag-and-drop course builder.
Separate Courses and Learndash lessons
No online course can be appealing if it appears to be one long native WordPress block editor of the text. A user will only ever review that with a profound sense of boredom.
LearnDash makes it easy to break up your content into easy digital downloads and new lessons. This lets you create content that the user will best understand. Moreover, the unique video progression feature helps teachers to analyze student performance.
Creating a course using LearnDash isn’t a complex mission. LearnDash understands the e-learning audience they cater to. Online courses shouldn’t be daunting, they should be inviting. Any time you would like to add more lesson topics, you can use LearnDash to add as many new topics as desired in clearly marked sections.
Looking for a learning management system for WordPress?
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"Create and host my own course with LearDash LMS on WordPress"
Videos Including Auto-play
A great way to engage students with your online course is through mixed media. E-learning is all about keeping your audience interested, and video is a powerful way to keep courses compelling. One of the many add-ons LearnDash integrates is the use of video.
These informative videos can be designed to auto-play when online courses are commenced through LearnDash. Likewise, you can leave it up to your students to manually review your LearnDash courses however they like. Online learning is an independent experience.
What LearnDash allows you to do is create online courses that you genuinely like, to the best of your ability.
Course Quizzes and Assignments
Arguably not a part of LearnDash your students will like best, quizzes are a great way to consolidate e-learning. They force a user to reconsider everything they just covered in their LearnDash course. You can place them wherever you like, though they’re often recommended just before a user embarks on a new LearnDash course.
Quizzes and assignments are a great way to engage learners in your course. They help you make sure that your learners are understanding the course material, and they provide a way for students to practice skills. In this section, we will walk you through the process of creating quizzes and assignments in LearnDash.
LearnDash Course Quizzes and Assignments: – You can create quizzes to test learner understanding of course material. The quizzes can be of different types including MCQs and short answers. You can grade the quizzes and reassign them as well.
Create assignments to practice skills outside of the course– Like Quizzes, you can create multiple assignments and assign them to different students. You can do a lot of assignments according to student performance as well.
Drip Feed Content
Similar to the separation of content into different topics, LearnDash also allows a user to access content in a drip-feed format. Rather than expose the entirety of a LearnDash course from the moment a user signs up, you can incrementally release content over a specific period. You can create a lesson release schedule to automate the process.
For instance, you could make it so LearnDash courses gradually reveal content over the space of a month or two. Likewise, LearnDash could release the content over a week. You can alter this however you like in whatever manner you think works best for your particular content. It’s easy to set and can be applied to any new course you release.
Drip-feeding content is a technique that marketers use to deliver content in small chunks over some time. The idea is to keep the audience engaged with new content and not lose their interest.
There are many reasons why you might want to drip-feed your content, such as:
- You are working on an article that will take some time to create and you don’t want your audience to forget about you.
- You have a lot of articles coming out at once and need to space them out so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.
- Your audience is used to receiving information in smaller increments and it’s what they prefer.
- You want people to read one article before moving on to another one, so they can better understand what’s going on.
LearnDash Focus Mode
One of the standout features of the LearnDash LMS plugin is the addition of a focus mode.
When a user interacts with your LearnDash courses, they may like to shut the rest of the world out. LearnDash focus mode allows for exactly this, improving the overall experience and leading to far more efficient use. It’s just one of the many features that make the core LearnDash plugin one of the best.
You can optimize the course structure for focus mode.
Open & Close Access Courses on Learn Dash
There are courses for which no login is required. These are open-access courses and everyone can see them. However, the closed-access courses can be viewed by registered users only. The course access can be managed from the dashboard options.
Learndash Reporting and Analytics Tools
Learndash is an LMS that incorporates features such as analytics, reporting tools, and video tutorials.
Learndash is an LMS that includes features such as analytics, and reporting tools. Learndash provides the learner with a dashboard that allows them to monitor their progress about the goal they have set.
Learndash also has a reporting tool with which you can create reports on the performance of your learners on different parameters. These reports can be exported in different formats for further analysis.
Moreover, Learndash has a video tutorial section where learners can watch videos to learn content more efficiently. An e-learning platform that includes features such as analytics, reporting tools, and video help.
Zoom offers learners a dashboard that allows them to monitor their progress about the goal they have set. Zoom also has a reporting tool with which you can create reports.
Learndash Administrative tools
Learndash has a variety of administration tools that help you manage your course. From course creation to content distribution, Learndash has you covered.
These tools allow you to manage your course from start to finish. You can create courses, share them with students, and deliver them online with ease using this platform.
Course administrators can set email triggers for events. Moreover, the administrative tools allow viewing activities of the users.
Read More: LearnDash Shortcodes
Learndash Documentation for Easy Learning
Learndash provides user documentation that is easy to use and understand. This section of the Learndash website includes step-by-step instructions on how to use the platform’s features such as creating courses, adding content, and managing learners.
There are also videos available for some of these tasks. Learndash provides user documentation that is easy to use.
Learndash also has a Facebook community for learners. Learndash’s Facebook community helps people to learn new skills in an easy and fun way.
