How to Integrate LMS and LXP for Maximum Engagement
In today’s learning environment, the two big players – Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) – are essential business tools. But what happens when you integrate them? The magic happens: a seamless learning experience that keeps employees engaged and encourages them to adopt new training material faster. So, how do you merge these systems effectively to get the best of both worlds?
Let’s dive into it.
Why Integrate LMS and LXP?
Most companies already use an LMS to manage their formal training. These platforms host e-learning courses, track progress, and deliver compliance or skill-based training. On the other hand, LXPs are more about the learning experience, focusing on informal learning, social collaboration, and “learning in the flow of work.” While LMS handles structured learning, LXP thrives in peer-to-peer learning, content creation, and asynchronous discussions.
Combining these platforms allows you to build a dynamic, learner-centered ecosystem. Not only can you track formal learning, but you also encourage employees to engage in continuous, informal learning through an LXP. This blend is key to boosting engagement and adoption across the board.
6 Steps to Integrate LMS and LXP
Here’s a quick roadmap to integrating these two platforms:
- Support Formal Learning with Social Learning – Imagine employees participating in a formal onboarding program through the LMS, but also interacting with peers in an LXP. This informal learning network will allow new hires to ask questions, seek clarifications, and make connections – leading to better knowledge retention.
- Make Content Discovery Easier – An integrated LXP can surface content based on the learner’s role, experience, or interests. No more buried gems of knowledge! Learners get personalized recommendations, and the LMS content gains new visibility.
- Supplement Internal Learning with External Resources – LXPs provide a space where employees can share external resources like articles or videos they find valuable. This crowdsourcing of knowledge can reduce reliance on third-party training vendors and empower your team to build a learning culture from within.
- Enable learning in the Flow of Work – With an LXP, learning becomes as simple as answering a question on Slack. Workers can participate in discussions or contribute resources during breaks, making learning a part of their daily routine rather than a separate activity they need to block time for.
- Boost Knowledge Transfer Across Teams – Collaborative workspaces in LXPs create open forums where employees can exchange ideas and solve problems together. It’s like having a brainstorming session at your fingertips. This constant exchange ensures that learning is never siloed.
- Track Engagement with Robust Data – One of the best things about integrating LMS and LXP is the robust reporting that comes with it. An LXP not only shows you what people are learning but how they are engaging. This data provides deeper insights into which content formats are working and how formal and informal learning blend to drive better outcomes.
Benefits of LMS-LXP Integration
By integrating an LMS and LXP, you’re empowering your employees to learn in a way that suits them, while providing management with detailed insights into learning behaviors and preferences. This integrated approach leads to:
- Increased engagement as employees can dip in and out of learning as needed.
- Faster knowledge transfer, as employees collaborate and learn from one another.
- Smarter reporting gives HR and learning teams the whole picture, not just part of it.
How Will This Impact Your Organization?
Organizations that integrate these platforms report higher engagement levels and stronger skill development. Employees have constant access to learning, whether it’s formal training via the LMS or informal discussions in the LXP. This improves performance and fosters a learning culture where knowledge is shared freely and personal development is encouraged.
If you want to create a learning environment that’s both structured and fluid, it’s time to integrate your LMS with an LXP. Together, they’ll make learning more engaging, accessible, and effective.
The Learning Syndicate a Platinum Partner with Totara