Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) showed up on the learning scene in the early 2010s and have disrupted the learning and development landscape.
The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) has continued to change what we think we know about corporate learning and development (and the technology we use to support it). As we move forward, learning leaders will need to shift their understanding and perspectives of what these platforms are capable of and how they fit within a broader organizational development ecosystem.
With that in mind, we sat down with Educe Principal Brandon Williams who always has his eye on the future of learning and talent experience. In this interview, we pick his brain about some of the most common LXP misconceptions, the “democratization of learning”, and advice for getting started with an LXP.
Let’s start with the basics. Can you define for us what an LXP is and summarize the difference between an LMS and an LXP?
Brandon: This takes me back to a speaking engagement in 2021 out in Salt Lake City where we defined these platforms to help practitioners identify which combination of systems would be appropriate within their talent ecosystem.
Simply put, learning management systems (LMSs) were developed in the late 90’s to solve the need to assign, track, and report on learning within an organization – either in person or via e-Learning (still used as a general term as we’ve moved away from having to pop a disc into our computer to online content).
LXPs burst onto the scene as a response to various LMS shortcomings and sought to provide a more personalized, skills-based learning experience using a variety of content from different sources. This included what the LMS was good at (top-down, formal company courses) as well as relevant web and user generated content. In addition to “democratizing learning” by helping to identify experts/SMEs at every level within the organization, LXPs started to use machine learning/AI to provide better recommendations to learners based on their stated preferences and actions taken within the LXP (shorter vs. longer content etc.). LXPs also allowed for curation by both AI and a larger user base beyond the administrative access you’d see in a typical LMS.
To summarize, an LMS is typically administrator-driven, and focused on managing and delivering structured, formal learning content. In contrast, an LXP is learner-centric, emphasizing personalized learning experiences and leveraging AI to recommend content based on individual preferences, learning history, and skills or career goals. LXPs can aggregate content from multiple sources, including your LMS, or external providers and sites to offer a richer, more diverse learning ecosystem.
What do you believe is the most common misconception learning leaders have about LXPs?
Brandon: I can only pick one? I’m kidding…well, out of the gate, in speaking with learning leaders I often find they have multiple “experiential” issues within learning and development, and they might have been convinced that an LXP will solve them. It’s important to get to the bottom of what those issues are in the context of their industry, business, and/or unique user base first. Not every organization is primed for (or needs) what an LXP offers, and no platform will be a catchall solution to a poor user experience.
After digging into the feedback from their end users or voice of customer (VOC), sometimes we find the solution is simply an overhaul to the look and feel of the platform, or their platforms need to be more deeply integrated into a unified talent management ecosystem. In other instances, it may not be clear to them what their existing cloud vendors already offer, and they need to investigate new features to refresh their learner’s experience (platform updates often outpace an administrators’ ability to evaluate and deploy while keeping everything running smoothly).
Other learning leaders find their learner issues aren’t platform related but rather content or process related, and organizations need to evaluate their instructional design approach or work with vendors to develop compelling content that aligns with company goals and sought after skills. Once this courseware is deployed, searchability issues can come into play because users can’t find meaningful content easily. If a catalog isn’t organized, tagged, or aligned clearly, adding an LXP will only introduce another layer of confusion.
Leaders who understand their VOC and are willing to shift from a purely top-down approach to learning sometimes mistakenly expect that implementing an LXP will immediately lead to greater user engagement. While it’s true that LXPs can provide deeper insight and analysis into what learners find most useful (perhaps it’s not company created or curated content but information found and shared by their colleagues), an LXP won’t immediately lead to greater engagement. Additionally, implementing an LXP alone won’t help an organization define their approach to skills-based learning.
Can you expand more on the point about the concept of “democratization of learning”?
Brandon: Of course – “social learning” didn’t gain much traction back when major platforms introduced it because the notion of people just sharing whatever they wanted was about as palatable as the latest Facebook update from your uncle or TikTok dance from your niece. The concept of democratizing learning isn’t just another version of that where you’re ‘crowdsourcing from the least qualified’. LXPs are consistently updating based on input from colleagues and SME/curator updates to make sure it’s correct and up to date. There are admin controls and algorithms to filter and recommend content that aligns with individual skills, playlists or pathways that are created, and organizational objectives that are highlighted. Administrators can set quality controls and approve content sources, ensuring that learners engage with relevant, high-quality materials from approved sites. What an LXP provides is a way to surface important knowledge that originates in the flow of work from employees, their managers, team leaders, and/or fellow experts.
Do you believe there are any prior myths about LXPs that have disappeared, now that their functionality and purpose has become more understood?
Brandon: As I mentioned above, an LXP won’t solve all your learning experience problems, and it shouldn’t be seen as a way to fill gaps or “enhance” your current LMS. I think the industry better understands this today (based on the marketplace consolidation and platform evolution we’ve seen). The job now is for each organization to understand where official learning is required and understand where employees need a space to learn from each other in a way that fits within a company’s structure. The evolution and availability of AI in everyday life has also made some LXP concepts easier to grasp and be embraced across the organization (with AI curated pathways/playlists and tailored recommendations at the forefront). This type of platform can be a game-changer for organizations who are looking to expand their known universe of available learning opportunities in a measured way while empowering experts at every level who have useful information to share.
Let’s say an organization has decided to implement an LXP. What advice do you have for them on getting started?
Brandon: First off – congrats! You’re about to address the needs of your employees in a way that will meaningfully impact their development. Let’s make sure to keep tabs on that – what are key indicators you’ll want to report out on as you get everything up and running? Are there groups of employees that have been asking for this type of learning (sales, HR, product development, etc.) that can be your internal champions to help with adoption after implementation? What key features are you going to highlight in your launch (AI curated playlists, live video feeds, mobile accessibility, etc.)?
From a pure implementation perspective, you’re going to want to make sure the required learning from your LMS maps the right way into the LXP to be consumed alongside helpful user generated content to prevent any degradation in what already works well. Additionally, tying into your organization’s long-term development strategy will be key in creating an overarching approach to your users’ talent experience. Understanding what skills are represented within the LXP for your courseware and how they map back to what your colleagues may be doing in talent development and recruiting can kickstart another transformation into a unified talent experience…but I’ll save my thoughts on talent experience technology for our next conversation.
