Where is the LMS Industry Headed?

By: Justin Ferriman • February 28, 2017
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The learning management industry has been around for quite some time and has proven that as times and technology changes that it can adapt accordingly.

But where is the LMS industry headed this year and in the years to come?

It is impossible for anybody to say with 100% certainty the future of learning management, but speculation can be made nonetheless.

There are some who feel that the LMS is on the decline. I think there is some truth to this sentiment. However, it is probably more accurate to say that the “LMS as we know it today is on the decline”.

I am never one to believe the “doom and gloom” claims in any industry. I think that when people say that something is on the decline they are assuming no change (or adaptation) will take place. So yes, while the LMS as we know it today is on the decline it just means that the industry will pivot.

What specifically is on the decline?

Well, to date I have yet to see someone really articulate the exact concept that is losing relevance. I think most assume though that the traditional course delivery and recording capacity of an LMS is no longer as sought after as it once was.

But then again, the savvy LMS solutions out there don’t just rely on this aspect as their value proposition. For example, there is a blend now between the LMS and authoring tool. LearnDash is a perfect example of this but there are others as well.

We see also that the LMS is adapting to capture informal and social learning events (arguably where most learning takes place) instead of hyper-focusing on singular learning “transactions” between the user and the course.

I think it is reasonable to expect a shift in the LMS space based on the highly “content on-demand” approach we take to learning in everyday life. Simply recording and reporting on user viewership isn’t going to cut it anymore.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter