It is common practice, when speaking of educational and training procedures, to differentiate between aspects tied to “formal” learning (controlled learning processes, with a defined beginning and end that typically lead to the acquisition of a recognized qualification), “non-formal” learning (those initiatives that, although organized, are conducted by institutions that do not necessarily have the training or education of single individuals as an objective), and “informal” learning (the series of practices, not tied to a specific time or place, from which each individual acquires – even in an unconscious or unintentional way – skills, values, abilities and knowledge from daily experiences, influences, and educational resources in his/her environment).
Similar criteria can be applied to processes in which knowledge originates, spreads, and transforms within an organization.
Nowadays knowledge has the primary characteristic of being highly distributable, practically anywhere both within and outside an organization. Moreover, in many business contexts (increasingly demanding recurrent changes in laws or procedures, technical product specifications or compliance regulations) knowledge-related processes increasingly require timely, up-to-date, dynamically adapted distribution of content.
Adapting our publishing strategies to the emerging trends in content production, management and distribution is of paramount importance in order to adopt a sustainable approach to knowledge and content management within an organization. Not only does a solid publishing strategy improve the effectiveness of knowledge and content distribution channels, but also, and most importantly, it contributes to generating relevant ROI. This is especially true when publishing strategy is devoted to learning and, especially, blended learning.
All these needs triggered the evolution of Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS), which focuses on content and all the processes around it. Indeed, LCMSs and LMSs are different, but can also be complementary. Together, they form a powerful combination for a robust learning platform.
With the rapid uptake of SCORM standards and the growing role of learning content in distance-learning processes, cross LCMS –LMS content delivery models are emerging in a variety of learning content publishing and delivery contexts. Indeed, where preliminary SCORM-based architectures were based on the concept of “content handover” between LCMS and LMS (leveraging the core value that IMS Content Packaging brought to SCORM), nowadays learning content publishers are much more concerned about IP protection and easy, immediate maintenance of their learning content. This requires organizations to improve their learning architecture, shifting from simple handover of content (Static Publishing) to more appropriate strategies for dynamic delivery (Dynamic Publishing) of learning units or, as suggested by the SCORM 2004 paradigm, learning activities.
Choosing the right LCMS and LMS technologies may help in achieving a successful shift in an organization’s maturity model.
The eXact LCMS provides a unique solution to LCMS-LMS integration, allowing for a variety of integration mechanisms and approaches. Those interested in knowing more about possible integration modalities can contact us directly!
We also welcome comments on this post –we’d love to hear about your own experiences or the particular needs of your organization!
By Francesco Pucci – connect with me via LinkedIn and on Twitter @parrotscience
