What Factors Are Shaping the LMS Market? 2018 Learning Systems FAQ

As an independent learning systems consultant, I’m often asked to share my opinion about what’s happening in the LMS market. Last month, I published a mid-year learning technology trends update. At that time, I promised to share additional thoughts about what these trends mean for LMS buyers and sellers.

Below are 10 of the most common questions I’ve received this year. Keep in mind that I view the LMS landscape through an extended enterprise lens. In other words, I’m most interested in learning solutions designed for business customers and channel partners, association members, continuing education participants and the public-at-large.

Regardless of whether you’re an LMS buyer, seller or user, I hope you’ll find this Q&A helpful. If you’d like to talk directly about how these topics apply to your organization, feel free to contact me anytime.

LMS Market Trends 2018: Top 10 Questions

1) Are you seeing a shift in demand for LMS platforms?

Interest in learning systems remains strong. One way I gauge overall market demand is in the volume of requests we receive for LMS selection guidance. Needless to say, business is brisk.

Volume-based SaaS licensing models are the primary driver. This pricing strategy puts cloud learning platforms within reach for small and medium-sized businesses that want to train customers, business partners and other external audiences.

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Thanks to simple, transparent licensing, platforms like Adobe Captivate, Docebo, Litmos, Schoox and TalentLMS are attracting tens of thousands of customers who could never afford to invest six figures in a traditional LMS.

And interestingly, now that volume-based SaaS licensing has energized the extended enterprise LMS market, employee training solutions are following suit. This means talent-oriented learning systems are no longer the exclusive domain of Fortune 1000 companies with deep pockets.  Today we see companies of all sizes delivering customized educational programs to employees as well as external audiences – all from the same scalable learning platform.

2) How is innovation moving learning systems forward? What does this mean for the LMS market?

Innovation continues at a blistering pace. The more solutions I evaluate, the more difficult it is to process it all. Of the 700+ LMS solutions available, most are differentiating themselves by innovating in at least one way – user experience design, admin, analytics, mobile apps, social functionality, personalized content, built-in authoring tools, api-enabled integrations, gamification, bulk ecommerce capabilities and more.

Of course, no vendor can innovate effectively in all areas at once, so each chooses matters most in its niche. Collectively, these choices advance the overall learning systems market. But with so many players and nonstop change, it’s tough for any given buyer to find the best solution for their particular needs.

3) What kind of functionality is attracting the most attention?

I see progress on multiple fronts, for example:

• eCommerce:  Organizations everywhere are trying to determine the best way to monetize their instructional content. Many are interested in selling to groups as well as individuals. That means they need secure, reliable, robust ecommerce functionality.

Interest is coming from all corners of the LMS market – corporations as well as associations, non-profits, academic institutions, commercial training companies and even entrepreneurial subject matter experts. In fact, organizations that once managed educational portals as “walled gardens” are now opening these sites to large customers and/or resellers and are offering custom learning experiences at a premium.

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• Interactive Video:  It’s no secret that video content is hot. And now that video-based instruction has become so easy and inexpensive to produce, the next step is to jazz it up. For example, you can make learning experiences more interactive by syncing video with written transcripts, embedding questions, linking to limited-time resources and adding social comment functionality. You can even monitor attention levels to measure effectiveness and continuously improve content quality.

• Mobile Apps:  Not long ago, custom mobile learning apps seemed like a passing fad, but now they’re making a comeback. When smartphones first took the business world by storm, talent management vendors created apps with limited functionality to cover for browser interfaces that weren’t mobile-responsive. Then the “mobile first” cloud LMS became the norm. Now, custom apps are being developed for learners who travel heavily, work remotely, are frequently offline, or have unique “on the go” business requirements. Apps are especially attractive because learning organizations can track activity and engagement in detail. Some specialized app developers include BlueDrop, Digitec, Instancy, Kineo/Totara, Maestro, NetExam and WebCourseworks.

• Exam Prep:  The certification training industry continues to expand, along with services that prepare individuals to pass exams for academic admissions or professional certifications. Many associations and commercial continuing education providers offer online test prep content packages, while automated practice engines like BenchPrep are also helping learners develop mastery in target subjects. It’s also possible to administer exams remotely and manage certifications digitally, as individuals pursue their chosen career paths. With so much interest in professional reskilling and upskilling, we see huge growth potential in this niche.

4) Is all of this innovation changing the LMS buying process?

Selecting an LMS is just as challenging in 2018 as it was in 2008, but for different reasons.  With so many choices today, it’s easy for buyers to be overwhelmed and under-informed.  Without a formalized buying process, it is simple to choose wrong – and many do.

I’ve seen complex global corporations assume that a simple, low-cost SasS solution will suffice. I’ve also seen small regional organizations invest too heavily in a full-blown talent management system.

Other LMS buyers make the mistake of picking requirements from spreadsheets filled with scores of possibilities. Everything seems valid (“Sure, let’s add this too…”). Before you know it, you’ve created a massive list of random features. Impressive perhaps. But useless.

Fortunately, I see more and more organizations relying on use cases to guide their LMS requirements. Who is your audience? What do they want to achieve? What behaviors do you want to change? What kind of results are you seeking and can measure? Starting here makes it possible to prioritize your needs.

In any case, if a buyer is even somewhat serious, a formal buying process is essential.

5)  Is LMS switching behavior on the rise?

