One of the most challenging aspects of being an IT administrator in the cloud era is staying on top of new releases to the technology your business is using. Cloud IT providers are continually enhancing their platforms. Of course, this has many benefits, but it can also be difficult to keep track of what’s changing - and decide what is important for your business.
Early in 2021, Microsoft announced that a new Employee Experience & Engagement platform will be added natively to the Microsoft Teams platform, Microsoft Viva. If you are a Microsoft Teams administrator or IT manager, this technology is likely to have a significant impact on the working lives of your colleagues.
Microsoft Viva comprises of 8 modules:
Depending on your role, each of these modules will have a different bearing on your job.
In this blog, we are going to focus on Microsoft Viva Learning.
Viva Learning is essentially a training aggregation app that appears in Microsoft Teams. When a Microsoft Teams user opens up the Viva Learning app they will see a number of courses curated for them. The courses they see will be relevant to their job title, skill set and experience. The user will be able to consume training from a variety of content providers and training systems all aggregated into the Viva Learning app.
Here's how we imagine it working: imagine you are a Marketing Assistant at a medium sized business. From right within Microsoft Teams, you click on the Viva Learning app and you see training articles and videos from a variety of providers. This might include your company’s own training content as well as various third-party training content such as LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, Pluralsight, EdX, Coursera, Skillsoft and more. Instead of leaving your Microsoft Teams environment to brush up on your marketing skills, you can access all of that information from right within the app where you spend your days.
Learn more: Viva Learning Video Demos
Viva Learning is Not a Learning Management System (LMS) nor is it a contextual learning delivery system.
If you want to assign learning to your employees, you will still need a system to make the assignments. The assignments can potentially show up within Viva Learning if you have that integration configured with your learning system, but that's about it. Aside from the assignments showing up in Viva Learning, no further integration is currently planned . You would still need to go through the learning system to check the progress and do other deep analysis to assess the impact of learning.
You might have heard that Viva Learning provides learning in the flow of work. What that really means is that Viva Learning provides a destination learning experience directly within Microsoft Teams where many people are working most of their day.
However, employees will not have access to that learning when they are in other systems such as your in house custom applications, other SaaS systems, Microsoft 365 apps such as OneDrive, SharePoint , etc. They will still need to come back to Microsoft Teams in order to consume the learning from Viva Learning.
There is already a wide variety of learning options for organizations to train their staff. So why do we need Viva Learning? Some of the key reasons Microsoft decided to introduce this technology includes:
Due to the pandemic and the rise in remote working, Microsoft Teams has become a central hub where many people now spend their days at work. It therefore makes sense to bring training direct to the user where they spend time - rather than expecting them to go elsewhere for their learning.
Viva Learning attempts to overcome some of the most common challenges when it comes to training staff. If people have to go out of their way to find learning, it is relatively unlikely that they will actually do it. What is more, because there is so much training available it can be very hard for individual employees to decide what they need to focus on. Viva Learning brings the most relevant training to the individual in the place they spend most time. That means they’re more likely to actually learn.
Microsoft has so far announced partnerships with the following entities as Viva Learning Partners. The partnership means that they would provide content or related services/integrations to Viva Learning.
Later this year Microsoft also plans to make APIs available so that other LMS platforms can also integrate into Viva Learning.
Viva Learning is almost like a Spotify for company training. What this means is that the app is focused on self-discovery and recommendations based on the individual’s profile and learning history – just like the popular music streaming app.
Opening up the app, the user can search for terms and find training based on their current needs and interests.
Take our example of a marketing assistant. Perhaps she wants to read her company’s guidelines for social media campaigns. She simply opens up the Viva Learning app within Teams and enters search terms. The relevant training sections or documents will then appear for her.
Microsoft Graph is a powerful AI tool that underpins Microsoft 365. It gets to know the individual and how they use the platform. Based on various data points related to their profile and activity, it will start to recommend training sessions in Viva Learning that it estimates might be relevant to them.
Here’s how it might work for our fictional marketing assistant. Over time, the Microsoft Graph starts to notice she is reading a lot of training articles about social media marketing. Based on this activity Viva Learning might start to surface articles and videos about more advanced aspects of social media marketing which could help that employee further enhance her skills.
Managers can use their existing LMS to assign training tasks to colleagues which would then appear in Viva Learning. If they decide an employee or the whole team needs additional learning on a specific topic, they can assign training modules and verify whether or not they have been completed.
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In our example of the marketing assistant, a manager might decide to set up one weekly training task to bolster her skill set.
Microsoft Viva Learning is an app which you can add right within your Microsoft Teams environment. The cost for Viva Learning is:
$4 per user per month (currently there is also a Microsoft Suite being offered which contains all modules of Viva for $9 per user per month)
Sounds expensive? here's what you get with it:
Note: Keep in mind that you will need your own existing LMS so you can make assignments and track progress. Learning assignments cannot be made through Viva Learning.
Viva Learning is a great solution for enterprises. However, the price will not be suitable for everyone.
