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.

What is an LXP?

A learning experience platform (LXP) provides the resources required to create employee-driven, individualized learning experiences. With an LXP, organizations may create specific educational pathways for each employee, giving them greater flexibility. Learners can choose the content they want to consume or the skills they want to acquire.

• LXP emphasizes learner engagement and personalized learning paths.
• It offers a user-centric approach to learning, putting the learner's needs and preferences at the forefront.
• AI-driven recommendations help users discover relevant and engaging content tailored to their interests.

What is an LMS?

A learning management system (LMS) is a kind of software or system used to create, manage, track, and distribute educational content. An LMS strives to improve an organization's learning practices by making it easier and less expensive to conduct training courses.

• LMS focuses on course management and tracking learner progress.
• It provides tools for organizing and administering training courses efficiently.
• Tracking and reporting capabilities enable organizations to monitor learner progress and assess training effectiveness.

7 key differentiators between LXP & 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.

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 platform?

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 these platforms 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 they 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?

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. 

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.

Recommendations

• Assess your learning goals, user preferences, and budget to determine the platform that aligns with your organization's needs.
• Consider integrating LXP and LMS to create a comprehensive learning ecosystem that caters to diverse learning requirements.