It’s a good time to be an LMS selection consultant. Switching LMSs is definitely a popular trend. With so many learning solutions available, now is an ideal time to reevaluate your needs and decide if LMS replacement makes sense – functionally or fiscally.

LMS consolidation is a common reason why organizations switch platforms. As companies grow, their needs change. Mergers and acquisitions can create a collection of mismatched systems. And sometimes outdated platforms are no longer supported by vendors and upgrades are impossible. If you add-up the high cost of maintenance, duplication of content, lost efficiency and lack of user engagement, it’s easy to make the business case for LMS consolidation.

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Many other organizations are stuck with a full-blown talent management system of record that doesn’t support customer or channel training. Since switching isn’t possible in those situations, it’s best to invest in a separate external-facing system specializing in that LMS application.

Professional associations and non-profits are also in an active switching mode. A decade ago, progressive associations invested heavily to make a corporate or academic LMS work for member-oriented learning.  They had no choice.

Now more than 30 pure-play association LMS solutions are available – all designed to support community growth, collaboration and continuing education ecommerce at every price point. With so many viable options, associations are rapidly moving away from traditional employee-oriented LMSs to specialized suites of applications designed to encourage lifelong learning and generate substantial streams of revenue.

6)  Are LMS deployments really more measurable than they were 5 or 10 years ago?

For sure. Organizations don’t buy extended enterprise learning platforms without a measurable reason. Now, with advanced reporting and analytics available in many LMSs and CRMs, and with third-party reporting tools such as Visier and Watershed, organizations can track, compare and drill-down on learning-related metrics with a level of sophistication they could only dream about in the past.

It can be really easy.  Take two groups — one trained and one not — and measure activities you can track in other organizational  systems.  For example, are partners they selling more or less?  Quicker or slower?  This improved insight makes it relatively simple to pinpoint what’s working, how well it’s working, and what needs to be improved. It also makes business impact easier to analyze – which helps justify increased investment over time.

Training organizations that actively measure, predict and improve never have a lack of budget or organizational support.

7)  Does anything surprise LMS buyers these days?

I’m old enough to remember when nearly everyone hated their LMS.  It’s not like that anymore. Just listen to my podcasts with learning leaders from all kinds of organizations, and you’ll find out why they love their systems so much.  With so many choices catering to every type of buyer, buyers are surprised by the progress of the industry and the sophistication of the solutions.

There’s no longer any reason not to find a solution you’ll love. That’s definitely a welcome change for anyone who has struggled with old-school systems. However, if you’re not careful, it’s still easy to find an LMS you’ll hate.

8) Are you surprised about any current LMS market dynamics?

After two decades in this industry, you would think nothing surprises me anymore, but I’m wowed every day.

I am very impressed with the recent rise of learning experience platforms (LXPs/LEPs) such as Degreed ,Percipio and EdCast. These platforms are adding value by automating content personalization.

I’m also excited about how APIs are making it remarkably easy to integrate authoring tools and other high-value functionality into core learning platforms. Reporting and analytics are driving learning into a core strategic differentiator in the market and the confluence of LMS, ecommerce, learning experience, marketing automation, CRM and artificial intelligence in the best extended enterprise applications gives me goosebumps.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

9) How are LMS business models changing and how is this affecting the market?

Vendor business models are generally becoming simpler, and that’s a good thing for both buyers and sellers. I think this is a natural by-product of increased specialization. For example:

• Employee LMSs generally build licensing around the number of employees in your company
• Association LMSs focus on the number of unique learners that use the LMS within a specific timeframe
• Ecommerce LMSs tend to base their licensing on the volume of courses sold

If a licensing scheme doesn’t align with your learning structure or seems overly complicated, keep looking. I guarantee you’ll find a better fit.

10) What advice do you have for anyone purchasing a new or replacement LMS?

If you support organizational learning programs of any kind and you haven’t invested in a new LMS in the last 5 years, you’re behind. The market has changed dramatically. Specialists are the new norm. You should expect high efficiency, economies of scale and measurable results.

Now that 700+ platforms are available, it may not be obvious which ones are ideal for your particular situation. However, I’m confident that you can find your LMS soul mate.

Conclusion

That’s it for my answers to your top 10 LMS market questions.  Did I miss something you’d like to understand better as a buyer or seller? Feel free to contact me to discuss your needs and concerns at your convenience.

Thanks for reading!

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How to Drive Online Learning at Scale: Corporate Market Strategies for Associations

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Selling online learning content to individuals is challenging enough. But selling that same content in bulk through corporate customers or partners can be even more demanding. What does it take to succeed?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning, as he hosts a live virtual panel with experts who have developed and managed profitable B2B online education programs:

• William Hold, Chief Development Officer, The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research
• Linda Bowers, CTO, WBT Systems
  

In this dynamic one-hour roundtable, you’ll learn how to:

• Build a viable business model for bulk sales
• Develop effective pricing and marketing strategies
• Compare tradeoffs of selling through sales reps versus online channels
• Delegate content administration, reporting and user provisioning
• Integrate core learning systems with CRM platforms and other operational applications
• Achieve internal buy-in, drive project momentum and maintain organizational alignment

All live webinar attendees will receive 1 credit toward a Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential application or renewal.

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What Factors Are Shaping the LMS Market? 2018 Learning Systems FAQ original post at Talented Learning

Software Demo Tips: What Works? Ask an LMS Selection Consultant

If you subscribe to this blog, or listen to our podcasts, or attend our webinars, you probably think of Talented Learning as a free source of fiercely indeperndent information for LMS buyers and sellers – but that’s only part of our story.

