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By Dan Pontefract, 05/15/2010 9:01 AM

Last year, I wrote a piece entitled “The Standalone LMS is Dead”.

Last week, Dave Wilkins of Learn.com wrote a piece entitled “A Defense of the LMS (and a case for the future of social learning)”.

Let the fireworks begin.

But before striking my match, I must first state that Dave is a professional; both classy and clever. My in-person and virtual interactions with him have been nothing less than stimulating, social and cerebral. What I like most about Dave, however, is that he’s a devoted family man. My mantra is life-work balance, not the other way around, and I get the sense that Dave is fully immersed in this intonation as well.

Tangential to Dave’s arguments though, after reading, digesting and thinking through his 6,245 dissertation, I still believe the standalone LMS is dead. He believes the LMS is alive and kicking.

Thankfully there is free speech.

But maybe it’s just a case of mistaken semantics.

To be clear, I come from the vantage point of ‘standalone’. The LMS should not be a standalone application going into the future. Many organizations have a legacy LMS but they also may have an intranet, wiki, blog system, video portal, discussion forum, ERP, evaluation/assessment/survey application, records management, content/document management system, network shares, micro-blog service, skills inventory, employee profile system, instant messaging service, certification tracking, idea sharing application, or they are thinking about implementing these tools in the near future.

Formal learning needs to blend with any informal and social learning output in the new world. (ie. The tools and processes mentioned above, and many more that I have not mentioned)

Informal or social learning needs to blend with formal learning. Period.

The holistic big picture needs to keep in mind the workflow of the employee; we can’t send them to disparate tools, applications, technologies or sites to do their jobs. Today’s worker is already flooded with ‘do more with less’ attitudes, and has way more to think about to become more efficient. What we need to do is ensure we weave a formal, informal and social learning workflow together. As it stands today, for many organizations, that doesn’t start with a standalone LMS.

Thus, the LMS-related questions for an organization to ask are as follows:

• Can our existing LMS provide these integrated features?
• If not, can our existing LMS be augmented to address these feature requirements?
• If not, how can we take the formal learning features of an/the LMS, and federate with existing corporate systems (to create a learning, content, collaboration ecosystem panacea)
• If not, what should the organization do?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

The LMS of today, for many organizations but not all, is a relic from yesterday. If we can turn the existing LMS into a learning, content and collaboration ecosystem (we’ll call it LCC) we therefore no longer have a standalone LMS. We have an ecosystem made up of formal, informal and social learning components in addition to having a seamless, federated workflow for the employee.

If we can’t do that, then we need to take the existing LMS and piece together that learning, content and collaboration ecosystem with existing corporate systems OR invest in new ones to tie it all together. Again, what we’ve created is a seamless, federated workflow system for the employee. (the LCC)

If we can’t do that, then we should explore a brand new system altogether that provides everything we need to create the panacea experience. Maybe that is, for example, Learn.com, Saba, SharePoint 2010, or mainstays like SAP and Oracle. Whatever route you take, it has to become an integrated experience that includes all necessary aspects. And if you’ve come this far, you therefore no longer have a standalone LMS; you have a learning, content and collaboration ecosystem (the LCC) that ties in with your Active Directory/LDAP, your performance review system, and any other corporate regulatory or operational system.

In my opinion, this is where the industry is heading, and the ‘learning’ vertical needs to begin leading it.

So, back to Dave’s main sectional arguments in his post. They are as follows:

LMS is an essential business application

Modern LMS solutions are way more than a pure LMS

Market maturity and System Maturity

Integration and Suites

Let us now debunk and at times agree with each argument.

Argument #1: LMS is an essential business application

The LMS was an essential business application. The LMS was originally built to serve up a rigid formal learning structure of ILT schedules, eLearning, evaluations/assessments, and at times learning paths. Great business for Kirkpatrick, and even better for companies that were serving up formal learning content.

That stated, formal learning requirements including but not limited to ILT wait-lists, compliance tracking, reporting, certification/accreditation management, etc. is still required in today’s organization. There are excellent LMS applications that offer a fantastic array of ‘formal learning’ features but the simple point is that I don’t want to isolate these requirements in a standalone LMS application. The ‘formal learning’ features need to be federated with other learning, collaboration and organizational workflow processes so there are seamless entry and exit points for the employee.

dp’s Recommended Action:

• Evaluate your existing LMS – can the company rally around it as “the LCC”? If not, investigate federation options with existing or new technologies.

Argument #2: Modern LMS solutions are way more than a pure LMS

Here I completely agree with my colleague Dave. But, for those organizations that have taken the plunge into the ‘modern LMS’, they do not have an LMS; they in fact have a ‘Learning, Content & Collaboration’ Ecosystem.

