Comment on Learning Systems Awards 2024 – Factors by Best in Class Awards 2024 – Learning Systems, Content, Learning Technology – By Craig Weiss

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February 11, 2026

Comment on Learning Systems Awards 2024 – Factors by Best in Class Awards 2024 – Learning Systems, Content, Learning Technology – By Craig Weiss

Niche.

One area I added is niche when identifying learning system vendors for the 2024 awards (end of the year).

It doesn’t mean that every vendor has to have this, but rather, it means exploring those who do and whether or not they find success.

I like to think of niche as a way to differentiate vendors because some accept all verticals and industries, and some do not.

Today, vendors are rumbling by the masses into the association market, which is generally recession-proof.

The problem, though, is that many vendors have no idea what area to focus on: trade associations, professional associations, or both.

Do they need to be able to integrate without an issue with an Association Management Platform (yes)?

Do they need to have already some processing providers they connect with, and will some associations need this because they have never done it? (Yes).

Are they familiar with ASAE? (They should become a member).

Does their system have capabilities specifically for the association space, which is relevant? (You better).

Do they know the #1 player and leader in the association market? I find many have no idea. And no, you have to find out yourself.

Sure, you will get some associations—everyone does. But if you want to be among the top five vendors, you must decide if you will be committed.

I always wondered why vendors are happy with being at the bottom or mid-tier in any market. It is as though they watch and understand the Premier League (English soccer), whereas fans get excited about finishing 8th.

I bring this up because it is a factor in my decision for 2024, not just with associations but across all market segments.

It plays a role, more so than in the past.

Niche and Christmas

I’m not sure how it works in your country, but many stores in the States put out Christmas stuff in July. I always wonder who sees this and says, “I must have it now, to prepare.”

You don’t see this with Valentine’s stuff—i.e., putting it out in November. Nor do you see it with Easter bunny stuff, nor Halloween—i.e., putting out stuff in April.

Christmas, though, is different.

I spent a whopping eight minutes, seeing if other places like the UK, with Harrods – the overpriced tourist trap, with stuff nobody needs – but hey it is from Harrods.

Oh, thank God. Harrods has over 780 products for Christmas in September.

Niche.

The stores that sell Christmas stuff are targeting customers who want it early assuming, no doubt, that they will get it for far less than if they wait until, say, November or December.

There isn’t any validation to this presumption.

Nevertheless, those stores see demand – and therefore aimed towards an audience – a niche.

While I am not eyeing a niche for Christmas here, I did place it as a small factor, as noted earlier.

The Approach for End of the Year Awards 2024

People always want to know my Approach, specifically what factors I consider when deciding which vendor ends up where.

My philosophy is simple – who is the buyer here? It’s not me – it is you.

What does the buyer see as relevant – from an overall perspective AND what the buyer should be looking at.

After all, the buyer has limited knowledge, generally speaking, of the trends to look at, what learning tech is in a system, why X or Y doesn’t make sense for adding in a system (not in 2024), and why you must look to the future.

Way too many vendors rely on what their clients tell them they want in a system. I always tell the vendor you are supposed to be the expert, not the client.

Why are you in this industry if you are not the expert? Have you ever thought about selling chestnuts around the wintertime?

Clients have purchased your system for various reasons – and wait for it; they are clients. Your job is to land new business. Did you read that? New Business.

A retort I often hear is that the potential buyer never mentioned X or Y, so it isn’t relevant or necessary at this time.

Again, who is the expert here? The vendor or the prospect. It should be the vendor.

I’m not saying that people lack knowledge here.

Rather, if you are buying a system, you better know this or this—or identify what are truly your needs—and not stuff I see like, “I need a system that offers a course catalog and can upload video.” Uh, every system can do that—but besides that, if you are relying solely on that as the key, then I promise you, you will end up with a system you hate.

The Factors

I decided to focus this year, on some different factors, new ones, plus some you have seen before. Each are weighted, and points assigned to each – with the maximum score being 150 points which is perfect. I am still looking at systems – so those vendors – surprise, I’m looking at the following:

UI/UX – This should be anyone’s number one priority. And yet, I’ve seen systems that look like they came from 2000 and yes, they land big clients. Personally, I believe they achieve this because they are really cheap OR they give the system to clients and such a low price point that the client can’t move on – it is just super cheap. I’ve seen this a lot. One company (name to be withheld) stayed with a vendor, because the price point on 22,000 learners was about $5,000 USD. And if the client went up with users, the pp would stay at 5,000 USD.

Anyway, I look at the learner side across the entire system, not just the home screen, because there are vendors who have a nice UI/UX for a few screens, and then the rest is awful.

