The LMS has long reigned supreme as an essential tool for organizational training. But, as technology kept evolving, its limitations had been revealed. This has opened the door wide for a shinier, faster, better, and more capable piece of tech:
The LXP.
However, there are still strong advocates for the humble LMS. After all, it does its job well.
Yet, as learner preferences change in a digital world, what LXP bring to the table is becoming ever more crucial.
Is this the end of the LMS as we know it? Let’s take a closer look.
A brief history: how LMS came to be
Way back, when we were all using Windows 98 and dial-up internet, an exciting piece of technology came onto the scene.
Learning management systems, or “LMS,” gave organizations a streamlined way to store and manage all their training materials. They allowed training departments to deliver courses, monitor each individual’s progress, and keep organized records – all in a single system.
This was a complete game changer from the time-consuming, manual processes trainers had relied on previously. However, as time moved on, the shortfalls of LMS became apparent.
An LMS was organized, but it couldn’t adapt.
Learning paths were rigid and took a predominantly passive approach. As such, students found the structure dull. The lack of flexibility meant training relied on information delivery rather than learner-centered engagement.
Putting the learner first: The rise of the LXP
Somewhere in the mid-2010s, the limitations of LMS gave rise to a new kid on the block.
Learner experience platforms (LXP) gave modern students what they wanted: an adaptive, engaging, and personalized learning journey.
Finally! Organizational learning became a thing of excitement and something people wanted to do rather than something they had to do.
The clue is in the name. While an LMS prioritizes the management of learning content, an LXP puts the student experience first.
Key aspects of an LXP
The differences between an LXP and an LMS don’t just stop with how they function. Many characteristics of an LXP set it light years ahead of its older counterpart:
User-friendly design
Although LMS platforms have certainly gotten easier to use, this was never the focus. You could liken them to HR management systems and similar platforms, where the priority is admin-friendly design.
In contrast, the LXP focuses fully on a user-friendly design and customizable interfaces. It’s very easy to find and consume content, keep track of progress, and discover new material.
Personalized learning experiences
This is probably the most exciting aspect of an LXP. Personalization is crucial for keeping students engaged and hungry to keep learning.
An LXP uses sophisticated algorithms (often AI) to deliver personalized experiences. It learns how you use the platform and what type of content you like.
Take YouTube, for example. As you watch videos, YouTube’s algorithm works behind the scenes to analyze your viewing habits and suggest content you’re likely to enjoy.
Similarly, an LXP observes how you interact with different learning materials and delivers content that matches your interests and objectives. Over time, the platform becomes finely tuned to your unique needs.
Students can also follow a path that matches their skill and knowledge levels. This means the materials don’t get too challenging or easy to consume, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace.
A focus on social and collaborative learning
When we work alone, we are restricted by our own thoughts and ideas. It can be challenging to see things from a different perspective. This was a major problem of the LMS because it was geared toward solo learning.
To counteract this, LXPs place a strong emphasis on social and collaborative learning, allowing trainees to share ideas, give feedback, and work on tasks together.
For example, you might see:
- Community forums and discussion boards
- Social feeds
- User-created and curated content
- Collaborative learning activities and workspaces
- Mentorship and coaching opportunities
All of this contributes to a livelier and active learning environment. And, it helps strengthen accountability among learners.
Dynamic content assembly
Remember the days when everyone had to watch the same old boring training video? That’s because an LMS operated on a “closed” system, where learners were restricted to whatever content the organization chose to place on the platform.
In contrast, an LXP pulls content from all over the internet, giving learners access to a huge variety of resources. Students get the opportunity to discover and engage with way more than they ever would with an LMS.
Also, students can browse and pick the type of content that suits their learning style best. Whether it’s reading, video, infographics, or something else, an LXP can serve it up.
Gamified content
Gamification is no stranger to instructional design but to facilitate it, you need a modern platform.
LXPs were born for gamification and provide all the features and tools needed to create gamified learning experiences.
Wide integration capabilities
This was a real problem with old-school LMS platforms. Their closed structure made it really difficult to integrate with other software and widen their capabilities.
