How to Use Learning Paths for Workplace Training

Apr 4, 2024 | Articles, Employee Training and Employee Experience Design, Instructional Design

Every L&D professional wants their employees to see the value in training. With time being such a precious commodity in today’s workforce, learning paths provide opportunities for organizations to provide training that is personalized to meet their employees’ individual needs, while driving employee performance. Taking a strategic and scalable approach to individual learning paths can keep your employees engaged, while closing critical skills gaps that get your organization ahead of emerging trends.

In this article, I’ll explore what learning paths are and a few of the benefits that learning paths can have in a workplace training program, and you’ll walk away with a better understanding of how you can build your own learning paths using your LMS.

What are Learning Paths and Why Do They Matter?

Learning paths are defined as a carefully designed trajectory of progressive learning activities, resources, and experiences, which gradually build upon each other. Typically, a learning path will outline the essential topics or competencies learners need to master, along with recommended resources such as courses, tutorials, readings, and practical exercises. These paths provide employees with a clear roadmap for skill development. Learning paths do not occur as a single isolated training event; rather, they provide a long-term training strategy that gives employees the time needed to absorb training content, digest it, and apply it. Here are just a few of the benefits that make learning paths an important tool for workplace learning:

Benefit #1: A Structured Sequence Approach

Learning paths provide a structured approach to skill development, guiding employees through a sequence of courses or activities that build upon each other. This sequential progression ensures that learners develop foundational knowledge before moving on to more advanced concepts.

Benefit #2: Flexibility that Promotes Skill Development

Learning paths can be tailored to align with the goal of both the individual employee and the organization. This ensures that employees are developing skills that are relevant to their role and contribute to the overall objectives of the organization. By following a learning path, employees can acquire new skills or upskill existing ones. Flexibility comes into play when the employee can work with their manager to customize their learning path. Microlearning can be used to speed up on-the-job skill-building, if an employee already possesses a baseline level of competency and expertise in a particular area. This flexible approach gives the employee time to work on the skills they need most in the moment.

Benefit #3: More Opportunities to Measure L&D Success

Gathering sufficient metrics that demonstrate how L&D is contributing to an organization’s overall ROI is a challenge many L&D professionals experience. Due to the sequential nature of learning paths, assessment can be integrated more frequently to gauge learner’s progress as they complete different activities. This provides L&D professionals and organizational leaders with opportunities to measure employees’ performance at various milestones. Employees may also get more opportunities to receive feedback on their performance as managers identify areas for improvement and opportunities to reinforce employee learning.

Benefit #4: Increased Employee Engagement

Offering learning paths demonstrates a commitment to employee development, which can boost morale and engagement. Employees are more likely to feel valued and motivated when they see opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization. It also helps in identifying and nurturing talent within the organization to support organizational growth and succession planning.

Elements of a Successful Path: Milestones, Checkpoints, Assessments

A successful learning path is built on a foundation of clear milestones, regular checkpoints, and comprehensive assessments.

Milestones like the acquisition of foundational knowledge, skill practice sessions, assessments and evaluations, real-world application opportunities, and final certifications help organizations build comprehensive development paths that align with overall goals while closing critical skills gaps amongst employees.

Checkpoints should be integrated throughout a learning path, to ensure that learners meet pre-determined prerequisites before proceeding to a new level of skill training. This keeps individual employees on track with learning goals, while maintaining a consistent training standards.

Assessments validate their understanding and application of new skills. They also provide critical quantitative data to organizational leaders, who can use assessment outcomes to identify and address areas for improvement.

Reinforcing these elements requires the right tools and technology. To keep learners engaged and leaders informed, you need to use a learning management system that allows your team to easily create and update milestones, checkpoints, and assessments, while empowering learners to share their success and easily provide feedback.

Use Your LMS for Learner Recognition and Feedback

A Learning Management System (LMS) plays a crucial role in recognizing learners’ achievements and providing timely feedback through various features and functionalities. Here are some ways an LMS helps:

Learner Recognition

  • Badges and Certifications: Administrators can use their LMS to award badges or certifications upon completion of specific courses or milestones, which can motivate learners and drive completion rates.
  • Automated Notifications: Upon achieving certain milestones, make sure your learners receive automated notifications or congratulatory messages.
  • Leaderboards: Some LMS platforms include leaderboards that showcase top performers, fostering a sense of friendly competition.

Feedback Touchpoints

  • Quizzes and Assessments: Litmos enables the creation of quizzes and assessments, and even includes interactive AI video assessments that provide immediate feedback on learner performance.
  • Discussion Forums: Discussion forums facilitate interaction between learners and instructors, allowing for feedback and support.
  • Surveys and Feedback Tools: Collecting learner feedback with your LMS can help you identify areas for improvement, to see what training is working and what needs to be tweaked.
  • Progress Tracking: LMS platforms often provide detailed analytics on learner progress, enabling instructors to identify areas where learners need additional support.

By leveraging these features and AI powered personalization, Litmos LMS can help your L&D team create a supportive learning environment that acknowledges learners’ achievements and provides constructive feedback to drive continued growth and development.

A Roadmap to Easier Learning and Development

Learning paths provide a roadmap for learners to achieve their learning goals and acquire the knowledge and competencies they need to succeed in their endeavors. They foster a culture of continuous learning and development, which is essential for both individual and organizational success in today’s rapidly changing business environment. If you’re looking to increase your employees’ satisfaction when it comes to training, personalized learning paths may be a good strategy to explore.

Looking to maximize the impact of your L&D program, regardless of your budget, resources, or infrastructure? Check out Litmos’ latest eBook, “L&D Made Easy: Your Guide to Impactful Lean L&D.” Learn how lean L&D can can help your team create relevant and targeted training that meets learner and business needs. Download “L&D Made Easy: Your Guide to Impactful Lean L&D” to get started!