Overview of structured learning content

Structured content separates content from formatting and enforces consistency, which makes it easier to deliver in multiple channels (elearning and classroom materials), scale up content delivery (delivering variants for different audiences), automate content, leverage AI for productivity, and localize the content for global markets.

The business requirements for scalability, velocity, and versioning are now in direct conflict with traditional learning content development (especially one-off slideware formatting). The result is that content operations for learning content are beginning to shift toward structured content.

Learning experience

User experience (UX) refers to how a content consumer interacts with information, such as a website. Learner experience is UX for learning content. Learning content is (or should be!) more interactive than a typical website. 

The learner engages with a class, elearning, or other learning content to acquire new knowledge. In many cases, there are assessments like a multiple-choice question to evaluate proficiency. This results in transactional content, like a test score, which is stored in a learner’s record.

The need for learner records is one of the key requirements for learning content operations. Typically, learner records and courses are stored in a learning management system (LMS). There are hundreds of LMSs; Moodle is a widely used open-source system.

An LMS allows you to keep records of your learners and their performance. For a course taught in a classroom, the learner record might include grade book information like test results, homework assignments, and class attendance. But you can also use an LMS to deliver elearning content.  For example, you can sign up for a course, pay for it, and then have the LMS give you access to the course material (maybe a video).

Separating content from formatting

Structured content separates content from formatting. In a learning context, it also separates content from learning records. One big problem with LMSs is that they tend to mix together all the different components of the learning experience. When you implement structured learning content, you need to carefully separate all the different building blocks.

You’ll have a content management system (CMS) in which you develop the actual learning content, both the instructional materials and the assessments. On the authoring side, you’ll see references to learning content management systems (LCMSs) and to component content management systems (CCMSs). A CCMS is software that’s optimized for authoring and storing small building blocks of information, like a single learning object or a test question. An LCMS is software that is optimized for authoring and storing learning content. Some LCMSs are also CCMSs.

Many LMSs also provide some authoring and storage support, but the primary purpose of an LMS is as a delivery platform. So it manages the learning process for learners, not the learning content creation process for authors.

In your learning content ops, you want to make a clear distinction in how you use each system:

• CCMS: store learning objects as individual building blocks so that you can mix and match to create learning content
• LMS: store learning content (courses) and learner records

In short, the CCMS is the back end, and the LMS is the front end.

Level-up your learning content ops with insights from our book, Content Transformation.