Are you just starting to create digital learning content or are you a seasoned professional? In any case you need to think about rolling out your course to your target audience. If you are using an authoring tool that is not integrated into your Learning Management System (LMS) or HR system, it means you must integrate your content on the platform your users have access to.
What are the benefits of integrating HR and learning management systems?
Think of integration as two people standing together but separated by a wall. When they try to talk to each other, they will not be able to hear each other. By creating a hole in the wall, they can hear each other and exchange information. With systems, this is no different. Each individual system can be of great value, but by linking systems together, information is exchanged and becomes available. This creates a better user experience and a complete picture of the data retrieved from the various systems.
Integrations with Learning Management Systems (LMS) or Learning Experience Platforms (LXP)
The e-Learning you created in an authoring tool, is typically distributed via a Learning Management Systems (LMS) or LXP (Learning Experience Platforms). These systems are used for the reporting and administration of your e-Learning. So, when organizations are already using an LMS or LXP, and getting started with an authoring tool, it is important to link the systems together. This is done with an integration.
Integrations with HR learning systems
In recent years we have seen a change. An LMS is sometimes perceived as a ‘formal’ way of distributing learning materials. With more emphasis on informal learning and learning in the flow of work, we notice that other types of systems are used as access points for digital training content. Think about HR systems or company websites. These are already used on a day-to-day basis and thus an obvious way of offering learning content to the user. In this case, a link will also need to be made between the existing system and the content created in an authoring tool.
If we don’t count the use of our own FLOWSPARKS LMS to roll out course content, we notice the following distribution.
Standards for learning management system integrations: (remote) SCORM or LTI?
Both the SCORM and LTI standards can be used to set up integrations between an authoring tool and an LMS or HR system. SCORM is most often used for integrations with LMS/LXP. If we look at the group of HR systems and other platforms, we see that a lot of those have adopted the more secure Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) standard.
Although there are multiple differences between SCORM and LTI, one of the biggest differences is the way in which updates like typos or an extra question need to be pushed through. In SCORM you must reupload the complete course with every edit. With LTI you don’t have to because the course is running on the client’s server. In this way, the participant always opens the latest version.
Good to know: there are exceptions to the default way SCORM works. The FLOWSPARKS authoring tool, has applied a mechanic to systems that use the SCORM 1.2 or 2004 standard. By using a remote SCORM package, you benefit from real-time updates while using this standard for all our integrations. Still, we always recommend integrations with the more secure LTI standard.
Want to know more about our integrations with learning systems?
Request a demo and we will gladly show you some examples!