Investing in people is critical to business growth. Even after hiring the best talent, companies must continue to develop their workforce. 70% of executives say business performance suffers because employees lack the necessary skills. At the same time, another study shows that companies with a strong training strategy have twice the retention rate and productivity.
It is also important to remember that today's employees are looking to stay true to their values and want more than just a paycheck. When choosing an employer, they prioritize training and career development opportunities.
To meet the growing demand for training, many companies are now turning to advanced solutions such as Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs). No wonder, as the LXP market is growing rapidly.
Want to know more about why and how to go about using LXPs? Then read on!
What is a Learning Experience Platform?
Learning Experience Platform (LXP) it’s an online learning system based on a search engine and personalized learning experiences. Using algorithms, LXP platform provides users with learning material based on their previous learning experiences, search history, skill gaps, and areas for improvement. LXP has an open architecture, so organizations can easily integrate it with other enterprise systems and tools to streamline the entire learning process.
Let's take a closer look at what LXP platform can do for you:
- Skill-based learning. Users can improve or acquire the skills they need to do their jobs.
- Usage-based recommendations. The system offers materials based on previous user requests.
- AI-based content analysis. LXP analyzes learning progress and results, identifies hidden knowledge gaps, and provides relevant materials to fill them.
- Communication. The system is equipped with chatbots, polls, and other tools to better manage learners' educational goals and optimize learning materials according to their needs.
In short, the key strength of LXP platform is that it offers personalized learning paths, not standardized ones for everyone.
Why do You Need a LXP Platform for Your Business?
Below, we've summarized all the benefits you can reap from implementing a learning experience platform. Let's dive into the details:
- You can expand learning opportunities by providing more flexibility. Not only can users (employees, customers, clients, etc.) choose courses based on their preferences, but they can also decide whether or not to pursue certifications.
- With an LXP solution, you can get a 360-degree view of the user's true skills and areas of interest.
- With an employee-driven approach, users can proactively choose what they want to learn and even share their learning and new content discoveries.
- Users can showcase their new skills and knowledge base and encourage other like-minded users to log in and participate.
With that in mind, let's discuss what's better: building your own LXP or choosing from existing platforms.
Custom vs SaaS LXP solution: What to Choose for Your Business?
The main points to consider are the following:
Custom LXP | Out-of-the-box LXP |
Total control: You can build an LXP solution based on your unique business needs and requirements, deciding what features to implement and what data to store or access. | Low initial cost: You get a turnkey solution with no development required. |
Long-term value: With a custom LXP solution, you invest only in development, without having to pay monthly/annual license fees that can add to the price in the future. | Technical support: The vendor provides support and maintenance or can fix any problems that may arise. |
Added value: With the LXP solution, you can add more value to your business and increase your visibility in the marketplace. | Highly customizable solution: Most solutions offer both customization and integration capabilities. |
You should know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution that will fully and completely meet the needs and requirements of your business. However, by building an LXP from scratch, you can achieve maximum customization.
How to Create LXP platform: the Project Idea
At DDI Development, we have extensive experience delivering a wide range of custom solutions for logistics, e-commerce, recruiting, CRM, e-learning, fintech, and healthcare. Recently, we created the concept of the Learning Experience Platform from scratch. This platform will rethink everything from how employees select training or learning courses to how they complete them.
We agreed that the system would include the following features:
- Reporting and analytics
- Personalized learning content
- Real-time alerts and communications
- Easy content search
Let's move on and see how we went about the process of creating this corporate training platform for our client.
Project Structure of the Learning Experience Platform
Below are technologies that can be used to develop a learning experience platform:
User Roles in the LXP Platform
There are three user levels within the Learning Experience Platform: User, HR Manager and Admin.
Let's take a look at each:
- Users: Employees with basic permissions within the LXP Platform.
- HR Manager: This is a user who can view user profiles, get skills reports, learn about preferences, etc.
