LXP vs. LMS: What are the key differences?

In the modern world, HR managers face the challenge of engaging and training remote employees effectively. The choice between LMS and LXP software is crucial for nurturing employee development. For many years, organizations could only conduct training and educational programs using an LMS. With the recent emphasis on employee experience, HR now has an additional option: an LXP.

Both platforms facilitate workplace learning, yet they differ significantly in their methods. Deciding between LMS and LXP depends on your organization's unique needs and goals. So, which should your organization choose?

This blog unlocks the secrets of LXP vs. LMS! Explores the key differences between Learning Experience Platform(LXP) and Learning Management System(LMS) in this insightful blog.

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What is an LXP?

A learning experience platform is, as the name implies, focused on the learner's experience; LXPs are typically built to make it easy for employees to interact with and access learning activities. Content curation, discovery, and personalization are all important aspects of an LXP. Many people utilize 'playlists,' similar to those found on sites like YouTube and Spotify, to suggest learning exercises and next steps.

An LXP allows a student to pursue their interests and engage with whatever they desire. Many LMS platforms, on the other hand, maintain a relatively 'top down' approach to learning, presenting users with predefined courses and journeys created by the L&D team.

LXPs typically contain a great amount of content, which may originate outside of the business, allowing the learner to make informed decisions about their learning options. Some big LXPs also use artificial intelligence (AI) to offer material and learning exercises based on employee preferences and behaviour, similar to how Netflix suggests TV shows and movies based on your viewing history.

Features of LXP

Some LXPs will employ AI to offer materials such as articles, third-party blog posts, documents, and videos to learners looking for content that meets their needs.

LXPs can also be utilized in a mixed e-learning strategy, allowing instructors to assign information while learners feel in charge of their learning by investigating topics of interest. Groups and forums allow students to collaborate with their colleagues and professionals. They may also be able to share their knowledge by generating and sharing their own content, known as user-generated content (UGC), which fellow learners can rate and comment on, similar to how they might on large social media networks.

Because the user is at the forefront of LXPs, the platforms' self-directed learning capabilities provide them more control over which skills they develop and when. They can not only choose their learning topic, but also define their own goals. Additionally, as a learner-centric platform, users can access it whenever and wherever they choose.

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What is an LMS?

A learning management system is software that allows you to offer eLearning content while also administering, recording, reporting on, and tracking these learning activities.

The exercises can be developed in-house or by a dedicated eLearning content provider. It's probable that you've used an LMS before; according to a 2024training industry research, 89% of US organizations use them for training.

An LMS helps organizations manage their learners by grouping them together to allow for the delivery of relevant employee training activities, allowing administrators and managers to track course completion rates, and tracking learner development.

Features of LMS

Begin comparing learning management systems on the market, and you will notice that the best LMS solutions share comparable features. For example, an LMS will have a reporting suite to track your learners' engagement with content and activities. You may use this reporting suite to track completion rates, for example, to determine which modules are most effective for learners and which are not. This will help you make better content creation decisions in the future.

Gamified learning can also be used to increase engagement by incorporating gaming mechanics into non-gaming environments. Learners will be incentivized with features like as leaderboards, scorecards, experience points, and badges, which will not only increase engagement but also improve your users' productivity.

You can also customize the learning experience for each of your students. Users can receive tailored and real-time assistance, as well as pursue specific learning pathways and journeys with content that is only relevant to them.

An LMS gives L&D teams control over the sharing and distribution of learning activities and content. So you can deliver information to a single person, a specific group of people, or even the entire company. Other improvements to expect include the ability to apply certificates and training credits to content, as well as the inclusion of due dates for mandated activities. 

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What is the difference between LXP and LMS?

For HR managers, it's crucial to understand the differences between LMS and LXP platforms. While LMS prioritizes administrative tasks in learning, LXP fosters personalized learning experiences. LMS typically prescribes training courses, whereas LXP empowers learners to choose their content and timing. LMS training often focuses on compliance, while LXP offers tailored, personalized learning content. Assess your organization's needs to determine if you require an LMS, LXP, or a combination of both for comprehensive learning solutions.

#1. Key Players

In any organization, the key players in driving learning experiences are the drivers, those who set goals and manage what employees learn.LMSs empower management to take the lead. Whether it's HR, L&D, or leadership, utilizing an LMS puts them in control of employees' learning paths. They curate courses, oversee content, and approve user-generated posts. Employees typically lack autonomy in their learning journey, as they must complete assigned courses. This makes LMSs effective for mandatory compliance training.

