For years, Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have dominated the online and eLearning space, until now. These systems are traditionally used in the workplace or classroom to administrate, manage and track learning initiatives. However, things have changed across the learning landscape recently. This transformation has given rise to a new, more learner-centric approach in the form of Learning Experience Platforms.
Innovation has become a main player in the corporate landscape – especially when it comes to learning. As well as this, pedagogical approaches have also evolved and advanced. In the past decade we have seen a rise in a number of new approaches to learning. This includes approaches such as lifelong learning, adaptive learning and engagement learning.
In our modern world, we don’t want one size fits all approaches and solutions. Instead, there is a huge demand for personalised experiences, both in our work, home and social lives. In the eLearning landscape, this is where learning experience platforms come in. More and more, organisations are turning to these new platforms to help them deliver unique learning experiences to engage learners. And it’s working! According to Josh Bersin, ‘the LXP market itself is now over $350M in size and more than doubling every year.’
What Is A Learning Experience Platform?
A Learning Experience Platform (LXP) is software that delivers personalised mobile learning experiences. LXPs bring together learning content from a range of different sources into a “Netflix-like” interface. They also utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to help learners discover new content and explore topics in more depth.
While the eLearning courses of old were fairly static beasts, LXPs offer the exact opposite in terms of user experience. Learners aren’t limited to one teaching method or a single content format. Instead the software accommodates a range of different formats from articles and podcasts to videos and interactive games.
Learning Experience Platforms also deliver social elements that LMSs are lacking. Such as the ability to like content or leave comments. Users can also create and share their own learning resources, which is more collaborative and engaging for everyone.
The rise of the LXP marks a big shift away from the traditional. While an LMS stores and tracks content, the LXP is more focussed on maximising user engagement.
LXPs have rapidly evolved in to look more like ‘consumer grade’ tech. They are also more flexible, with many accommodating integrations from corporate and 3rd party systems for a richer, more engaging learning ecosystem.
Decision-makers also now have better access to meaningful data to make more informed decisions. Capabilities like Artificial Intelligence make pulling together information about learning needs much easier, which makes defining learning strategies to address skills gaps quicker and more accurate.
The Rise of Learning Experience Platforms
Learning Management Systems have been a firm favourite for most organisations over the years. However, in the last five years or so, technology has outpaced the LMS. What does that mean? As consumers, we have quickly become accustomed to engaging with technology in a certain way. And when we aren’t able to do this we can disengage pretty quickly.
As engagement with Learning Management Systems have waned, and individuals turn to platforms like YouTube and other online learning sites to learn new skills in their personal lives, corporate entities have become more sensitive to the fact that learners need a platform that is familiar and delivers the same range of content and experience they are used to outside of work.
More Personalisation, More Connection
LMSs weren’t necessarily designed for users. More so, they were designed as a repository for eLearning courses and learning assets. This is why users found it really hard to find anything within their LMS, often having to wade through irrelevant content before stumbling upon the content they were looking for.
Times have changed slightly since then, with the introduction of better dynamic search features. But still, it seems something is missing in the LMS experience.
In a world where algorithms suggest content based on user behaviours and engagement day in day out, the LXP wins the day. Instead of a user having to navigate to a specific piece of content (which they may or may not know exists), these new learning platforms serve up personalised suggestions based on user interest, behaviours and current skills to deliver a highly effective, personalised learning experience.
A New Generation of Standards
If you’ve worked with any kind of LMS, it’s likely you’ve heard of SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model). If not, let us break it down for you:
SCORM is a set of technical standards for eLearning software products. It controls how online learning content and LMSs communicate with each other. It also tells programmers how to write their code so it is compatible with other eLearning software. In other words, when a piece of eLearning content, created in an authoring tool or by an eLearning designer, is SCORM compliant, you’re not tied to a single provider and can move content from platform to platform.
While SCORM most definitely isn’t going away – it’s capabilities are limited and dated. This is especially true for mobile and offline learning. Which brings us to the new kid on the block: Experience API (also known as xAPI or Tin Can).
xAPI is a new specification for learning technology. It can be used to track and collect data about learning experiences that take place both online and offline. This capability makes connecting the dots between learning and on-the-job performance much easier. A task that has been notoriously difficult in the past.
