The term "Learning Management System" or "LMS" defines an enterprise wide system that comprises the following five elements:

• The courseware launching component that sequences instructional activities for a student, and provides the interface for student access to the activities. (This element of an LMS is commonly referred to as "Computer Managed Instruction" or "CMI").
  
  
• The course-development component enables a course administrator to specify the content of the course in terms of lessons and the sequence of these lessons.
  
  
• The roster operations component registers the student and enrolls him or her in courses.
  
  
• The assignment management component assigns the lessons to the student and records the student performance data.
  
  
• The data collection component provides the automated collection and management of data.