Another aspect I focus on is the admin side of the system. The cleanliness of this interface is a significant factor in the overall usability of the system.

It’s important to consider whether non-technical users, without L&D or Training knowledge, can navigate the system without needing to contact support. A user-friendly system is key to its successful adoption.

If the system has been tossed over to HRIS or Marketing, for example, could that person figure out how to use at least the basics of it?

All relevant – and yet so many people ignore it.

The UX—user experience—is by far the most crucial aspect here, and it is looked at by those who have no idea what they are looking at, including folks I know from L&D who do not know what metrics are relevant.

All played a role here.

Oh, UI is essential – because people want fresh, and not yesteryear.

Metrics and Reporting – Relevant. Does the data tell me my learning story? It’s as simple as that. If you are providing customer training as your core – i.e. 60% or higher nowadays, ideally it should be 85% or higher (yes, the number has dropped due to many customers focused now seeking L&D, and on the other spectrum vendors who were strong in L&D, now going after or landing more customer training clients).

Anyway, do those in customer training have the right metrics that are relevant to people who overwhelmingly sell content or whatever and need to generate revenue?

Yes, I know plenty provide fee, still certain data is highly relevant.

View for example? Is not.

But the number of people selecting X content versus Y, which you created, tells me that something is wrong with Y.

Was it designed poorly?

Does it provide the right information? Is it static or engaging? If you are in training, for example, you need to figure it out—not the system.

And if you are seeking to generate profit – what content is selling the most? What is popular? What trends are you seeing?

If you have chapters – which ones are people going into the most – that tells me, that it is relevant to create another course on that chapter expanding it.

You want to see which courses/content are duds. This is essential, but sadly, it is rare for a vendor to offer this data point.

L&D has to include the skills tied to the content data point, such as how often someone is going into a course/content on that specific skill more than another.

What courses on soft skills are effective and which ones are not. I recommend you read my latest post on LinkedIn under my name – trust me you will find it very important.

Too many folks zero in on how long – that isn’t relevant – because they could have the course open to a specific area and be surfing the net on another tab or on their phone.

What is relevant is how often, what day of the week (you will see a trend here – over some time), trend lines that make sense and are relevant to your learning story, types of content to usage – you are using 95% videos and 5% authored courses. You see that your audience is going into the content that isn’t a video 82% of the time.

That’s relevant – However, you need to ask yourself why?

While many people do not believe in learning styles, I do—and have seen it firsthand, as have many people in training and L&D.

Unless you have been in the trenches, and in various business or markets, you wouldn’t know.

I couldn’t care what Fred on the net says from their research – You and I know it’s true.

Again, this data point is rare to find, but it is so relevant, and it is the preferred type of learning from a content side.

Anyway, I look at the metrics. And yes, the reporting, too. Can I see the report data visually, or do I have to download it to chop up stuff?

•Ability to assign CEU/CPD to content and capture data on the CEU/CPD by learner (seems so easy, but yowsa it is all over the map. It should be visible on the main screen when determining what course/content to take. Not on the page, where they must click to learn more about the course. Notifications and reminders are highly relevant here. Oh, metrics/reporting on this data plays a significant role.)
Notifications – Can you notify a bunch of people at the same time – tied to content – i.e., a group of learners, whether the content is ILT (boo) or online learning. How does the process work? Is it straightforward or convoluted? What is the process for notifications and reminders?
On the L&D side, the Manager dashboard, what can you do from the manager side? What can you see? Should you be able to see certain information? If it is debatable, what rules can the admin set up?
Rules are very important – and yet so many people ignore them.
Multi-Tenant – If you are an association or doing customer training/partner training, etc. OR you are in a company that owns their locations -let’s say X meal land, or different LOBs who want their child – think of you as the parent, and then the folks below as children. What can you do with it – uh, the tenant? Can you have a custom domain (where the vendor’s name is not in it)? What rules can you do – see relevance? Does MT cost?
E-commerce – if you need it, how does it look? Does a vendor charge you?
L&D here – HCM, HRIS integration – which ones does the vendor already have ready to go – i.e., API or a REST API? What systems can they integrate with today? If a prospect wants to talk to a client who has that specific HRIS/HCM system, can they do so? (they should).
Skills – Relevant nowadays. – Is reskilling BTW in the platform, and how does it work?
Workforce Development – total L&D side. If you are heavy in L&D and Workforce Development, tied around job roles and career pathways – how does that work? Do you have the right, i.e., minimums, to achieve success? I mean, goal management is relevant. A transcript is not.
Workflows (NEW)
Customer training features for the learner
L&D features for the learner
AI—It was weighted very low this year, but I am curious what they have today—ready to be seen with generative AI? And let me see it.
The big three are content creator, assessments, and skills pathways (growing). Okay, the big two are content creator and assessments. And yeah, that feedback loop is critical, but as noted, I can count on one hand how many vendors offer it. Oh, what LLM or LLMs are you using? Important, but nobody asks. Trust me; you will see the moment that it stinks or is poor with Y compared to another vendor. Lastly, does the vendor charge token fees? I don’t care how cheap they are; you either are charging a fee to the client or not. Pretty simple. For vendors who do not have AI, but it’s on the roadmap, I’m cool with that. And yes, people looking at a system are not asking about it as important. Nevertheless, uh, you are the expert, not them.
Support—I talk about this all the time. I want to stress this because a lot of folks never put it on their RFP, don’t ask about it in their demo, and ignore it—yet it is THE NUMBER ONE REASON people leave their system.

