What is a Learning Experience Platform (LXP)?

If you’re a corporate trainer or work in learning and development (L&D), you’ve probably heard thousands of excuses for why people don’t complete training courses. 

They don’t have enough time, the courses are irrelevant, or nothing is entertaining about the program.

Traditional digital learning was very one-way. Instructors would upload course content to a management system, and people were expected to complete it. That’s why online course completion rates are as low as 5 to 15 percent. 

Learning tools like learning experience platforms (LXPs) and learning management systems (LMSs) may help to offset this trend by providing resources for learners to effectively discover and retain knowledge.

If your organization is looking to improve its learning experience, or implement one for the first time, discover how a learning platform can help.

What is a learning experience platform?

A learning experience platform is software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and aspects of peer learning to provide learning content to users. LXPs are often used for corporate learning, onboarding, and ongoing training. 

The emergence of learning experience platforms

Some 83 percent of learning professionals report using learning management technology. By 2026, the global eLearning market is forecast to reach $400 billion, up from nearly $200 billion in 2019. 

What’s driving the change in learning and giving way to learning experience platforms? Let’s look at six primary factors. 

The move toward personalization 

Studies show that personalized learning improves results. Personalized learning prioritizes a learner’s goals and needs, and tailors instruction to address them.

In the past, learning platforms were largely one-size-fits-all. However, as the learning landscape has gotten more complicated, personalized learning platforms are needed more than ever.

Evolving standards

LXPs have also become more popular because they’re pushing the boundaries of learning platforms. Many LXPs now offer social learning, content creation, and analytics.

More focus on user experience

In the past, learning platforms were largely designed to be used by instructional designers. However, LXPs have become more user-friendly and offer various features to meet different learning styles. 

In a way, learning platforms have made learning more accessible and fun for people.

Growth of the internet and mobile tech

Statista found that mobile internet users stood at 4.32 billion in 2021, suggesting that 90 percent of the digital population uses a mobile device to go online. 

Mobile ownership and internet usage are forecast to continue growing. People can now access learning content from anywhere with the help of mobile technologies.

Tech revolution

New technologies have made it easier for learning platforms to offer innovative features and functionality. It has made them more appealing to users and contributed to their growth. 

For example, LXPs have aggressively adopted artificial intelligence to improve corporate training and onboarding programs. LXPs use AI to:

• Create unique courses tailored to learners’ needs
• Provide real-time assistance by giving feedback, answering questions, and recommending new material
• Personalize learning paths
• Leverage data and analytics to figure out course improvements

Changes in learning perspectives

Learning is becoming more informal. We’re moving away from traditional classroom-based learning and towards digital, adaptive learning. 

A learning experience platform helps people learn according to their preferences. For example, it can manage virtual courses and classes, but also manage:

• Knowledge bases 
• Blogs
• Instructional games
• Collaborative learning
• AR/VR simulations

Learning experience platforms allow organizations to connect people with the right content.

What are LXPs used for?

LXPs are useful for many learning objectives, including onboarding new employees and developing existing staff. You can also use them to create customer training programs and educational content for the public.

Regardless of your learning objective, LXPs make learning more effective. These tools let you:

• Provide an on-demand learning system 
• Offer accessible learning content through discovery tools, usage-based recommendations, and career path suggestions 
• Create, manage, and track skill-based learning programs
• Provide users with customizable learning experiences based on their needs and goals

A learning platform is the foundation of an organization’s learning culture. By delivering a holistic and personalized experience to employees, you can retain talent and gain a competitive advantage in your market.

LXP vs. LMS: What’s the difference?

People often confuse a learning management system (LMS) with a learning experience platform (LXP). But the two are quite different. 

Knowing the difference will help you make the right choice when choosing a corporate learning solution.

• Learning experience platform (LXP): An LXP focuses on learners’ needs. It offers AI and collaboration features for tailored learning paths and skill development. LXPs also provide templates you can edit and implement or create content from scratch. Learners can also contribute, share, and curate content, and interact with company resources within the LXP.
• Learning management system (LMS): An LMS is more beneficial for administrators and managers. It helps organize and track courses, distribute content to learners, and ensure compliance. Some learning platforms, like WorkRamp, allow you to leverage prebuilt content to access training materials and content resources from experts on topics like compliance, professional development, sales skills, and more. 

With learning platforms, learning becomes collaborative and fun, which boosts employee engagement and helps to increase retention. 

What is meant by a learning platform?

A learning platform is a tool used by various teams, including L&D, HR, customer success, and enablement, to support corporate learning. Organizations can use these customizable solutions to make learning more intuitive and personalized.

