Category: LXPs/ LMS

In the bustling realm of contemporary business environments organizations are constantly racing to upskill and reskill their workforce to keep pace with the ever-evolving business environment. Two groundbreaking approaches, microlearning and Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs), have emerged as pivotal solutions for reshaping the realm of employee training. Microlearning, known for its delivery of short, focused bursts of educational content, has garnered significant attention for its ability to enhance knowledge retention and engagement. Simultaneously, LXPs have transformed corporate learning and development by prioritizing the learner experience, personalization, and engagement. Together, these innovations offer personalized, accessible, and impactful learning experiences, heralding a new era in employee training.

The history of Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) may be relatively short compared to other educational technologies, but their emergence and evolution have significantly impacted corporate learning and development.

Rise of Learning Management Systems (LMS)

In the early 2000s, adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) became widespread in corporate environments. These systems manage and deliver online courses, track learner progress, and administer assessments. Traditional LMS platforms prioritized compliance training, tracking completion rates, and managing administrative tasks related to employee learning and development

Shift Towards Personalized Learning

As organizations recognize the limitations of one-size-fits-all training approaches, the future of learning is personalized, with organizations embracing learner-centric experiences to maximize engagement and impact. Some LMS vendors began incorporating features to support personalized learning, adaptive learning pathways, and social learning functionalities, laying the groundwork for what would later become LXPs.

Emergence of LXPs

The early 2010s marked a shift towards prioritizing the learner experience in corporate training. Organizations sought platforms offering intuitive user interfaces, engaging content experiences, and personalized learning journeys. LXPs emerged as a response to the limitations of traditional LMS platforms, prioritizing the learner experience, personalization, interactivity, and engagement. Critical features of LXPs included content curation, social learning capabilities, user-generated content, adaptive learning pathways, and analytics-driven insights. 

•  Maturation and Adoption:  The LXP market experienced significant growth and consolidation as more organizations recognized the value of prioritizing the learner experience. Established LMS vendors expanded their offerings to include LXP-like features, while new entrants specialized in creating standalone LXP solutions. LXPs began integrating microlearning capabilities into their platforms, playing a central role in supporting employee development initiatives and fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
•  Present Day:  Evolution and Innovation LXPs evolve with technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data analytics. These technologies enable greater personalization, adaptive learning experiences, and predictive analytics to drive learning outcomes. LXPs are increasingly integrated with talent management systems and other HR technologies to provide a holistic approach to employee development and talent optimization.  Investing in lifelong learning initiatives, they empower employees to drive their own professional growth and career success

Future Outlook

• LXPs are poised for deeper integration with cutting-edge technologies like VR and AI, paving the way for more immersive and engaging learning experiences.
• The collaboration between microlearning and LXPs offers a powerful solution for addressing the evolving needs of modern learners and organizations. Organizations that leverage a powerful blend of personalized learning and cutting-edge technology can unleash the hidden potential within their workforce. 

Conclusion

The collaboration between microlearning and LXPs presents a compelling solution to address the evolving needs of modern learners and organizations. As the corporate learning landscape continues to grow, the emphasis on personalized learning experiences and cutting-edge technology will be instrumental in unlocking the workforce’s full potential. With continued innovation and deeper integration with emerging technologies, Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) will drive organizational success by delivering impactful learning experiences that foster continuous development and growth. In the digital age, the dynamic duo of microlearning and LXPs empowers organizations to build an agile, adaptable, and resilient workforce ready to face any challenge.

Read these blogs to discover the latest insights on LXP

• From Sharing to Shaping: Crafting Social Learning in LMS/LXP

• Infusing Joy into Learning: Gamification in Corporate Training

Learning alone is fine, but it gets much better when we do it together. Thankfully, as our technology improves, so too does our ability to interact with one another. That means the future should see us having many more opportunities to learn alongside our peers.

The history of social learning is a deep-rooted journey into how people learn. It all started with watching what people do and how they react to things (behaviorism). Then, there was a shift in perspective, and people began paying more attention to understanding how our minds work. It led to the groundbreaking work by Albert Bandura in the 1960s. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning theory showed that our minds play a significant role in learning. His social cognitive theory highlighted the importance of watching and imitating others in learning.

