Beyond LMS: Why Schools Need Learning Facilitation Systems

In the modern classroom, there’s no shortage of content. Schools have vast libraries, digital resources, and endless options for online learning. But even with all these materials, one thing remains stubbornly out of reach for many teachers, parents, and school leaders: real-time, meaningful insights into how each child is actually learning.

This gap is not about access to content—it’s about the systems we use to facilitate learning. Most schools rely on Learning Management Systems (LMS) to handle the administrative side of teaching: sharing lesson materials, posting grades, tracking attendance, and managing schedules. These systems make the logistics of schooling easier, but they don’t truly help teachers understand how to support each student’s learning journey.

As a teacher and educational researcher, I believe we need to move beyond LMS to what I call Learning Facilitation Systems—technology designed to put the core processes of teaching and learning back in the spotlight.

What Should a Learning Facilitation System Do?

A true Learning Facilitation System should go beyond logistics. It should help teachers:

Leverage AI to create high-quality assessments quickly, grade student work efficiently, and generate feedback that is not just fast, but meaningful.

Tag student work to key performance indicators—like aims, success criteria, skills, and topics—so that a single assignment becomes a window into a student’s strengths and challenges. Track performance over time, building a dynamic picture of each student’s growth and struggle. This isn’t about permanent labels—it’s about understanding where a student has been, and where they need to go next.

Generate tailored recommendations—not generic comments, but actionable insights based on the child’s actual learning patterns.

The Power of Real-Time Insights

Why is this so important? Because the process of learning is highly dynamic. A student who struggled at the beginning of the year might overcome those challenges and develop new ones by midyear. Yet many of our current systems still rely on static snapshots: final grades, one-off assessments, or end-of-term reports that fail to keep up with the child’s evolving needs.

True learning facilitation means adapting feedback in real time, so teachers can fine-tune their instruction, parents can understand the path ahead, and students can feel supported every step of the way.

What About Privacy and Workload?

I know some school leaders and teachers worry that these systems might add more to their plates. But with the right design, a Learning Facilitation System can reduce workload, not increase it. At Baccalytics, we’re working on tools that automate repetitive tasks—like assessment creation and grading—freeing teachers to focus on what matters most: supporting students.

And as for privacy, these insights aren’t meant to rank or publicly compare students. They’re designed to be private and personal—accessible only to the teachers and parents who are directly involved in a child’s learning journey.

The Big Opportunity Ahead

For decades, the education sector has focused on building better content and bigger libraries. Now, the next big opportunity is to build better systems—ones that help teachers, parents, and students truly understand and act on learning data.

As a teacher, I’d love to hear from you:

• What insights do you wish you had about your students’ learning?

• What would help you turn that data into actionable steps for growth?

As a school leader, how do you see data shaping your school’s approach to learning? As a parent, what kind of feedback or insights would make a difference in supporting your child?

Let’s start the conversation. Let’s move from managing learning to facilitating it—and make the next chapter of education one where every child’s learning journey is truly seen, supported, and celebrated.