We actually earn our living by providing comprehensive learning software selection services. For nearly 5 years, our consultants have been on a mission to help extended enterprise LMS buyers make better purchasing decisions. We obsess about every facet of the LMS market so our clients can more effectively attract, engage and educate learning audiences of all types – B2B and B2C customers, channel partners and contractors, employees, association members, continuing education students and the public-at-large.

Learning Software Selection: A Matchmaker’s View

Of the 700+ solutions that comprise today’s LMS landscape, we continuously track details about 175 vendors, including:

• Learning platform functionality and roadmap
• Breadth and depth of technical and services capabilities
• Business model and licensing strategy
• Company history and brand reputation
• Ideal client scenarios and results

We document these details in a living database and we never forget what we learn about vendors over the course of a software selection project.

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LMS matchmaking isn’t just about introducing professional friends and hoping the relationship sticks. It’s a rigorous process that starts with a thorough needs analysis and the thorough definition of business, functional, technical, service and licensing requirements.

With relevant LMS requirements as our guide, we can confidently recommend 4 “best fit” vendors who specialize in the kind of solution we’ve specified. This “shortlisting” service is highly valuable because it frees buyers to focus on evaluating only a few highly qualified vendors, rather than trying to qualify the many vendors that might be worth evaluating.

Software Selection With No Shortlist = Mismatch

When buyers pick their own finalists, the shortlist often looks like a mismatched assortment of apples, oranges, pears and grapes. Finding and comparing apples with apples becomes even more time-consuming and frustrating.

So when time pressure makes it impossible to dig deeper, they pick the best solution among the fruit salad of vendors they identified, rather than picking the best solution for their unique needs. Although this method may fill the immediate need of selection, it is also likely to be a recipe for long-term LMS disaster.

Software Selection With Shortlist = Success + 5 Stages of Grief

So what happens when vendors are comparable and all are qualified to earn the business? First, buyers can be ruthlessly subjective in choosing an LMS partner. Second, vendors that tend to win in mismatched deals find themselves losing and not liking it.

Thus far, Talented Learning has helped approximately 50 organizations select an LMS. For each opportunity, we’ve shortlisted 4 qualified vendors. However, only one could win each bid. That means we’ve had to break the bad news to runner-up vendors about 150 times. It is never a fun task, but it is predictable.

The reaction is almost always the same – denial, anger, bargaining, sulking and then acceptance and a willingness to learn how to improve for next time.  It’s understandable. Everyone works hard. Every vendor thinks they are the best. But that’s not possible of course. Eventually, smart vendors choose to learn from the experience.  With each try, they get better and better and better.

18 Winning LMS Software Demo Tips

If you’re a vendor who wants to increase your win rate, I have some simple advice – focus on upping your LMS demo game.

Over the past 30 days, I’ve organized and participated in 24 hours of demonstrations from 8 vendors. I’ve paid close attention. You may have heard me talk about this in the past, but I’m still surprised that so many vendors overlook demo basics. Trust me, vendors who sweat the details stand out. So here’s my latest list of demo tips, based on best practices and worst missteps I’ve seen on the LMS selection front.

1) Arrive 30 Minutes Early – Nothing is worse than starting a 3-hour meeting late because you aren’t ready. Give yourself the time to sign-in, set-up and work through inevitable technical challenges.

2) Bring Your Own Internet Access – Connectivity is non-negotiable. Saying “imagine this…” and tap dancing your way through a demo can’t replace the real thing. Carry a reliable portable Wi-Fi hotspot device as a backup, in case you hit a speed bump with guest Internet access in the meeting room.

3) Research Your Audience – Find out in advance who’s likely to attend the demo and invest some time learning about them through LinkedIn and the buyer’s website. One vendor I know creates a briefing file with images and bios of expected attendees. This prepares the sales team to greet attendees by name and interact with them more effectively throughout the session.

4) When Location Works In Your Favor, Use It – Since long-distance travel time and expenses can be steep, most vendors don’t visit buyers until the final demo. However, if a buyer is located in your vicinity, don’t hesitate to begin developing rapport and demonstrating value-add earlier in the evaluation process.

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5) Own the Executive Summary – All customers think their organization and their learning challenges are special – and they’re right. Before you talk about your company and your solution, briefly describe your understanding of their business, their challenges and their objectives.  This situational snapshot is the most important 10 minutes of your entire presentation. It establishes common ground and sets the tone for the rest of the day.

6) Clarify the Top 5 Reasons to Buy – Why should this buyer choose your solution over all others? They might be able to figure it out on their own, but it’s smart to tell them upfront, and again during the session and once more in your summary comments. NOTE: If you think the same top 5 fits every buyer, you might as well skip this step.

7) Emphasize the Buyer’s Requirements – This is a critical demo success factor. Want proof? Here’s what happens when you ignore it. Recently, an LMS vendor talked about Salesforce.com integration throughout their demo and the accompanying proposal. Great stuff. However, the prospect doesn’t use Salesforce.com. In fact, LMS/CRM integration wasn’t even a requirement! This wasted precious time and made the vendor seem clueless.

8) Follow the Buyer’s Script – For buyers, LMS selection is typically not a frequent process, so their demo strategy may not be ideal. Regardless, stick to their agenda so their team can follow along – and rate you – as planned. You may know better, but if you’re wise, you’ll keep it to yourself.

