e-Learning Blog

Totara Learn is a widely used open-source learning management system (LMS) designed especially for businesses. It has been adopted by major corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations worldwide, and its use is steadily expanding within Japan as well.

*From the Official Totara Website (As of June 2025)

Totara Learn utilizes organizational hierarchy, positions, and team management to efficiently and effectively support talent development within companies. This is what sets it apart from other e-learning platforms. Here, we introduce its distinctive features.

You can create a hierarchy that reflects the structure of the organization. Assign learning content to each level (position). For example, you can automatically assign learning plans tailored to specific departments or roles.

You can assign appropriate learning content according to the tasks and learning needs of each team. Team leaders can monitor members' learning progress and provide support as needed.

Set specific groups (audiences) based on organizational hierarchy and positions. You can register learning content in bulk for those audiences. For example, when there is a department transfer or a promotion, learning content will be automatically assigned according to the audience settings. (This will be explained later)

Define the skills and knowledge required for each position, and create a learning plan based on that. The learning plan can be customized to meet the needs of individual learners. (Details will be explained later)

Filter learning progress and outcomes based on position and organizational hierarchy to create appropriate reports. This allows administrators to easily grasp the learning status of specific groups.

Totara Learn supports efficient and effective talent development within companies through these features. Among them, we will highlight and explain two particularly distinctive functions.

2-1. Dynamic Audience Feature

The Dynamic Audience feature is a powerful tool in Totara Learn. It allows you to automatically create and manage learner groups based on specific criteria. It has the following characteristics.

Automatically generate groups based on learner attributes (such as department, position, work location, etc.). This allows for efficient assignment of specific learning content to the appropriate learners.

When learner information is changed, the dynamic audience is also automatically updated. For example, if a new employee is assigned to a specific department, that employee is automatically added to the relevant learning group.

You can provide customized learning content for specific groups. This makes the learning experience more personalized and effective.

You can create groups by combining multiple conditions based on learners' attributes and behaviors. For example, you can create groups targeting learners with specific skill levels or those who have completed certain courses.

This feature enables companies to streamline learning management and provide optimal content to learners.

<Dynamic Audience Settings Screen>

<Where the department targets people in the Sales Department as the audience>

＜Diagram Explaining Dynamic Audience＞

2-2. Competency Function

Next is the competency feature of Totara Learn. This is a powerful tool for defining the skills and knowledge required within an organization and creating and managing learning plans based on them. It has the following features.

We specifically define the skills and knowledge required for each position and role. This allows learners to clearly understand which skills they need to acquire.

Based on defined competencies, we create the optimal learning plan for each individual learner. The learning plan includes the necessary courses and training, designed to enable learners to acquire skills step by step.

Track learners' progress in real time and assess their competency achievement. This allows you to understand how well learners have acquired skills and provide additional support as needed.

Output reports on competency achievement status and analyze skill gaps across the entire organization. This enables effective planning and execution of the organization's talent development strategy.

The competency feature is integrated with performance management and linked to learner performance evaluations. This allows for assessing how learning outcomes impact actual job performance.

In this way, Totara Learn's competency feature is an essential tool for systematically and effectively supporting organizational talent development.

<Competency Setting Screen>

＜Graph of People Who Have Acquired Competencies＞

＜Explanation of Competency＞

The implementation of Totara Learn proceeds through the following steps.

① Hearing Needs and Defining Requirements
First, clarify the company's educational needs and goals, and define the system requirements based on them.

② System Design and Construction
Design the system based on requirements and build it in an on-premises or cloud environment.

③ Initial Setup and Data Migration
Perform the initial system setup and migrate the necessary data.

④ Training and Support
We provide training for administrators and users, and establish a support system after the start of operation.

When implementing an LMS, it is natural to wonder what kind of support is available. Basically, the following types of support are provided by official Totara partners worldwide.

Implementation Support
Totara official partners propose the optimal implementation plan tailored to the needs of your company.

Operational Support
Support services are provided via phone, email, and a dedicated portal to address questions and issues related to operation and configuration.

Content Production Support
We provide one-stop services from planning and design stages to operation in e-learning, covering web content, animation, video, and VR/AR content.

Operational Task Outsourcing
They handle necessary operational tasks on your behalf, from user and course registration, setting up organizations, positions, and operational rules, to reporting, backups, and secretariat-related duties.

Official Totara partners provide these kinds of support services. Please make use of them.

Furthermore, the following introduces the costs required for implementation.

Subscription Fees
Totara Learn is available by purchasing a subscription, not a license. The subscription is valid for one year and the pricing is based on the number of users.

Introduction Cost
Costs for introduction include requirements definition, specification and operation design, system design and construction, initial setup, and data registration.

Operating Costs
Costs such as operational support and user training will be incurred.

Totara Learn is not just an e-learning platform, but a "foundation for growth" that supports the learning culture throughout the organization. We offer implementation support and customization consultations to ensure a smooth start, even for first-time users.

Totara Learn is a powerful tool designed to effectively support corporate human resource development. It offers excellent cost performance and flexible customization, making it widely adopted by companies of various sizes. It is used by many users.

Introducing actual user feedback on using Totara Learn.
"The UI is easy for on-site training staff to operate, so there was no trouble using it" (Retail HR staff)
"Until now, we couldn't grasp who learned what, but with Totara, it's clear at a glance" (Medical corporation training staff)
"As a first-time LMS user, the thorough support and flexible customization were helpful" (IT venture manager)

How about it? If you are considering introducing online education, please consider Totara Learn as one of your options.

Human Science Corporation signed a solution partner agreement with Totara Learning Solutions in October 2014. We are the only official partner in Japan providing Totara Learn solutions.