learning journey format

How to Create Effective Learning Journeys that Drive Employee Performance

May 11, 2021 | By Asha Pandey

True learning and the subsequent changes in professional behavior require a learning journey that enhances professional development and leads to improved performance. In this article, I explore the connection between learning journeys and their impact on employee performance.

What Is a Learning Journey?

A learning journey is a comprehensive, continuous process of acquiring knowledge and skills, designed to facilitate long-term behavior change and professional development. Unlike traditional training, which is often a one-time event, a learning journey encompasses a series of interconnected learning experiences. These experiences combine formal training, like structured classes and webinars, with informal learning opportunities initiated either by Learning and Development (L&D) teams or individuals themselves. This approach ensures that learning is not just an isolated event but an ongoing process that integrates new knowledge and behaviors into daily work practices, leading to enhanced employee performance. Formal training serves as a foundational element within this learning ecosystem, while the incorporation of informal training elements personalizes and enriches the learning journey.

Key Characteristics of a Learning Journey:

• Structured and Ongoing: A learning journey is not a one-time event; instead, it’s a continuous process that unfolds over time, allowing individuals to evolve and adapt to new knowledge and skills. Integral to this process is the role of mentor feedback, which provides learners with essential insights and guidance, helping to refine skills and align learning objectives with real-world applications. This mentorship aspect enriches the learning journey, making it more personalized and effective.
• Customized Learning Experiences: It comprises personalized content and a variety of delivery methods tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of individuals or teams.
• Formal and Informal Components: It combines formal training programs with informal learning opportunities , creating a holistic approach that caters to different learning preferences.
• Behavioral Focus: The primary goal is to induce positive behavioral changes, leading to improved employee performance and alignment with organizational objectives.

What is the Difference Between Traditional Training and Learning Journeys?

The key differences between traditional training and learning journeys can be summarized as follows:

Format and Structure:

• Traditional Training: Often one-time, event-based sessions.
• Learning Journeys: Continuous, multi-step processes.

Learning Approach:

• Traditional Training: Typically focuses on immediate skill acquisition.
• Learning Journeys: Emphasizes long-term development and application.

Customization:

• Traditional Training: Generally one-size-fits-all.
• Learning Journeys: Tailored to individual learning styles and needs.

Engagement and Interaction:

• Traditional Training: Can be more passive in nature.
• Learning Journeys: Encourages active participation and engagement.

Outcome and Impact :

• Traditional Training: Aimed at knowledge transfer.
• Learning Journeys: Focuses on behavioral change and performance improvement.

Why Should You Invest in Learning Journeys?

In North America’s animal kingdom, the coyote has demonstrated exceptional learning abilities, thriving in various environments. When Meriwether Lewis in the early 19th century first encountered a coyote on his famous exploration, he was perhaps the first of European descent to see one. He attempted to kill and collect it as a new specimen. He and his men were unsuccessful though – an experience that thousands of American hunters have shared since. The coyote has learned to adapt and thrive to constant changes in their ecosystem and are now a common sighting in large cities like San Francisco (California) and Salt Lake City (Utah).

In business, those who can learn are the coyotes – they can adapt and thrive to changing circumstances. Companies should find and develop coyotes in their organizations – employees who actively participate in their own learning journeys and contribute to the journey of their coworkers.

Benefits of Learning Journeys from a Business Perspective:

• Customization for Strategic Alignment: Learning journeys offer highly customized programs designed to align with an organization’s key goals and objectives. They are structured to address specific enterprise challenges and opportunities, ensuring that the learning journey directly supports the business’s strategic direction.
• Future-Proofing the Business: By structuring learning journeys around key enterprise goals, organizations are better prepared to face future challenges. This proactive approach drives both incremental and disruptive innovation, allowing businesses to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
• Improved Employee Engagement: Organizations that value learning and encourage professional development through learning journeys experience heightened employee engagement. Employees are more motivated and committed when they feel their growth is supported and recognized.

Benefits of Learning Journeys from an Employee’s Perspective:

• Guidance for Skill Enhancement: Learning journeys serve as a GPS for individual learners, guiding them through the process of skill acquisition and proficiency development. They offer a clear path through formal and informal learning, helping employees enhance their skills and expertise.
• Motivation and Awareness: Learning journeys provide motivation and awareness, inspiring individuals to take charge of their own development. They create a sense of purpose and direction, encouraging learners to proactively seek knowledge and growth opportunities.
• Learning Consumption and Application: These structured journeys guide learners through the stages of learning consumption and knowledge application, ensuring that the acquired skills and knowledge are put into practice effectively.
• Relevance to Career Aspirations: Learning journeys are highly relevant to individuals, assisting them in achieving their career aspirations. Whether it’s mastering a specific role or acquiring expertise in a particular technological domain, these journeys support individual growth and development.

