The Evolution of the Learning Content Management System http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/apr2002/robbins.html1 of 4 8/15/2007 8:27 AM The Evolution of the Learning Content Management SystemBy Shelley R. RobbinsWe're in the midst of an e-learning revolution, which brings with it rapid change, a myriad of emerging technologies, and greater opportunities to generate significant business returns on e-learning investments. During this period, technology has progressed in a series of evolutionary stages, which have had an increasingly profound impact upon the speed, content ownership, cost, flexibility, and business benefits of e-learning solutions. Reviewing the last five years of market developments reveals the emergence of LCMSs as a platform of choice for many companies seeking fast deployment of e-learning.Stage 1: Generic content libraries While authoring tools had been widely used to create e-learning delivered via CD-ROM or mainframe computers, the growth of the Internet enabled companies to pioneer the development of large, Web-based e-learning content libraries. Initially, IT had the greatest demand for these types, but libraries of courses providing training in project management, leadership, and team development emerged quickly. As this type of e-learning increased in popularity, suppliers that provided Web-based libraries of generic content formed. Using a subscription model, companies could subscribe to an entire learning library that would be available 24/7 to all employees. The benefits of content libraries were obvious. An employee whoneeded to learn a new skill rapidly could take a Web-based self-study course. Course libraries eliminated the need for distribution of CD-ROMs or paper manuals as resource materials. Also, learners didn't have to wait until the course was available in a classroom format. But because the content rarely varied between companies or organizations, using this form of e-learning provided little competitive advantage. Companies who wanted to use distributed e-learning for company-specific content still needed to go outside of the system to develop courses, adding to the expense of delivering a wide range of training solutions. Stage 2: Learning management systems. Once companies became aware of the potential for technology-based learning delivered via the Internet, a second class of systems evolved in the marketplace: LMSs. Learning management systems enable companies to plan and track the learning needs and accomplishments of employees, customers, and partners. As the strategic planning and management system for learning within a company, an LMS can link organizational goals to employee jobs and competencies, provide a catalogue of available (and relevant) courses, books, and training events, and deliver conent in classroom-based or e-learning formats. The system also has the ability to register learners for courses, book hotel rooms, order a videotape, or charge expenses to the appropriate credit card or cost center. Although the implementation of an LMS is an important tool for strategic deployment of learning and the long-term benefits are important, it doesn't guarantee that a company will actually deploy e-learning. Many organizations with extensive, well-established classroom training functions use the LMS to enroll learners in classroom-based events, manage face-to-face training, and report on progress. The LMS will typically launch a library of custom or generic e-learning courses, but is doesn't provide any mechanism or to easily create and deploy internally developed courses. Stage 3: Outsourced e-learning platforms. Recognizing the inability of many companies to create and deploy e-learning courses with proprietary content, companies that offered outsourced e-learning platforms entered the market. These companies take an organiation's learning content, and create, host, and manage Web-based courses. They provide the outsourcing services to Webify course content on their software platform rather than license the software platform to the user. Learning Objects: Promise and PracticalitySidebar: Development Efficiencies at Knowledge ImpactLCMS RoundupShelley Robbins is the chief learning officer for Anlon Systems, shelleyrobbins@ worldnet.att.net.The Evolution of the Learning Content Management System http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/apr2002/robbins.html2 of 4 8/15/2007 8:27 AMBecause of the dependence on suppliers, organizations using these platforms lack the capability to quickly change content and deploy proprietary content using internal resources. And many companies lose ultimate ownership of their course materials, which, once developed in a Web-based format, become the product of the supplier. Stage 4: Learning content management systems. LCMSs are the corporate version of traditional course management systems that were initially developed for higher education. These systems are designed to enable subject matter experts, with little technology expertise, to design, create, deliver, and measure the results of e-learning courses rapidly. LCMS applications fundamentally change the value economics of e-learning content delivery by offering organizations a scalable platform to deliver proprietary knowledge to individual learners without bearing a prohibitive cost burden. The LCMS also can provide certification and tracking for individual learners, who need specific knowledge to certify for regulatory needs, professional licensure, or quality control. For example, medical device manufacturers can use an LCMS to ensure that all sales staff are fully trained on the processes in a new medical device and provide certification results to the FDA. Insurance agents or financial professionals can track compliance with continuing education and licensing requirements. Manufacturing organizations can use the capabilities of an LCMS to track employee learning and performance on OSHA regulations. An LCMS offers organizations an additional benefit: direct measurement and reporting of the results of e-learning performance, which enables greater accountability for learners, a direct link to performance, and subsequent links to business results. An effective LCMS also takes into account that all organizations create and deploy learning in different ways, and must maintain the flexibility to incorporate those differences. For instance, a large global enterprise that sells and serves multiple products may have unique requirements for training