If you are looking for:
You can check out the VisualSP for Teams app and see if that's better suitable for your organizational needs.
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The free version of Viva Learning is currently available directly through the Teams apps store.
You can buy the paid version of Viva Learning directly from Microsoft.
Below is a thorough walkthrough of Viva Learning.
So, what does the arrival of Viva Learning mean for how organizations train their employees? Here are our predictions:
Employees will be able to seek out training modules provided by their organization directly in their flow of work within Microsoft Teams.
Any LMS system that already provides training related to Microsoft will adapt their solutions so that their training content as well as assignment functionality integrates easily with Microsoft Viva Learning.
The Viva Learning app is fundamentally a training content aggregator. In this sense, it does not really replace any other training environments. Instead, it enhances and complements your existing investments in business training and helps you to make more use of them.
The launch of Microsoft Viva shows just how dedicated Microsoft is to the customer experience. Viva Learning represents a fantastic way of helping businesses get more from their training content and the training platforms they’ve invested in.
Ultimately Viva Learning supports the notion of providing training to people in context - which is something that we at VisualSP fully endorse. While Viva Learning is focused on aggregating training content into a single, easy-access app, VisualSP delivers training in a different way, by providing technology usage guides at the moment of need. In this way, the two solutions complement staff training at different levels. Learn more about how VisualSP works here.
Have any questions about Microsoft Viva Learning and what it means for training at your organization? Contact us today and let's chat.
The questions below are a running list of queries we continue to receive about Viva Learning.
below were asked by attendees of the Viva Learning webinar that I conducted on June 29th, 2021. (updated frequently as new info comes out)
1. Does Viva Learning connect to the Microsoft 365 Learning Pathways site?
Viva Learning is more of a shell, a container, in which you can pull in any content. Microsoft 365 learning pathways is not yet one of the content sources that Microsoft supports but a subset of learning pathways content is available in the Microsoft 365 learning content row within Viva Learning.
2. Will it also work on the mobile version of Teams?
Yes. Viva Learning supports mobile version of Teams as well.
3. In setup, can you choose what providers show up here?
That's correct. When you are setting up Viva Learning, you click on the checkboxes of the content sources, the providers, that you want to show within the Viva Learning interface.
4. Will learning content that is created internally also show up in Viva Learning?
Yes. Viva Learning supports showing internal learning content that is produced internally such as videos, Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents, PDF, etc
5. Is the learning displayed here learning based on your subscription to each provider like LinkedIn learning or is some of the training content provided free with Viva Learning?
For all the content providers that Microsoft supports, they provide some varying degree of free content which shows up when you enable them as a content source in the Viva Learning configuration. And then if you want to get access to the premium content, you would need to have an organizational subscription with that content provider.
6. We have an app that is on Teams app store. Would like to know what features will Viva API have?
Microsoft had mentioned that APIs for Viva Learning will come out in the second half of 2022. No update on that yet.
7. Can you use the SharePoint method to put a link to an external content provider? For example a 3rd party learning provider that has web based content.
The SharePoint method lets you link to content that's only hosted inside SharePoint.
8. Does VisualSP require allowing custom scripts on sites? If so, is there any way to use it without this? Many organizations have this turned off on sites by default for various governance reasons.
VisualSP has been deployed by many of our customers in one of two ways:
The second option is the one that we would recommend for organizations that have the custom scripts turned off.
9. Can you sign in to each learning source with different credentials, or is authentication done at the MS Teams level?
You, as a tenant admin, have to setup the credentials for each learning source in the Viva Learning organization settings in M365 admin center.
10. How is connection, insights and others connected to MS Teams and SharePoint
All Viva branded apps are Microsoft Teams apps that appear on the left rail of Teams. Some of the functionality of these apps can also be accessed through tabs within channels and chats/conversations.
11. How does licensing work? Does my organization need to purchase enterprise licenses for all users from each learning provider?
That is correct. The organization would have to purchase the enterprise / organizational license for each learning provider that they want to show the learning from.
12. Wondering if "Trending" of content in Viva Learning can be controlled/removed per user/group?
Trending row in Viva Learning cannot be removed but with the paid version of Viva Learning, you can control what courses are "featured".
13. Does Viva Learning show your course or curriculum progress in more detail, without LMS integration? Does it show your team members' progress?
Viva Learning does not have detailed analytics. It will rely on LMS integration to do that. Viva Learning will only show the things that you have recommended to others and if they have started on those recommendations or completed them or not.
14. How is search content indexed and how is it stored? Can I add custom learning sources? For example, if I search for MIP, will I get all courses that contain learning on Microsoft Information Protection?
There does not seem to be any indication that we will be able to control the search index at all.
15. Do any of the resources available through Viva Learning (whether LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight, or otherwise) offer customization options for training or content? Or is everything available canned content?
Anything that's coming from those providers will be canned content. The only thing that you can control is the content that's coming from your organization.
16. Can you filter the courses based on your role?
No, you cannot.
17. Is there a cost associated with provisioning the Viva Learning module with just the default M365 Training connectors? Like Pathways and the Microsoft Training.