9) Stick to a Tell > Show > Confirm Presentation Strategy – Think carefully about how you illustrate use case scenarios. Prospects are likely to rate each step in the workflow, and you don’t want to lower your score by skipping steps. Start with a PowerPoint slide to introduce capabilities you’ll demonstrate. Next, walk through that functionality in the demo. Then return to PowerPoint and summarize what they’ve seen. Cover every requirement before moving on.

10) Add Visual Interest – Presentations and proposals that integrate relevant screenshots in the right places draw more attention and engagement. For a memorable “wow” factor, take time to add a branded environment in your LMS prior to the live demo and include screenshots from that working prototype.

11) Speak the Buyer’s Language – To reinforce your understanding of their business, include relevant industry and company terms, content names, locations – anything that creates a familiar context. These details may seem unnecessary, but they separate great demos from the rest.

12) Minimize Unforced Errors – Recently, I attended a demo where the wrong logo appeared on some slides. Another was plagued by spelling errors. With such tight competition, buyers will use any excuse to dismiss vendors. Don’t make it easy to eliminate you!

13) Show Mobile Experiences On Mobile Devices – Learning apps are back in a big way. If you have mobile functionality, put your best foot forward by running your demo on a mobile device. Engage participants by inviting them to download your app, scan a QR code or pass around a tablet featuring sample content.

14) Include an Implementation Plan – Unbelievably, many vendors fast-forward through this part of the presentation, letting boilerplate content, generic answers and project schedules from 2015 carry the load. But buyers are scared you’ll make them look bad by blowing the budget and schedule during the implementation phase. In a close competition, a conservative approach and risk mitigation beat feature sizzle and price, hands down. Work with your professional services team to create a set of custom slides with realistic timelines and terms.

15) Simplify the Pricing Discussion – Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” If he were here today to comment about LMS pricing, I’m sure he’d say, “If you need more than a few sentences to explain your license model, you’ve just lost.” Enough said.

16) End Strong – Don’t close the meeting with an open-ended whimper. Wrap it up succinctly. Behave like a lawyer delivering a closing argument and organize key points so they lead to a clear conclusion — why you.

17) Don’t Forget Thank You Notes – An old-fashioned idea, yet it’s still remarkably effective. The same day you deliver a demo, craft a simple, personalized email message to everyone who attended the session. Express your appreciation for the time they’re taking to define their requirements and evaluate your solution. Then send it to every contact on your list, so they know how important this process is to you.

18) Follow Up Fast – Did you capture a list of questions and issues that require further research or clarification? Treat it as an opportunity to demonstrate responsiveness on behalf of your brand. If you don’t close the loop your credibility will suffer, along with your chances of sealing the deal. Even if the “to do” list is short and seems insignificant, don’t let it linger. As you leave the meeting, line-up relevant resources and fill-in the blanks immediately. I guarantee you, that extra effort will leave a lasting, favorable impression.

Conclusion

Vendors, how do your demos rate? You can hope that you’ll be shortlisted with mismatched competition and win some deals through attrition or luck. But hope isn’t a reliable strategy.

When you go head-to-head with comparable vendors, you must differentiate your solution wherever possible. The final software demonstration is an excellent opportunity to shine. It will take extra time, but those incremental investments can pay off in a big way. I look forward to seeing you deliver that killer demo sometime soon.

Thanks for reading!

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Shiny Penny or Strategic Edge? How to Leverage Learning Content Trends

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We all want to offer learning experiences that resonate with our audience.  But with so many new content options, that’s easier said than done.  Innovative formats, methods, tools and sources are rapidly changing – and they’re rewriting price/quality and build/buy rules at every turn.

So how do you make the biggest impact on customers, channel partners and others in your extended enterprise?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning on August 22nd from 1-2pm ET as he helps you apply today’s top trends. You’ll learn:

• Top 10 content advances no one can afford to ignore
• How to determine which trends align with your business priorities
• Tips for buy-versus-build decisions
• Ideas for integrating new content into existing programs
• How to evaluate the impact of a refreshed content strategy

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ALSO: If you can’t attend the live online event, we’ll send you a link to the recording.

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Need Proven LMS Selection Guidance?

Looking for a learning platform that truly fits your organization’s needs?  We’re here to help!  Submit the form below to schedule a free preliminary consultation at your convenience.

• First Name*
• Last Name*
• Email Address*
• Company

The post Software Demo Tips: What Works? Ask an LMS Selection Consultant appeared first on Talented Learning.

Software Demo Tips: What Works? Ask an LMS Selection Consultant original post at Talented Learning

Which Learning Content Trends Matter Most to You?

When the very first website launched back in 1992, it featured only a handful of sparse pages outlining the new “world wide web” project at CERN. Soon, organizations everywhere decided to create their own websites, but many were surprised when no visitors showed up. They quickly learned that in a world where visitors can choose from a vast number of web destinations, it’s essential to offer plenty of new, interesting, relevant content.

Extended enterprise learning content followed a similar path. Organizations raced to set up learning management systems (LMS) for employees and then customers, business partners and/or members. But they were surprised when nobody voluntarily showed up. That’s when the learning content development race started. The pendulum always swings back to content.

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No learner ever completes an online learning experience saying, “That was the best LMS I’ve used. It was so slick and modern and intuitive. The functionality was breathtaking!”

