So many obscure words around and so little context, and LXP could be another strange word if not for our research and article about learning experience platforms in L&D.
The major goal of companies today is to stay competitive in a dynamic workplace and have their share in industry. To support continuous growth and success goals, companies started widely implementing learning and development systems.
To enhance employee learning experiences more, companies have also implemented the learning experience platform (LXP)—an innovative solution designed to improve retention, analyze, and close the skills gap that so many organizations face. But what is an LXP? Is it the same as a learning management system? Why should your company consider implementing one? As a manager taking care of the team's knowledge level, LXP can open so many opportunities you won’t want to miss.
What is a Learning Experience Platform?
An LXP is a digital learning platform that provides employees with personalized learning paths, combining formal and informal learning resources. It curates tailored content—whether it’s video, articles, or peer-shared knowledge—based on user preferences and behaviors. If not so detailed, we could easily call it an employee training program and understand everything. But LXPs are more professional based on artificial intelligence that recommends content, creates skill-building pathways, and offers more autonomy over the learning experience compared to traditional learning management systems (LMS).
While you may hear about LXP the first, the global market for LXPs is continuously evolving and is expected to reach over $9 billion by 2026. This explosive growth is driven by the demand for personalized, self-paced, and on-demand learning opportunities.
Where does the content on LXP come from?
Company database
Online learning courses
Social networks
Expert blogs
Videos
Articles
eBooks
How Does LXP Work?
At its core, an LXP delivers learning through AI-driven content curation, pulling resources from different sources like external websites, internal databases, and peer-generated content. In LMS, a learner gets a top-down learning approach, while in LXP we get bottom-up learning, where material transforms depending on the learner's interests. Here’s how it works:
Content Aggregation: LXPs pull resources from various places—LMS databases, third-party content libraries, and even user-generated content—to build a rich and diverse learning experience.
AI-Powered Recommendations: Machine learning algorithms analyze employee behavior, skills, and learning history to recommend tailored content. Think Spotify, but for skill-building.
User-centric Experience: Learners have autonomy. They can search for, interact with, and curate their own learning paths, enhancing employee engagement and self-directed learning.
Key Features of the LXP for 2024
Looking ahead, here are some features you can expect from LXP platforms in 2024:
Skill Repository: A dynamic collection of essential skills that employees can work toward.
Learning Paths: These corporate learning platforms offer creating individual programs and sets of courses that will fulfill learning objectives.
Content Curation: AI curates content from various sources, creating a tailored learning path for each individual.
Personalized Learning: Employees receive recommendations based on their job role, career goals, and learning behavior.
Skill-Driven Career Progression: Clear paths from skill acquisition to role progression within the company.
Learning Analytics and Reporting: robust analytics that track learner progress and help measure the impact of training on business objectives.
Mobile optimized: With modern UI and a mobile-first approach, learning experience platforms are always accessible on the web and mobile.
LXP vs. LMS: Is it worth the fuss, or you’d better stick to traditional practices?
The debate between LXPs and LMSs is heating up, and you might be wondering, “Is it really worth the fuss to switch to an LXP (especially if you already have an LMS subscription), or should we stick with what we know?” To make an informed decision, let’s look at both sides of the coin.
LMS: Reliable Workhorse
For decades, LMS have been the go-to solution for corporate training. They provide a structured, top-down approach, ensuring compliance, managing certifications, and organizing content into neat categories. LMS offers
Content Control: Administrators have full control over what’s taught, how it’s taught, and when it’s taught. Perfect for compliance training.
Standardized Learning: Everyone gets the same material at the same pace. For standardized processes, this approach can be effective.
Tracking and Reporting: LMSs are known for their ability to track employee progress and completion rates in detail.
However, despite their strengths, LMSs are starting to show their age in an era where personalized, self-paced learning is more valued than one-size-fits-all approaches. The rigidity and lack of personalization in LMSs can often make learning feel like a chore, resulting in low engagement. In fact, 33% of employees say uninspiring content is a major barrier to learning.