The vendors all have data on support ratios avg number of tickets per issue; they all have response time; they all have data on the top issues the learn about. Any vendor who says they do not – I strongly recommend not using them.

I hear vendors tell me they don’t know the prospect until they become clients.

I’ve also heard the NDA a prospect must sign to find out about support.

What are you – the secret police or a learning system? If a vendor makes you jump through hoops to learn about this data – move on. It yells out RED FLAG.

Ignore the NPS score—and if you are like, “I must know this,” ask them how many detractors they had (very relevant) and what their methodology was.

Funny, I find vendors never require folks to sign an NDA.

Demo score: I am looking at every system, going far deeper in the weeds than prospects go, and extracting all types of information. If a vendor shows me a deck (they always do), I ask them to send it to me after the call. Then I see how many do it. No surprise, I get vendors who never send it.

On the other hand, I will often ask a vendor to send me the deck ahead of hand and see if they will comply.

I can read and use my brain.

If I have questions, I will send them ahead of time.

Less than 40% of vendors ever do this.

I’m looking at that for my analysis.

Marketing – This goes to my marketing awards only – not for the above calculations – Does their marketing effectively work for their target audience? What is their marcomm approach? (Marketing Communications) This is basic stuff because I know a lot of vendors who hold dearly to this, as though they are in a lifeboat. None of the findings – i.e., what works or doesn’t- will be published for the record. Just #1, #2, #3
Best Vendor in Support – A new category. Every vendor says they have fantastic support. Trust me, I know who does and doesn’t.

That’s the list! I do look at some other lesser items, forward-thinking for one, but the above is the real stuff—the meat, if you will. Plant-based is recommended.

What Awards will be given out

Best Learning System (regardless of type)—The top five here. There will be two blogs, though, as in the past, with one covering 11-20 (not in-depth stuff, but enough) and then #10 to #1—this is the one folks want to know the most—and thus, I try to present the key data I found relevant.
Best LMS
Best LMS/LXP combo—this is common nowadays, but LMS is still the monster in terms of type.
Best Learning Platform – Any vendor who says they are none of the above – It’s like magic – okay.
#1 System for Enterprise (I will note #2 and #3)
#1 System for Customer Training (#2, and #3)
#1 System for the Association market (#2, and #3)
#1 System for SMB
#1 System for Support (#2, #3 noted)
Best Learning Technology for 2024 (think new products – I have seen one that is unbelievable, and others that are good – and yeah, go back to the drawing board)

As always, this is a global analysis – in other words, I am not focusing solely on the US. If you look at previous years, you will see systems from all over the world.

Bottom Line

As in year’s past, the rankings will slowly trickle out in early December. The Top 10 post comes out the second week of December.

E-Learning 24/7

Previous Award Winners (Top 10 only)

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017 (Part 1 #10 to #6)

2017 (Part 2, #5 to #1)

2016

2015

2014 (2013)

2012

A report was published for 2011, 2012, 2013 – very detailed, around 600 pages per year. (inc. top 50)

Why the Future of Learning Starts with Building

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onlinefreecourse

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February 11, 2026

0

Coding has always served two purposes: the intrinsic drive to build something, and the practical path to a lucrative career. Even the most passionate code aficionados don’t dream of variables or syntax — they want to make a website, a tool, a game. For years, the career upside was impossible to ignore. You could land a stable SWE job, bootstrap your own app, or join a buzzy startup as a first hire.

Generative AI flipped the script. AI now handles the repetitive tasks that used to define entry-level developer roles. At the same time, the barrier to entry for coding and building is lower than ever — you can spin up a working prototype with just an idea and a natural language prompt.

This shift hasn’t eliminated the desire to code, but it’s changed what and who coding is for. If you’re not learning to land a junior dev role, you’re learning to build the thing you’ve been imagining, to add a technical skill to your existing career, or to understand the tools you’re already using at work. And here’s the catch: those goals all require understanding your code, not just having code that works.

