A learning management system (LMS) and an LMS content provider go hand in hand. An LMS enables companies to deliver online learning to employees, members, volunteers, etc., and an LMS content provider offers the online learning content that will be uploaded into the LMS and then distributed to learners. LMS vendors partner with the content providers they feel will best cater to their clients’ needs. They know making the right LMS content available to their clients will give customers a better ROI for their investment in online learning. For a variety of reasons, the primary content provider/authoring tool for TOPYX LMS is dominKnow.
All about dominKnow, TOPYX LMS’s content provider
dominKnow is an all-in-one authoring tool for eLearning used by many LMS platforms, including TOPYX. According to dominKnow, the authoring tool fosters:
- Easy authoring of eLearning content
- Collaboration and review
- A mobile-friendly experience
- Publishing
- Accessibility
- Translation and localization
- Learning content management
dominKnow saves time, eliminates duplication, and streamlines the review and feedback process. Ultimately, this results in cost savings. The authoring tool also delivers instant results to L&D teams. “dominKnow’s centralized platform and workflow tools help us maximize our resources and save time and money,” explained Susan Murphy, a dominKnow customer.1 “For example, we currently have 800 course translations underway and we estimate a 50% reduction in translation costs with the dominKnow platform…”
With dominKnow, TOPYX offers further capabilities for users to include in their content catalog
TOPYX LMS doesn’t create eLearning content. The vendor partners with LMS content providers for this purpose and clients can purchase the content through TOPYX. They can also opt to buy content from a third-party content provider. TOPYX is choosy when it comes to what LMS content providers they will partner with. Currently, dominKnow is TOPYX’s primary content provider, and through the partnership, TOPYX provides integrated authoring tools that allow clients to create, share, and reuse online corporate training content.
TOPYX LMS has built-in functionality to use documents, audio, video, and more. It has a robust set of LMS features that save clients time and money. TOPYX partners with dominKnow to offer further capabilities for users to include in their content catalog. This additional service provides access to detailed LMS content creation and authoring tools that are easy-to-use and integrate seamlessly with other learning management system features. dominKnow enables TOPYX users to:
- Craft adaptive, responsive online learning content for all devices.
- Collaborate with L&D team members on content in real-time.
- Rapidly access, repurpose, and reuse content for any project at any time.
- Get feedback from Subject Matter Experts and engage reviewers anywhere, on any device.
dominKnow is the right choice of LMS content provider for TOPYX, not just because of the benefits mentioned above, but also because it allows LMS users to customize their online courses.
TOPYX partners with dominKnow to give LMS users access to editable courseware
dominKnow also works beautifully with another one of TOPYX’s content partners, Vado. Vado specializes in bite-sized mobile learning (i.e., microlearning) and is the only off-the-shelf eLearning courseware provider that helps the learner apply what they’ve learned in training on the job through step-by-step instruction.
Vado and dominKnow are a match made in heaven. If TOPYX clients have dominKnow and they buy Vado content, they can modify and personalize the content, creating a more customized learning experience. This is one of the primary reasons why TOPYX chose to partner with dominKnow.
“VADO uses dominKnow’s authoring tool to develop our courses,” explained Cindy Pascale, CEO, Vado Inc. “If a client buys a license to the dominKnow authoring tool and VADO’s editable courses, the client can edit our courses. The courses are loaded into the authoring tool. The client can open the course, make the desired changes (such as swap out our logo for the client’s logo), and then republish the course. It is a very easy process to change the branding of the course.”
Pascale said it was important that companies invest in editable courseware because it enables them to create courses that are branded to their organization. “Clients have the benefit of custom-made courseware without the big expense and long development time of creating custom courseware from scratch,” she explained.
Although unbranded online learning courses may work for some companies, branded courses tend to be more successful. Unbranded courses look generic and don’t mean as much to employees/learners. “eLearning course branding lends credibility and establishes a sense of trust,” stated eLearning expert Christopher Pappas.2 “It also helps to enhance your image if you offer high-quality deliverables that meet learners’ expectations.”
dominKnow allows customers to quickly brand Vado courses. In addition to exchanging generic logos for company logos, clients can also include email links to their HR department, as well as links to PDF documents that explain their company policies. The result is a branded course that looks like it took a long time to create, but was created without much hassle at all.
Related Reading: Is Online Learning the Secret to Employee Engagement?
Research an LMS’s content provider(s) before investing in an online learning platform
Due to the accelerated rate of digital transformation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, companies’ training needs are rapidly changing, and many organizations are considering switching to a new online learning platform. Even before the pandemic, 48 percent of companies that used an online learning platform wanted to find a new or different learning technology.3 If you are searching for a new online learning solution, there are a few specific questions to ask LMS vendors before choosing an LMS platform, such as:
- “Do you offer a robust reporting feature?”
- “What is the total cost of LMS ownership?”
- “What level of customer support do you provide?”
Another question LMS seekers should ask is “who is/are your LMS content provider(s)?” Prospective LMS clients should do some research about the primary content provider(s) the LMS they are interested in partners with to ensure editable courseware is an option. They should also ask if they are allowed to purchase content from a third-party vendor, not just from the LMS provider.
Demo content-agnostic online learning platform TOPYX LMS
TOPYX LMS is a content-agnostic online learning platform for documents, audio, video, SCORM, xAPI, and LTI. TOPYX customers can use their own content, purchase it from TOPYX, or use a third-party vendor for their content needs. Learn more by visiting the TOPYX LMS content management feature webpage. Request a free LMS demo of TOPYX learning management system to discover firsthand why companies like Honeywell, 3M, and Rotary International rely on TOPYX to meet their training needs.
Sources:
[1] https://www.dominknow.com/success-stories
[2] https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-course-branding-unexpected-design-elements
consider#:~:text=eLearning%20course%20branding%20lends%20credibility,deliverables%20that%20meet%20learners'%20expectations.
[3] https://elearningindustry.com/brandon-hall-group-elearning-market-trends-2016-learning-management-system