- Administrator: This user has the highest level of administrative responsibility and security within the learning experience system.
User Dashboard in LXP
After logging in as a user, you will see the main hub of navigation around the Learning Experience Platform. Let's take a closer look at the options presented in the main menu:
- Profile
- Courses
- Lessons
- Pathways
- Skills
- Certificates
- Chatbot
Widgets, which are specific areas of the user dashboard, allow you to view or perform specific actions within the LXP system.
Profile
With the Profile option, users can find all the important information about their personalized study and some user-specific data. Not only can they view personal statistics and course breakdowns, but they can also see all the learning paths they have taken and the learning goals they have achieved.
All the information is presented below:
- Courses completed;
- Certificates received;
- Learning objectives achieved;
- Learning paths in progress;
- Recent activities;
- Summary (breakdown of courses).
Courses
After landing on the Courses page, you can visualize all the courses you are enrolled in for a variety of purposes. The user can also monitor all course statistics to get a complete overview of how many courses a user has completed or how many courses are in progress:
- All courses;
- Courses in progress;
- Courses completed;
- Failed courses;
- Not started.
Lessons
When users arrive at the Lessons page, they can see how many lessons they’ve completed and check if they’re meeting their goals. They can also click on any lesson to view its content.
There are the following navigation tabs:
- All lessons;
- In review;
- Not started;
- Completed.
In addition, users can view lesson history and find their current schedules with filtering options by day, week, month, and year.
Pathways
With the Pathways option, a user can set multiple and diverse learning goals. What's more, users can follow easy-to-follow courses to achieve specific learning goals, move through the courses quickly and easily, and earn a certificate that validates their skills and knowledge.
Learning paths are categorized as follows:
- Completed;
- In progress.
Users can also track how much time they spend learning and how much they are learning.
Skills
Developing industry-specific skills is critical to success. That's why users should focus on having a desirable level of skills to perform the tasks required by the employer. With the Skills feature, users can practice and easily master technical skills by taking different courses. What's more, a graphical dashboard lets them see what skills they've already mastered.
The skills matrix shows the skill level at which a user is expected to perform, such as expert, proficient, demonstrating, basic, and none/low. A user also knows what skills need to be improved to become a highly competent expert.
Certificates
The Certificates feature allows users to view a list of electronic certificates they have received after completing a course. Each certificate shows the total number of points earned after completing a particular course and proves that a user has certain valuable skills to perform a particular job or task. You can also view their details or download them by clicking the Download button.
Notifications
Notifications keep users informed of events or actions that need to be taken. All notifications are immediately visible to each user in the top right corner of the Learning Experience Platform. They can see an icon with the number of unread notifications to take some actions.
Chatbot
An AI-powered chatbot helps deliver personalized learning experiences. It can not only guide learners through the learning journey, but also answer their questions or offer a course based on their preferences. It also creates a learning experience similar to one-on-one instruction, making communication interactive.
HR Manager Dashboard in the LXP
Only after logging in as an HR manager can you keep track of your employees. You can see who has passed or failed their trial period, how many certificates each employee has received, and what skills they have mastered.
Here is the main navigation for HR Manager:
- Profile
- Users
- Courses
- Lessons
- Pathways
- Skills
- Certificates
Users
With this feature, the HR manager can see all users within the LXP platform. All information is presented in a well-structured table with the following columns:
- Name
- Title
- Email address
- Date joined
- Activity (today, N days ago, yesterday)
- Score
- Actions (View/Edit/Email/Print/Delete)
By clicking on the user, you will be redirected to the Profile page to see all the information about him/her.
Courses
Through a variety of courses that focus on company or role-specific skills and knowledge, HR helps employees develop a career path to pursue future opportunities.
When you land on the Courses page, you can see all users enrolled in LXP and what courses they are taking to master specific skills. All the information is presented in a well-structured table that provides insight into how well they are performing tasks within the courses.