As cognitive psychology developed, Lev Vygotsky emphasized the impact of culture, social interaction, and language on learning. He highlighted the constructivist view, where learners actively shape their knowledge.

The internet’s arrival in the late 20th century revolutionized social learning. Online platforms and Learning Management Systems empower learners to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge. Web 2.0 technologies, social media, and Learning Experience Platforms further accelerated this transformation, creating dynamic, interactive spaces for collective learning.

Fundamentals of Social Learning in LMS/LXP Environments

Social learning is a process in which individuals learn from observing, interacting, and collaborating. In LMS and LXP, social learning involves leveraging social technologies and features to create a dynamic and collaborative learning environment. Understanding the dynamics of learning is crucial for practical education and professional development. An insightful breakdown reveals that 70% of learning occurs through on-the-job experiences, showcasing the significance of real-world application. Social interactions contribute to 20% of learning, emphasizing the impact of collaboration with colleagues and friends. Finally, 10% of learning stems from formal training experiences, highlighting the role of structured education. This breakdown offers valuable insights into the diverse sources that shape our knowledge and skills.

Critical Factors for Social Learning Success

Observational learning, crucial in social education, involves acquiring knowledge by watching others. In social contexts, attention is vital, with engaging models enhancing the learning experience. Retention is critical for remembering observed behaviors, while reproduction involves practicing and advancing skills through social interactions. Motivation is pivotal, driven by reinforcement and punishment observed or experienced. Understanding these principles is essential for crafting effective educational strategies within the dynamics of social learning.

Features and Benefits of Social Learning in LMS/LXP

Modern learning management systems (LMS) and learning experience platforms (LXP) have evolved beyond traditional instructional methods, incorporating dynamic features that embrace social learning.

In this context, various strategies enhance the social dimension of learning, fostering a community-driven educational environment.

• Discussion Forums and Communities:
  – LMS/LXP fosters a collaborative learning environment through discussion forums and communities, allowing learners to engage in discussions, ask questions, and share insights.
  – Facilitates peer-to-peer learning and provides a platform for learners to connect beyond formal courses.
•  Collaborative Projects:
  – Incorporating features that enable collaborative projects allows learners to work together on assignments or real-world projects, promoting teamwork and problem-solving skills.
•  User-Generated Content:
  – Encouraging users to generate and share content, such as blogs, articles, or videos, fosters a culture of knowledge-sharing and expertise development within the learning community.
• Social Feedback and Recognition:
  – Implementing features for feedback and recognition enables learners to provide input on each other’s work, fostering a supportive learning culture.
  – Badges, certificates, or leaderboards can be used to recognize and reward active contributors, motivating engagement.

• Live Virtual Events:
  – Integrating live virtual events like webinars or Q&A sessions creates real-time interactions, enabling learners to engage with experts and peers.
• Personalized Learning Paths:
  – Utilize social learning to develop personalized learning paths based on user preferences, past interactions, and peer recommendations.
• Analytics for Social Engagement:
  – Analytics tools empower administrators to track social interactions. This data provides valuable insights into engagement levels, popular topics, and areas where additional support or content might be necessary.

Challenges and Solutions:

As educational technology advances, it presents challenges in privacy and quality control. The increasing digitalization of learning environments raises concerns about protecting sensitive information and ensuring content quality.

Implementing robust privacy settings, clearly defined content guidelines, and effective moderation mechanisms is paramount to address these challenges. These measures create a secure, controlled space, ensuring learners can engage without compromising their privacy and that the educational content maintains high standards.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the incorporation of social learning into LMSs and LXPs is an essential development in the field of education. It emphasizes collaborative learning, leveraging features like discussion forums and live events to create a sense of community.

Personalized learning paths and analytics tools contribute to individualized education, while challenges like privacy concerns require thoughtful solutions. Social learning goes beyond a mere instructional method; it is a paradigm shift in education. It is a transformative approach that recognizes the communal aspect of knowledge acquisition. Fostering collaboration equips learners with the skills needed for the challenges ahead, promising continued evolution in the educational landscape.

For more information on our pursuit, reach out to us at connect@excelsoftcorp.com

Read these blog to discover the latest insights on LXP:

• Infusing Joy into Learning: Gamification in Corporate Training 
• Transforming Employee Learning Using Gamification in LXPs 

Introduction

Long before formal education, aspects of play helped young humans build skills. Games of imitation and roleplaying allowed the safe practice of tasks needed for survival. As civilizations developed schools, student contests and competitions motivated academic achievement. The connection between education and recreation has deep foundations.