At Codecademy, all of these changes excite us about the future of learning to code. We’re introducing the AI Builder, a new project-based learning tool that flips the script by teaching you how to work with AI-generated code from the start. Our approach brings together the immediacy of modern AI tools and the rigor of real instructional design.

Why we created the AI Builder

AI’s speed and efficiency often come with a tradeoff; you can get working code immediately, but you don’t really know what it’s giving you or why it’s built a certain way. Developers use the term “vibe coding” to describe this phenomenon — it’s fast, fun, but shallow; great for demos, less great for long-term skill-building.

If your goal is to understand what you’re building, generic AI output alone won’t get you there. And the more you push these tools into real-world complexity, “the harder it is for them to give you exactly what you want,” says Zoe Bachman, Head of Learning at Codecademy.

Switch to Learn for behind-the-scenes insights and your personalized roadmap.

With the AI Builder you get an education along with the AI output. In the workspace, you can toggle between two tabs: Build, where you work directly with a project and can modify and change code in real time; and Learn, where you get a personalized learning roadmap that’s based on your project.

“We pair the experience of having a working app with a learning path that allows you to reverse engineer how it’s built, so you can deeply understand it and modify it confidently,” Zoe says. We’re calling our hybrid approach to learning-driven development “vibe learning” — it’s powered by AI guidance but rooted in learning science.

Build first; learn continuously

With AI Builder, you start with what you want to do: build the thing in your head. Whether that’s a habit tracker, a portfolio site, or the seed of a bigger idea, you don’t need to have prior coding knowledge to learn and build with the AI Builder. In other words, there are no pre-requisites for creation.

You create a prototype by typing what you’d like to create in natural language. The AI chatbot will ask a few clarifying questions about your needs and overall goal before generating the project. Once the project is created, you can use the chat function to continue describing what you want. (You’re also welcome to go right into the code and start making changes if you already know your way around!)

“It was fun to build something so quickly and be able to see the code and a learning plan for it,” says Grace Krishna, a Code Crew member who beta tested the AI Builder.

When you need clarity on what’s going on behind the scenes in your code, or you hit a wall with AI, that’s a great time to flip over to the Learn tab.

We’re calling our hybrid approach to learning-driven development ‘vibe learning’ — it’s powered by AI guidance but rooted in learning science.

Your project becomes the curriculum

Rather than teaching concepts in the abstract and hoping learners translate them later, AI Builder removes that translation tax entirely. “We’re showing you specifically your code from your project and helping you understand it,” Zoe says.

Rework your prototype in real time with the help of AI.

To build that personalized curriculum, the AI Builder breaks your project’s code into clear milestones and tasks. For each task, it generates an interactive learning loop, which is an activity designed to help you form a mental model of what your specific code is doing.

These loops help you understand the logic behind each part of your project, so you can confidently apply the same thinking to other sections, or even future projects. This approach also ensures everything you learn is directly relevant to what you’re making — so you don’t have to guess when you’ll ever use this.

Why this is vibe learning (not vibe coding)

A key misconception about AI‑assisted development is that it makes learning superficial. AI Builder challenges that by grounding the entire experience in learning science rather than simple code generation. Our entire system is intentionally designed for you to retain knowledge. So, while it might not feel like you’re taking a course, you’re absorbing key concepts just by interacting with AI-generated code.

A Socratic AI, not an answer-spitting chatbot

Our educational AI chatbot is designed to guide you toward an answer through an in-depth questioning approach that’s based on the Socratic method of teaching. Instead of spitting out shortcuts or answers like AI typically does, you get strategic nudges, hints, and questions that build durable mental models.

Research on AI in education shows that just providing an answer makes it harder for learners to retain the information on their own. Zoe compares the Socratic AI to “a personalized tutor, facilitating you acquiring more knowledge, so you’re not totally left on your own.” Our method encourages you to think critically so you really grasp the concepts and can continue to use them in the real world.

Learning loops with real instructional design

Behind the scenes, every learning loop in the Learn tab is built on proven frameworks like inductive learning and the 5E model, a popular STEM teaching framework that’s shorthand for engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.

You’ll notice that the questions and exercises in the Learn tab feel different than the rest of our courses and paths, and that’s intentional. “The learning loops are designed very well — they get you there inductively,” Zoe says. They’re exploratory without being overwhelming, and evaluative without feeling like tests.

Negar Vahid, a beta tester for the AI Builder appreciated the AI’s interactive question format. “The question-based learning feels engaging, and the starter project it builds is simple but useful,” she says.

