There are two main platforms that help to create an online learning environment: The Student Information System (SIS) and the Learning Management System (LMS).  The SIS (as the name suggests) houses student information or records such as addresses, grades and courses.  The LMS is the platform in which the students take their course online.  While the LMS will tell a student their current grades in a course, the SIS houses grades from current AND previous courses.

Within the online learning environment there are key roles which help to keep the system operating well.  Depending on the size of the institution/company this may be one person or several persons.

• LMS Administration – responsible for the technical aspects of the LMS.
• Instructional Administration – over the instructional aspects of the LMS such as teaching assignments.
• Content Development – responsible for creating content for the LMS using tools within the LMS or outside.

Finally, you need teachers to facilitate the courses in the LMS, grade papers and in some cases analyze their classroom data to improve instruction.  In some institutions a person(s) might be hired to do organizational data analysis.