Learning journeys offer a dual advantage, benefiting both the organization and its employees. They align learning and development with business goals, promoting innovation and engagement. From the employee’s perspective, learning journeys provide a clear path for skill enhancement, motivation, and relevance to career aspirations, ultimately driving continuous improvement and professional development.

Drawbacks of Learning Journeys

While learning journeys offer a comprehensive approach to professional development, they are not without their challenges. Here are some potential drawbacks:

Resource Intensive:

• Designing a learning journey requires significant time and resources. This includes the creation of tailored content, monitoring progress, and providing ongoing support and feedback.

Can Overwhelm Learners:

• The extensive nature of learning journeys may overwhelm some individuals, particularly if the content is dense or the pace is too fast.

Requires High Commitment:

• To be effective, learning journeys demand a high level of commitment and self-motivation from learners, which can be challenging to maintain over longer periods.

Potential for Inconsistency:

• In a diverse learning environment, ensuring a consistent experience for all learners can be difficult, especially if the journey involves various instructors or methods.

Dependence on Technology:

• Learning journeys often rely on digital platforms and tools, which can be a barrier for learners with limited access to technology or those who are less tech-savvy.

Evaluation Challenges:

• Measuring the effectiveness of a learning journey can be complex, as it involves evaluating progress over an extended period and across various learning formats.

Why Do Learning Journeys Work

Learning journeys function as a structured approach to professional and personal development. Here’s how they typically work:

• Initial Assessment : Identifying individual learner needs and goals.
• Customized Learning Path : Designing a personalized learning plan based on the initial assessment.
• Diverse Learning Methods : Incorporating various formats like online modules, workshops, and real-world assignments.
• Ongoing Support : Providing mentorship, peer interaction, and resources throughout the journey.
• Continuous Feedback : Regular assessments and feedback to track progress and adjust the learning path.
• Real-world Application : Opportunities for applying learned skills in practical settings.
• Reflection and Adaptation : Encouraging learners to reflect on their progress and adapt their learning strategies.

This process ensures that learning is an ongoing, evolving journey tailored to each individual’s needs and goals, leading to effective skill development and personal growth.

How to Create an Effective Learning Journey?

The following are vital issues to consider when building learning journeys:

• Consider the overarching vision, acknowledging that the future, though uncertain, is always present. Learning occurs over prolonged time and should never been something that employees stop doing, nor should organizations ever rest on their previous laurels. Integrating spaced learning and repetition into this process is crucial, as it greatly contributes to better knowledge retention, allowing learners to revisit and reinforce concepts at regular intervals, thereby solidifying their understanding and application in practical scenarios.
• Awareness: Before employees can begin a learning journey, they need to be aware of what is available, how the organization will support them, and what lies ahead.
• Motivation: While some employees are motivated for the pure sake of learning, some are looking for additional extrinsic motivations. Organizations should set up systems to reward progression in the learning process, encouraging employees to begin and continue the learning journey.
• Participation and experimentation: Throughout the learning journey, employees need a safe space to participate, digest, apply, and experiment with the new knowledge they’re gaining through the learning journey. The experimentation and feedback loop are key to achieving behavior change.
• On-going connects: Design learning journeys that include more than formal training events. Develop guides for managers to follow-up with employees on what they learned, implement social and mobile learning strategies, and allow employees to direct much of their own informal learning.

What are the Key Components of a Learning Journey?

A well-structured learning journey comprises several key components that work in tandem to ensure effective and engaging education experiences. These components are critical in shaping a comprehensive learning path that caters to diverse learning styles and objectives.

Needs Analysis and Goal Setting:

• Identifying specific learning needs and objectives.
• Setting clear, measurable goals for the learning journey.

Varied Learning Formats:

• Incorporation of diverse learning methods such as online courses, workshops, and practical exercises.
• Blending formal with informal learning opportunities.

Personalization and Flexibility:

• Tailoring content to meet individual learner’s needs and preferences.
• Offering flexible learning paths that accommodate different learning paces.

Continuous Assessment and Feedback:

• Regular evaluations to track progress.
• Providing timely feedback to guide and improve learning.

Application and Reinforcement:

• Opportunities to apply learned skills in real-world scenarios.
• Reinforcement activities to ensure retention and integration of new knowledge.

Support and Resources:

• Access to necessary learning materials and resources.
• Support from instructors, mentors, or peer groups.