The gold medal is awarded only if the organization utilizes the ‘modern LMS’ as the de facto place for all learning, content and collaboration to be shared. There can’t be separate or disparate blogs, wikis, content repositories, video servers, etc. If there are, the mission has failed or serious work needs to be taken to federate/integrate the other systems and technologies into the ‘modern LMS’. Put another way, the Enterprise 2.0 technologies should be found in the ‘modern LMS’ and if they are in other organizational silos, we have reverted back to a standalone LMS.

dp’s Recommended Action:

• Evaluate your existing LMS to see if it can be upgraded to become a ‘modern LMS’ … or LCC as I call it.
• If it can, fabulous. If it can’t, start investigating new or federation options.

Argument #3: Market maturity and System Maturity

There are actually two arguments contained within Argument #3. On one hand, Dave opines that the learning vertical is way behind in accepting, let alone adopting the formal-informal-social learning model. Bingo. I’ve written some related pieces to this line of thinking including “Learnerprise 2.0: Why Learning 2.0 & Enterprise 2.0 Should Align”, “Roles in the New Training Org” and “Chief Learning Officer Job Description: Change Needed”.

On the other hand, Dave believes the LMS vendors will even further enhance their ‘social’ features quicker than some of the ‘social collaboration’ players (Jive, SocialText, etc.) will add formal learning components. Agreed, again … with a huge ‘but’.

Organizations already have content platforms (Documentum, SharePoint, etc.), and they are already experimenting and/or implementing social collaboration platforms (Jive, Blogtronix, SocialText, etc.), and they already have an ERP (SAP, Oracle, Lawson, etc.) and they already have an LMS (pick your poison) so the real question is how to create the seamless, federated workflow system for the employee. (the LCC) It’s not a question of who is going to develop features quicker, it’s a question of ensuring your organization has a holistic, well thought through, cross-functional systems roadmap that ties it all together. In my opinion, I do not believe the learning function, and by extension your current iteration of the standalone LMS, is a good bet for organizational success.

dp’s Recommended Action:

• You Need To Launch An Internal 2.0 Adoption Council – get all your stakeholders together and chart the path, together, united and devoid of silos.

Argument #4: Integration and Suites

Many organizations will want to centralize and standardize to an integrated Talent Management suite. I have no doubts about that. The new 2.0 Talent Management suite, in my opinion, is merely the LCC that I’ve been referring to throughout this post.

There are, however, scads of organizations that have existing investments with current technologies and systems, and will not jump to a singular integrated suite. What they most likely will do, if in true business unit partnership, is sort out how to tie these pieces together (perhaps as a grown-up mash-up) ensuring formal content, learning, evaluation, recruiting, etc. is tied with all of the informal and social layers.

dp’s Recommended Action:

• Sort out an Enterprise 2.0 Org Structure, so that your current technologies can mesh with future state technologies (and your wish-list)

In summary, I don’t believe the learning function should own the LMS. I qualify that by suggesting the standalone LMS is dead, and that a cross-functional shared ownership roadmap of formal, informal and social technologies need to be driven with all stakeholders at the table, including the ‘new and improved’ learning function.

This is where the philosophy of 2.0 (ie. working much more collaboratively and with common shared goals) meshes with the technology requirements of the organization … as it pertains specifically to the blend of a learning, content and collaboration ecosystem.

Dave is correct in many cases, but I personally have some differing opinions on other points he makes. Next time I see him in person though, I’ll buy him a beer and we’ll probably chat about being Dad’s and coaching soccer teams.

Comments (15)

By Dan Pontefract, 05/08/2010 10:10 AM

I find myself in the center of an intellectual tempest.

The traditional ‘learning’ folks are trying to sort out how to revolutionize the industry by augmenting their formal learning strategies to incorporate social media, social learning, social networking and the like. It’s a good thing to witness, but slow as molasses in some circles.

The Human Resources and Organizational Development folks are mulling over their competencies, values, leadership development programs, amongst other elements trying to embed flatter, more connected ways of working. Also good to see, but at times I see these folks in other companies plodding along without involvement of the Learning side of the house, or the technology outfits.

The technology groups (be it IT, Systems Analysts, ERP groups, etc.) are busy trying to synchronize existing investments with new instances of 2.0 collaboration technologies and platforms. They often do so without synchronizing their efforts with the Learning function(s) or the HR/OD groups.

And finally, corporate communications, marketing and even perhaps splinter social media teams are all either contemplating or incorporating social media, social networking and/or social learning concepts into their workflows.

Do you notice something here?

