There are a lot of buzzy acronyms and words floating around the learning and development space. The industry itself often goes by L&D. Job titles include things like CLO (Chief Learning Officer) and OD (Organizational Development). And, tools such as a quality LMS are in high demand. Get better engagement, improve the experience, use gamification... the list is endless.
If you run in this learning and development arena none of this is new lingo. However, there may be one string of letters you're unfamiliar with; an LEP. Also known as a Learning Engagement Platform, this tool falls into the larger family of learning systems. But, there are some very distinctive characteristics that separate them from the pack. Here's what you should know about these lesser-known tools.
What’s a Learning Engagement Platform?
LEPs sit on the foundation of engagement. In fact, it's the driving factor of the platform. In employee learning, you can have great content, but without an engaging platform, people are unlikely to remember the information you share and most likely won't use the tool. With engagement at the forefront, everything within the platform aims to do just that: engage your people. Most LEPs include features such as a modern user interface, fantastic UX, mobile capabilities, and gamification, but often include much more depending on the platform. Can your LMS do all of that? If it's a system you've had for years, we're guessing it falls short in more than a few categories.
Who should be using them?
LEPs aren't new to the scene, but you may not have heard of them because traditional learning management systems dominate the market. Don't let that turn you off from considering these e-learning systems.
Learning engagement platforms are more than an information sharing tool, and they're definitely more than a means of serving up training material. They promote employee engagement and support the efforts of CLO and learning and development leaders. Organizations know just how important a happy and engaged workforce can be to their bottom line, but achieving those results is hard. Introducing an LEP could help you finally reach those engagement goals your organization's been chasing after.
Is an LEP right for your organization?
If the idea of scrapping your current LMS for something new seems out of reach, you're in luck. A lot of LEPs are configured to work seamlessly with the programs you already have. The creators of LEPs recognize that some systems contain information that just can't be moved. This applies often to large enterprises who have years of information rooted in older systems. By having an LEP attached to your LMS, you get all of the engagement features your employees want without the hassle of transitioning information. That said, many LEPs can serve as a stand-alone learning and development program for your organization. It's all about finding what makes the most business sense for your organization.
If you happen to be looking for an LEP, look no further than Bigtincan Zunos. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Get a demo today.