This structure ensures you don’t develop the wrong mental models — a known risk in fully constructivist or student-centered environments — while still giving you the freedom to explore.

Why learn when AI can build?

There are some projects that are well-suited for simply vibe coding, like making a personal HTML website or a single-use script to automate a one-time task. Tools like Lovable and v0 are suited exactly for these types of projects.

The longer your code needs to live, and the more complex your project becomes, the more you need to actually understand what you’re building. Joe Holmes, Codecademy Curriculum Developer in the AI and machine learning domain, uses the term “ignorance debt” to describe what happens when you don’t:

“It’s like tech debt squared. It’s much, much worse,” Joe says. “You don’t know what kind of code is coming out. You just are only looking at: Does this kind of generally appear to be what I asked for? You don’t know if there are security flaws. You don’t know if there are performance flaws. You don’t know if you’re leaking sensitive information. You don’t know how to fix anything.”

The tipping point comes down to two factors: complexity and time. If you’re developing software professionally, you’re legally responsible for the code you output. If you’re building something that will serve actual users, you need to be accountable for security, performance, and maintainability. And if your project will need updates or fixes over time (which most do) understanding your codebase becomes essential, not optional.

The good news? Learning doesn’t have to feel like eating your vegetables. “Kids hate veggies and broccoli because we don’t cook it well enough to make it tasty when we first introduce it to them,” says Nhi Pham, Codecademy Curriculum Developer. The same is true for teaching AI: “If you do it well, you’re inspiring people to have these very hygienic practices when working with AI,” she says.

That’s exactly what AI Builder is designed to do — make learning feel as immediate and rewarding as building, so you develop good habits from the start rather than building a lifelong aversion to understanding your own code.

Get started with the AI Builder

AI isn’t a replacement for learning, it’s a tool — and a powerful one when it comes to education. Our new AI Builder allows for “just‑in‑time learning that’s highly personalized,” Zoe says. Even the best teachers or bootcamps can’t deliver that for every learner, on every project, instantly. Perhaps the most exciting vision is how AI changes what a learning environment can be.

Zoe described it beautifully: “I imagine the AI Builder as a workspace… like having all your resources around you and an AI tutor in the background.”

That’s the shift: from learning before you build to learning while you build. We can’t wait to see what you create.

Why the Future of Learning Starts with Building

By

onlinefreecourse

-

February 11, 2026

0

Coding has always served two purposes: the intrinsic drive to build something, and the practical path to a lucrative career. Even the most passionate code aficionados don’t dream of variables or syntax — they want to make a website, a tool, a game. For years, the career upside was impossible to ignore. You could land a stable SWE job, bootstrap your own app, or join a buzzy startup as a first hire.

Generative AI flipped the script. AI now handles the repetitive tasks that used to define entry-level developer roles. At the same time, the barrier to entry for coding and building is lower than ever — you can spin up a working prototype with just an idea and a natural language prompt.

This shift hasn’t eliminated the desire to code, but it’s changed what and who coding is for. If you’re not learning to land a junior dev role, you’re learning to build the thing you’ve been imagining, to add a technical skill to your existing career, or to understand the tools you’re already using at work. And here’s the catch: those goals all require understanding your code, not just having code that works.

At Codecademy, all of these changes excite us about the future of learning to code. We’re introducing the AI Builder, a new project-based learning tool that flips the script by teaching you how to work with AI-generated code from the start. Our approach brings together the immediacy of modern AI tools and the rigor of real instructional design.

Why we created the AI Builder

AI’s speed and efficiency often come with a tradeoff; you can get working code immediately, but you don’t really know what it’s giving you or why it’s built a certain way. Developers use the term “vibe coding” to describe this phenomenon — it’s fast, fun, but shallow; great for demos, less great for long-term skill-building.

If your goal is to understand what you’re building, generic AI output alone won’t get you there. And the more you push these tools into real-world complexity, “the harder it is for them to give you exactly what you want,” says Zoe Bachman, Head of Learning at Codecademy.

With the AI Builder you get an education along with the AI output. In the workspace, you can toggle between two tabs: Build, where you work directly with a project and can modify and change code in real time; and Learn, where you get a personalized learning roadmap that’s based on your project.

“We pair the experience of having a working app with a learning path that allows you to reverse engineer how it’s built, so you can deeply understand it and modify it confidently,” Zoe says. We’re calling our hybrid approach to learning-driven development “vibe learning” — it’s powered by AI guidance but rooted in learning science.

Build first; learn continuously

With AI Builder, you start with what you want to do: build the thing in your head. Whether that’s a habit tracker, a portfolio site, or the seed of a bigger idea, you don’t need to have prior coding knowledge to learn and build with the AI Builder. In other words, there are no pre-requisites for creation.

