If you have been working in the digital learning industry, you must have heard about a learning management system (LMS) or may have actually used one. The use of this system has become a go-to approach for online training of employees, students, and even customers.
However, a relatively newer concept, learning experience platform (LXP), has surfaced to challenge its place. Its emergence has resulted in a heated debate, “LXP vs. LMS”, with some favoring the former while others singing praises of the latter.
This ongoing discourse has made it more challenging for organizations and educators to select the best option. The selection process now requires them to carefully identify and evaluate their needs, and to find a system that addresses them effectively. It may seem like an overwhelming task, but we are here to make it easy for you.
This article aims to settle the LXP vs LMS debate by highlighting their key features and differences. Continue reading!
An LMS focuses on the management aspect of delivering training programs. The main aim is to train new hires or upskill the existing team. These systems come equipped with strong administrative tools that enable L&D teams to manage training programs, assign content, assess learners’ progress, and create/view reports.
In addition, learning management systems also help with compliance management. For example, specific roles may require employees to complete certain training programs for regularity purposes, and an LMS helps conduct such programs.
Selecting the right LMS for your organization can improve employee performance, lead to higher engagement, and provide a better ROI in training programs.
Core Features Of LMS
Some of the core features of LMS programs include:
A learning experience platform, as the name suggests, focuses on the learner’s experience instead of the management part.
Considered the next-gen employee training platform, LXPs add the element of deep personalization to training initiatives. This system prioritizes employee engagement and aggregates content based on contextual scenarios. Other than that, content curation and personalization are other key attributes of LXPs.
These platforms basically enable learners or trainees to follow and interact with the content they are interested in. Therefore, the content or courses may not be confined to the organization, providing more opportunities for employees in terms of their learning choices.
Core Features Of LXP
Some of the core LXP features include:
Adaptive learning
Social learning
Personalized learning path
Content curation
Analytics and reporting
LXP Examples
The following are some of the most common LXP examples:
What Are The Major Difference Between LXP And LMS?
Often (and wrongly) used as interchangeable terms, LMS and LXP differ in many ways. Although “learning” is at the core of both these platforms, they work differently. This section covers the major differences between them.
Starting with the main purpose, LMS platforms are typically organization-centric. The company controls content creation and learning paths and is responsible for ensuring the learners receive the required training.
Simply put, an LMS is designed to deliver a structured learning experience focusing on regularity and compliance training.
On the contrary, LXP platforms are learner centric. They allow learners to take charge of their own learning. These platforms encourage and promote collaborative, self-paced learning, often incorporating a range of content from different internal and external sources.
Drivers are the key players who lead the learning experience and are responsible for setting goals and managing the employees’ learning paths.
In terms of LMS, the management takes on the driver's role. It can be the L&D staff, HR team, or anyone in a leadership position who sets the foundation of the learners’ path. Their responsibilities include uploading the courses, overseeing the content, and maintaining reports.
In most cases, these training programs are mandatory for employees to complete as part of their onboarding or upskilling.
On the other hand, LXP software puts learners in the driving seat. Although the HR and management teams are also involved, the learner is in charge of selecting courses that align with their interests.
It describes the training material learners have access to. When we talk about LMS vs LXP in terms of content types, both these platforms promote different learning styles. Therefore, they may utilize different content types.
Typically, LMS platforms offer rigorous, extensive training courses that conclude with a form of assessment. When it comes to LXP platforms, the content type may vary from learner to learner. As stated above, it is curated from different sources and may also include user-generated material.
Both LMS and LXP platforms aim to teach specific skills to employees that could contribute to their professional development, thereby making them more beneficial for the organization.
LMS platforms focus on attaining standards and compliance for a particular job position. In contrast, LXP platforms are geared toward achieving individual goals and upskilling. For example, an employee may use LXP software to select and complete courses that help in their career development.
Effective collaboration among team members plays an integral role as it helps boost engagement and improve knowledge retention. In terms of LMS and LXP tools, collaboration refers to how users engage with administrators and other learners.
While both platforms encourage collaboration, LXPs offer more flexibility in this regard. Learners can post and share user-generated content. This paves the way for active discussions taking place over the subject matter in contrast to LMS platforms where information usually flows in a single direction – from the management team to trainees.
Analytics help drivers obtain key information and interpret it to determine patterns that can improve the learning experience post-course completion.
Typically, learning management systems offer basic analytics. They allow the managerial teams to track basic metrics, such as assessment scores, completed courses, drop-out rates, etc. Some LMS platforms may also offer advanced analytics.
On the contrary, LXPs offer in-depth analytics as they may incorporate AI technology to create bespoke learning paths for every individual. This may include their interaction with other learners of the LXP software and success rates for various training programs.
LXP Vs LMS – Which One Is Better For Your Company?
Now that you know what is the difference between learning experience and LMS, it’s time to make a decision. And for this, understanding the pros and cons of LXP and LMS can prove to be vital.
Pros And Cons Of LXP And LMS
This settles the learning experience platform vs LMS debate. If you still have any confusion or want expert guidance on choosing the better option, we have got you covered. Call us at (661) 384-7070 and let us help you make an informed choice.
