What Makes Forj a Great Association and Partner Training Learning Management System

While there is no shortage of LMS (or learning management system) solutions on the market, most of them cater to the education sector or businesses looking for a way to train their employees at scale. Associations that want to offer their members unique training opportunities can feel left out in the cold since their needs are not covered by either one. Luckily, Forj (previously CourseStage by Web Courseworks) is an LMS developed to address the specific needs of the association market.

Forj LMS markets itself as a “Community Platform” that strives to deliver an exceptional member experience while remaining easy for management. If you want to help association members forge meaningful connections, share their expertise, boost learner engagement, and drive success, Forj could be the system you’ve been searching for. Forj can also increase learner satisfaction, help keep track of training content based in the cloud, and enhance the overall experience of both learners and administrators. 

Forj isn’t the only association LMS out there though, and you may be wondering if one of their competitors might be a better fit for your organization’s online training needs. Craig Weiss is an online learning and LMS expert with over a decade of experience blogging about the industry, during which time his forecasts have proven over 90 percent accurate. One of his biggest projects, FindAnLMS.com, is designed to help the average person find the right LMS for their online learning and education needs. Once you finish reading this Forj LMS review, create a free account on FindAnLMS.com for more expert advice on finding an LMS.

What Is Forj LMS and what makes it so good for associations?

Forj was developed as a dedicated association LMS that enables the creation of customized learning experiences, tracks user performance, and facilitates decision-making through data. It doesn’t have that many unique features, but it executes the standard stuff really well. Here are three of the most important capabilities for associations:

1. Top-notch user experience

Unlike the K-12 or higher education markets, associations do not have a captive audience. If your members don’t like the courses you offer online or find your LMS interface frustrating, they’ll simply ignore your content. The result is disengaged members and a higher turnover rate than your association would like. 

Forj LMS was designed to wow learners the first time they log in, ensuring they keep coming back whenever new courses are available. The platform has outstanding search tools, making it easy for both learners and instructors to find the content they need. Forj is also backed by outstanding customer service that acts as a true differentiator in an industry often lacking it.

Content on Forj is accessible on a mobile app with offline capabilities, allowing learners to review information and take assessments wherever and whenever they like. All content runs smoothly on smaller screens, and strong reporting tools automatically kick in when the learner regains network access. Association members are generally busy adults, and allowing them to take online courses on their terms shows how much you value their time. 

2. Social learning opportunities

Many associations rely on outdated tools like lengthy email chains and social media posts to foster a sense of community between members. Unfortunately, these systems can make it challenging to find training content and often discourage learners from reaching out to peers. 

Forj LMS includes numerous features to help learners feel like individuals as opposed to a number in a broader enterprise. For instance, social learning features such as threaded message boards, live chats, and peer-to-peer feedback can help learners connect with your association’s broader community. Likewise, adaptive learning features such as personalized learning paths allow learners to focus exclusively on content that can help them reach their career goals. Detailed profiles are also available to help members find the right people to collaborate with.

3. Custom learning materials

Forj LMS has a built-in course authoring tool allowing instructors to create interactive video experiences, learning games, hotspots, and assessments with drag-and-drop functionality to promote learner engagement. Similarly, Forj includes advanced assessment authoring tools that make it easy to categorize questions in the question bank, upload existing questions, write new ones, and provide detailed remediation. You can even proctor high-stakes exams and create adaptive quizzes emphasizing previously identified skill gaps to help learners grow personally and professionally.

If your association already has courses you trust, no problem. With Forj LMS, you can integrate with AMS (association management system) platforms, webinar solutions, and more to keep using the content you know.

Can other organizations utilize Forj LMS effectively?

The same features that make Forj great for associations also translate well to other organizations looking to educate external partners about their product offerings. The product’s marketing materials emphasize the association angle, but you can also use it for external salespeople and see great results.

For instance, Forj LMS has multi-tenant capabilities. Different groups of learners can each receive a unique, fully branded experience catered to their needs. Salespeople will only see content related to the sales process, while fresh hires are automatically enrolled in onboarding courses. Both options will prominently display your organization’s logo, colors, and feel, making training an extension of your brand. 

Since Forj LMS is based in the cloud, your learning management system will be able to scale with your needs. You can create an unlimited number of virtual courses without worrying about storage, and the system can support any number of learners. Forj LMS even offers robust online commerce capabilities so you can sell courses to channel partners. 

Perhaps most importantly, Forj LMS collects actionable data on learner performance. If your business has certification programs, seeing who still needs to complete what is easy. Similarly, struggling learners are identified so they can be helped before falling too far behind. The data you collect can also help you prove the value of learning to management and other stakeholders within your organization. 

Find a fantastic LMS for your association on FindAnLMS.com today

Forj LMS is an excellent association learning management system, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best fit for your specific use case. Craig Weiss has personally reviewed more than 1,000 learning management systems, so he’s seen the best and worst in the industry. He leveraged that expertise to create FindAnLMS.com, a site where only top vendors can be found. 

With FindAnLMS.com, you can compare up to four LMS solutions head-to-head, save favorites for future review, and request demos. You’ll also see exclusive analysis and grades from the expert himself, a comprehensive feature list for each vendor, and more. If you’re interested in learning more or simply want unbiased reviews of all of the online learning options available to you, you can create a free account on FindAnLMS.com today for more information. It could prove one of the best things you ever do for your association.