Consistency Is Key: How to Solve the Top Four Frustrations of LMS Content Players
By Joy Church Millard, Sr. Editor, Expertus
In the immortal words of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency.”
Whatever endeavor we take in life, there’s definitely something to be said about consistency. Especially when it comes to learning. Why is it, then, that many LMS content players lack a consistent viewing experience? PDFs have to be downloaded. Videos require pop-up windows. Learners have to exit players for surveys and assessments.
So frustrating, right?!
If we want learners to be consistent in their training consumption, we can at least provide that training in a consistent manner.
Here’s my list of the top four LMS content player frustrations, and how to solve them…
1. Help Desk tickets have reached critical mass.
When it comes to content players, the #1 reason your Help Desk is overwhelmed is because of pop-up blockers. When content requires a new screen to be viewed, it often won’t load. The best solution for this costly problem is to use a digital content player that presents all content (knowledge objects, videos, quizzes, surveys, etc.) from one, unified lightbox window within your LMS. No pop-ups. No problem.
2. Downloaded content that’s gone MIA.
You’re under the gun and need to finish mandatory training. Unfortunately, that training must be downloaded to be viewed. So, you take the time to download it and plan on fitting it in it later. The problem is, that you either: 1. lack the storage space to download it onto your phone; 2. you forget where you downloaded it; or 3. you don’t bother looking for it because you were already marked “complete” after downloading the training in the first place!
None of these scenarios are good. So, make sure your content player is HTML5-enabled (i.e. content plays seamlessly on and between any desktop or mobile device) and can run any training immediately without requiring a download.
This brings us to frustration #3…
3. Far from reliable completion tracking.
If your content player requires downloads, then there’s no guarantee that learners are watching them in their entirety… or at all. However, if you have a digital content player that’s native to your LMS, you’ll ensure all content, including PDFs, presentations, and videos, is tracked by it automatically. So, there are no inconsistencies and no room for errors.
Better yet, xAPI content can sometimes be captured by your LMS’ learning record store (LRS). This lets you not only track training consumption data but easily merge it with other learning data for deeper insights into your training content and programs’ effectiveness.
4. A less-than-stellar experience.
What’s more stressful than trying to fit training into an already hectic schedule? Watching what you can, then having to find and restart that training where you left off. Having a content player with bookmarking sounds like a small add-on, but it can make a huge impact on the learner’s experience. As we all know, if it’s not easy to start and take training, learners won’t do it.
One other tip… make sure your content player shows a clear, uncluttered learning path (i.e. what’s completed, what’s up next, and all associated training—surveys, assessments, etc.). So, when learners do engage, they’ll be more likely to continue on and finish their training. ExpertusONE’s Digital Content Player, for example, automatically strips out distracting ads and recommendations at the end of YouTube videos. And, instead, returns learners to their ‘My Learning’ page which shows the next training in the queue. One-click, and they’re ready to forge ahead!
Your Consistency Equation
Make it easy. Make it consistent. That’s the magic formula for ending your LMS content player woes. If learners have one simple, reliable way to view all of their training in your player, they’ll be more successful in their learning endeavors.
If you’d like to discuss your frustrations or see a demo of our digital content player, please reach out to me at joyc@expertus.com.