Conversely, LXPs foster a collaborative learning environment. While HR and management still play a role, everyone contributes and shares educational content.For instance, a sales manager using an LXP can develop tailored courses to enhance conversion rates. LXPs provide authoring tools for customized training and links to supplementary online resources like blogs and podcasts.LMSs push content onto employees, while LXPs pull them into continuous learning with personalized material.While LMSs ensure consistency, crucial for onboarding and compliance, LXPs boost engagement and enthusiasm for learning, vital for upskilling and improving organizational agility.

#2. Content

Content, the material delivered to learners, differs between LXPs and LMSs.In LMSs, content tends to be structured into rigorous, longer-form training courses with tracked progress and assessments. L&D staff primarily create LMS content.

Contrarily, LXPs curate content from various sources, including third-party providers, enabling personalized learning experiences. Acting as content aggregators, LXPs offer a diverse range of resources, including user-generated material.

#3. Enhancing Collaboration

In the realm of employee training, fostering collaboration is paramount. While traditional LMSs primarily facilitate one-way information flow, LXPs revolutionize learning dynamics. By empowering users to contribute content and engage in discussions, LXPs promote vibrant interactions among learners and administrators alike.Traditionally, LMSs operate as management systems, lacking robust collaboration features. Information dissemination is unilateral, limiting interaction between management and learners.

Conversely, LXPs champion collaboration by enabling users to share educational content, sparking lively exchanges. Employees transition from passive recipients to active contributors, enriching the learning experience.Embracing collaboration and social learning elevates engagement and bolsters knowledge retention. Participating in discussions and encountering diverse perspectives stimulates critical thinking, fostering deeper understanding of new concepts.

#4. Skills Sets

In today's rapidly evolving workplace landscape, the acquisition of new skills is paramount for employee success and organizational growth.In response to the increasing demand for digital skills, organizations are leveraging Learning Management Systems (LMS) to revamp their workforce's competencies. LMS platforms offer structured training programs, enabling managers to track employee progress effectively.

Conversely, Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) provide a more personalized approach to skill development. By tailoring content to individual needs, LXPs enhance engagement and motivation. Moreover, their advanced analytics capabilities pinpoint specific skill gaps, empowering managers to address them effectively.When properly executed, LXPs can supervise the formalization of reskilling and upskilling initiatives, suggesting the most appropriate training for each worker. To guarantee employees can acquire the in-depth understanding required to master a new skill, a comprehensive upload and tagging process is frequently necessary.

#5. Analytics

For HR managers, understanding analytics is crucial. It involves analyzing employee data to spot trends that can enhance their learning journey.

‍LMS: While LMSs help track training, LXPs offer deeper analytics. LMSs mainly track basics like completed courses and scores. Some provide extra insights like:

• Course completion rates
• Learner progress
• Assessment scores
• Compliance status

LXP: LXPs go beyond, using AI to offer personalized learning paths. They analyze:

• Employee role and skills
• Interaction with the platform
• Training success rates
• Feedback

This data tailors learning, boosts engagement, and evolves with each employee's learning preferences.

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Is LXP better than LMS?

Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) represent a significant advancement in digital learning. Contemporary learners and professionals seek autonomy in their educational journey, desiring personalized, collaborative, and accessible learning experiences tailored to their specific needs.

LXPs cater to these modern requirements by:

• Focusing on the learner and prioritizing individual needs.
• Providing personalized content to ensure learning is targeted and relevant.
• Offering microlearning modules that serve as quick guides or refreshers as needed.
• Enabling seamless access to learning resources on mobile devices, available just in time.
• Integrating gamified and scenario-based learning approaches.
• Utilizing evidence-based analytics to supply data that enhances learner performance.
• Empowering experienced professionals to share their knowledge by creating custom content.
• Promoting a culture of continuous learning within the workflow through collaborative spaces and applications.

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Can LXP replace an LMS?

With LXPs on the market, broadening the possibilities of learning platforms, is it time to retire the LMS? The quick answer is: not always. Instead of viewing the LXP as a substitute for the LMS, consider the obvious distinctions between the two types of platforms as complementing rather than either.