Almost all feedback from learners is about the content. Feedback can be tangible, like surveys and star ratings, but too often it’s manifested in a lack of repeat visitors or sales. These days, learners of all types have options – lots of options – to buy and consume educational content. If you want people to choose what you offer, you’d better understand who they are and do something special to attract and engage them.

So, what makes content special?  What will attract voluntary learners?  What content characteristics or technology will develop loyal, enthusiastic and repeat learners?  How can you make your learners vocal advocates in the market?  How can you develop content that is better than your competition?  These are the kind of issues that keep learning professionals up at night and what I’ve been discussing with experts on the Talented Learning Show Podcast Series all year.

If you’re responsible for business-related learning, I have some content questions for you!

Learning Content Survey: What Are Your Priorities?

As I see it from the front lines of the online learning content world, there’s a frothy mix of hype and buzzwords. Legitimate innovation exists, but it’s hard to distinguish what’s pragmatic from the what’s trendy or popular.

Of course, I have my own ideas. And I look forward to sharing those thoughts in more detail at a webinar with OpenSesame on August 22nd. But before that session, I’d like to verify which training content advances are receiving serious attention from you – the savviest learning technology readers in the world.

I’ve listed a variety of possible priorities in the poll below. Some focus squarely on technology. Others involve content strategies or practices. All are opportunities my clients face in managing extended enterprise learning. I’ve also included an open “other” field, so you can fill in the blank with additional priorities I may have missed.

Want more clarification about any of these terms? Brief descriptions of each are defined below the poll.

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POLL INSTRUCTIONS:  Please choose your top 5 answers below. Then click “submit” to see current results. I’ll discuss preliminary statistics at the August 22nd webinar, but we’ll keep the poll open until November 30th, so we can include more responses in our annual trends analysis next January.

NOTE: The following list is in no particular order.

Thanks for participating!

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What Are Your Learning Content Priorities? (Choose 5)

• Personalization/Adaptive Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Microlearning
• Content Curation
• Intra-LMS Authoring
• User-Generated Content
• Collaborative Authoring
• Learning Content Marketplaces
• Course Publishing Platforms
• Training Business eCommerce
• Extended Enterprise Content Strategy
• xAPI
• Build vs. Buy Analysis
• Video
• Gamification
• Simulations
• Other
  

SUBMIT YOUR PRIORITIES

Learning Content Trends: Defining Key Terms

1) Personalization/Adaptive Learning

Kirstie Greany at Elucidat offers one of the best descriptions I’ve seen, along with helpful implementation tips. “Personalization is about addressing individuals’ needs, context and goals, and providing the right content, tools and/or experiences to help them. You can personalize content manually, but adaptive technologies help automate personalization on a micro level.”

On the other hand, adaptive learning does all that personalized learning does, but it uses algorithms to detect user behavior and provide personalized recommendations, live in the moment and at a granular level of detail. Multiple platforms are built with one or both of these capabilities, such as Area9, D2L Brightspace Leap, EdCast, Degreed and Filtered Magpie and OttoLearn. Do these solutions play an important role in your world yet?

2) Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Working hand-in-hand with machine learning (ML) algorithms, AI is an enabling technology that simulates human intelligence and to enhance learning, problem-solving, pattern recognition and predictive modeling. As adaptive learning platforms demonstrate, there is tremendous value in “smart” AI-driven content recommendations (a la Netflix, YouTube and Amazon).

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Learning & Performance Institute Chairman, Donald H. Taylor suggests that by combining natural language processing with AI, chatbots could be a powerful step forward for learning. But AI can transform many other aspects of learning and business, as well. In fact, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says, “there’s no institution in the world that cannot be improved with machine learning.” His own company says it could not grow its business, improve its product selection and customer experience or optimize its logistic speed and quality without AI. Are you investigating these leading-edge opportunities?

3) Microlearning

Microlearning – the practice of creating and deliberately delivering small, specific bursts of content over time or as needed – has attracted a wave of attention in recent years. The concept isn’t new. However, with the rise of cloud computing, mobile “always on” devices and other digital advances, microlearning has taken on new importance.

Meanwhile, some pundits are expressing concern that microlearning has become an excuse for blindly chopping content into ever smaller bits, based on a myth that attention spans are shrinking. I think the truth is somewhere in between. While “shorter” content isn’t necessarily better by definition, “right-sized” content can be highly effective when it’s offered at the right time in a useful format. Platforms designed for microlearning include Axonify, Grovo, PlayerLync and others. What’s your view?

4) Content Curation

Collecting, organizing and sharing topical learning content was once a labor-intensive manual process. Those days are long gone, with the advent of user-friendly AI-driven content curation tools. And not a moment too soon, given the massive amount of content available these days!

As Wikipedia explains, automation can support curation with collaborative filtering, semantic analysis and social ratings.  Tools designed specifically for this purpose, such as Anders Pink make it possible to find, select, share and refresh appropriate learning content much more efficiently. And in supporting diverse extended enterprise communities, the need for relevance and speed is especially critical. Where does curation fit into your content strategy?

5) Intra-LMS Authoring

As I noted several weeks ago in a learning systems trends update, integrated authoring and delivering platform are roaring back with a vengeance – and with good reason.  Surveys show that organizations want stronger functional integration, and built-in authoring capabilities continue to improve. It’s already nearly impossible to distinguish content from the systems that deliver it. This approach is often criticized for lack of content portability when switching LMS vendors. However, vendors are reducing this risk with automated content migration capabilities.

