Training courses are increasingly evolving from single events into complex processes. How can HR developers structure these learning processes for themselves and the learners? Quite simply: with a learning path! Here you will find out what exactly a learning path is and how to create digital learning paths for the participants of your online courses.
From "learning event" to "learning process"
Further training in companies is developing rapidly: Learning methods are becoming more digital and diverse. Learning itself is becoming increasingly self-determined and interactive in one way or another. The classic "training day" is turning more and more into "self-directed learning" over a longer period of time. In short: A learning event is increasingly becoming a learning process.
This presents a new challenge for HR developers: How can you structure this learning process and guide your employees through it? The solution to this question is the learning path.
What is a learning path?
In a nutshell: A learning path is the learning journey of your employees or participants in your digital training courses through the entire learning process.
The learning path describes the individual stages that a learner passes through until they reach the learning objective. There are different phases: from preparation for the training measure to long-term transfer into everyday working life. The focus is on the employee or course participant who will later go through the learning process.
The learning path describes the employees' way through all stages of the learning process
Creating your own learning path
A learning path helps you to always keep an eye on the learning process. Your employees also know exactly about the process from the very beginning, know the necessary steps, and know what and why they should learn at all.
To create such a learning path, you must clarify two questions beforehand:
1. Who is your target group?
When you design a learning path, the learner is at the center. You build the process, the necessary content, and the methods used around the learner. For this, you need a good understanding of who your target group actually is: a Learner Persona. On the Shiftlearning blog, you will find a short but very helpful guide for developing Learner Personas.
2. What is the learning objective?
For each learning path, you should set a specific objective that is also communicated to the learners. You can define this objective using three questions:
What do my employees need to learn?
What knowledge do they currently already have?
What knowledge do I still need to convey to them?
An example: (1) The employees of your sales team should learn how to explain a new product to customers. (2) They basically know how the product works, but do not know all the technical features. (3) What they need is detailed knowledge of the features of the product.
The three phases of a learning path
With a target group and the learning objectives, you can now start to plan the learning path of your employees. Every learners journey basically has three phases, which can include several steps: preparation, learning phase, and transfer phase. For your own learners journey, you can of course individually include further phases.
1. Preparation Phase: The first stage in the learning path covers all steps from the point where your employee learns that they should learn something, to the point where the actual learning process begins.
Possible steps:
Your employees are informed about the upcoming training, the schedule, and the objectives, for example via email or personally by a manager.
You prepare your employees emotionally for the learning path, for example through a video from the trainer explaining why the training is important.
You test the current learning status of your employees, for example through a short online questionnaire.
2. Learning Phase: The second phase covers all steps in the learning path from the first actual learning content to the last. How this phase runs is individual from topic to topic or from learner to learner.
Possible steps:
Decide what content should be conveyed in the learning phase.
Choose the methods that best fit the content. Should there be a face-to-face event or online training? Should different digital learning methods be combined? Tip: Get an overview of the most common digital learning methods!
If you want to offer blended learning, define the schedule of face-to-face and online phases. For this, choose one of the models in blended learning:
The 3 phases of a learning path
With a target group and the learning objectives, you can now start to plan the learning path of your employees. Each learning path basically consists of three phases, each of which can include several steps: preparation, learning phase, and transfer phase. For your own learning path, you can of course individually include further phases.
1. The preparation phase
The first stage in the learning path covers all steps from the point where your employees learn that they should learn something, to the point where the actual learning process begins.
Possible steps:
Your employees are informed about the upcoming training, the schedule, and the objectives, for example via email or personally by a manager.
You prepare your employees emotionally for the learning path, for example through a video from the trainer explaining why the training is important.
You test the current learning status of your employees, for example through a short online questionnaire.
2. The learning phase
The second phase covers all steps in the learning path from the first learning content to the last. How this phase runs varies from topic to topic or from learner to learner.
Possible steps:
Decide what content should be conveyed in the learning phase.
Choose the methods that best fit the content. Should there be a face-to-face event or online training? Should different digital learning methods be combined? Tip: Get an overview of the most common digital learning methods!
If you want to offer blended learning, define the schedule of face-to-face and online phases.
3. The transfer phase
The third phase covers all steps from the end of actual learning to long-term application in everyday working life.
Possible steps:
Think about how your employees should practically apply the new knowledge in everyday life.
Create transfer tasks that help in transferring the new knowledge into your employees' everyday lives.
Develop ways to monitor learning progress, such as knowledge tests or a final exam.
Put these three phases and the steps that are important to you into a chronological sequence or combine them appropriately for your employees – this results in your finished learning path!
2 Learning Path Examples
If you are unsure what your finished learning path can look like, we have two examples for you here:
Example 1: Sequence
In this example, you can see that even a simple representation is enough to record the process. This learning path shows the process for training according to the blended learning concept with alternating face-to-face and online phases, as well as longer transfer support.
Learning path for Blended Learning
Example 2: Timeline
This learning path from the Business Performance Academy is not clearly divided into phases. Instead, the representation shows the chronological sequence over 200 days. The learning and transfer phases are not separated, but planned alternately.
Learning path of the Business Performance Academy
Both learning paths shown follow the blended learning principle by combining face-to-face events with online courses.
Conclusion
💡 A well-thought-out digital learning path connects clear learning objectives, structured phases, and targeted transfer measures into a sustainable learning process that has an impact beyond individual training days.
Modern further training is no longer an isolated event, but an ongoing process. Those who plan learning paths consciously create orientation for employees and ensure that content is not only consumed, but applied.
The clear structure is crucial: preparation, learning phase, and transfer phase interlock and together form the framework for sustainable competence development.
If you know your target group exactly, define concrete learning objectives, and actively support the transfer into everyday working life, a real development process emerges from training. This is how you not only guide learners through a course, but actually to their goal.
We hope that this article has provided you with some useful information and wish you every success in creating your learning paths!
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What is a digital learning path in further training?
A digital learning path describes the individual steps that participants go through from the start of training to the application of what has been learned in everyday work. It structures the entire learning process and creates orientation for learners and managers.
Why have learning paths become more important than individual training days?
Modern further training increasingly consists of longer, digital or hybrid learning processes instead of one-off face-to-face events. Learning paths help to structure these processes in a meaningful way and to support the transfer of knowledge in the long term.
What role does the transfer phase play in a learning path?
The transfer phase ensures that learning content is applied and consolidated in everyday work. Transfer tasks, repetitions, or learning controls help to develop actual action competence from knowledge.
Why should a learning path be adapted to the target group?
Different target groups bring different prior knowledge, learning behavior, and requirements. A suitable learning path takes these differences into account and thereby increases motivation, comprehensibility, and learning success.