You create a prototype by typing what you’d like to create in natural language. The AI chatbot will ask a few clarifying questions about your needs and overall goal before generating the project. Once the project is created, you can use the chat function to continue describing what you want. (You’re also welcome to go right into the code and start making changes if you already know your way around!)

“It was fun to build something so quickly and be able to see the code and a learning plan for it,” says Grace Krishna, a Code Crew member who beta tested the AI Builder.

When you need clarity on what’s going on behind the scenes in your code, or you hit a wall with AI, that’s a great time to flip over to the Learn tab.

We’re calling our hybrid approach to learning-driven development ‘vibe learning’ — it’s powered by AI guidance but rooted in learning science.

Your project becomes the curriculum

Rather than teaching concepts in the abstract and hoping learners translate them later, AI Builder removes that translation tax entirely. “We’re showing you specifically your code from your project and helping you understand it,” Zoe says.

To build that personalized curriculum, the AI Builder breaks your project’s code into clear milestones and tasks. For each task, it generates an interactive learning loop, which is an activity designed to help you form a mental model of what your specific code is doing.

These loops help you understand the logic behind each part of your project, so you can confidently apply the same thinking to other sections, or even future projects. This approach also ensures everything you learn is directly relevant to what you’re making — so you don’t have to guess when you’ll ever use this.

Why this is vibe learning (not vibe coding)

A key misconception about AI‑assisted development is that it makes learning superficial. AI Builder challenges that by grounding the entire experience in learning science rather than simple code generation. Our entire system is intentionally designed for you to retain knowledge. So, while it might not feel like you’re taking a course, you’re absorbing key concepts just by interacting with AI-generated code.

A Socratic AI, not an answer-spitting chatbot

Our educational AI chatbot is designed to guide you toward an answer through an in-depth questioning approach that’s based on the Socratic method of teaching. Instead of spitting out shortcuts or answers like AI typically does, you get strategic nudges, hints, and questions that build durable mental models.

Research on AI in education shows that just providing an answer makes it harder for learners to retain the information on their own. Zoe compares the Socratic AI to “a personalized tutor, facilitating you acquiring more knowledge, so you’re not totally left on your own.” Our method encourages you to think critically so you really grasp the concepts and can continue to use them in the real world.

Learning loops with real instructional design

Behind the scenes, every learning loop in the Learn tab is built on proven frameworks like inductive learning and the 5E model, a popular STEM teaching framework that’s shorthand for engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.

You’ll notice that the questions and exercises in the Learn tab feel different than the rest of our courses and paths, and that’s intentional. “The learning loops are designed very well — they get you there inductively,” Zoe says. They’re exploratory without being overwhelming, and evaluative without feeling like tests.

Negar Vahid, a beta tester for the AI Builder appreciated the AI’s interactive question format. “The question-based learning feels engaging, and the starter project it builds is simple but useful,” she says.

This structure ensures you don’t develop the wrong mental models — a known risk in fully constructivist or student-centered environments — while still giving you the freedom to explore.

Why learn when AI can build?

There are some projects that are well-suited for simply vibe coding, like making a personal HTML website or a single-use script to automate a one-time task. Tools like Lovable and v0 are suited exactly for these types of projects.

The longer your code needs to live, and the more complex your project becomes, the more you need to actually understand what you’re building. Joe Holmes, Codecademy Curriculum Developer in the AI and machine learning domain, uses the term “ignorance debt” to describe what happens when you don’t:

“It’s like tech debt squared. It’s much, much worse,” Joe says. “You don’t know what kind of code is coming out. You just are only looking at: Does this kind of generally appear to be what I asked for? You don’t know if there are security flaws. You don’t know if there are performance flaws. You don’t know if you’re leaking sensitive information. You don’t know how to fix anything.”

The tipping point comes down to two factors: complexity and time. If you’re developing software professionally, you’re legally responsible for the code you output. If you’re building something that will serve actual users, you need to be accountable for security, performance, and maintainability. And if your project will need updates or fixes over time (which most do) understanding your codebase becomes essential, not optional.

The good news? Learning doesn’t have to feel like eating your vegetables. “Kids hate veggies and broccoli because we don’t cook it well enough to make it tasty when we first introduce it to them,” says Nhi Pham, Codecademy Curriculum Developer. The same is true for teaching AI: “If you do it well, you’re inspiring people to have these very hygienic practices when working with AI,” she says.

That’s exactly what AI Builder is designed to do — make learning feel as immediate and rewarding as building, so you develop good habits from the start rather than building a lifelong aversion to understanding your own code.