Pathways
With the Pathways feature, an HR manager can easily find out what learning pathways have been assigned to employees. It also provides a complete understanding of what employees are learning, when they're learning it, and how well they're meeting their learning objectives. Here is a table with the following columns:
- Name
- Learning path
- Scope
- Learning mode
- % completed
- Mastery progress
- % to the next level
- Actions
Skills
It's no secret that every employee should have professional skills. However, some business owners look for candidates with hybrid skills - a mix of soft and hard skills. With this feature, you can find out what skills your employees have. You can also find out what job-specific skills they don't have to perform a job.
Certificates
The Certificates feature allows you to establish a standard level of skill, experience, and expertise among your employees. You can see what new skills and knowledge users are gaining after completing courses and earning certificates. You can also ensure that certified employees complete their tasks more quickly.
Administrator Dashboard in the LXP
When you log in to the LXP system as an Administrator, you see a list of widgets that allow you to access key areas of the Learning Experience solution. These are the following:
- Profile
- Users
- Courses
- Lessons
- Pathways
- Skills
- Certificates
- Content
- Analytics
- Settings
Users
The Administrator takes care of the operational performance of the LXP system daily. Thanks to this feature, the Admin can see all the information about the users. What's more, he/she can define user roles, create custom certifications, etc.
All information is presented in a well-structured table with the following columns:
- Name
- Title
- Date joined
- Activity (today, N days ago, yesterday)
- Points
- Visibility (private/public)
- Actions (View/Edit/Email/Print/Delete)
Content
The Content feature allows an Administrator to see the breakdown of content: courses, pathways, lessons, podcasts, etc.; popular content; recent user activity; and content usage. The Manage button allows the Administrator to manage and update content settings in the Learning Experience Platform.
Analytics
The Analytics page can be accessed through the corresponding option in the main menu. This feature allows you to instantly get a complete picture of each user's learning experience. Not only can you track each user's activity within LXP, but you can also track individual learning data. Only by analyzing the captured data can you compare what the user knows with what he/she should know.
Settings
Admin can access the Settings page from the Main Menu. The Settings option allows you to set your own preferences - rules and restrictions. If the default settings work for you, there is no need to change them.
Learning Experience Platform Features
Below we have outlined some of the features and capabilities that can be included in an LXP. Let's take a closer look at them.
- Personalized learning paths based on AI: The system allows you to customize personalized learning and deliver content to learners based on their requests and needs.
- Managed skills repository: This eLearning platform should include a repository of all the skills that can be mapped to each position in your organization for training or upskilling according to those skills.
- Personalized content creation features: In addition to basic training materials, LXP should include the ability to create customized training content.
- Analytics and reporting: You need to track how the platform is being used and how learners are progressing so that you can make appropriate changes to the platform structure and learning materials. Having reporting capabilities and in-depth analytics gives you comprehensive answers to questions about learner performance and whether your platform is user-friendly.
- Chatbots: To encourage continuous learning, you can create an LXP equipped with a chatbot or GPT-4 solution. AI-powered options make it easier for learners to find information and speed up their learning tasks.
- UGC capabilities: Although it's primarily a corporate learning platform, your employees can create their own videos, articles, or courses and share them with colleagues or distribute them on YouTube or social media. Encouraging your employees to create learning materials is motivating, so your LXP should have this feature.
Benefits of the Learning Experience Platform
When it comes to the benefits of using learning platforms, the first thing to consider is increasing learner engagement and reducing corporate training costs. However, these benefits are so significant that they need to be discussed in more detail.
- Employees are more engaged in the learning process: Because LXPs focus on providing personalized learning experiences and recommendations based on learners' interests and skills, they help make the learning process a pleasure rather than a chore. Your employees are more eager to absorb new knowledge, which leads to greater motivation to apply it in practice, i.e. on the job.
- LXP works for organizations of all sizes: You can use LXP for both small and scalable organizations. Some of the key benefits of LXP include flexibility and scalability.