LXP: The New Age Learner's Playground
In contrast, learning experience platforms put learners in the driver's seat. Here everything is about “experience.” These platforms are designed to create a more engaging, adaptive, and autonomous learning experience.
Research shows that companies using LXPs see a 50% improvement in learner engagement and significant reductions in learning costs.
Here’s where LXPs shine:
Personalization: LXPs use AI algorithms to recommend learning paths tailored to each employee's skills, preferences, and career goals. This level of customization increases both engagement and knowledge retention.
Self-Directed Learning: Employees can choose what they want to learn and when, fostering a sense of ownership over their development. For instance, 58% of employees prefer self-paced learning.
Social Learning: LXPs incorporate elements of social learning, allowing users to share knowledge, participate in discussions, and learn from each other, which improves engagement.
Continuous Learning: LXPs promote continuous learning by integrating learning into the flow of work. Instead of waiting for a scheduled training session, employees can access learning content anytime.
The Fuss: Is the Upgrade to an LXP Worth It?
If your organization still relies heavily on compliance-based training with little need for personalization or flexibility, sticking with a traditional LMS might be enough for now. LMSs excel in managing certifications, tracking mandatory training, and creating standardized content for mass consumption. But for organizations looking to boost engagement, upskill, or reskill their workforce in today’s fast-evolving environment, the flexibility and personalized nature of LXPs offer significant advantages.
Most modern learning management systems in fact have LXP components, providing flexibility for learners.
Why You Might Stick to Traditional Practices
While LXPs are ideal for fostering a culture of continuous learning, some organizations may find the shift daunting due to several factors:
Cost: Implementing an LXP can come with a higher initial investment, particularly for companies with large, legacy LMS infrastructures.
Complexity: LXPs integrate a wider range of content and systems, which may require more IT support and training.
Content Curation: In an LXP, the learner has more control, but this can also overwhelm users if content curation isn’t done thoughtfully.
The Benefits of Integrating an LXP in Organizations
Do you need more proof why growth-oriented organizations need LXP in their learning and development strategy? Write down these benefits you will get as a company representative.
Onboarding
LXPs accelerate the onboarding process, helping new employees get up to speed faster. By providing access to role-specific content, employees can hit the ground running and start making an impact sooner. This helps reduce time to productivity and ensures that new hires meet essential job requirements swiftly.
Performing
LXPs go beyond mere content delivery, focusing on improving employee performance. AI-based analytics track learner progress, helping employees meet critical job requirements through continuous assessments and customized learning paths.
Engaging
LXPs are the best to increase engagement by offering interactive and personalized learning experiences. LXPs also boost motivation through social learning features like peer recommendations and user-generated content.
Upskilling & Reskilling
An LXP helps organizations adapt their workforce by enabling reskilling and upskilling, allowing employees to acquire deeper technical knowledge, or preparing employees for entirely new roles or career paths. The platform’s ability to deliver customized learning paths aligned with organizational goals ensures that employees can continually advance their competencies.
Best Practices to Implement an LXP
From theory to practice, now it's time to get more practical information on how to make LXP the art of learning and development strategy.
Write Clear Objectives: Ensure your learning objectives are concise and aligned with business goals.
Build a Diverse Content Library: Provide an option of choosing between different content formats—videos, articles, simulations—to cater to different learning styles.
Foster a Learning Culture: Encourage continuous learning through social learning initiatives and reward systems.
Offer Support and Resources: Provide learners with access to mentors and supplementary resources.
Regularly Assess Learning Analytics: Continuously evaluate learning outcomes and tweak content based on performance data to know where you are and what you need to adjust.
Conclusion
Even corporate learning with tons of material can be fun and engaging if the content delivery funnel is slightly switched and focused on the learner's experience. Such a small detail but such a great outcome. This is a powerful way to boost engagement, improve knowledge retention, and foster skill development across your organization. And what is your excuse for not integrating LXP into your learning and development strategy?