The term is broadly used to describe software which resides on a server and is designed to manage or administer various aspects of learning:

• a database of learning programmes;
• delivery and management of course/module materials;
• access control (usually simple-password based);
• assessment processes (usually formative - for self assessment - and relatively simple);
• administration: student tracking, collation of marks, record of progress;
• communication methods at various levels such as one to one, one to many, synchronous and asynchronous;
• personal space for students/staff to exchange and store materials;
• a resource base: less formal than learning materials, perhaps handouts, sets of frequently-asked-questions, previous students' materials, etc;
• help/support facilities (such as online help or tutorials about the environment itself);
  authoring/maintenance tools for creating and updating the learning materials.

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