Many organizations continue to use standalone content authoring tools like Articulate, GomoLearning, iSpring and Lectora. However, I see many associations and continuing education providers moving to tightly integrated content/LMS solutions so they can simplify the process of creating and selling specialized content. Vendors in this space include Litmos, Thought Industries, Northpass, eCoach, aNewSpring, Knowledge Anywhere, Mindflash, Velpic and a growing list of others. What’s your approach?

6) User-Generated Content (UGC)

Are you interested in scaling learning content by showcasing ideas from a broader community of content creators? You’re not alone. Many extended enterprise learning leaders want to rely more heavily on UGC, but need a more efficient process.

Articulate community manager Trina Rimmer thinks it makes sense to empower external content creators, especially subject matter experts (SMEs). She notes that, when given a few easy-to-use tools and clear content creation guidelines, SMEs and others can respond quickly to business needs with content that adds significant value.

EasyGenerator CEO Kasper Spiro says he sees content creation shifting from elearning specialists to subject matter experts. He says that, with tools designed to help SMEs create their own content, “companies can create more courses on the same budget, within days instead of months, and easily keep published content up to date.” What are your thoughts?

7) Collaborative Authoring

Think of this as a team approach to user-generated content creation and iteration. Cloud-based collaborative authoring is particularly useful for extended enterprise situations that demand smooth, speedy coordination and communication throughout the development and review process. It saves time and frustration while making it possible to interact in a professional way with global customers, channel partners or other external stakeholders.

Strong group authoring tools are available from Composica, Elucidat, Gomo Learning, Articulate Review, and Adobe Captivate Draft as well as the standalone collaborative review solution, ZipBoard. Are you actively pursuing this content strategy?

8) Learning Content Marketplaces

Increasingly popular among both elearning buyers and sellers, content marketplace companies offer multiple variations on a theme:

• Standalone marketplaces: These work with any LMS to connect learners with relevant courses from their library of aggregated content. They also offer SCORM-based courses developed and submitted by independent subject matter entrepreneurs. The best-known example is OpenSesame, with multiple licensing models: pay-per-use, volume purchasing and subscription pricing.
• A growing number of LMS vendors partner with marketplaces, but only to offer their customers a broad selection of content. (Examples: Docebo and Cornerstone.)
• Some marketplaces provide tools to create or upload existing content and offer those courses privately through a portal or publicly through their marketplace. (Examples: Coggno, GO1 and ProProfs.)

9) Course Publishing Platforms

Designed primarily for subject matter entrepreneurs who prefer to leverage a complete third-party publishing solution, these increasingly popular platforms make it relatively easy to develop, market and sell online courses, typically through a custom-branded online “store.” However, as with content marketplaces, there are multiple ways to play. You’ll find:

• Platforms with built-in marketplaces (such as Udemy, Skillshare and Learning.ly)
• Platforms that add full website and online marketing capabilities (including Kajabi and Academy of Mine)
• Pure-play course publishing platforms (for example Teachable and Thinkific)

10) Training Business eCommerce

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If you offer instructional products of any kind, you know there are now endless ways to sell content. But that means there are also endless ways to package and price that content. The key is understanding what you can do to increase revenues in a profitable and sustainable way. How important is it for you to tap into creative marketing and ecommerce solutions that will take your training content business to the next level?

11) Extended Enterprise Content Strategy

If your organization educates customers and/or channel partners in support of a broader business mission, you know that these “extended enterprise” audiences have unique content needs that don’t fit-in with employee training models.

For example, if you sell products through distributors, how can you empower them to represent your company more effectively? Should you offer channel training at no cost? Would a paid certification program drive more revenues for both your company and your channel partners? How can you package and sell this kind of educational content to external audiences in a way that adds value to your brand and your bottom line? If these issues are high on your radar, we’d love to know.

12) xAPI

xAPI (and its forerunner, TinCan API) have been popular buzzwords for years. xAPI sessions at learning conferences are consistently packed with attendees. Clearly, there’s an interest in how xAPI helps measure learning, but it tends to be missing in action from trend surveys. We can’t help wondering if learning professionals really consider analytics a high priority.

For those who specialize in extended enterprise learning – serving customers, channel partners and commercial training audiences – measurement is mission critical. The need to demonstrate business impact is also a popular theme in corporate learning circles. But how can organizations accomplish this without a strong grasp of learning analytics and the underlying data that prove business impact? Where does xAPI stack up in your mind?

13) Build vs. Buy Analysis

Is a review of your content sourcing strategy overdue? At some point, every content-minded professional needs to analyze the costs and benefits of their content sourcing strategy. Different factors come into play when you choose in-house development of courses and resources, rather than buying comparable content off-the-shelf or hiring a custom solutions provider to develop it. But online learning is changing so rapidly, a strategy that made sense for you several years ago may no longer be the best answer. How important is this issue to you today?

14) Video

Like mobile learning, video content has become a must-have for learning solutions of all types. But related issues must be addressed – like how to optimize metadata, taxonomies and file compression. Now some people are pushing boundaries with advanced video techniques such as streaming media and interactive quizzes.

For example, one Articulate Storyline 360 user transformed a passive airport security video training content into an engaging experience that involves participants in decision making, consequences and contextual feedback. Are immersive video experiences high on your list? Or has video become another checklist item?