Yes. The cost for Viva Learning is $4/user/month plus the cost for any 3rd party content that you want to show through Viva Learning.
18. What are Learning Paths and Collections
These are both Viva Learning Premium functionalities.
Learning Paths can be created by the admin and select users. They are created as a way to curate content from multiple learning sources exposed through Viva Learning to provide one path for a specific purpose - ex: onboarding new users.
Learning Collections can be created by anyone in the organization as a collection of various courses and individual learning artifacts. Think of this like a playlist in YouTube.
19. Will LinkedIn Learning HUB have more LMS features like tracking learning for individuals or groups (HUB I believe is an upcoming addition to LinkedIn Learning- just wondering if you knew how that would interact a Viva)
The LinkedIn learning hub is supposed to be a learning experience platform (LXP) that will be released at some point in the future.
Microsoft has not come out and said that it will allow LinkedIn learning hub to integrate with Viva Learning but that seems to be a very obvious direction that they will take. So yes, I would bet that it will happen in the future.
20. How does VisualSP work with Viva Learning?
VisualSP and Viva Learning work together or either product could be used by itself.
Viva Learning allows employees to learn and develop skills while inside Teams.
VisualSP helps employees by providing them access to any information (learning, governance, announcements, policies, etc.) they need in context of their own environment to help them perform their job.
VisualSP also produces the VisualSP for Teams app that serves as a good alternative to Viva Learning if needed.
21. Is there a cost for sources such as LinkedIn Learning? (Will there be free and pay learning sources and a way to manage costs?)
Yes. there is a cost for third party sources such as LinkedIn Learning. You will need Viva Learning Premium to expose content from LinkedIn.
There are about 125 courses from LinkedIn Learning available for free when you have Viva Learning Premium. But, your organization will need to have a license to LinkedIn Learning premium content and Viva Learning Premium to be able to show premium LinkedIn content through Viva Learning portal.
22. Viva Learning is the portal to display LinkedIn Learning and company's LMS system?
Viva Learning lets you display whatever you want including content from your company's LMS and LinkedIn learning and more.
23. My LinkedIn account is a personal account but I sign in to Teams with my work account. How can it customize the training for me if it shows me logged in as my work account? And how can I show the training as completed on my personal account?
Unfortunately there's no integration with personal and business LinkedIn accounts.
24. Can you make curated training lists for users like information needed for new hires?
Yes, you should be able to have all of your learning including in the onboarding learning presented in Viva Learning. However, it will all be in just one row of Viva Learning. Segmenting out specific things just for new hires is not supported.
25. Will MS Viva Learning replace or complement Moodle or Google Classroom?
Viva will complement them.
26. Can you draw Learning Pathways into Viva Learning? It has redundant content...wouldn't it produce duplicate entries in Viva Learning if it was?
You could just have one row of content that shows learning pathways. Currently there is another row that is there by default called Microsoft 365 training. You could replace that row of information with just learning pathways content so it's not redundant.
27. You can use SharePoint to host training content for Viva Learning, but is there any way to build courses (different modules/questions etc) like a LMS or is it just basically a pane to view training of different sources plus some more?
There is no way to create a course and make it available within Viva Learning. You can only make specific artifacts like office documents, videos and PDF's available.
However, you can build what's called Learning Paths which can included multiple courses from various providers.
28. Viva does not track progress to any third-party courses more than the "recently viewed something column"? I guess that's on the individual party's site then?
Correct. Tracking progress will be the responsibility of the LMS.
29. Can assignments be tracked in Viva? or only where you assigned it from?
Assignments will be able to be tracked in Viva Learning but not assigned from Viva Learning. And for all this to happen, integration must exist with the proper elements.
30. Can you use the SharePoint method to put a link to an external content provider? For example a 3rd party learning provider that has web-based content.
No, the content has to be hosted inside SharePoint document libraries.
31. Does Viva replace the need for a LMS?
Viva is not an LMS. You will still need an LMS to assign and track user content assignments. Viva Learning will then show the courses assigned to you. That's about it.
32. Do you need to use APIs to connect Viva Learning to LinkedIn learning?
No. It's a simple configuration in the Office 365 admin center where you just check a checkbox for the content sources you want to pull content from - including LinkedIn Learning - and it just starts appearing in Viva Learning. As simple as that. However, you can't choose what content to show and not show. Everything that the content source provider is choosing to show will show up.
33. Is Viva Learning free?
No. The Viva Learning app costs $4 per user per month. That price will get you access to the Viva Learning Teams app and any free content that comes with it (minimal). Then you will need to license any learning content (from providers like LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight, etc.) that you want to make available to organizations. Keep in mind that your individual license to these services will not work. It has to be an organizational license to any of these learning services.
Our customers who were looking for an alternative to Viva Learning due to cost, functionality, ability to brand/customize as needed, etc. usually go for the VisualSP for Teams app.
34. How do I get access to Viva Learning?
Free version of Viva Learning is available through the Teams app store. You can purchase the paid version of Viva Learning directly from Microsoft.
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