- Saving money on employee training and development: In-house learning systems like LXP offer a wide range of topics and content that can be expanded as needed. This allows you to cover all your training needs with one digital solution without spending money on additional tools.
- LXP can be integrated with other enterprise systems: Not only can LXP be combined with other learning systems and tools an organization already has in place (AI-based LMS or HRMS), but it can also be easily integrated with a CRM or HR system, creating a holistic internal learning and management ecosystem.
- Future-proof employees: By acquiring new skills and knowledge in line with industry trends and market changes, your employees not only become more skilled professionals, but also make your organization more prepared for future uncertainties. Employee training is a long-term investment in your business.
As you can see, LXP can be a game changer by providing personalized training to your employees, making your business more resilient to future changes.
Differences between LXP and LMS
You may have noticed that LXP platforms are often compared to other learning systems, especially Learning Management Systems (LMS). In fact, for a long time LMS was almost the only solution for internal corporate training. However, it has become increasingly clear that its capabilities do not meet the need for personalized learning, learner engagement, skills assessment and content management. In turn, LXPs address these and other needs.
Let's take a look at the differences between an LXP and an LMS so you know which employee training software to build.
LXP delivers personalized learning unlike LMS
The main difference between an LXP and an LMS is that the former uses AI-based algorithms to provide learners with content recommendations that match their current interests and knowledge gaps. An LMS lacks this level of personalization.
LXP is an open system, while LMS is closed
Learning Experience Platforms are open systems, meaning anyone can contribute learning materials. LMSs, on the other hand, are closed systems where the content of courses and learning materials is curated by an administrator.
LXPs are learner-centric, whereas LMSs are not
The LXP structure allows learners to find the learning materials they need on demand, learn at their own pace, and take responsibility for their own progress and results. At the same time, LXP allows management to track learner progress and see where some bottlenecks or gaps need to be filled or improved.
LXP is dynamic, LMS is static
Unlike LMSs, where learning materials are uploaded once and remain static, LXP adapts to learners' interests and search queries to deliver relevant content. It's like searching YouTube or social media, where recommendations are based on previous queries, time, and depth of video viewing.
LXP contains content from multiple sources, while LMS contains content from a single source
Typically, an LMS contains learning content tailored to the needs and specifics of a particular organization, while an LXP is filled with material from a variety of sources. This includes not only internal corporate content, but also user-generated content and training materials from external sources.
Today, LMSs are getting more and more features that are typical for classic LXPs. However, this does not change the essential difference between these two learning systems: An LXP is learner-centered, while an LMS is more of a management tool than a flexible tool. It's not a question of which is better - LXP or LMS - it's about what you need to create a digital learning environment for. LMS and LXP can be combined to provide a more comprehensive learning experience.
How to Choose an LXP Platform: the Most Important Criterias
Perhaps the most important reason to start building an LXP is the fact that the size of the LXP market is growing from year to year. It is projected to reach $30.70 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 15%, indicating a significant increase in interest in LXP and the business benefits of such systems. It seems like it's time to start thinking about building an enterprise learning platform to meet all of your organization's learning needs.
Let's find out what to look for when choosing or creating an LXP that meets your requirements.
1. User/Learner experience
The most effective training systems have a user-friendly interface and are designed to be easy to use and navigate. At the same time, the structure of LXPs should be designed to make it easier for the user to absorb the learning material, i.e. the focus should be on microlearning with its bite-sized content. It is microlearning, by the way, that helps to boost employee engagement and knowledge retention.
2. Mobile-first approach
Whether you are looking for a ready-made LXP or thinking about creating your own, make sure it is easily accessible from mobile phones. Having a mobile version of the LXP or a mobile app will help learners study on the go, wherever they are, ensuring continuous learning.
