LAMS
LAMS · Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia · founded 2004
What it is
LAMS is a free tool for designing, managing, and delivering collaborative online learning activities. Teachers create activity sequences in a visual authoring environment, while separate Author, Monitor, and Learner areas support creation, oversight, and participation. It can run as a stand-alone e-learning system or integrate with an LMS. Listed integrations include Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard/WebCT, .LRN, Microsoft SharePoint, and Tiger Online Training LMS; integrations can provide single sign-on and create courses and users from LMS information. Features include multimedia content, interactive activities, branching paths, live lesson delivery, and learner analytics. LAMS was released under the GPL and can be downloaded without software fees, with users handling installation, configuration, maintenance, and license compliance. The maker is based at Macquarie University in New South Wales, Australia, and was founded in 2004.
For and against
For
- Free GPL software download
- Visual sequence authoring
- Author, Monitor, and Learner areas
- Branching and interactive activities
- LMS integration options
Against
- Self-hosting requires installation and maintenance
- GPL requirements apply
The verdict
LAMS combines visual course sequencing with collaborative activities, analytics, and LMS connections. Organizations should weigh self-maintenance against available support and hosting services.
Who it suits
LAMS suits K–12, vocational, higher-education, and adult or community learning organizations. It is appropriate for teams wanting self-hosted collaborative sequences or LMS integration.
Plans and prices
LAMS open-source software
Use subject to GPL requirements · users install, configure, and maintain the software themselves
Read 29 Sep 2026 · lamsfoundation.org
Commercial services and licensing
Support, hosting, training, integration, software development, and non-GPL commercial licensing; fees not listed
Read 29 Sep 2026 · lamsfoundation.org
On the record
- Deployment
- The maker says LAMS can operate as a stand-alone e-learning system or be integrated with an LMS.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Download
- The maker provides a link to download LAMS source code and describes the software as available for free download.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Integration behavior
- LAMS integrations can provide single sign-on and automatically create courses and users from LMS information.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The maker lists integrations for Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard/WebCT, .LRN, Microsoft SharePoint, and Tiger Online Training LMS.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Intended users
- The maker describes LAMS for education sectors including K–12, vocational training, higher education, and adult or community learning.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Interoperability
- LAMS version 2.2 supports exporting in IMS Learning Design Level A format.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Open source
- The software was released under the GPL, and users may use it without fees if they install, configure, and maintain it themselves while complying with the license.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- LAMS is a tool for designing, managing, and delivering online collaborative learning activities.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Security and privacy
- The Foundation's website privacy statement says personal information is shared only with the LAMS Foundation and Macquarie University and is not released to third parties without prior permission, subject to stated legal exceptions.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Support
- LAMS International offers training, technical support, software updates and upgrades, hosting, and software development services.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- User roles
- The LAMS demo provides access to Author, Monitor, and Learner areas for creating, monitoring, and running sequences.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Visual authoring
- Teachers use a visual authoring environment to create sequences of learning activities.lamsfoundation.org · read 29 Sep 2026