These components collectively ensure that a learning journey is not only comprehensive but also adaptable, engaging, and result-oriented.

What Are Key Aspects that Would Help You Create Effective Learning Journeys?

Leverage the following aspects when developing learning journeys:

• Start with the end in mind : Planning is too often abbreviated in the L&D field, a reaction to develop content as quickly as possible to please business stakeholders. Remember what Albert Einstein said about planning: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
• Include all stakeholders:  During the initiation phase, include key stakeholders and ensure that everyone involved in the process has the information they need. Leaders should ask themselves the following questions: What do I know? Who needs to know? Have I told them?
• Build awareness of the solution with the target audience : Begin with primers to help them understand the big picture of the learning journey. Include an exposition on the current state, the desired future state, and the differences between those two states. Use microlearning hits that get to the point quickly.
• Stimulate prior knowledge with which learners can scaffold new information.
• Present content in the most appropriate modality.
• Model learning strategies to help students assimilate new information.
• Include as much application and practice as possible with healthy feedback loops.
• Assess performance, giving additional feedback to learners.
• Once learners are back on the job, use informal learning and coaching nudges to reinforce the application of new knowledge on the job. Employ performance support systems so learners can quickly find and share information they need in the flow of work.
• Reward behavior change : While punitive rewards may be effective in the short term, for effective long-term behavior change, learning journeys should offer employees as much purpose, autonomy, and mastery as possible. Once employees are paid a fair and competitive wage, purpose, autonomy, and mastery are more effective methods of motivation than even bonus models.

Making It Work – EI’s Learning and Performance Ecosystem Based Approach to Create Effective Learning Journeys

EI has developed a highly effective model for creating effective learning journeys in a Learning and Performance Ecosystem . It’s a cyclical model that includes the following:

• Capture attention about learning opportunities.
• Explain what employees will gain from the learning journey (what’s in it for me).
• Leverage immersive formal learning events that employ gamification, virtual and augmented reality, scenario based learning, and branching scenarios.
• Support formal events with performance support tools, giving employees access to information in the flow of work : exactly what they need, when they need it.
• Reinforce learning after formal events with safe places to practice and receive feedback on their performance.
• Provide social learning so that learners can collaborate with others progressing in the learning journey, sharing knowledge and experiences.

Learning Journey Example: Sales Training

In our sales training program, we use the Learning and Performance Ecosystem framework to structure an effective learning journey for our team. Here’s how it aligns with the framework:

● Capture Attention : We kick off the learning journey by capturing the attention of our sales team about the upcoming training. This may include email announcements, intranet notifications, and engaging teasers to generate excitement.

● Explain the Benefits : We clearly communicate what participants will gain from the training journey. This includes improved sales skills, increased sales performance, and the potential for enhanced career growth.

● Immersive Formal Learning Events : We leverage immersive formal learning events that employ various cutting-edge techniques, such as gamification, virtual and augmented reality, scenario-based learning, and branching scenarios. These events make the learning experience engaging and memorable.

● Performance Support Tools : We provide performance support tools to our sales team, offering quick access to information in the flow of work. They can access product details, sales scripts, and negotiation tips exactly when needed.

● Reinforcement and Practice : After formal training events, we create safe spaces for our sales team to practice and receive feedback on their performance. This may involve role-playing exercises, simulated sales calls, and peer evaluations.

● Social Learning : We encourage social learning, allowing learners to collaborate with colleagues who are progressing in the training journey. They can share knowledge, experiences, and best practices, fostering a sense of community and continuous improvement.

This sales training learning journey not only equips our sales team with the necessary skills and knowledge but also keeps them engaged and motivated throughout the process. By aligning with the Learning and Performance Ecosystem framework, we ensure a comprehensive and effective approach to sales training that yields tangible results and benefits for both our team and the organization.

Parting Thoughts

Effective behavior change occurs over time as desired competencies and behaviors are reinforced through a blend of formal and informal training. Learning is not a one-time event. Professionals seek mastery of their trade, striving for autonomy and purpose. Learning journeys, thoughtfully developed and shared with employees, are an effective method of facilitating behavior change that aligns to enterprise goals and initiatives.

I hope this article provides the requisite insights on how you can use our unique Learning and Performance Ecosystem to create effective learning journeys and boost employee performance.

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How to design an effective learning path, share this article.

Everything you need to know about designing a learning path - including examples and best practices for creating structured learning journeys that work.

A learning path is the tool that can take your training program from confusing to constructive – building on knowledge incrementally to get your learners from A to B efficiently.