3. Personalized learning
For learning to be effective, learners must be interested and complete the course. However, this won't happen without proper motivation, which is difficult to achieve when learning is self-paced and self-directed. This is where personalization comes in. One way to achieve this is through adaptive learning. The content and level of difficulty of LXP training materials should be tailored to the learner's prior experience, strengths, and gaps. Another factor that ensures personalization is metrics such as grades, course completion rates, personal progress, etc. These metrics ensure that each learner follows a personalized learning trajectory while providing your organization with a qualified workforce.
4. Pre-built library of courses and learning materials
Ensure that your LXP includes a complete library of world-class courses and other expert-led learning materials. The content should be relevant to your business (avoid LXPs that provide overly generalized materials) and diverse to meet the growing needs and interests of the next generation of learners, who may be looking for game-based lessons, practical examples, short tutorial videos, some graphical descriptions, or engaging lessons from trusted instructors.
5. AI tools to create custom LXP courses
In addition to a built-in library of high-quality learning materials, your LXP should be equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI. With this tool, instructors can create curricula and pathways that meet the specific learning needs and requirements of a wide variety of audiences.
6. Administrator-led tools
The LXP you need should include a set of administrative tools to empower your L&D managers to organize learners into separate groups with specific learning paths and tasks. The tools should be configurable enough to deliver customized training to each group of learners while tracking progress and assigning grades.
7. Third-party integration options
First, your LXP should be easy to deploy and integrate with your company's existing technology ecosystem. Second, today's technology ecosystem is typically organized in a way that requires tools that easily integrate with APIs, recruiting systems, ATSs, CRMs, and so on. So your LXP should be just that.
Finally, a good LXP supports eLearning best practices and standards for assessing performance, inclusivity, accessibility, and other eLearning criteria. Such practices include xAPI, SCORM, CMI5, AICC, etc.
Also, find out if the LXP can be customized for different languages. This option is critical if your employees are located in different countries or if your team is getting more diverse and international.
8. LXP scalability options
Before choosing or building an LXP, make sure the platform is designed to scale as your business grows. It may be designed to meet the needs of a small business without the ability to expand. Look for or build an LXP that is designed to serve businesses of all levels and sizes. Also, make sure that the vendor provides long-term service and support for users on their enterprise learning journey.
9. Ways to assess learner experiences
Of course, your LXP must be equipped with metrics to measure learner success. Make sure your LXP has comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities so you can measure learning rates, course completion or proficiency, time spent on a particular course or lecture, and overall learner engagement. Your LXP should also include surveys, games, contests, quizzes, tests, and other specific ways to assess learner performance.
Now you know what to look for when choosing an LXP for your corporate training needs. You deserve clarity on which LXP to choose and how it can benefit your business. We hope our article will help you answer these questions.
AI-enabled LXP Platform
AI-powered LXPs are all about adaptive learning. Unlike traditional systems that manage learning activities and track progress, LXPs personalize and customize the learning process for each learner. The idea behind an AI training platform is to support learners with recommendations and content based on their real-time behavior. The situation is that AI in a learning system mimics a human teacher to such an extent that it can even replace one-on-one instruction over time, improving learning outcomes for those involved.
Key features and benefits of LXP with AI
Let's take a look at what advantages you can expect with the latest version of LXP with AI.
- Personalized learning trajectories: We mentioned this option above. However, you should be aware of its power: AI provides individualized learning paths based on each learner's skills and goals.
- Adaptive learning technology: AI-powered LXP uses adaptive learning technology to provide learners with assignments based on their performance, which should boost engagement and guide them to the optimal learning pace.
- Intelligent content recommendations: AI algorithms in LXP platforms analyze user behavior and preferences to recommend relevant courses and resources, thus supporting continuous learning and skill development.
- Interactive tools: LXP's AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide real-time support and feedback, thus facilitating the learning experience and making the platform easier to navigate.
- Scalability and Integration: AI-enabled LXPs are designed to handle large numbers of learners and content efficiently, providing a holistic learning experience while combining the best of the latest learning technologies.
