LXP or learning experience platform is a newly emerging term that we’ve heard come up more frequently since the beginning of Covid.
As we’re sure you’re aware, Covid prompted a global boom in e-learning, with entrepreneurs and in-person training providers turning to the then-already oversaturated market of off-the-shelf learning management systems while companies and training academies sought to up their e-learning game by expanding and upgrading their existing systems.
An LMS or learning management system, in its simplest form should* include:
*We say should here because so many learning management systems offer different things. In creating this list, we’ve chosen the features and functionality that appear most frequently.
It’s become very clear to us that the plethora of sub-par LMS offerings on the market have tarnished the reputation of the learning management system for many. As such, the learning experience platform was born to allow organisations to distance themselves from the bad rep of the LMS.
An LXP, or learning experience platform, is not dissimilar to an LMS, but widely accepted definitions agree that an LXP focuses on providing a more personalised learning experience to individual learners.
An LMS often requires learners to be manually enrolled into courses, and many thousands of learners will have the exact same experience as everyone else; an experience not dissimilar to a lecture hall.
In comparison, an LXP will learn the goals of the user, gauge their strengths and weaknesses, and then custom-build an evolving curriculum to best serve that learner. It’s much closer to a 1 on 1 tutor experience.
Kaine Shutler, Managing Director here at Plume says:
There is a definition problem within this space, with multiple names for the same thing, and it’s as confusing to us as it is for our customers. The definition below could quite easily be attributed to both LMS and LXP:
“A software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs.” - Ellis, Ryann K. (2009)
The problem is that personalised learning journeys aren’t exclusive to systems that call themselves an “LXP” - in fact we’ve built a few LMS’ with personalisation technologies built in.
In my eyes, an LMS with a personalised experience is still an LMS - it’s just a shame that we had to add another definition to the mix.
