The Future of Corporate Education - What is the Learning Experience Platform (LXP)?

Learning experience platform (LXP) is an AI-driven in-house learning experience platform delivered using software as a service (SaaS). LXPs arose from a new approach to enterprise learning platforms that addresses recognized shortcomings with learning management systems (LMS). Learning management systems (LMS) rely on the Learning and Development (L&D) department to provide employees with company policy, job and compliance training, while the learning experience platform (LXP) is based on a model that focuses on employee needs.

LXP is an intuitive learning and development platform. It helps employees answer important business questions and provide them with professional development opportunities. LXPs are hierarchical, i.e. autonomous, self-directed learning systems that are more independent than the learning management system approach set by management for employees.

Industry analyst Josh Bersin is the person who introduced the concept of "learning experience platform" to the industry. Bersin predicted the industry's revenue opportunity of over $300 million and predicted an annual growth rate of over 50%. At a time when the user experience (UX) of traditional enterprise learning platforms can be characterized as outdated or obsolete, LXPs offer a modern, consumer-friendly look and feel that closely resembles the experience of popular social networking and multimedia sites. In addition, it provides a functional experience compatible with mobile devices and applications.

LXPs can support a wide variety of content. Content types can be blog posts, industry articles, videos, podcasts, and courses. LXPs allow end users to create and publish content, as well as social profiles containing users' key information, achievements and activities.

What is LXP used for?
LXPs are used to meet the learning needs of employees seeking skills development and professional development. Although the LMS (learning management system) is very suitable as adaptive training software, it falls short for open-ended exploration and goal-based learning. For example, in a situation where employees might say, "We want to learn more about Java programming," the content in the LMS course catalog may not be up to the employee's wishes.

LXP, on the other hand, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend content to users, including third-party blog posts, articles, documents, and videos available online. The use of artificial intelligence enables personalized learning according to the users' activity history in the system, the goals they specify, or the learning styles perceived by the artificial intelligence. LXP also supports social learning by connecting users with colleagues or experts, similar to social networking platforms.

Key Features of LXP

Content Creation

LXP supports user-created content. Employees can use a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor to create posts and lessons with links, images, videos and documents, while other LXP users can rate and comment on these posts and lessons.

Content Curation

LXP provides machine learning services to intelligently select and organize third-party content discovered on the internet and provide personalized recommendations to users. Users can also manually edit both internal and third-party content to share with other users.

AI-Based Advice and Training

Some LXPs are able to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify what the material teaches, by addressing educational content (eg, documents or videos). Then, it can also perform operations that will increase the learning quality of the user, such as dividing the material for micro-learning, suggesting similar materials. Some LXPs are able to understand a user's learning needs, then quickly progress to the point where the learner needs to start watching a video.

Analytics

LXPs collect and store system usage and learning data for display in dashboards and reports used by both end users (employees) and managers. Dashboards help employees monitor their progress towards goals and help managers understand learning and usage trends across the platform.

Chat Bots

Some LXPs provide users with AI-based chatbots that can be used 24/7. These bots can assist users in their current tasks and make suggestions. Users can interact with chatbots by typing a message in the chat area.

Gamification

LXPs use gamification or game mechanics such as leaderboards, badges, achievements and special privileges to encourage participation and competition.

Integration with e-Learning Content Providers

LXPs can provide users with course materials from platforms such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Udacity when partnered with free and paid e-Learning providers.

Integration with Third Party Technology Platforms

API integration enables an LXP to work full time with third party business applications used by the company such as communications, cloud storage, document management, CRM (Customer relationship management) and ERP (Enterprise resource planning).

What Are the Benefits of LXP?

Personal Learning Paths

LXP uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to guide employee learning paths using personalized recommendations. Personalized learning enables employees to benefit more from the platform with content and interactions aimed at learning goals. In addition, LXPs have the option for administrators to manually configure the training offerings available to users.

Flexible Learning

Traditional learning requires a pre-planning process. Employees should devote one hour (or more) to viewing an online course. However, in today's business world, it is not always possible to allocate a few hours for training in a one-day schedule. Employees prefer to have learning experiences that can deliver content quickly and flexibly in the workflow to better fit their busy schedules. At this point, LXPs offer microlearning content that addresses specific needs.

What is the Difference Between LXP and LMS?

In the LMS (learning management system), course sequences and learning paths are determined by the LMS administrators, giving employees little control over the content they consume or the activities they engage in. LXP, on the other hand, provides full control in the hands of end users by personalizing the learning experience. Employees can set their own goals and set their own learning paths. While LMS limits students' experience to a predefined curriculum, LXP provides an open-ended exploration platform that can lead employees in any direction they choose.

LMS is a closed system where learning content is limited to modules and courses provided by administrators. LMS systems do not include resources from third-party providers and do not allow end users to create content. LXPs, on the other hand, are open systems that freely allow the merging and sharing of third-party content. Additionally, LXPs allow users to curate and add content to be viewed and used by other users on the platform. In an LXP, end users can raise their profile and reputation with the information they share.

The Future of LXP

Digital learning platforms such as LMS and LXP are expected to be crucial to business success in the future. LMS providers put a lot of effort into adding LXP features to their platforms. On the one hand, corporate buyers are seeking clarity on the systems that providers will provide them. While some companies use LXP and LMS systems at the same time, others will try to create infrastructure as soon as possible by choosing between the two. Some will prefer LXP over LMS, while others will choose LXP and remove their LMS system. Companies that have not used both solutions will need to decide whether to use one solution, both solutions, or continue to use neither.

Proponents of the LXP system emphasize that LXP is the learning platform of the future. Legacy LMS providers and companies that only provide LMS systems invest heavily in LXP platforms. Mergers and acquisitions are expected in the coming years. While the general belief is that LMS providers will buy LXP companies, the opposite could also be true.