The Evolutionary Path of Learning, Interwoven with Gamification

In medieval times, educators sang rhyming songs to the uneducated masses, harnessing the power of rhythm as a mnemonic device to aid their learning. In the 19th century, classrooms embraced competitions, fostering positive academic rivalries and incentivizing practice with rewards and public recognition. In the 1920s, Sidney Pressey developed an early “teaching machine” that allowed self-paced learning of theoretical concepts. The integration of television entertainment and education, utilizing animation, songs, and games and incorporating interactive scenarios, paved a significant leap in the evolution of gamification in learning. The video game industry’s rise in the 1980s opened doors for gamified learning. In the 2000s, educational software embraced gaming principles, using adventure-based games for skill development. This journey underscores the profound emotional link between education and recreation throughout history.

The Synergy between Corporate Training and Gamification

Corporates have embraced gamification as a transformative element in online training programs within their Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs), introducing innovative and engaging features to enhance the learning experience. These initiatives often include interactive modules with game-like challenges, simulations, and quizzes, creating a dynamic and participatory atmosphere.

Points-based reward systems and leaderboards infuse an element of healthy competition, fostering motivation and a sense of achievement among employees. Badges, certifications, and immediate feedback mechanisms further contribute to a gamified learning environment, providing tangible recognition and insights into individual performance. Integrating adaptive learning paths and quests ensures a personalized and exciting educational journey, catering to personal progress and keeping learners engaged. Corporates strategically employ gamification to make online training informative but also interactive, enjoyable, and conducive to effective skill acquisition and retention.

Positive Impact of Gamification on Corporate Training

1. Increased Engagement:
   • According to a study by a leading LMS provider, companies that incorporated gamification into their training programs experienced a 48% increase in engagement.
   • A report by Aberdeen Group found that organizations using gamification saw a 23% increase in employee engagement compared to those without gamified elements.
2. Improved Retention and Learning Outcomes:
   • The Journal of Educational Technology & Society reported that gamification led to a 40% increase in learner retention rates.
   • A study published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies found that gamification improved learners’ cognitive learning outcomes by 14%.
3. Enhanced Motivation:
   • A survey by a leading LMS provider revealed that 89% of employees believed they would be more productive if their work were more gamified.
   • A study by the University of Colorado Denver Business School indicated that employees who participated in gamified training showed higher motivation levels than those in traditional training programs.
4. Behavioral Change:
   • A case study by Deloitte showed that gamification in training led to a 37% increase in sales performance and a 14% increase in employee productivity.
   • A report by Gartner predicted that by 2020, more than 70% of global organizations would use at least one gamified application for their workforce.
5. Team Collaboration:
   • A study by Badgeville found that organizations using gamification in their training programs reported a 20% increase in employee collaboration.
   • According to a report by McKinsey, businesses that promote a collaborative working environment through gamification are 2.5 times more likely to be top performers.
6. Time and Cost Savings:
   • A study by eLearning Industry reported that organizations using gamification experienced a 50% reduction in the time required for employee training.
   • A report by M2 Research estimated that gamification could lead to a 10-15% cost reduction in training expenditures.

Gamification is a valuable strategy for organizations to enhance employee engagement, learning outcomes, and overall performance.

Conclusion

In the corporate realm, the integration of gamification into training methodologies has proven to be a practical strategy. Beyond the apparent benefits of performance improvement, there’s a noticeable shift in how people approach learning. Gamification isn’t just a tool; it transforms training into an engaging process of discovery and accomplishment. As organizations use gamification to boost involvement, improve learning outcomes, and encourage collaboration, they find themselves in a space where work and play intersect. This shift towards a workforce that values ongoing learning and shared success is evidence of the tangible advantages of integrating gamified elements into learning platforms for training programs.

For more information on our pursuit, reach out to us at connect@excelsoftcorp.com

Read this blog to discover the latest insights on learning using gamification

Transforming Employee Learning Using Gamification in LXPs

In today’s fast-paced business world, leaders prioritizing and fostering a learning culture are more likely to steer their organizations toward success. However, the challenge is to make the learning process engaging and effective for employees. A solution that has been gaining popularity in recent years is the Learning Experience Platform (LXP) incorporating gamification. By offering relevant content and engaging learning experiences, an LXP with gamification can enhance the employee learning journey and drive the desired behavior change.