AI-powered LXPs are making a big impact in many areas where training is required. This comprehensive software solution can replace many third-party tools and vendors, so you should approach the creation of an AI-enabled LXP with a good sense of the market and your specific training needs.
Now let's take a look at where AI-powered LXPs are being applied.
- Manufacturing: In factories, AI-powered LXPs help workers get up to speed faster and stay on top of current events. Skills development, policy updates, business scaling - all these and other learning tasks are easily solved with LXP.
- Healthcare: For healthcare professionals, these platforms provide targeted training on the latest medical practices and technologies. AI ensures that doctors and nurses receive the most up-to-date information to improve patient care while adhering to industry standards.
- Financial services: AI-powered LXPs help educate employees on regulatory changes and financial products, enabling them to stay on top of compliance, reduce risk, and increase operational efficiency.
- Retail: Retailers are adopting AI-powered LXPs to train staff on products and customer service skills. This results in increased employee efficiency and better customer service, which leads to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
So, LXP with AI can help you:
- Achieve results faster
- Increase employee knowledge and productivity
- Prepare your business for the future
- Equip your organization with the latest technologies
- Be ready for remote work
With AI-powered LXP, you can not only unlock the potential of your workforce, but also drive business growth.
How to Find a Vendor for Building LXP platform
As you can see, LXP promotes dynamic learning and paves the way for user-centered learning. But the question is, where do you find an e-Learning software development team that can build the LXP you need? The answer is that it depends.
It depends on what exactly you want from an LXP, what your software development budget is, what your learning outcomes might be, and so on. However, an experienced vendor can help you achieve whatever result you need. The only difference is which country they are from.
Our experience tells us the following:
1. Analyze the salary expectations of developers in your country and in Western and Eastern Europe. For example, the average salary of an AI developer in the US is $62 per hour, while in Poland it is about $25 per hour.
2. Compare offers from several companies with relevant experience. Evaluate their soft skills, such as how pleasant and easy they are to communicate with, how comprehensive their responses are, how quickly they solve complex problems, etc.
3. Check out examples of similar projects that the development team you are considering has worked on.
Your task during this initial research is to clarify the required budget, the duration of the LXP development, the terms of communication with the team, and the result you can expect.
To save you time and effort, we recommend contacting the DDI development team to discuss how to get started with LXP development. You will get the relevant experience, adequate interaction, no difficulties in communication between you and the team (we are an English-speaking team), and, of course, the necessary expertise in the field of AI.
Bottom line: Are You Ready to Build the LXP from Scratch?
Corporate training has become a new reality for almost every company that wants to stay one step ahead. If you want to be ready for the future and its unpredictable challenges, you need to equip yourself with a reliable and up-to-date learning platform for employee training. The Learning Experience Platform (LXP) is a great alternative to any existing e-learning solution.
By choosing an LXP software solution, you are not only optimizing your training or development process, but also making your company future-ready.
When building an LXP from scratch, it’s crucial to consider whether the LXP will fit within existing organizational functions and meet the unique needs of the organization. At DDI Development, we have extensive experience creating eLearning solutions to meet any business need. Let us know and we can turn any idea into an effective, world-class eLearning solution.
FAQ
What does an LXP mean?
LXP stands for Learning Experience Platform. It is a system that provides users with a personalized learning experience by offering content tailored to their individual needs and interests.
Why use an LXP system?
Compared to traditional learning systems, which are, let's face it, outdated, LXP is user-centric, which improves learning outcomes and business efficiency.
Which business domains benefit most from an LXP?
We can say all, but we would like to highlight areas such as corporate training, manufacturing, financial services and retail.
How much does it cost to develop an LXP platform from scratch?
LXP development from scratch can cost from $10,000 to $1 million. The price depends on the complexity, features, and scale of the platform, as well as the development team's rates.
How long does it take to build an LXP from scratch?
It usually takes 6 to 12 months to build a platform from scratch. However, it's better to ask your IT outsourcing partner for a specific timeframe.