LXPs can integrate with existing LMSs in terms of technology, logistics, and education. LXPs can be connected with current LMSs, allowing you to keep and operate both in sync.With the promise of integration, it is less about LXPs replacing LMSs and more about making the LMS invisible and improving access to it.

One approach to frame the LXP vs LMS discussion is to view the LMS as focused on the backend and the LXP as focusing on the front.

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LXP vs LMS: Breaking Down the Features & Functions

The terms LXP and LMS are often mixed up in discussions. They have distinct features while aiming for similar goals of enabling learning and development. Let's break down the platform features on multiple bases to understand it better. 

Who are the drivers of the LXP and LMS?

One of the biggest differences between a Learning Management System and a Learning Experience Platform is the user approach.

LMSs concentrate the management powers on a few selected admins. They decide the learning journey for the users, upload the learning content, and make it available to everyone for learning and upskilling. 

Whereas LXPs promote a user-centric approach. It allows the user to choose the content it wants to consume from a vast library of content available to them. Also, the AI-powered tools personalize the content depending on the user's preference, thus furthering continuous learning.

What content types do LXP and LMS host?

The content types hosted by each platform differ basis the learning objectives that they strive to achieve.

An LMS aims for more structured & predefined learning like induction courses for new employees, company-wide compliance training, etc. These contents are long & follow a rigid SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) format that needs LMSes to comply with specific protocols. 

The LXP becomes a game changer here through the introduction of API integration. It allows LXPs to host any content format. Users can read online news articles within the tool while enhancing their skill set through micro-learning courses. 

How do LXP and LMS address skills?

The last few years have seen a significant rise in recognition of skills acquired by employees through online learning. 

The LMSs have been designed to cater to the admin needs of ensuring the decided content is created, uploaded, and distributed for the users to learn from. 

Whereas, LXP offers an ecosystem of skilling and upskilling all in the same place. It offers the flexibility to create and curate learning content depending on the latest trends and market requirements 

What do users learn from LXP and LMS?

Both platforms fulfill different sets of learning objectives.

While the learning patterns on an LMS are more prescriptive. The user is assigned certain courses by the admin that need to be completed within a specific time frame. The scope of learning is usually limited to a particular business function or the entire organization. 

While LXPs offer learning content that allows users to learn without limitation. It promotes personal growth by offering a diverse content library. The personalized recommendation enables holistic skill-building and improved job performance. 

How do they use the data?

Data tracking feature is available in both platforms but what and how to track data acts as a differentiator.

LMSs track the basic user data in terms of which course is assigned to whom, no of users who completed the course, drop-off rates, test scores, etc. Mostly, the metrics are defined to help understand and meet the organizational needs. 

LXPs on the other hand collect a lot more data to drive multiple offerings on their platform. They collect data to provide user-specific recommendations, analyze performance data to see what courses are working, provide leadership with information on rising skill talent, etc. Such an extensive data analysis is possible through easy API integrations and functions alike that allow the creation of a wider variety of event parameters. 

How do they approach social learning? 

Social learning helps in building a learner's community and fosters positive competition and motivation among peers. 

A few advanced LMSs have room for social learning but most of them lack this particular feature. 

LXPs have mastered the social learning format and encourage users to be part of communities or create their own communities. Users can share comments, ask questions, and interact with others on the learning platform. 

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LXP vs LMS: Which platform to choose in 2024?

It is impossible to state whether an LMS or an LXP is 'better,' because each organization's situation is unique, and each form of solution has advantages and disadvantages. That is why many firms choose a hybrid learning system that combines the best of LMS and LXP capability, resulting in an engaging learner experience supported by strong reporting and administration capabilities.

Learning management systems often provide specified, linear experiences for its users: pathways, goals, and expectations are well stated, and learners and trainers understand the outcomes of completing each learning activity. 

However, with a learning experience platform, the learner is encouraged to explore their own learning, which means that each student will have a unique learning path. These content discovery platforms allow users to do exactly that: discover content. And, using AI and machine learning algorithms on LXPs, they optimize content distribution for individual users by suggesting personalized material and providing third-party resources.

Deciding whether your organization needs an LMS, LXP or a combination of both depends on how you want your employees' learning journey to be. 

Let’s understand it better through some use cases - 

Case 1:  Focus is on compliance and regulatory training 

If you belong to a highly regulated industry such as Pharmaceuticals or manufacturing, your primary focus would be to ensure that employees are well-trained and updated on the compliance and regulatory requirements 

To ensure enrollment and completion of such courses, a top-down approach to learning is a must. This is offered by LMSes that would be better suited to your organization’s needs.  

