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Deciding Between an LMS & Learning Portal?

Learning Management System (LMS) platforms and LMS portals are both popular methods for training employees —but the learning portal is definitely emerging organically as a preferred choice for engagement, support, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Why is this shift occurring, and why should we care? To tackle these questions, let’s discuss 1) how an LMS is different from a learning portal, and 2) how a platform solution is different from a learning portal solution.

LMS / Learning Portal – What’s the difference?

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between an LMS and a learning portal. At a minimum, an LMS consists of the standard features necessary for delivering, tracking, and reporting on SCORM-compliant online training. On the other end of the spectrum, an LMS may have additional feature sets like content authoring, content management, and other bells and whistles. It serves training administrators well because it administers and tracks elearning, but learners may feel like they are marooned on an island of formal learning.

The administration information tracking process of LMS portals is truly endless

A learning portal, however, is an online hub of activities related to training and performance. It includes all of the standard LMS feature sets, yet it is also a place that consists of informal learning courses and interactions such as forums, wikis, FAQs, guides, and blogs that facilitate collaboration; provide social marketing tools to promote the content; or incorporate ecommerce to sell content or goods related to the content as well as other activities. It’s a place for learners to feel more engaged, find a cornucopia of professional training modalities, interact with each other, find information,activities and LMS support programs pertinent to them and their role, and even contribute their own content. So, rather than an island of formal employee onboarding, learning, and competencies, the learner has a virtual learning map with bridges to all types of instruction.

And it’s not just a training center hub of activities for learners, it’s a hub of data and reporting for administrators. All of those activities that take place in a learning portal can be tracked and reported by administrators. Also, a learning portal can pull in data from other systems and allow administrators to see correlations between learning and company performance or any other important metrics that demonstrate how strategic learning is and its impact on the bottom line. The administration information tracking process of LMS portals is truly endless.

So what about platform systems?

A platform solution can mean a one-size-fits-all, all-things-to-all-people behemoth. In the case of a platform LMS, you will find one system that is supposed to do everything: cradle-to-grave HR processes, training delivery and tracking, robust content management, course authoring, an entire social media universe, etc. And it may sound like a dream to have only one vendor/one system/one contract to manage and get all of the stakeholders’ needs met – but that dream could turn into a nightmare when you try to make it meet everyone’s needs. The downside to the platform model includes:

AllenComm’s learning portal provides the formal island of learning, and all of the bridges that you may need

  • Administration and management – costly steering committees with lengthy processes are often needed to make decisions about system changes, customizations, utilization by a new department, etc.
  • Weak functionality – because the system must meet so many different human labor needs and HR requests it is unlikely to have strong feature sets in some or many of its different business functions. For example, a system with strong HR process functionality may have weak training management functionality, resulting in the need to customize.
  • Customization limitations – in a platform environment, customizing something like the content management functionality may have an impact on the training management functionality; making a needed customization out of reach, or impossible, or at least drawn out in the management appraisal process.
  • Cost – platform systems tend to be extremely expensive to implement, maintain, and have additional, high expenses for customizations or tweaks to try to get the system to do what you want.

Have you ever wished that you could just design the solution that would be just right for your organizational needs? That’s what a learning portal allows you to do. With the standard LMS features as its engine, you can add custom features or integrate with your preferred tools for course authoring, robust content management, social media management, and other systems like your HR, financial management, or performance management systems.

AllenComm’s learning portal provides the formal island of learning, and all of the bridges that you may need—with all of the standard LMS functionality you need, many of the other bells and whistles, as well as an elegant model for integrating with your other favorite learning tools and performance improvement systems.

So don’t get marooned on a one-size-fits-none island. AllenComm can help you figure out what bridges get you where you want to go.

representative talent profile

instructional writer

Position(s): Lead or supporting writer
Years of Instructional Experience: 2+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Writing, Technical Writing, Instructional Design, Content Curation, eLearning Development, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Storytelling, Learning Assessment, Editing, Proofreading, AI Prompt Engineering

Media Skills: Use of stock media libraries

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Clear and Concise Writing, Tone and Style, Formatting, Consistency, Creativity, Communication, Active Listening, Research, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Attention to Detail, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Scripted over 100 hours of learning content and supporting materials for different modalities for both US and global audiences  
  • Adapted writing style and reading grade level to suit design specifications and learner needs in several different industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.) 
  • Used generative AI to supplement source content and to accelerate the writing process (without plagiarism) 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning experience designer

Position(s): Learning Experience (LX) Designer or Strategist
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 30+

Key Skills: Learner Experience Design (LXD),  Instructional Design, Learning Assessment,  Hybrid Learning, Learning in the Flow of Work, Project-Based Learning Methodologies, Cohort and Social Learning, Learner Experience Platforms

Media Skills: LX journey maps and representations of other interconnected or integrated learning strategies 

Strengths: Systems Thinking, Stakeholder Communication, Instructional Design Strategy, Learning Theory, Training Effectiveness