What Are Learning Management Systems?
LMS are platforms that help in managing the learning process. They are used by organizations to provide, manage and track their training content. LMSs can be broadly classified into two categories:
1- Course Management Systems – These LMSs are designed for delivering a single course or training program.
2- LMS – These LMSs provide a complete set of tools for managing the entire learning process across different courses, programs, and learners.
LMS are further classified into standalone systems and integrated systems. Standalone services are hosted platforms used to create, manage and sell as many courses. While integrated systems are integrated as a plugin to some web development platforms.
The integrated system often includes a combination of LMS, courseware platforms, and teacher training tools.
Integrated LMS, otherwise known as LMS plugins, usually consist of a third-party plugin that is designed to deploy a course, lesson, or content package to an individual user or a variety of training organizations. The purpose of this course, lesson, or content could be to train the user on a company’s protocol or business model.
Simply put, LMS plugins are a way of transferring informative content from a business to a user. The content usually takes the form of a singular course or multiple courses.
There are often numerous add-ons associated which can be utilized however the course creators would like to. Many WordPress plugins are categorized as LMS plugins. LearnDash is one of them. Though LearnDash alternatives do exist, it is considered one of the best available.
Who Uses LearnDash?
Learndash is a popular LMS that has more than 100,000 customers including professional training organizations. These customers are mostly schools, colleges, universities, some individuals, and other educational institutions.
Read More: Who can use LearnDash
Fortune 500 companies, major universities, educational institutions, or anyone that would like to create new Learndash lessons and sell courses via a WordPress plugin. If you own WordPress sites and feel you may like to sell a course or multiple courses dedicated to your niche, you may like to use LearnDash.
There’s no limit on who can use LearnDash. The only prerequisites are that you are on WordPress and you possess enough content to warrant at least one course.
The Learndash system is designed to help educators create and share training courses with their students. It provides a variety of tools that can be used in the classroom or anytime, anywhere
Looking for a learning management system for WordPress?
Look no further.
"Create and host my own course with LearDash LMS on WordPress"
Who Owns Courses LearnDash Create?
You do, and you are free to use them wherever you like however you like. Any LearnDash course is yours to export to your website whenever you like. LearnDash in itself is easier to think of like third-party LMS plugins. It isn’t the online course platform itself. Your courses can be incorporated into your site seamlessly following their creation.
Frequently Asked Questions About LearnDash
Is LearnDash Scalable
A: Yes. Overall, the LearnDash WordPress LMS plugin is designed to grow with you as you use it. It’s loaded with features to help you to take the best courses you can. How you choose to use these features will dictate how broadly your user base grows.
What Details Does LearnDash Require on Sign-Up
A: Name, email, website, and various other details may be required as part of user registration. All required fields are marked, so you won’t get lost in the process.
Does LearnDash Offer a Support Team
Yes. LearnDash is far from just being a standalone WordPress plugin like many of its competitors. It’s a fully operational service with some of the best customer support available.
Is A Membership Plugin Required To Use LearnDash
No. However, you can choose to use a membership plugin that can allow a new user to join a pre-existing LearnDash group management
Looking for a learning management system for WordPress?
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"Create and host my own course with LearDash LMS on WordPress"
How Much Does LearnDash Cost?
LearnDash pricing arrives in three packages, each offering a separate bundle of features for you to review. You can see the three LearnDash pricing packages below:
Basic Package
$159 Per Month
As the name suggests, this package is the most basic of the three LearnDash pricing. However, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking. It provides you with a wide portfolio of features. This includes unlimited courses, course content protection, drip-feed courses, course forums, and a demo site template for your courses.
Plus Package
$189 Per Month
The LearnDash Plus package Includes everything associated with the basic package, including unlimited courses and course content protection. Additionally, includes ten site licenses and access to ProPanel for course review
Pro Package
$329 Per Month
The most expensive LearnDash package. The pro package takes your course creation to the next level by introducing twenty-five site licenses. You are still provided access to the ProPanel for course review and your students can utilize the course forums.
Read More: Is LearnDash a Yearly Subscription
LearnDash – The Competition
See the LearnDash alternative options below:
LearnDash Pros and Cons: Weighing the Benefits and Drawbacks
LearnDash Pros
- Profound ease of use, from front-end features to the overall LMS functionality
- LearnDash lets easily integrates into your existing WordPress domain to review right away
- Provides extensive overall features for you to use to build and review your courses
- Advanced features such as unique drip-feed features keep courses interesting
- Specific portions of your courses can be put to use again in a new course, allowing for improved overall efficiency when discussing a similar topic
LearnDash Cons
- Among the many features, LearnDash does not offer free trials. You have to pay to engage with the LearnDash LMS
- Though easy to use once you know what you are doing, there is somewhat of a steep learning curve in the beginning
- Learndash does not offer any live classes or workshops for learners to attend in person. This can be a drawback for those who prefer an in-person experience as opposed to online learning. This is a major concern for an online learning platform to not have live coaching/mentoring.
- Learndash also does not offer any supplemental materials such as textbooks or workbooks for learners to purchase on the site or through another vendor like Amazon.
- This means that learners are required to purchase these materials elsewhere if they want them at all while using the site. If the teacher provides the learning material it is helpful for students.
- High-level detailed reporting features are also missing from the basic plan. The Plus and Pro plans have a ProPanel reporting tool. This tool gives a lot more insights into the data and is very helpful in generating more sales. So if you intend to subscribe to the basic plan, you will be missing this tool.
- The cost of the LearnDash WordPress LMS plugin is very high. There are some cheaper alternatives in the market with somewhat limited features such as Sensie, LearnPress, and LifterLMS.
- There are some other alternatives to the LearnDash plugin. One other WordPress plugin is a customized plugin that allows you to customize your course with features like videos, quizzes, and slideshows. Another alternative is the WizIQ plugin which lets you create interactive courses with quizzes and polls.
- These alternative tools for creating online courses are cheaper but they have some limitations such as a lack of customization options.
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LearnDash User Experience
The LearnDash interface is very intuitive and user-friendly with its drag-and-drop course creation features that allow the course creators to create their courses.
Learndash also has an easy-to-use interface for teachers with its dashboard feature that provides them with all the information they need about their students in one place.
The user experience of LearnDash does not get in the way of its functionality.
Getting Started
To get started with Learndash, you will need an account. You can create accounts in LearnDash 3.0. Once you are there, click on “Sign Up” to create your account.
Is LearnDash an Authoring Tool
After signing up, your dashboard will be created and you can start creating your course! Once you are done designing your course, you will need to make sure that it is published so that other people can take it. To publish the course, click on the “Publish” button in the top left corner of your dashboard.
After clicking this, a pop-up window will appear asking you to verify your account information. The website will email you once the courses are published.
Course creation Experience on LearnDash
Learndash is the easiest way to create a course. It is a platform that lets you create training in minutes and offers tools for managing courses, uploading content, and editing lessons.
In the course builder, you can create a course by simply uploading content from your computer or by adding a link to an external resource. You can also upload PowerPoint presentations or PDFs and add them to your course.
The platform is also equipped with tools for managing courses, including setting the enrollment status of a course, adding sign-up forms, and creating custom reports.
Read More: Is LearnDash Open Source
The best thing about LearnDash is that course creation is possible using easy drag-and-drop options in the course builder.
To create a course on LearnDash users just have to have an idea of what they are trying to teach. They can set up the course with their content and begin teaching their students.
At the organizational level, multiple users can create complete courses, which is great for education departments or companies. The problem with the other LMS plugins is that the range of options and customizations is missing.
The options are limited and can lead to frustration when trying to create a course with your content. LearnDash is an all-in-one platform for the creation, management, and selling of courses easily.
Read More: Learndash Themes
Creating Lessons
LearnDash contains lessons populated with topics. So, if you ever need to add more content to your course, then there are a few ways to do it. You can create lessons and topics with the same interface used for creating courses. The more you use LearnDash, the easier this process will become.
Can You Duplicate A Lesson In LearnDash?
One of the best and easiest ways to teach students is by making a lesson on your Teachery and adding any videos you want to feature.
To start configuring the lesson, click on the “Settings” tab in the bottom right corner. LearnDash gives you a variety of control when it comes to making your lessons.
Some examples are that you can make the lesson mandatory for the user to watch/read something before they can progress or upload an assessment of their learning efforts.
Read More: LearnDash Front End Course Creation
Alternatively, you can use the forced lesson timer feature to make sure that the user stays on a specific lesson until they have completed a specified amount of time. LearnDash makes this easy for you by showing you how many lessons are needed per day.
Publishing Courses
Once you’ve finished creating the course, it can be published online. Depending on how you’ve configured the course, it could be available to everyone or only those who are willing to pay for access.
However, Learndash’s prerequisites feature and other access settings give you more options when it comes to controlling who can access the courses. It also integrates with many of the best WordPress membership plugins so you can control access using that as well.
Read More: How To Set Up LearnDash ProPanel?
Final Thoughts
Overall, through the course of our LearnDash review, we found it to be one of the best LMS WordPress plugins available with some advanced features enabling teaching business organizations to thrive fast. It allows you to build courses with a variety of features to keep your audience engaged.
You’re given guidance on how best to maintain your courses once their published, required fields are always highlighted for beginners to wrap their heads around, and you are free to use this LMS (Learning Management System) on any of your WordPress domains. No other LMS plugins in the market can compete in terms of features yet.
Looking for a learning management system for WordPress?
Look no further.
"Create and host my own course with LearDash LMS on WordPress"
Though the lack of a free version is a little disappointing, it doesn’t detract from the efficacy of the overall product. Many LearnDash reviews sing its praises, and we are no different.
What Happens When Your LearnDash License Expires
Whether you’re looking to build just one course or a variety of courses, LearnDash has the credentials to support you. All you need is a WordPress domain and a LearnDash membership, and you’re good to go!
Do you want to learn about some other top-of-the-line best WordPress LMS Plugins?