A learning platform aggregates a company’s learning resources in one place. Think of it like Netflix: Users can watch learning content whenever they want, however they want. 

A learning platform gives users access to: 

• Internal course materials
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Blogs
• Templates
• Tools

Read more: eLearning Content: 24 Types to Include in Training

Personalized learning and social elements are Integral to a learning platform’s value:

• Personalized learning: Help users develop specific skills that will benefit their careers and your organization
• Social elements: Learning platforms enable employees to share what they’re learning to improve engagement and retention.

With a learning platform, you can create high-impact, interactive training programs that learners will enjoy. It also helps show ROI and business impact by providing analytics and integrations to your existing systems.

“WorkRamp allows us to deliver internal employee and external customer and partner training — all in one platform. It’s incredibly easy for trainers and reps to pick up, bolsters organizational agility by centralizing training content in one system, and has all the enterprise features that allow us to scale confidently and quickly.”

 

-Nadia Provencio, Director of Global Training and Operations, 8×8

Learning platform features

Content creation

One key feature of a learning platform is content creation tools. For example, some platforms have drag-and-drop course builders that make it easy to: 

• Add new content
• Create and edit text, images, audio, and video
• Create visually-appealing content

Managers can ensure learning content is up to date and has the desired impact. Content creation tools also let you build guided experiences such as:

• Learning paths
• Knowledge checks
• Course notifications 
• Automations 

By creating and managing content, you can save money and time that you’d otherwise spend outsourcing course creation. 

Analytics

Many learning platforms offer data and analytics features to help organizations improve learning content. These features let you analyze trends, measure team performance, and track the effectiveness of training programs. 

With analytics, you can monitor:

• Course completions
• Pass rates or scores
• Team performance
• Topic searches

With this information, you can make ongoing improvements that make courses more effective. For example, you may use data to determine that a particular course section needs to be rewritten to make it clearer for users. Or, you can determine that a particular video is being skipped frequently and should be replaced with something more engaging.

Gamification

Gamification means applying game elements to learning material. It can make learning more engaging and help to motivate people by tracking points, achievements, and badges. According to Gartner, more than 70 percent of organizations already use gamification. 

Some ways to gamify learning content include:

• Awarding points or badges for completing tasks or milestones
• Building leaderboards to encourage friendly competition 
• Creating quests or challenges to keep learners engaged 
• Providing feedback to learners and giving recognition for achievements

Integration with third-party technology platforms

Third-party technology integration is one of the most important features of a learning platform. You can use an LMS or LXP as a central hub for all your learning needs while taking advantage of other platform features. 

Look for a learning platform that can integrate with:

• Sales and support tools
• Content management programs
• HR platforms 
• Other learning ecosystems
• Communication and scheduling tools 
• Identity and SSO software

Integrating third-party technology platforms can help organizations maximize their resources and ensure the best learning experience for their employees.

Supports different types of learning

Learning platforms enable organizations to create experiences tailored to each learner’s specific needs. This can be done by considering the learner’s individual learning style, preferences, and goals.

If a learner is visual, the platform can provide more visuals to assist them. For auditory learners, the platform can provide more audio content. When content is tailored to learners’ interests, they are more likely to engage with it.

Learners are more likely to retain information with a personalized and engaging learning experience.

Intuitive interfaces

A learning platform is intuitive and clean, with easy-to-use course creation tools and ready-built elements. 

An intuitive interface is critical for many reasons:

1. It allows people to navigate the platform and find the resources they need 
2. It provides a consistent user experience across devices
3. It allows you to customize the platform to your specific needs and preferences

What are the benefits of a learning platform?

If you’re thinking about improving your organization’s learning technology or implementing online learning for the first time, you may be curious about the benefits of an LXP or LMS. 

Some advantages include:

• Help you create a more personalized learning experience. Based on employees’ needs and preferences
• Offer a more engaging and interactive learning experience. Making eLearning more effective and enjoyable for learners
• Provide you with real-time data and insights. So you can track learner progress and quickly identify and address any areas of concern
• Save you time and money. Learning platforms offer a more efficient way to deliver and manage employee training
• Help you to build a stronger, more knowledgeable, and more engaged workforce. This can help to boost your bottom line

Unlocking learner potential

A learning platform is a valuable tool for building employees’ skill sets in an impactful and exciting way. With WorkRamp’s advanced features, you can create effective experiences that cater to individual needs and improve ROI for your L&D programs.

 Want to learn more about how to use WorkRamp to create effective training to engage learners? Contact us to schedule a free demo.