Get started with the AI Builder

AI isn’t a replacement for learning, it’s a tool — and a powerful one when it comes to education. Our new AI Builder allows for “just‑in‑time learning that’s highly personalized,” Zoe says. Even the best teachers or bootcamps can’t deliver that for every learner, on every project, instantly. Perhaps the most exciting vision is how AI changes what a learning environment can be.

Zoe described it beautifully: “I imagine the AI Builder as a workspace… like having all your resources around you and an AI tutor in the background.”

That’s the shift: from learning before you build to learning while you build. We can’t wait to see what you create.

Comment on Top AI Learning Systems of 2025 by Craig Weiss

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onlinefreecourse

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February 11, 2026

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Comment on Top AI Learning Systems of 2025 by Craig Weiss

This is the time of the year when the deadlines are getting tighter, and people are wondering if they will have to try that new dish from Tommy, a recent hire who told you secretly that he worked at a place that was shut down due to health concerns. Oh, and he was the cook.

Writing two posts about awards, while exciting, is equally daunting. No analyst goes into this thinking Hey, I can write this up in an hour and then head over to the pharmacy because Tommy happens to be your boss and he is making his famous hot dog soufflé.

The best in class awards are broken down into two areas – this week, it’s all AI.

Next week – Best in Class covering the aspect of strategic outcomes for the business – with frontline, enterprise, mid-market, mentoring ,etc.

AI Factoids

We often say that AI is still in its infancy, but it’s important to note that the current capabilities are just the beginning, with significant growth expected within a year or two.

One AI vendor whose valuation is over 1 trillion dollars may not be around a year from now, because it is a capital-heavy investment with so far a lack of return.

The AI market is in a bubble (and as I’ve written before, there is no doubt it will go the dot.com route, sadly). Recognizing this volatility can help you stay cautious and make more informed decisions.

When a vendor in our space, including learning systems, adds AI, they should carefully consider how it aligns with their core mission and expertise – (Impact of Learning), in this case, strategic outcomes for the business (regardless of vertical).

Add it – just for the sake of it, and place it where clients want it (BAD idea, but common) or add it, be diligent about where it should go based upon the vendor’s expertise (not common, but the smart move).

The Categories under AI for Best in Class are

Top 5 AI-focused learning systems
AI Content Creator
Analytics and Metrics – 100%: There are some folks out there who do it way better than others and show what is possible at this stage in the space.
Admin Functionality – These vendors are leveraging an AI assistant on the admin side – very early here – but still stand out
#1 AI-Powered Learning System (yes, one stands above the rest – and includes it all – uh, AI capabilities when you buy the system)
AI Assistant – Learner Side – This is gaining popularity, but some are the early leaders, and two I see do the best job, sadly, only one can be Best in Class (or can it be two?)

Regarding AI, please note that you should always ask what LLM (Language Model) or models they are using, and whether they charge token fees. As of 12-10-25, the number one LLM is Gemini 3 (Pro).

If a vendor says they use Bedrock (that is great – because Bedrock identifies the best LLM or the one it feels aligns well with your use case – Bedrock is from Amazon, which is AWS in this regard).

Now, without further ado

These systems leverage AI across many areas – I found them overall to be top of the class for AI.

Cornerstone Learn. I am referencing Learn here – which is excellent, and to the ideal Talent Development system – you should add Elevate.
- AI Admin Functionality – Includes an AI Assistant where the admin can create a report, receive product help, navigate the system, manage compliance, use the content manager, access suggested training, and search training.
- Automated content creation, with a different look than the common ones I see
- Streamline learning operations
- Learner functionality – Personalized learning and recommendations
- Managers – AI summarized reviews and check-ins
- Skills development tied to content (which is in Elevate+, but there are some items in Learn+)
- Admin – Metrics such as instant learning insights

Some Screens

AI assistant on the admin side

Everywhere you can with their AI – they always note that it can create mistakes and check for accuracy.

Based on all the systems I have seen with AI, the most significant universal problem is the lack of that little statement.

2. Absorb LMS – There is a reason that they have pushed the envelope with AI. They get “it”. I was blown away with features such as Create a Podcast (yep) with AI – an intriguing angle in the space (oh it is just for within the system, and not for public podcast sites) – but it taps into people’s learning styles; Aura Assist which speeds up the admin processes, beyond the content (a usual piece), but items such as strategic learning playbooks and running reports.

Together – their mentoring platform, which comes with Absorb LMS (you can also buy it as a standalone) – uses AI in a variety of ways: matching profiles based on skills and factoring in time zones. These AI-populated agendas evolve with each session, making it easier for mentors to sustain engagement with their mentorees.

