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Online training platforms are one of the ideal tools for spreading knowledge, overcoming geographical and time barriers.

There are mainly three types of platforms for online training: Learning Management Systems (LMS), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and webinar/videoconferencing platforms. Each of them has distinctive features and functions. 

The most complete are the Learning Management Systems, real communities where mentors can create structured courses on the most diverse topics.

The LMS is a software platform specifically designed to manage, distribute and track online courses and training programs. The LMS allows you to:

• Organize and distribute educational content - In an LMS you can upload and structure courses, modules, videos, documents, presentations, interactive quizzes and any other educational material. This content can be used by students independently and at their own pace (e-learning) or as a support for in-person lessons (blended learning).
• Manage users - LMS allows you to enroll and unenroll students, assign roles (student, teacher, administrator), create learning groups and manage user profiles.
• Track progress - One of the most important features. An LMS carefully monitors student activity: what content they viewed, how much time they spent, the results of quizzes, progress in training paths. This is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of training and identify any difficulties.
• Evaluate learning - LMS allows you to create and administer tests, quizzes, assignments and other forms of assessment. It often also offers automatic grading systems and the ability to issue certificates upon completion of courses.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration - Many LMSs include communication tools, such as discussion forums, chat, internal messaging, and sometimes even synchronous virtual classroom capabilities, for live sessions between teachers and students.
• Generate reports and statistics - LMS can provide detailed data on platform usage, student progress, and course effectiveness. These reports are valuable for administrators and trainers to continuously improve training programs.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), represent a revolution in distance learning. These are university or higher education courses, made available online for free or at low cost, and open to a potentially unlimited number of participants from all over the world. Main characteristics of MOOCs:

• Massive: they are designed to accommodate a very large number of participants, from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of students at the same time, overcoming the limits of a physical classroom.
• Open: access to courses is generally free and open or low-cost. There are no specific admission requirements (such as previous qualifications), except in some cases a basic knowledge of the topic or language of the course.
• Online: the entire course is delivered via the internet, allowing the use of teaching materials, lessons and activities from any place and at any time, as long as you have an internet connection.
• Course: they are structured as real courses, with a well-defined program, teaching materials (video lessons, readings, handouts), exercises, quizzes, often discussion forums for interaction between students and sometimes even tutors or teachers.

MOOCs are usually delivered through dedicated platforms (such as Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, Udacity, Federica.EU, EduOpen, etc.).

The contents are often divided into weekly or thematic modules, with video lessons, in-depth materials, self-assessment quizzes and, in some cases, assignments to be submitted. Interaction between participants is often encouraged by discussion forums, where students can exchange views, ask for clarifications and collaborate. At the end of the course, in many cases, it is possible to obtain a certificate of participation or completion, sometimes for a fee, which attests to the skills acquired.

In addition to these, there are webinar and live streaming platforms, perfect for real-time training sessions on specific topics. They offer direct interaction and the possibility of doing Q&A. There are also tools dedicated to the creation and sharing of multimedia content (video tutorials, gaming), often integrable within the LMS. Finally, platforms for quizzes and surveys, very useful for verifying learning and collecting feedback from your students. Knowing these options will help the mentor choose the most effective tool to train their target group.