A learning path is designed to give learners a clear route through a training program. It breaks course content down into manageable chunks, allowing learners to easily absorb information and progress smoothly through each course.

Here’s everything you need to know about designing a learning path – including what is a learning path, what makes a good learning path and types of learning paths.

What is a learning path?

A learning path is a route that learners take through a training program. Learning paths gather together a selection of courses and transform them into a cohesive learner journey, while breaking the whole learning process into manageable chunks.

Your goal as an educator is to get your students from A to B in their learning journey. But getting your learners to their final destination requires a series of smaller steps. It’s not enough to dump all the information on learners in one go. Instead, a learning path allows you to map out how learners will move through your program and gradually acquire knowledge along the way.

For learners, a learning path provides a roadmap for how they’ll get from their current knowledge place to their desired future. It gives them a clear picture of how you will help them achieve their final learning goals and the route they will take to get there.  Grab our Learning Sequence Examples and Template

Learning pathway examples

To help you understand exactly how a learning path can help you, let’s take a look at 4 learning pathway examples.

Learning paths for employees

From employee onboarding to compliance training to upskilling and more, education is an essential part of building an efficient and productive workforce.

Learning paths give you the opportunity to streamline your employee training by providing a focused approach to learning. With tools like this employee training tracker template , you can communicate employee milestones and track their progress.

Importantly, a learning path also cuts down on education-related admin. Instead of enrolling employees for individual courses, you simply add them to a learning management system and let the learning path guide them from there. 

Read more on learning paths for employees and how software-company Procurify saved 15+ hours a week by building an online training academy for their workforce.

Partner education

Partners are a valuable resource for increasing sales and growing your business. A learning path can be used to simplify partner education by providing a clear process for partners to learn about your brand, improve their product knowledge and ensure compliance across-the-board.

When it comes to partner education, a learning pathway allows you to hit key onboarding targets, including:

• Gaining a sense of your partners strengths and weaknesses
• Providing partners with the documents and materials they need to sell your products
• Delivering essential brand training
• Gathering feedback from partners

Use this partner onboarding template to instantly improve your partner education.

Customer education

A learning path can also be used to improve customer education by taking customers on a structured journey. With the right learning path, you can move customers seamlessly from learning about your product to making an informed buying decision and finally helping them get the most value out of your product.

For businesses, implementing a learning path in your customer education process can help you to:

• Move leads down the sales funnel
• Provide a focused approach to learning about your product
• Help customers to better understand your product value
• Assist with product adoption
• Provide ongoing education for customers
• Improve brand loyalty

Find out more about optimizing your customer success through customer education here .

Online course businesses

If you’re building an online course business, a learning path will help you create learning solutions that stick. 

As an educator, you have in-depth expertise in your subject area but you need to find a way to share that knowledge with a non-expert audience. With a learning path, you can break down your expertise into easily absorbed modules that help learners progress through your course material. 

By taking learners step-by-step, you hugely increase their chances of success and improve the learning outcomes. Here’s one example of how a learning path can help you.

Example: Learning magic

Imagine you are a magician and you want to help other people become magicians too.

• Think about your total knowledge as a whole academy rather than just one course – in this case ‘how to become a professional magician’. 
• Split your knowledge into different topics or bundles – for instance, card tricks, vanishing tricks, levitation tricks etc.
• Within these topics, define the skills learners need to gain in order to reach the learning goal – within card tricks, the skills might be card handling, performance skills and more
• Then define the methods you will use to pass on the knowledge for each skill – these will form the chapters and individual lessons you will teach within each course

Rather than offloading all your expert knowledge in one go, a learning path gives you the chance to simplify the learner journey.

How to design a learning path

Now you’ve heard what a learning path is and learning path examples, the next question is how to design a learning path?

Here’s a framework for designing your own learning path.

Conduct a training needs analysis

First things first, you need to do a training needs analysis. This is your chance to consider your learners’ goals and what they are currently lacking to allow them to achieve those goals. 

In your training needs analysis, you might want to think about:

• What is the target audience?
• What are their learning goals?
• What is their current skill level?
• What are the main barriers to their learning right now?

By defining these points now, you can make sure you design your program in a clear, structured way.

Identify skill gaps

You can now identify the current gaps between the skills your target audience has and their desired learning outcomes . This is the time to figure out what skills your target audience lack and what they will need to achieve their goals.

Try asking yourself these questions:

• What does my target audience want to achieve?
• Where do they want to be at the end of the course?
• What does my course need to include to get them there?
• What essential skills do they need to learn?
• How will my course help?

You can refer back to your answers later to make sure your course delivers on its aims.