3. LearnAmp – AI tutor, a slick AI Assistant (different than a tutor) – known as Volt, a multi-agentic framework with different agents handling various tasks, a content creator, to name a few.

One big ticket item you want when you purchase a system utilizing AI is MCP (Multi-Cloud Platform), they are in the process of having it – that is a significant win. RAG (Retrival Augmented Generated) – is quite common, LearnAmp has it, but they are working on adding MTP (Multi-Tenant-Platform), which is new in the market – again, you want this.

4. Cypher Learning – Really has taken it up a notch. Always been strong on the content creator side, but the Assistant’s UI/UX really works for me. Other items include AI cross-check, AI image generation, and administrative guardrails, allowing platform administrators to set open-text instructions to control the types of questions the AI will answer (e.g., blocking specific topics). CL also notes the potential of AI mistakes.

5. Docebo Harmony – Two takeaways here. 1. 2026 Q1 is going to have a very cool feature that I have yet to see with AI and your browser. 2. The search, discovery capability with AI in their system today – on the learner side, really worked for me. I really liked the option to search the platform or the web. Vendors nowadays place heavy restrictions on content within the platform.

The problem is that it limits the learner’s opportunities to learn. Clients assume that a content platform will only eliminate hallucinations (not true), AI bias (not actual), and output more effective results (depends on the content, and even then, the top two above are in play).

Comment on Top AI Learning Systems of 2025 by Roger Mundell

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onlinefreecourse

-

February 11, 2026

0

Comment on Top AI Learning Systems of 2025 by Roger Mundell

This is the time of the year when the deadlines are getting tighter, and people are wondering if they will have to try that new dish from Tommy, a recent hire who told you secretly that he worked at a place that was shut down due to health concerns. Oh, and he was the cook.

Writing two posts about awards, while exciting, is equally daunting. No analyst goes into this thinking Hey, I can write this up in an hour and then head over to the pharmacy because Tommy happens to be your boss and he is making his famous hot dog soufflé.

The best in class awards are broken down into two areas – this week, it’s all AI.

Next week – Best in Class covering the aspect of strategic outcomes for the business – with frontline, enterprise, mid-market, mentoring ,etc.

AI Factoids

We often say that AI is still in its infancy, but it’s important to note that the current capabilities are just the beginning, with significant growth expected within a year or two.

One AI vendor whose valuation is over 1 trillion dollars may not be around a year from now, because it is a capital-heavy investment with so far a lack of return.

The AI market is in a bubble (and as I’ve written before, there is no doubt it will go the dot.com route, sadly). Recognizing this volatility can help you stay cautious and make more informed decisions.

When a vendor in our space, including learning systems, adds AI, they should carefully consider how it aligns with their core mission and expertise – (Impact of Learning), in this case, strategic outcomes for the business (regardless of vertical).

Add it – just for the sake of it, and place it where clients want it (BAD idea, but common) or add it, be diligent about where it should go based upon the vendor’s expertise (not common, but the smart move).

The Categories under AI for Best in Class are

Top 5 AI-focused learning systems
AI Content Creator
Analytics and Metrics – 100%: There are some folks out there who do it way better than others and show what is possible at this stage in the space.
Admin Functionality – These vendors are leveraging an AI assistant on the admin side – very early here – but still stand out
#1 AI-Powered Learning System (yes, one stands above the rest – and includes it all – uh, AI capabilities when you buy the system)
AI Assistant – Learner Side – This is gaining popularity, but some are the early leaders, and two I see do the best job, sadly, only one can be Best in Class (or can it be two?)

Regarding AI, please note that you should always ask what LLM (Language Model) or models they are using, and whether they charge token fees. As of 12-10-25, the number one LLM is Gemini 3 (Pro).

If a vendor says they use Bedrock (that is great – because Bedrock identifies the best LLM or the one it feels aligns well with your use case – Bedrock is from Amazon, which is AWS in this regard).

Now, without further ado

These systems leverage AI across many areas – I found them overall to be top of the class for AI.

Cornerstone Learn. I am referencing Learn here – which is excellent, and to the ideal Talent Development system – you should add Elevate.
- AI Admin Functionality – Includes an AI Assistant where the admin can create a report, receive product help, navigate the system, manage compliance, use the content manager, access suggested training, and search training.
- Automated content creation, with a different look than the common ones I see
- Streamline learning operations
- Learner functionality – Personalized learning and recommendations
- Managers – AI summarized reviews and check-ins
- Skills development tied to content (which is in Elevate+, but there are some items in Learn+)
- Admin – Metrics such as instant learning insights

Some Screens

AI assistant on the admin side