What Was Different About Learning Technologies 2016?

The recent event in London was one of the busiest I can remember. Xyleme announced our new Xy5 platform, and the queues of people coming to see our latest and greatest Learning Content Management System were amazing!

What was different at LT2016 this year?�I sensed a much more realistic �self-assessment� of how learning technology was advancing. While every show is full of the hype and promise of emerging technologies, here are the realities that I heard:

1. Mobile learning is still a great challenge for most organizations. Fosway group surveyed the attendees and 89% admitted they were struggling with this. My observation is that instructional designers really need help in understanding how to design for mobile. �Other than a few �pilot� mobile learning projects in some organizations, it�s still very much in �experiment� mode. Scale will not come until there is a fundamental mind-set shift at the designer level.
2. Instructor Led Training (ILT/VILT) is not going away. Whether now being called part of a �blended learning� program or singularly remaining the delivery option, the main reason I heard is that organizations continue to struggle with how to translate this form of training into a great digital-only experience.
3. Moodle/Totara is everywhere! There were literally dozens of suppliers offering services for these solutions. Since I am not an expert on Learning Management Systems, I can only say, �something real is afoot.� Seems like a lot of organizations are swapping traditional LMS�s for this option, but along the way are customizing themselves into a new problem: Moodle/Totara does not solve your content distribution problem.
4. TinCan (xAPI) is regularly being stated as a �requirement,� but few organizations are really exploiting it. The LMS continues to be the center of the universe for training and the world seems to be splitting into SCORM vs. xAPI factions. At Xyleme, we give you both in one system. It�s always there, it scales, and you can handle everything from complex certifications to informal observations for evidence of competency.

Xyleme 5 redefines what a Learning Content Management System is. If you haven�t taken a recent look, please do � head over to�www.xyleme.com.