What is Gamification in LXPs?

Gamification in LXPs refers to using game mechanics, such as points, badges, and leaderboards, in non-game contexts to increase engagement and motivation. It involves applying the principles of game design and psychology to learning activities, making them more enjoyable and compelling. In the context of LXPs, gamification enhances the learning experience by providing learners with a sense of accomplishment and progress as they complete learning activities.

Companies that have implemented gamification in their LXPs have reported an average increase of

The Benefits of Gamification in LXPs

The use of gamification in LXPs offers several benefits that can significantly impact the effectiveness of employee training and development initiatives. Some of the key benefits include:

Increases Learner Engagement

Gamification provides learners with a clear sense of progress and achievement, which motivates them to continue their learning journey. Points, badges, and leaderboards create a sense of competition and challenge, encouraging learners to participate in learning activities actively and strive for higher achievements. Gamification also helps learners feel more invested in their learning by giving them a sense of ownership and control over their progress.

Improves Knowledge Retention

Gamification enhances knowledge retention by providing learners with a more immersive and interactive learning experience. For example, using gamification techniques such as scenario-based learning allows learners to apply their knowledge in realistic situations, helping them retain information more effectively. Additionally, using immediate feedback and rewards in gamification helps reinforce learning, leading to better retention of learned content.

Enhances Quality of Learning

Gamification incorporates game mechanics such as feedback and rewards, which provide learners with immediate feedback on their progress. This helps them identify areas where they need to improve and encourages them to strive for better performance. Gamification also encourages learners to explore different learning paths, try new approaches, and experiment with different solutions, leading to a deeper understanding of the content and a more holistic learning experience.

Best Practices for Gamification in LXPs

To implement gamification in LXPs effectively, organizations should follow certain best practices. Some of the key best practices include:

• Relevance to learning objectives: Gamification should be aligned with the learning objectives and not used solely for engagement purposes. The game mechanics and elements should be directly connected to the learning content and activities, reinforcing the learning outcomes and promoting meaningful engagement.
• Challenging but not overwhelming: Gamification should strike the right balance between challenge and manageability. It should be designed to motivate learners without creating a sense of frustration or disengagement. The difficulty level of the game mechanics should be appropriately calibrated, taking into consideration the skill level and background of the learners.
• Inclusivity and accessibility: Gamification in LXPs should be inclusive and accessible to all learners, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or backgrounds. Organizations should ensure that the game mechanics do not discriminate against any learner group and that they are designed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gamification in LXPs can certainly enhance the effectiveness of employee training and development initiatives. By incorporating game mechanics into the learning experience, organizations will be able to increase learner engagement, improve knowledge retention, and enhance the quality of learning. Certainly, adhering to best practices is crucial to ensure that gamification aligns with the learning objectives, strikes the right balance between challenge and manageability, and promotes inclusivity and accessibility for all learners. Through meticulous planning and implementation, gamification in LXPs can foster a more engaging and immersive learning experience, ultimately resulting in enhanced employee performance and motivation.

How can EnablED effectively address your current and future L&D needs?

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the need for effective learning and skill development is paramount across diverse industries such as healthcare, financial services, NGOs, publishing, and universities.

EnablED, with its gamified Learning Experience Platform, offers a rich and engaging learning environment that caters to both internal and external audiences. From courses and knowledge base resources to videos, articles, quizzes, webinars, and live interactive sessions, EnablED enables distributed, mobile, and remote workforces, customers, and prospects to access and engage with a wide range of content. By leveraging EnablED’s platform, organizations can empower their stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to adapt to changing learning needs, stay competitive, and thrive in the digital age.

Discover the extensive features of EnablED and how it can be the perfect platform to meet your organization’s learning needs.

We live in a Technology Saturated World, a world in which all of us, people of all ages, all walks of life encounter technology in one way or other in our daily lives. Technology is everywhere, entwined in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, eat, work, play, and most importantly how we learn!