15) Gamification

It may not be new, but gamification is definitely gaining broader acceptance. Just look around. You’ll see badges, scoring and game-oriented logic built into all kinds of online learning experiences. For example, consider the massive success of Salesforce.com’s Trailhead learning paths and badges. I wasn’t surprised when gamification expert Dr. Karl Kapp recently told me he’s very much in demand, helping a variety of organizations achieve business impact from gamification. But does your organization see its value?

16) Simulations

Although simulations sometimes include game elements, they tend to have a more realistic feel. This is another area of expertise for Karl Kapp, who recently explained the benefits of safe simulation environments for physicians and others in high-risk professions.

Increasingly, we’re seeing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) integrated into training simulations, with highly effective results. However, the cost of developing this kind of content still seems beyond the reach of many learning content teams. Where does fit into your learning content priorities?

17) Other

I’ve clearly left some items off our list of suggestions but I’m already at 2500+ words! Feel free to enter content priorities you don’t see here, so they’ll get the attention they deserve.

Thanks for reading!

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Shiny Penny or Strategic Edge? How to Leverage Learning Content Trends

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We all want to offer learning experiences that resonate with our audience.  But with so many new content options, that’s easier said than done.  Innovative formats, methods, tools and sources are rapidly changing – and they’re rewriting price/quality and build/buy rules at every turn.

So how do you make the biggest impact on customers, channel partners and others in your extended enterprise?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning on August 22nd from 1-2pm ET as he helps you apply today’s top trends. You’ll learn:

• Top 10 content advances no one can afford to ignore
• How to determine which trends align with your business priorities
• Tips for buy-versus-build decisions
• Ideas for integrating new content into existing programs
• How to evaluate the impact of a refreshed content strategy

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NOTE: Live webinar attendees qualify for 1 CAE credit.
ALSO: If you can’t attend the live online event, we’ll send you a link to the recording.

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Podcast 14: Managing Nonprofit Member Education at The Land Trust Alliance

WELCOME TO EPISODE 14 OF THE TALENTED LEARNING SHOW!

To learn more about this podcast series or to see the full collection of episodes visit The Talented Learning Show main page.

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EPISODE 14 – TOPIC SUMMARY AND GUEST:

Many people assume that federal and state governments are responsible for land conservation in the U.S.  That’s only partially true.  It also takes a village – a diverse and educated grassroots village – to protect America’s natural treasures.

That’s what I discuss today with guest, Mary Burke, Associate Director of Educational Services at Land Trust Alliance.  As the leading source for policy, standards, education and training, the Alliance works side-by-side with 1,200 land trusts, which are in turn supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and nearly 5 million members, nationwide.

How does the Alliance accomplish such ambitious educational goals?  It’s not easy.  But it is fascinating.  And Mary says it’s rewarding on multiple levels.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Land trusts play an integral role in U.S. environmental conservation.  Currently, they protect 56 million acres of land – more area than the state of Idaho.

• Compared with professional associations, Land Trust Alliance’s training challenges are unique, because participants are often volunteer members of land trusts or conservation affiliates and their professions don’t depend on land trust education.

• The Land Trust Alliance offers valuable lessons for associations – not just because of its lofty mission, but because of the way it engages and educates individuals through member organizations.

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Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:

As many people know, I live on a farm, so conservation and natural resources are a big part of my life.  But I didn’t know about land trusts until I met you four years ago, Mary.  Could you start by explaining what a land trust is?

Sure.  I’m not surprised that you were unfamiliar with the term.  We seem to be our own best-kept secret!  Most land trusts are local organizations that conserve places they cherish in their communities.  That could be farmlands, ranchlands, beautiful vistas, forests, beaches, swimming holes – whatever spaces they want to preserve.

For example…?

One example is George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. It’s on the Potomac River in Virginia, right across from Maryland.  Thanks to the work of a lot of conservation groups in my home state of Maryland, if you stand on the back porch of Mount Vernon in the same place where George Washington stood, you will see the same pristine view he saw.

Nice.  How does the Land Trust Alliance help?

We work with volunteer groups of all sizes to help them preserve whatever lands are important to their community now and for the future.

How do you do that?

Let’s say you’re a farmer who wants to preserve your land for the next generation and you’re worried about estate taxes.  You could work with a land trust to donate or sell a conservation easement.  That’s a legal document that specifies things like where crops may be grown. It may also identify where a house can be built, away from the prime soils.

It’s about figuring out these parameters and documenting them in an agreement that goes with the land, so the next landowner is bound by it.

So where does education fit into this? How do you educate such diverse volunteer groups?

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It’s a challenge.  We have to consider money and time.  We’re educating people in nonprofit organizations, so every dollar is of extreme value to them.  And time?  Well, we always feel like we’re in a race to preserve land before it’s developed.

Plus, we’re a non-profit as well.  So we’re bound by our own constraints of time and money.  Our strategy is to create different learning for different people.  We offer many types of learning opportunities to meet diverse needs.

Such as…?

We produce webinars.  We deliver self-study training through our LMS.  We provide an extensive collection of sample documents.  We offer in-person training.  We host a conference with about 2000 people every year.  We’ve got a law library.  Every few years we offer a symposium for advanced topics in land conservation law.  We also provide individual one-off training and technical assistance.

Wow…

One of our most popular educational services is our “Ask the Expert” capability on our LMS.  This is where members submit questions and get answers directly from experts.  Actually, we started this with our first LMS because we couldn’t afford to create a lot of self-study training.  We thought a forum could fill that gap, and it turned out to be a situation where a constraint created an opportunity.

Interesting.  So are attorneys your primary audience?  What other types of interests do you serve?