The arrival of SCORM made things a bit easier, but it relied on other platforms being SCORM-compliant. Even then, the amount of data that could be transferred was limited.
An LXP doesn’t need SCORM because it’s built to integrate seamlessly with other platforms.
For example, the popular LXP 360learning has over 50 native integrations. From HR management systems and collaboration tools to talent management software, course hosting platforms, and more.
In-depth analytics
Yes, an LMS offers analytics, but they are typically restricted to course completion rates and results. The data essentially acts as a tick-box exercise dividing the participants into who has completed the thing, who hasn’t, and who needs to do it again.
An LXP will also show you this information, but it also offers in-depth insights into user behavior and preferences. You get to see everything, from time spent learning to the number of interactions with a piece of content, and much, much more.
It’ll even show data for things like content effectiveness, skill mastery tracking, and search behavior.
With this granular, intelligent information, you gain the power – and knowledge – to keep improving and developing your learning strategies.
Why LXP will replace LMS
Evolving workforce and learner needs
Today’s workers are dynamic and tech-savvy, so they require learning platforms to match these traits.
Also, there’s no longer such a thing as a “job for life” with workers often switching roles. That means there is a real demand for training opportunities to support this.
Unlike an LMS, an LXP addresses these evolving needs by providing flexible, on-demand learning paths that cater to diverse roles and industries. Learners can access content that aligns with their career growth and rapidly changing skill demands.
The shift to continuous learning
Another aspect to support the appetite for professional growth is continuous learning.
With an LMS, a student takes a course, completes it, and that’s it.
However, LXPs support lifelong learning by offering a wide range of training resources that go beyond formal courses. Individuals can upskill or reskill continuously to meet their ongoing personal and professional development goals.
Boosts interest and engagement
What’s more interesting?
A lengthy training video with a quiz at the end? Or, a multi-media, interactive, and social experience where learners get to choose their path?
The answer is straightforward. Features like gamification, user-generated content, and AI-driven recommendations keep learners way more engaged and motivated than a lengthy snooze-fest of a video would.
Seamless integration with modern tech
As we touched on earlier, modern LXP tech is borderless and can fully integrate with workplace technologies.
This capability also supports and enables mobile learning and cloud-based access, allowing students to engage in learning whenever and wherever they choose.
Historically, LMS platforms could only be accessed on work-premises or work-issued equipment. Although there are cloud-based LMS systems, they still lack the integration capabilities of LXPs.
The shortfalls of LXP that must be addressed
LXPs are pretty incredible, but there are a few things that need to be carefully managed:
- The lack of admin control and formal structure can cause students to follow inconsistent learning paths or skip essential elements of a subject.
- Learners are also at risk of content overwhelm and the sheer volume of information can harm engagement levels.
- We must also be mindful of our reliance on AI. As we now know, AI makes frequent mistakes and can be biased, which will affect the content recommendations it shows learners.
- Finally, the style of an LXP isn’t compatible with certain types of training. Certifications and compliance, for example, typically require the rigid structure found in an LMS. LXPs require better assessment and certification management tools to facilitate this.
Is there still a place for LMS?
Kind of. The administration/management side of instructional design and training isn’t going anywhere. Also, the highly structured framework of an LMS is still required for some types of training.
But an LMS alone is no longer enough for most organizations.
As such, what we will start to see are hybrid platforms that provide both LMS and LXP features to give instructional designers a true “all-in-one” platform.
And it’s already happening. The platform referenced earlier – 360learning – has adopted a hybrid model as have similar platforms Absorb and Juno.
Wrapping up
Just like dial-up internet got superseded by broadband and then satellite-based connections, the transition from LMS to LXP represents a natural evolution in learning technology
While an LMS continues to excel in structured formats and administration, LXPs bring forth dynamic and exciting learner-centered experiences.
Together, they bring the best of both worlds to fully meet diverse learning needs.
By Janette Bonnet
Janette Bonnet is an experienced L&D professional who is passionate about exploring instructional design techniques, trends, and innovations.