As I’ve written about previously, I believe that an organization needs not only an internal 2.0 Adoption Council, they need a cross-functional team (the Enterprise 2.0 Org Structure) to help ensure all the various pieces of a 2.0 world seamlessly come together, mitigating any confusion for the employee, partner, or customer.

But to get this going, I believe we need to introduce, recognize and accept the New Holy Culture Trinity for the Organization. That is, an updated leadership framework, coupled with the integration of Learning 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 concepts will help drive or augment a 2.0 connected ‘culture of collaboration’.

Together, united, in unison.

Actions:

• Update your existing “Leadership Framework”
  • Every organization has their mission statement, their values, their competencies, their leadership programs — each of these could potentially be ‘updated’ to incorporate a flatter, more connected way of operating as individuals, in teams, and as an organization. (think Tom Malone -–Future of Work)
• Implement “Learning 2.0”
  • Whether you have an internal corporate university, a decentralized learning structure, or a completely outsourced model, your model should be adapted to be formal, informal and social. Whether it’s old school or not, the ‘learning department’ plays a significant role for the organization, and if adapting to a 2.0 culture, it needs to grow up. (a little more info about Learning 2.0 here)
• Enlist “Enterprise 2.0″ Technologies
  • Not in isolation, but as part of the puzzle, Enterprise 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, video system, rankings, ratings, comments, discussion forums, profiles, networks, micro-blogs, content sharing, site sharing, etc. can all become an integral part of the new culture, if mapped in accordance with the updated leadership framework and Learning 2.0 concepts.

I’ve written about Learnerprise in the past (the combination of Learning 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0) so think of the Holy Culture Trinity as a more thoughtful way of ensuring organizational success, keeping all three concepts in mind.

UPDATE: looks as though Ross Dawson is thinking similarly with “What Enterprise 2.0 means for the CIO and IT department“.

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By Dan Pontefract, 03/22/2010 3:21 PM

Last year, I posted some thoughts on the evolution of the training vendor entitled “An Updated Business Model for Training Vendors“.

This is the bulleted form follow-up to that post.

Formal Learning Thoughts

• Instructor-led classes are not going away … but don’t make it your only value proposition, make it part of the arsenal
• How can you package up your ILT into small bite-sized ’snacks’ (as Martin King suggests)?
• What used to take 5 days to teach … can it be done differently, incorporating formal, informal and social learning means?
• eLearning is an important piece to the puzzle … but I don’t want to go to your fancy LMS to take it
• eLearning also shouldn’t be any longer than one hour these days
• Are you building formal simulations and beginning to utilize gaming? (I know Koreen Olbrish would want you to)
• How are you addressing virtual world or virtual ILT delivery?
• Is all of your formal learning taking too long to develop? If so, and you are spending too much time/money on the design and development costs … maybe you should think about shifting some of your talent to informal or social learning delivery models versus spending so much time, effort and money on the ‘perfect course’ (we don’t care anymore if it’s perfect)

Informal Learning Thoughts

• Your staff should be allowed to provide their expertise via informal learning approaches such as mentoring, coaching, live webcasts, recorded webinars, etc.
• Informal learning thrives when experts can repurpose their knowledge in, well … informal ways. Seek out a model that allows this to happen.
• Do you have an informal content plan? (ie. remember the days when we talked about ‘rapid development’ … well, now we need our content fast and fresh, and delivered in some informal vehicles, so how are you going to provide this?)
• Work together – why are training vendors so afraid to work together with one another. Form some partnerships, strategic alliances, whatever … it’s hard to find one shop that can do everything for a company, yet informal learning lends itelf so well to this model
• Books – for those companies that utilize Books 24×7 or Safari Books as their employee ‘bookshelf’ or ‘library’ … find a way in which to repurpose this informal learning investment into your strategy

Social Learning Thoughts

• Most of you aren’t there yet when it comes to a Social Learning model … but think of it as an extension of Informal Learning. (that should make Lance Dublin happy)
• You need to utilize the systems and tools of an organization that are already established or about to be, and free your people/staff up to extend the formal and informal learning opportunities via social media, social networking and social collaboration inside of the virtual private network of an organization itself
• NOTE: like the LMS … we don’t want/need to go to your social systems – please find a way to utilize ours
• Coach your people that are reticent to ’social learning’ that it’s not going away, it’s here to stay … and that they need to step up their ‘learning game’ (ie. branch out)

And finally, course-by-course bums in seats modelling is not going to cut it.

Think of it as electricity. When I need it, I turn it on … but it’s always there, reliable and able to transmit light, power, sound and experience with whatever I throw at it.

(and yes, I still hate the word training)