Case 2: Personal growth is the need of the hour

If your organization values employee growth and wants to encourage a learning environment in the organization, then an LXP tool is the right choice for you. 

LXPs offer a collaborative learning space, that is self-paced and with a wide range of content for users to explore and learn from. 

Both instruments are useful in today's work environment. It is a good idea to speak with learning technology experts like Skills Caravan if you're not sure which is a better fit for your company. You and your team can decide on the best course of action by talking about your L&D needs and learning what is available.

Many organizations choose hybrid solutions because they recognize the advantages of both LMS and LXP systems. Thus, to learn more about how we might support the development of a learning culture inside your company, get in touch and book a demo of our learning software.

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LXP vs LMS: Choosing the Right Learning Solution for Your Organization

When deciding between a Learning Management System (LMS) and a Learning Experience Platform (LXP), or considering whether both are necessary, your choice should be guided by your organization's learning strategy, priorities, and needs. Here are key things to consider to help you make an good decision.

1. Compliance and Regulatory Training

For companies in highly regulated industries such as healthcare, keeping employees up-to-date with compliance and regulatory training is crucial. An LMS is essential in this scenario, as it is designed to:

• Track employee completion rates
• Manage recertification cycles
• Ensure all regulatory requirements are met

2. Personalized Learning Experiences

If your organization prioritizes personalized and engaging learning experiences, integrating an LXP with your LMS can be highly beneficial. An LXP focuses on:

• Adaptive learning tailored to individual needs
• User-generated content
• Leveraging mentors for a more dynamic learning environment

For instance, if your strategy emphasizes learning within the flow of work and enhancing performance through targeted training, an LXP can deliver personalized content precisely when and where employees need it.

3. Social and Collaborative Learning

If your learning strategy centers on decentralized, problem-focused peer learning, an LMS with built-in authoring tools may be your best solution. Such LMSs are designed to:

• Promote social learning and collaboration among peers
• Support bottom-up approaches to learning and development

By fostering a collaborative learning environment, an LMS with authoring capabilities can effectively support and enhance your organization's learning strategy.

In summary, whether you choose an LMS, an LXP, or a combination of both depends on your specific business goals and learning priorities. Consider the factors above to determine the best learning solution for your organization.

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Potential of Integrating LMS with LXP

LXPs enhance and fortify conventional LMS training programs that are based on business requirements by enabling all workers to contribute, suggest, and curate content.

Peer-to-peer recommendations, user-generated content and curation, department/role-specific workspaces, and outside resources can all be used to enhance learning in the workplace and encourage greater employee interaction. This increases employee engagement and improves the training program's overall efficacy for your company.

Thus, combining an LMS and LXP enables workers to gain deep subject matter expertise and high levels of proficiency in important skills, in addition to enabling them to become proficient in certain areas anchored in formalized or competency-driven training.

Your company can respond to unforeseen developments, outperform competitors, and provide your customers, extended workforce, and workers the best of both worlds when it comes to training formal and informal thanks to these competitive skills and communication advantages.

Conclusion: LXP vs LMS

In case of employee development there should be no LXP vs LMS, it should be LXP and LMS. There is no need for LXP and LMS systems to be incompatible. The best option for your L&D team will depend on your research into your options, organizational objectives, and learning requirements. You may even find that combining an LMS with LXP is a good way to meet your learning needs.

An LXP aims to improve the learning experience and cater to how today's employeeswant to learn. LXPs are about engagement. They integrate learning fully into the process, allowing for peer-to-peer training on the job. LXPs are perfect for soft skills training, such as communication and leadership, because they are created and operated in a way that promotes the development of those skills. LXPs make learning engaging, adaptable, and continual.However, LXPs do not eliminate the necessity for formal learning or comprehensive courses given through an LMS, as well as validation and certification. LMSs continue to provide value in areas such as compliance, health and safety, and cybersecurity, where there is no room for individual interpretation and adherence, and the completion of approved material is necessary and legally required.

In the end, each paradigm has merit. While the notion of engaging, immersive learning through a LMX is certainly alluring, many organizations still find that an LMS is necessary since formalized learning programs like compliance training are here to stay and won't be replaced anytime soon.

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