105 Moving Past the LMS: Installing a Digital-Era Learning Ecosystem
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, October 25
Instructional Design
St Croix B
On the footsteps of the dot-com and Y2K craze, the first web-based learning management system (LMS) OLAT debuted in 1999 as a free, open-source platform to support adult learning. It was also the same year that TiVo and Unix were released, Napster was sued by the music industry, and Amazon.com became the leading seller of books. In the almost 20 years since “LMS” entered the vernacular of learning professionals, much has changed in technology and the world at large. However, the LMS remains the central learning technology of any organization. L&D is long overdue for a change.
With the much-hyped digital era and the advent of big data and machine learning, a raft of new technologies are being introduced. Most will, quite frankly, emerge and die as fads, but a handful have the potential to permanently influence learning ecosystems and change not just the type of learning (not training) we offer, deliver, and track to employees, but also the type of data and the value that learning organizations provide to their business partners.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to define the characteristics of the digital era and the ramifications for learning strategy and management
- How to identify existing learning technologies that may continue or no longer be relevant in the digital era
- How to architect a digital-era learning ecosystem and the key additions from a technology perspective
- How to describe the impact on the learning organization, metrics, and conversations it has with the business
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, managers, and directors.
Technology discussed in this session:
LMS, LRS, aggregation, and hosting platforms.

Frank Nguyen
Executive Director
Genentech
Dr. Frank Nguyen is a learning executive who specializes in transforming learning organizations through strategy and technology. He has led enterprise learning for Fortune companies including AIG, Amazon, American Express, Intel, MicroAge, and Sears. Frank has published extensively on the intersection of eLearning, instructional design, and performance support. He is a recipient of the Learning Guild Master and the ISPI Distinguished Dissertation awards. His work on compliance training, learning strategy, business transformation, and technology has been recognized by Brandon Hall and Chief Learning Officer. Frank has served on a variety of learning industry committees for Adobe, ATD, BJET, Brandon Hall, eLearning Guild, and ISPI.