Our next generation, is born into this digital world, a world that is lightning-fast, with instant access to information on their finger tips, a world that is highly interactive and engaging, a world of internet, smartphones, video games, virtual and augmented realities and what not. They are clearly citizens of this digital world. They are what we call the “Digital Natives”.

Over the last couple of years, my team and I at EnhanzED, have been closely studying the learning habits of these Digital Natives. No surprises here, these digital natives consume and process information in a very different way. They have developed unique learning styles and problem solving strategies. Basically they think and work differently, compared to the rest of us.

• First of all, they have a really Short Attention Span, the attention span of a gnat. Its very natural for them to keep shifting between apps and screens, every few seconds.

• They prefer Short, Bite-sized Lessons that are precise, relevant and focus on one particular subject or concept.

• They look up or access content in a very different way, mostly Random, Sporadic and Non-sequential, typically quick look ups on the internet or buzzing their friends on social media. We all do that nowadays, but they do that more often than anyone, and they are very quick at it. Its actually a very important and integral part of how they learn, assimilate and retain information.

• They have an unwavering preference for Rich and Engaging Multimedia Content. Content that is crafted to enthrall them, while perfectly fitting into their short attention spans.

• Most importantly, they love to learn and consume content On-the-go, Anytime, Anywhere, on their personal devices. They love listening to podcasts, watching videos, doing quick reads while traveling on the bus, waiting at the doctor’s clinic and often on the toilet seats!

Lets start with our class rooms. The class room should no longer be a location or a room, that students would dread to walk into, or yearn to walk out off. It should be an experience, a rich, engaging, interactive and most importantly fun experience that students would love to be part of.

Classrooms today are seeing dramatic changes.

• More schools and colleges are providing Wi-Fi facilities across their campuses

• Fancy Technologies such as 3D printers, Smart Science Kits, Virtual Reality Head Sets are making their way into the mainstream schooling systems.

Learning does not happen only in the class room. A lot of learning happens outside the classroom, online – watching videos, playing games, reading articles, interacting with friends.

I’m sure we all watch videos online, read articles, probably even take courses online, and we’ve been doing this for a while now. So whats new?

Something interesting has happened over the last 3-4 years. A magic device called the Smartphone.

Smartphones have created a “paradigm-shift” to the way we communicate and consume digital content.

The Smartphone is a very personal device. It lives in our pockets for most part of the day. We breath, eat, sleep with our smartphones next to us. Its an integral part of every individual today.

If I want to learn about something, I do not run to the nearby library, I do not run to my desk to find my computer. All I do is reach out to my pocket and pull out my phone, and start swiping. I don’t even have to type in my question, I can just use my voice to get answers. The best part is, I can do it anywhere, anytime, on-the-go.

Smartphones are a strong digital channel that connects each and everyone of us to the world of internet. This is a channel that needs to be leveraged effectively for learning and education! We are already seeing increasing number of smartphone based education products in the market, and this will only grow in the years to come!

The biggest drawback of conventional education is the lack of personalization. Imagine a class of 60 students. Every single individual in that class is different. Students come with different abilities, they come with prior learning dispositions, they have different strengths and weaknesses, some are quick in grasping a concept, some are slow and need additional help.

In the conventional education system where the students clearly outnumber the instructors, it is impractical for the instructor to give personal attention to every single student addressing his or her needs on a daily basis. All students are treated the same! The same set of lectures, homework, assignments are forced down the throat of all the students, irrespective of their abilities, progress and performance.

Technology can solve this big problem. Learning Platforms are growing smarter and smarter, thanks to the advances in Technology, we can today capture fine grain details about the progress and performance of individuals, and create personalized learning paths for each individual based on his or her needs.

If a student is struggling with a particular concept, the platform knows that and pushes more videos and additional practice exercises onto the student’s device helping him/her get up to the mark. The platform can also learn an individual’s learning styles and habits and craft content accordingly.

So, there will be Technology everywhere, inside the classroom and outside the classroom. Does than mean that the role of instructors is diminishing?

Not really !! Technology is just a means to an end. The real magic would be in the hands of the educators, instructors and the content creators. They need to work towards creating an environment that best suits the student, and not an environment that they are comfortable with.

It is important for educators and instructors to embrace technology and use it effectively to bring about a change.

Ultimately the Goal here is to help the learner in all of us to “Remember to Remember, and Forget to Forget”. How well we do this, is in our hands!