With xAPI, a range of learning experiences can be recognised and communicated within an LXP including mobile learning, simulations, games, real-world activities, experiential learning and more. This can not only help you to understand where learners are in their journey, but also measure how effective certain formats and delivery methods are for your learners to better calculate ROI and make future decisions for your L&D budgets.
Data You Can Use
A glut of data is all good and well. But if you’ve no idea how to interpret or utilise it, then it goes to waste. This is one of the areas where the LXP firmly overtakes the LMS.
Artificial intelligence changed the game for pretty much everyone, especially when it comes to how we consume and interact with information. In the past, manually analysing data and actioning insights would take days, weeks, even months depending on the volume. Now, AI data engines can process that information in a matter of seconds, and serve up actionable insights along with it.
Learners are shown relevant content with unrivalled accuracy as AI predicts their needs based on data. Over time, this intelligence grows. So, as learners interact with an LXP, the more accurate and engaging recommendations will be.
Essential Features of Learning Experience Platforms
So, what sort of features should you look out for when shopping around for an LXP?
Here are our suggestions:
Content Discovery Capabilities
Hands down, one of the most frustrating things about using an LMS is locating content. Or worse, having no idea where to start and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content upon logging in.
For this reason, our top recommendation when it comes to sourcing a learning experience platform is to choose one that has the very best content discovery capabilities. While pretty much all of these systems will have this fundamental feature as standard (it is, after all, one of the main elements that sets the LXP apart from an LMS), efficiency and effectiveness can vary from platform to platform.
Essentially, you want to ensure your platform has dynamic search functions, so learner’s can find content that interests them. But also AI and machine learning so learners can organically discover relevant, interesting content.
Integrations
We use so much technology now, that we expect it all to work together as standard. When it doesn’t, it’s a source of frustration and can lead to digital fatigue.
With this in mind, your chosen LXP should absolutely have extensive integration capabilities. For example, when you integrate a learner record system with your learning experience platform, you unlock a whole world of trends and patterns that make personalising learning even easier. Furthermore, integrations can be used to create richer experiences by making popular platforms such as Facebook, Slack, YouTube, etc accessible from within the LXP.
Chat bots and other AI systems can be utilised to make the user experience feel more personal and engaging. Not only are these integrations a must-have for building learning journeys, they’re also a great way to bring a human touch to eLearning initiatives. They can also be used to help users understand why they are on a certain learning path and how a topic applies specifically to them.
Intuitive UX
When we talk about intuitive user experiences and interfaces, there’s two elements to consider. The first is how the platform looks and how navigable it is for users.
Most of the technology we use day-to-day is super intuitive. From social media platforms to iOS and Android, everything we interact with is geared towards the best UX possible. For the most engaging experience, your LXP interface should be the same. Users should be able to plug in and play, regardless of device or location, with very little training or guidance.
The second element is how immersive, relevant and engaging learning experiences are. An LXP should be able to serve up adaptive, contextualised learning experiences that are tailor-made to the required competencies, job performance and skills of the users. This is essential to create immersive, engaging and effective learning experiences that go that distance.
The Future Of eLearning Is User Led
Advances in technology have made it abundantly clear that we want more personalisation in our lives. Happily, AI, machine learning and natural language processing are making this even easier on a much larger scale.
For learners, the game has changed too. The LXP champions flexibility, giving individuals the freedom to choose how, when, what and where they learn. What’s more, these types of platforms can also be utilised to create a more transparent learning journey that empowers users to take ownership of their progress and understand the direction of their learning path.
When it comes to CPD (continued professional development), LXPs reign supreme. Not only do they offer a recognisable and intuitive medium through which users can consume learning materials, they also incorporate the social elements we are familiar with to encourage further, and deeper, engagement.
Here at DBLX, we are passionate about creating bespoke software solutions that help organisations engage their people and reshape the employee experience in a more productive, yet human, way. From employee experience hubs to entirely bespoke LX platforms, we develop game-changing tech that puts people first. If you’d like to find out more about the services we offer, and how we can help you, contact us. Or, check out our projects to see how we’ve helped brands like L’Oréal, Kia Motors, and BT Group revamp their L&D offerings.