Career Highlights:

  • Designed personalized learner experience (LX) journeys for an organization of 30k (with 5 tiered tracks) 
  • Curated existing LXs that could be leveraged in new learning journeys for other roles, with measurement at key milestones to evaluate progress and success 
  • Wrote up the specifications for branching scenarios, question libraries, options for audio/visual media, and more, connecting each learner experience to a personalized journey 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

instructional media specialist

Position(s): Lead or supporting graphic designer, lead motion video artist
Years of Instructional Experience: 6+
Number of Completed Projects: 40+

Key Skills: Visual Design, Illustration, UX/UI Design, Storyboarding, Animation, Audio Engineering

Media Skills: Engaging illustrations, 3D models, character design, storyboarding, live-action and motion graphic video creation, audio recording and editing, client branding, and more to enhance media and create engaging touchpoints that resonate with learners 

Strengths: Brainstorming, Collaboration, Visual Communication,  Color Theory, Typography, Layout and Composition

Career Highlights:

  • Completed projects with extreme attention to fonts, colors, spacing, and more that ensured integrity with client branding requirements 
  • Designed and integrated media based on project-specific content that reflected the learner audience, established realistic learning environments, allowed for hands-on practice in virtual environments, and promoted diversity and engaging storytelling
  • Created quick-reference illustrations learners could access on the job to help them make fast, effective decisions   

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

lms admin

Position(s): Admin or sub-admin for Learning Management System (LMS)
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: LMS Configuration, User Management, Course Management, System Maintenance, Reporting, Data Analysis, System Integrations

Media Skills: Network and tech-stack diagrams to communicate system architecture and integration 

Strengths: Troubleshooting and Analysis, Learning Analytics, User Administration, Technical Proficiency, Documentation, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Managed a curriculum of more than 1,450 course offerings in the LMS for more than 10,000 learners 
  • Uploaded, tested, and ensured the readiness of new and relaunched programs 
  • Created and maintained reporting workflows to meet stakeholder needs 
  • Provided on-demand support to the learning team to answer questions and promptly address concerns 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning project manager

Position(s): Learning project manager, project lead, or coordinator
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 35+

Key Skills: eLearning Development, Resource Coordination, Project Management (PMP Certified), Agile and Waterfall PM Methodologies, Budgeting and Forecasting, Scheduling, Quality Assurance

Media Skills: Visual reporting of project plans via Gantt charts and other standard formats

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Communication, Active Listening, Collaboration, Decision-Making, Attention to Detail, Adaptability, Time Management, Risk Management, Budget Management, Team Coordination and Delegation

Career Highlights:

  • Managed concurrent award-winning projects without missing deadlines or wasting resources 
  • Completed several projects earlier than the expected timeline and under the anticipated budget 
  • Built strong relationships with returning client partners for multi-phase initiatives or course maintenance projects 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME)

Position(s): Industry-specific specialist
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 5+

Key Skills: Content Curation, Specialized Content Development, Industry-Specific Expertise, Domain Expertise (e.g., Leadership, Onboarding, Compliance), Content Review

Media Skills: Recommendation and review of technical diagrams or industry-specific images

Strengths: Specialized Content Knowledge, Content-Gathering, Simplifying and Organizing Complex Material, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Documentation of Source Content, Decision-Making, Technical Content Review

Career Highlights:

  • Helped create, gather, and organize over 50 hours of content for projects with specific industry or learning needs and contextual nuances
  • Facilitated the decision-making process and collaboration between internal and external teams to consolidate feedback into actionable next steps 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

LEARNING STRATEGIST

Position(s): Lead strategist or performance consultant
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 20+

Key Skills: Needs Analysis, Learning Theory, Learner Experience Design, Learning Analytics and Measurement, Performance Mapping, Behavioral and Performance Analysis, Content Curation, Curriculum Analysis, Change Management

Media Skills: Curriculum maps, learner experience journeys, and conceptual program wireframes

Strengths: Big-Picture Thinking, Critical Thinking and Analysis, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Stakeholder Communication, Research, Design, Collaboration, Facilitation

Career Highlights:

  • Conducted a comprehensive learning needs analysis for customer services representatives that included both product knowledge and interpersonal skills development 
  • Prioritized alignment of business and learner needs, such as high-impact accessible design solutions within budgets or agile timelines, for award-winning projects
  • Designed strategies for measuring performance and results over time to inform continued client success 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

Instructional Designers

Position(s): Lead or supporting designer
Years of Instructional Experience: 3+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Design, Adult Learning Theories, eLearning Development, Learner Experience Design, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Writing, Learning Assessment

Media Skills: Simple graphic design using stock imagery, audio production

Strengths: Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Technical Proficiency, Attention to Detail

Career Highlights:

  • Led the design and development of an onboarding program for new manufacturing employees
  • Scripted technical instructional content for high-tech, product knowledge training
  • Developed hybrid materials for both instructor-led training (ILT) and microlearning tutorials

Technical Skills: