Some of the most discussed themes at OEB 2019 were:
- The very high acquisition cost of LMS platforms.
- The challenges related to the implementation of learning solutions in companies.
- Hands-on issues of producing and presenting content and curriculums in an effective manner.
- How to measure return on investment (ROI)
- The future of SCORM.
A question raised from the stage was “Why is it that in many cases traditional LMS software is priced so ridiculously high. Plus they are designed in a way where buyers are dependant on a small army of consultants “adjusting” the software before it is ready for widespread implementation?”
Price and implementation
A question raised from the stage was “Why is it that in many cases traditional LMS software is priced so ridiculously high. Plus they are designed in a way where buyers are dependant on a small army of consultants “adjusting” the software before it is ready for widespread implementation?”
In this digital age, users are accustomed to intuitive software as an everyday commodity, there is no room for complicated platforms that do not live up to the standards we are used to from Facebook, Slack, Salesforce, etc.
Luckily today there are solutions available that are easy to implement and they don’t cost an arm and a leg
The good news is the tech is moving fast forward and way beyond the hey-days of e-learning in the mid-’90s. Luckily today there are solutions available that are easy to implement and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. We actually see that most providers make their software available cheaper, often transitioning to monthly subscriptions instead of yearly licenses. This can help drive down the price and increase the amount of people who can afford to play ball with edtech.
Content production and presentation
One of the big barriers in addition to price is the cost of content production. If implementation is difficult, and the cost of production of content high, companies, and educational institutions don’t invest enough in digital learning.
Lucky there is an answer for that. Teachers and managers preparing courses shouldn’t have to spend hour after hour preparing content when advanced algorithms, ML and AI can help build content in a matter of minutes. We recently implemented a series of features based on Natural Language Processing that combined with our course-builder templates make it fun, fast and easy to make courses. You can read about our NLP features here.
Is there a future for SCORM?
Based on the different talks at OEB, it appears that the SCORM format is coming to an end. The SCORM format (XLM-file format to import and export content) has been dominant for years but brings with it a lot of limitations, such as uniformity in content creation.
At CanopyLAB we decided against using the SCORM format from the beginning. I mean, is there really a demand for exporting unified content again and again between organizations or should we rather make clever code for more adaptive user experiences?
By the way, SCORM is an old (Internet age) standard with the last official update made in 2004… No wonder many students and employees still find traditional e-learning uninspiring.
Thank you for a great conference, this year it was clear to me that that the EdTech industry is undergoing a big transformation and we owe modernizing and innovating to the users so that we can show them that e-learning can and should be both a wonderful- and inspirational experience.
At CanopyLAB we designed a simple and social platform for digital learning experiences.