Right.  There are attorneys and board members, so we train on legal issues and non-profit governance.  Also finance, because the financial aspects of land conservation can be fairly technical.  Obviously, real estate and fundraising are important.  We also include marketing and communications training.  And then there’s the on-the-ground science.  We don’t train much on that, but land trusts need to know about it.

I feel like we train on everything.  Even HR.  The question really is what subject don’t we train on?

Right!  So how do you go about picking or developing all of this content?  Is it all proprietary?

Yes, land trust work is very specific, so we generate most of the content ourselves.  We use a code of ethics called Land Trust Standards and Practices to guide our priorities.

We just completed an extensive community input process and revised the standards and practices in 2017.  Now we’re in the process of updating all of our materials, so they reflect the new standards.  Also, we ask members for feedback on an ongoing basis to guide our priorities.

Great.  So is education a profit center for the Alliance?  Or do you include that as a member benefit? 

Everything on our LMS is available as a member benefit.  We charge a small additional fee for webinars.  They’re very heavily subsidized by our funders, but we have to cover the cost of instructors.

We need to support land trusts that are doing great work with very limited budgets.  It’s important to provide them with as much support and information and training as possible.

Absolutely.  So what are other key challenges you face in educating members, beyond their diverse interests?

Time and money.  That’s the challenge.  People are getting busier and it’s hard to find 90 minutes for a webinar.  It’s kind of a sad that 90 minutes of uninterrupted focus is considered a luxury these days.

So how does that manifest itself in your content?  Are you creating smaller and more mobile training?

Yes.  When I started at the Alliance we created self-study books for use independently and in training.  We were trying to be efficient.  But now that we’re shifting to an online model we’re paring down written content.  It’s because people just don’t have time to read.

So you probably have a pretty interesting technology ecosystem.  How do you manage so many members and track their activity?

We use iMIS.  We have two dedicated people to manage IMS and help our program staff use it effectively.  In addition, we just moved from a home-built LMS to WBT TopClass LMS.  And for webinars, we’ve used Adobe Connect for several years and we’re very happy with that.

Is your LMS integrated with iMIS, so you can share data between those two?

Yes.  That’s very critical.  And one thing we’re excited about in the new LMS  is the ability for managers to assign training to users and for users to track their learning activity – both on and off of the LMS – because we have a very large annual conference.

Independent of your LMS, what are the top three learning technology capabilities that are vital to an organization like yours?

1) A good way for people to communicate with each other.  Land trusts are very generous about sharing information, ideas and support.  Our LMS forums help facilitate that.  And our “Ask The Expert” option is a wonderful way to connect with other people doing similar work.  That’s very important.

2) Sitewide search is also important.  Our land trusts love sample documents because they don’t have to create things from scratch.  They can download a sample and then edit the document to fit their needs.  So the sooner they can find relevant files, the better.

3) Reporting.  We’ve been very happy moving from our homegrown system because it had very limited analytics.  Now we have much better insight.

Excellent…

4) And one more thing:  Mobile capability.  Land trust people visit sites at least once a year to make sure landowners are actually complying with the trust.  So when they’re in the field, it’s helpful to call up information right there from a phone or tablet.  The benefit of this should increase over time.

How do you define success?

There are many ways to look at success.  For example here’s a broad metric:  Of the 1363 U.S. land trusts, 411 have earned accreditation from the Alliance.  In other words, nearly 30% have achieved the highest standards for sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance and lasting stewardship.

What’s your best advice for other organizations who are creating an educational environment that serves diverse members?

Prioritize, so you don’t squander time and resources and you deliver exactly what members need when they need it.  Also, build a solid team.  It’s really important to work with colleagues that have your back.

I also encourage others to connect directly with individuals in your learning community, so they realize that you’re a real person and they feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback with you.

Above all, don’t forget to go outside!  Go for a walk in the woods or on the beach.  Get to know your local land trust because they’re probably doing amazing things to make your community a better place to live.

FOR COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST NOW…

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WANT MORE LMS INSIGHTS? JOIN OUR FREE AUGUST WEBINAR

Shiny Penny or Strategic Edge? How to Leverage Learning Content Trends

RSVP NOW!

We all want to offer learning experiences that resonate with our audience.  But with so many new content options, that’s easier said than done.  Innovative formats, methods, tools and sources are rapidly changing – and they’re rewriting price/quality and build/buy rules at every turn.

So how do you make the biggest impact on customers, channel partners and others in your extended enterprise?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning on August 22nd from 1-2pm ET as he helps you apply today’s top trends. You’ll learn:

• Top 10 content advances no one can afford to ignore
• How to determine which trends align with your business priorities
• Tips for buy-versus-build decisions
• Ideas for integrating new content into existing programs
• How to evaluate the impact of a refreshed content strategy

RSVP NOW!

NOTE: Live webinar attendees qualify for 1 CAE credit.
ALSO: If you can’t attend the live online event, we’ll send you a link to the recording.

---

Need Proven LMS Selection Guidance?

Looking for a learning platform that truly fits your organization’s needs?  We’re here to help!  Submit the form below to schedule a free preliminary consultation at your convenience.

• First Name*
• Last Name*
• Email Address*
• Company

The post Podcast 14: Managing Nonprofit Member Education at The Land Trust Alliance appeared first on Talented Learning.

Podcast 14: Managing Nonprofit Member Education at The Land Trust Alliance original post at Talented Learning