Introduction
Tracks and Paths allow you to organize Courses into series. A Track is a series of Courses, and a Path is a series of Tracks. Another way to think of it is Courses are Track Items, and Tracks are Path Items. Tracks and Paths can be assigned to Products; purchasing the Product grants access to the Track or Path. Track and Path Items can have prerequisites, so that the User has to take them in order. Upon finishing a Track or Path, the User can be given a Certificate of Completion. If all courses in a tack are graded, the "Track Average" is calculated using an even average of all courses (No weighting by number of exams).
Getting Started
There are no System Configurations related to Tracks and Paths. If your Service Agreement does not include the Learning Management System, please contact your Account Manager, or our Sales Team, to discuss turning it on.
Creating a Track or Path
Setting up a Path or Track is very similar to setting up a Course. Just like a Course is a container for Course Items, a Track is a container for Courses, and a Path is a container for Tracks. Below are steps for setting up a Track, but the steps for setting up a Path is virtually identical.
Login to the Admin, and navigate to LMS -> Learner Tracks or LMS -> Learner Paths. Click Add New at the top right.
The New Learner Track or Path page will appear. Input a Title, a Category, and a Region. Optionally, input a Organization, Version, Start Date, End Date, Export Value, and Passing Percentage. You can compose a Description.
Title: the name of the Track or Path
Organization: The institution/organization/university that the Track or Path is associated with
Version: a text field to indicate the version number
Start Date: the first date that a Learner can begin the Track or Path. Note: (leave blank for open enrollment)
End Date: the last date that a Learner can submit the Track or Path. Note: (leave blank for open enrollment)
Export Value: a field to input a abbreviated or coded version of the Track's or Path's name
Passing Percentage: The minimum percentage that is required for a Learner to pass the Track or Path
In addition to having configurations, the Edit Path screen also has assignments. Here is an explanation of each of the assignments.
Users: determines which users can modify the Track or Path
Adding Courses to a Track; Adding Tracks to a Path
Again, adding Courses to a Track is very similar to adding Course Items to a Course, and adding Tracks to a Path is virtually identical to adding Courses to a Track. Below are instructions for adding Courses to a Track, but the steps for Tracks to a Path are virtually identical.
Click on the Edit Track Courses link from a Track.
Search for the Course that you want to be part of the Track. Click the "Save" button.
Track and Path Prerequisites
If your Learners need to take Courses in a series, you can create a Track with Prerequisites. Choose the Course that needs to be done first, then choose the Prerequisite Check. The Prerequisite Course must be a certain Status before this Course can begun. The statuses are: Submitted; Grade; and Passed.
Below, I have a series of Courses that are part of a Track. The first course (Course A) has no Prerequisite check, naturally. The Course B requires the first to be submitted before it can be started. Course C requires the second course to Graded before it can be started. And Course D requires the third Course to be Passed before it can be started. Courses can be reordered via this screen, and there are links to Course, and to Edit the Track Item.
If your Learners need to take a series of Courses in a series, then you can create a Path with Prerequisites. The steps are virtually identical to the above for Tracks, except that there are no Prerequisite checks.
Assigning Tracks or Paths to Products
Users can be granted access to Tracks or Paths by purchasing Products that are assigned them. In the Admin, go to Products, and select or create the Product that you would like to be assigned the Track, click on the Assignments tab, select Learner Track from the Assignments list, and assign the Track to the Product. After a User purchases the Product, they will then be granted access to the Track or Path.
The Learner's Experience
Users will purchase the Product that is assigned a Track as usual. One the Purchase Confirmation, they will see a notice that the Order contains a Track, and there will be a link to the Account Dashboard.
Following that link returns the Account Dashboard. There will be a section for the Learner Path that they ordered. It will display various field values defined above (such as Description); the Track status; and a list of Tracks with status icons and links. There are also Percent Complete bar and Grade fields; as this is the first time that the Learner has accessed the Track, those fields will naturally be empty.
If the Learner tries to take a Course without first fulfilling it's Prerequisite, they will receive messaging and a link to the Prerequisite Course. They will receive similar messaging if they cannot begin a Course for other reasons, such as the Start Date has not passed.
If the Learner selects a Course that they have access to, the Course and Track Statuses will change to Started, and they will be able to access Course Content.
As they finish Courses, the Track Progress will advance.
Once they have Completed the Path, the Progress bar will be complete.