Learning Experience Platforms Compared To LMSs
The eLearning industry is one where rapid change and dynamicity are the norms. It is normal for even the most hard-wearing and strong-standing eLearning trends and practices to fall by the wayside when something better comes along. But don’t worry, it is not yet time for you to say good-bye to learning management systems (LMS)! It’s just that an emerging technology which is deemed to be an even advanced version of LMS has cropped up, and promises better learning and training outcomes. You’ve probably guessed what the discussion is revolving around right now, and you’ve guessed right. Learning Experience Platforms or LXPs. As to why you needn’t panic and replace your LMS just yet, let us first understand what an LXP is.
What Is An LXP?
Josh Bersin, the founder of Bersin by Deloitte, a leading provider of research-based membership programs in Human Resources (HR), talent and learning, was the person who coined the term “LXP”. The genuine definition of an LXP, provided by Janet Clarey, Lead Advisor, Technology, Analytics, and Learning at Bersin by Deloitte defines LXPs in the following way:
Learning Experience Platforms are single-point-of-access, consumer-grade systems composed of integrated technologies for enabling learning. They can do many tasks, such as curating and aggregating content, creating learning and career pathways, enabling networking, enhancing skill development, and tracking learning activities delivered via multiple channels and content partners. By delivering on a central platform, LXPs enable businesses to provide an engaging and learning-rich experience and may lessen their reliance on an LMS or talent suite as the learning hub.
To put the above-mentioned definition into simpler terms, let’s have a look at the features of an LXP:
- It has a space-age, modern interface, consisting of AI-driven recommendations, panels and mobile interfaces.
- It accommodates all forms of content such as articles, podcasts, blogs, microlearning, videos, and courses.
- It consists of social profiles which connect people to people, as well as content to people, creating good online authority.
- It consists of learning paths which can be tracked to a logical learning outcome.
- It consists of assessments, badges, and certifications.
- It makes it easier for individuals to publish their own content.
- It has a number of pre-loaded learning features along with a great search feature.
- It is mobile, fast and easy to navigate.
Why Is The LXP Being Deemed Better Than The LMS?
Well, the LXP is being deemed better than the LMS by a lot of the authorities in the eLearning industry because it is. The LXP is chock full of features that offer a much more learner-centric approach, putting the learner in the driver’s seat of their learning journey or journeys, the ones happening in the present, as well as the ones going to happen in the future. While the LMS is adept at administrating, tracking and reporting on an organization’s training/learning programs, the LXP offers so much more.
Having said that, I’ll repeat something I wrote above. The LMS is still very relevant and will likely continue to be relevant for years to come. The reason behind this is simple. Most organizations, particularly small and medium-sized business enterprises can neither afford nor have the time to set up such an avant-garde technology such as LXP. As the LXP is still in its nascent stages in this industry, it is better to wait and watch. Most likely, the LXP will become affordable in the coming years, or LMS vendors will add features similar to LXPs in their own products. This is one of the few times where patience could be rewarding in this industry.
In conclusion, it is finally for the organizations to decide what they want. If they believe that they can afford an LXP, they should, by all means, go for it, as it is sure to enhance learning experiences. If they believe they should wait, and try an advanced version of LMS with added features, for now, that’s fine too. Thirdly, organizations could also try a blended approach and try to work with both an LMS and an LXP at the same time, and determine where to go from there. Organizations which have done this have reported that Learning Experience Platforms complement and enhance the LMS.
Originally published at cblpro.com.
