e-Learning for the Enterprise:

e
-
Learning for the Enterprise:
Why Learning Content
Management Matters Most


Bryan Chapman

e
-
Learning Analyst

Brandon
-
hall.com

Presented at Online Learning 2001

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Traditional e
-
learning model

Learning Management

System

Live, Virtual

Classrooms

e
-
assessment

Online University

Classroom

Custom e
-
learning

“Off
-
the
-
Shelf”

e
-
learning

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Emerging Technology
-

LCMS

Learning Management

System

Live, Virtual

Classrooms

Online University

Classroom

LCMS

Learning Content

Management System

•
Convergence of Knowledge
Management and traditional e
-
learning

•
Based on learning object
model, reusability, and team
development

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Definition

LCMS
(èl
-
see
-
em
-
ess):



1)
A multi
-
user environment where
learning developers can create,
store, reuse, manage and deliver
digital learning content from a
central object repository.


2)
Acronym for
L
earning
C
ontent
M
anagement
S
ystem.

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

LCMS vs. LMS

LMS

LCMS

Primary Target Users


Training Managers,
Instructors, Administrators

Content Developers,
Instructional Designers,
Project Managers


Provides primary management
of…


Learners

Learning Content

Management of Classroom,
Instructor
-
led Training


Performance Reporting of
Training Results


Primary

Secondary

Learner Collaboration


Keeping Learner Profile Data


Sharing learner data with an ERP
system


Event Scheduling


© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

LCMS vs. LMS
(cont)

LMS

LCMS

Competency Mapping
–

Skill Gap
Analysis

Content Creation Capabilities

Organizing reusable content

Creation of Test Questions and
test administration

Dynamic pretesting and adaptive
learning

Workflow tools to manage the
content development process

Deliver content by providing
navigational controls and look &
feel

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

LCMS
-

Significant Event Timeline


Circa November 2000
–

Formation of the
LCMS Vendor Council


Circa February 2001
-

The acronym
LCMS
begins appearing on
literature and trade show booths at Training 2001


April 12, 2001
-

Centra

acquires
MindLever
, rebrands the LCMS as
“
Centra Knowledge Server
”


June 4, 2001
–

Docent

significantly increases its internal content
management system functionality and releases it with Docent
version 5.0


June 27, 2001
–

Saba

acquires
Ultris
, rebrands as “
Saba Content
”


July 16, 2001
–

KnowledgePlanet
acquires
Peer3
, rebrands as
“
KnowledgePlanet Content
”


September 6, 2001
–

Click2Learn
releases
Aspen Enterprise
Learning Platform

–

converting in
-
house tool “
REDS
” to Aspen
Content Development Server and acquired
Intelliprep
to Aspen
Learning Experience Server


September 24, 2001
–

ThinQ

announces that they will “deeply
integrate” with
Outstart

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Interoperability with 3
rd

Party LMS

29 LCMS Systems

Learning Management

System

LCMS

Learning Content

Management System

10

5

4

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Review of LCMS products

•
Adaptive Learning Framework (ibtraining.com)

•
Adaptive Tutoring System (Adaptive Tutoring)

•
Aspen Content Development Server (Click2Learn)

•
Aspen Content Delivery Server (Click2Learn)

•
Centra Knowledge Server (Centra)

•
Docent Outliner/Content Delivery Server (Docent)

•
ePath Learning (ePath Learning)

•
Evolution (Outstart)

•
f(2) (Interactive Media)

•
iAuthor (NYUOnline)

•
LEAP Learning Development System (Intellinex)

•
iPerformance (Online Courseware Factory)

•
IPRESS/KBRIDGE (KnowledgeXtensions)

•
Jupiter (Avaltus)

•
Knowledge Mechanics Studio (Knowledge Mechanics)

•
Knowledge Pathways (Global Knowledge)

•
Knowledge Producer (IBM Mindspan Solutions)

•
Knowledgelinx 2000 (Knowledgelinx)

•
KnowledgePlanet Content (KnowledgePlanet)

•
KnowledgeOne Content Manager (LeadingWay
Knowledge Systems)

•
Lightspeed Omnisite (Lightspeed Interactive)

•
LogicBuilder (LogicBay)

•
Nogginware (Handshaw, inc.)

•
SmartBuilder (Suddenly Smart)

•
SWIFT (Gemini Learning Systems)

•
Theorix (Theorix)

•
TopClass (WBT Systems)

•
Total Knowledge Management (TKM) System (Generation21)

•
Vitalect (Vitalect)

•
VuePoint Learning System (VuePoint)

* Members of the LCMS Vendor Council in blue

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

“Points of Pain”

•
Can’t keep pace with the volume of content needed

•
Inefficiencies of developing content on the desktop

•
Lack of macro
-
management of overall development
process

•
Previously created content is difficult to find and use

•
Need for re
-
purposing content (multiple, derivative
versions)

•
Content created for one delivery format is not usable in
another format

•
Difficulties of creating adaptive learning using traditional
authoring tools

•
Inconsistencies in delivery standards

•
Difficulties of frequently changing content

•
Problems with manually attaching authored content to an
LMS

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Characteristics of an LCMS


Based on a Learning Object Model


Content is reusable across courses, curricula or across the entire
enterprise


Content is not tightly bound to a specific template and can be re
-
deployed in a variety of formats such as e
-
learning, CD
-
ROM, print
-
based learning, PALM, EPSS, etc.


Navigational controls are not hard coded at the content (or page)
level


There is a complete separation of content and presentation logic


Content is stored in a central database repository


Content can be represented as XML or is stored as XML


Content can be tagged for advanced searchability (both at the media
and the topic level)

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Characteristics of an LCMS
(con’t)


Pre
-
tests and Post
-
tests can be automatically aggregated from test
questions written for the primary instruction. In addition, the system
can delivery the test and prescribe learning based on performance


The system manages the development process by providing some
level of workflow tools to manage a multi
-
developer, team
environment.


Version controls and archiving capabilities to store previous versions
of content


Advanced searching capabilities across all objects in the repository


Interoperable with 3rd party learning management systems


Includes a delivery engine for serving up content, automatically adding
navigation controls, collaboration tools, utilities, and look & feel (skins)

© 2001 brandon
-
hall.com

Anatomy of an LCMS

Learning Object

Repository

Microsoft

Word

M

I

D

D

L

E

W

A

R

E


D

E

L

I

V

E

R

Y


E

N

G

I

N

E

PowerPoint

Built
-
in

Authoring Utilities

(Browser
-
Based or

Locally Installed Application)

Content Creation
Interfaces

Flash

(and other 3
rd

party

Authoring tools)

Content Assembly
Interface

(course hierarchy)

HTML

Editor

Embedded or external

Database Storage

Publish Learning

(add navigation controls, etc.)

e
-
Learning

CD
-
ROM

Print
-
based

PALM

(and other mobile

devices)

EPSS

Output

Type?

Assemble at runtime

Pre
-
compile

C:
\
Media



\
graphics

\
animations

\
audio

\
video

Output Formats