A LEADING LEARNING EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

Conquering the Confusion

The Role of the LMS in the Evolving Learntech Landscape

Clarify Current Landscape: Get to the root of the confusing learntech market.

Understand Product Lifecycle: See the key to smart learntech investments.

Choose the Right Mix: Put the “core four” to work for your learning business.

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Excerpt from the Briefing

While it is true there is no single, across-the-board, right answer for which system or systems a learning business needs, it is also true that the LMS will likely remain a part of the core learning business technology stack for years to come.

An LMS on its own serves essential needs that most learning businesses have and are likely to have for the foreseeable future. These include the abilities to manage users, push out education that the learning business can ensure aligns with requirements set by regulatory and credentialing bodies, and validate completion of structured learning experiences in accordance with these requirements or requirements set by the learning business itself.

Given that a rapidly growing number of learning management systems are incorporating options for supporting social learning, gamified learning, and access to external course catalogs, many learning businesses may find that the newer, more modern breed of LMS is sufficient for supporting the essential components of the MI DD LE ME lifecycle. These platforms—particularly to the extent that they incorporate marketing and e-commerce tools—are evolving into what might be described as holistic operating systems for learning businesses.

But even the most comprehensive LMS may not meet all of a learning business’s strategic needs.

For example, if an organization develops its learning content through a distributed, collaborative process, if it needs strong capabilities for re-using learning objects across different learning experiences (so the same interactive exercise could appear in multiple courses), or if it wants greater confidence that the content it creates can be used across multiple platforms, then it may make sense to use an LMS in combination with an LCMS.

If a learning business sees strategic value in being able to support and track learning experiences that take place outside of the LMS, particularly informal experiences, then using an LRS in tandem with the LMS may be valuable. An xAPI-compliant LMS can push learning data to an LRS which, in turn, can capture data generated from learner activities that happen on the Web, on mobile devices, in classroom settings, or other places. The LRS then becomes a valuable source for reporting beyond what the LMS alone can provide.

While there may be instances in which an LXP can replace an LMS, most LXP vendors currently promote use of an LXP in tandem with an LMS. When it comes to providing a Netflix-like, highly personalized learning experience, LXPs have a clear lead at this point. At the same time, they typically do not have the same capabilities for handling structured content and learning activities that LMSes do. In the current market, a number of LXPs and LMSes have announced partnerships to help provide organizations with the best of both worlds. Over time, our expectation is that LMSes will incorporate more LXP capabilities natively, and vice-versa. In the meantime, though, the LMS remains the starting point for most learning businesses.

To learn more about why and how to lead the growth of your learning business, download the briefing today!