DigitalChalk, by Sciolytix vs. LearnUpon

Digital Chalk is perfect for organizations who are looking for an easy to use Learning Management System and don't need all the bells, whistles, and bulk of the LMS giants, like Cornerstone or SuccessFactors. Digital Chalk doesn't require an administrative specialist to learn a whole new language and environment with endless options and settings. It's very easy to use for both learners and administrators, and yet at the same time provides the exact functions you need.

Incentivized

I think LearnUpon is a great LMS for an organization that focuses on internal learners, aka, employees. It's very easy to create courses, enroll learners, and mark attendance. For an association such as mine, more support would be helpful for appropriately setting up the store to reflect member and non-member accounts. In addition, it's difficult to do outside-the-box functions like transfers and refunds.

Incentivized

• While I used the platform, it improved its integrations with PowerPoint, making it easy to convert slides to the DigitalChalk format.
• The editing layers for audio underneath the slides is very user-friendly and easy to use.
• While we didn't use the quiz randomization, I liked how there was a structure built to it so that those who had more robust usage situations than ours would be able to improve engagement and assess learning at a higher level.

Incentivized

• Integration with video conferencing platforms (primarily Zoom).
• Timing out releasing of course materials and exams so students can't get eyes on something an instructor is not ready for them to see yet.
• Customization of our store front and courses with regard to branding and graphics.

Incentivized

• The administration of Digital Chalk is very easy. The function I think may be missing is an easy way to add revisions and assign them to the students who need them. For example, when you update a piece of a course it would have an indication that it is version xxx and would ask who would like to assign it to - everyone who has taken it before or just new students.
• It would nice to have the system recognize when a student has already completed an element of a course that may be used in another course. For example, if video A is part of courses 1 and 2, and the student already watched it in course 1, it would ask the administrator if they should get automated credit for it in course 2, as well.

Incentivized

• There are issues with users who have an account in more than one LearnUpon portal. If a user has an account in an existing LearnUpon portal, and they want to create an account in another LearnUpon portal, then they have to be invited to the new portal by an Administrator. but the user has no way of knowing that its a LearnUpon portal until they can't sign up. Its very confusing for the learner.
• An email address is required in order to set up an account. We serve many providers who don't have email addresses for all of their staff, so this is a huge issue for us.

Incentivized

We've been a customer for six years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. We're very happy with LearnUpon.

Incentivized

As I mentioned previously, Digital Chalk's customer support is excellent. I also got a reply back within an hour, and it was usually the same person. So, they were familiar with our needs and how we were using the system. Honestly, most of the time we had to contact their support, it was an issue on the user's side, not in the software. Yet, they still helped identify the issue and consulted on how to fix it.

Incentivized

DigitalChalk gave the organization the hands-on ownership of content creation and delivery while meeting our usage case of hands-off course management on a daily basis and extending the reach of the course content and certificate to as many people as possible. It's easy to use, very cost-effective to implement, and the overall experience means that the course participants get what they need out of the course without a lot of effort on their part.

Incentivized

LearnUpon's interface and immersive experience blows the competition out of the water. LearnUpon understands the "big picture" of online learning and how to provide a system that is easy and fun to use for users at any level. LearnUpon's knowledge of their own platform, and their impeccable client support is unparalleled. LearnUpon understands our business and learning needs better than any competitor. Now that I'm using a different platform at another job, I miss LearnUpon every day!

Incentivized

• DigtialChalk's ROI is positive - the cost model of low up-front costs to get started, then paying a small amount per course participant means that organizations implementing DigitalChalk as their platform get more than their money's worth from it. It returns profit quickly and on a consistent basis.
• The asynchronous nature of the platform, combined with the targeted usage situation of hands-off course delivery and management, means that resources to create, deliver, and maintain courses can be held with either one person (like an instructional designer) or even an outside contractor. This means that there's little impact to the fixed operating costs involved with hiring someone else to manage it.

Incentivized

• We have not implemented it yet due to unforeseen issues with a different vendor, but we have launched two pilots and it has been very well received.
• The expected outcome is a lot more revenue because the catalog we have in our current LMS (Absorb) is very poorly designed and ineffective.
• Another expected outcome is that people will be excited to learn more and be better ambassadors for our company.

Incentivized