Define your learning goals

Now take all the information from steps 1 and 2 and turn it into your learning goal. Here you will identify the skills, knowledge and capabilities you want learners to achieve by the time they have completed your program. This is the foundation that everything is built on!

To borrow from our magician example, a learning goal might be: After completing the training, the learner will be able to perform 5 magic tricks with no assistance.

This learning goal clearly defines who will be doing the learning, what they will be able to do and the degree of mastery involved.

Create an eLearning Storyboard

Next you can create a storyboard for your course. 

An eLearning storyboard allows you to map out the learning path, describing what content you will create and how you will produce the content. In your eLearning storyboard you can include:

• How you will deliver the education
• What instructional materials you will use
• What order your content will go in
• How your modules will fit together
• Who you need to work with to deliver the program

The storyboarding process is your chance to get the meaty part of your course planning sorted. In this step, you’ll figure out exactly what you need to include in your course and how you will deliver it.

Optimize content subject matter and packaging

After the initial eLearning storyboarding, you can work on optimizing your content to make sure it hits your learning goals. Refer back to the objectives you defined at the start of your process. 

The important thing here is to make sure that your current learning path doesn’t overload learners with too much information all at the same time. Check out this blog on cognitive load theory to learn more.

Create steps and milestones

To refine your learning path even more, you need to build in the steps you want your learners to take. Clearly defined steps and milestones help to make the journey through your course smooth and enjoyable. 

A great way to implement steps in your learning path is using a hierarchy of online learning that builds on Bloom’s taxonomy .

The hierarchy of online learning breaks learning down into six stages:

• Remembering facts
• Demonstrating understanding
• Applying learning to actual situations
• Analyzing ideas and understanding how they all fit together
• Using knowledge to propose new solutions to a given problem
• Creating, designing, and implementing new things based on the learning

This system creates a scaffold for designing your learning path. As learners move through each level, they will build on their knowledge from the previous stage. By keeping this structure in mind, you can ensure that your learning path follows a logical progression.

Read more about methods to make learning stick using Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction.

Implement and monitor your learning path

Designing the best possible learning path is a continual process. After you’ve designed and implemented your learning path, you can monitor its performance and collect feedback from learners. 

If there’s something that isn’t working, it’s a good idea to take another look at your learning path. What is missing? How can you make the journey even smoother? The best learning paths are the ones that respond and adapt to the needs of your learners.

What makes a good learning path?

Now you have a good idea of what is a learning path and how to design a learning path, let’s take a look at what makes a good learning path. 

Here are some key considerations if you’re looking to make a brilliant learning path.

Produce evergreen content

For online courses to be effective, they need to be standalone with minimal input from you or the course instructors. That means you need to try and anticipate the learner’s needs and plan your learning path with those needs in mind.

One of the main reasons to implement a learning path is to reduce the amount of input that is needed day-to-day. With evergreen content, you can set learners up on the learning path and leave them to it. This makes your job easier and makes sure there’s no delays on the learners’ end.

Consider different learning styles

Remember that everyone learns differently. Not all your learners will have the same preferences when it comes to learning styles. 

When you’re designing your learning path, try to create resources that cater to multiple learning styles . Think about producing a range of different content, for instance a combination of image-rich content and auditory content like podcasts or lectures. The more variety of activities and exercises you can offer the better!

Make it bite-sized

Small and simple is key! One of the main advantages of a learning path is that it allows you to break the learning journey into small bite-sized chunks.

Not only does this help to make your course easier to follow, by transforming your program into small learning steps, you also add an extra level of flexibility. Learners can take course modules one at a time, allowing them to structure their learning around their other commitments. A learning path creates a continuous journey for learners without overloading them with too much information all at once.

Learn more about Micro-Learning Strategy .

Learn how to effectively scale up your business through the power of B2B course sales in this free course: 

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

• Your Guide to Bringing Your Classroom Online Quickly and Effectively
• How To Create An Online Academy For Your Business
• The B2B Leap: Successfully transitioning from selling B2C to B2B
• How to Make a Microteaching Lesson Plan
• What Is the ADDIE Training Model? (Template + Examples)

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True learning and implied behavior change requires a learning journey to boost professional development and achieve improved performance. In this article, we look at the link between learning journeys and how it can improve employee performance.

True learning and implied behavior change requires a learning journey to boost professional development and achieve improved performance. In this article, I look at the link between learning journeys and how it can improve employee performance.

What Is a Learning Journey?

Traditional training has often been viewed as a one-time event:  a  training class,  a  webinar,  a  learning module.

However, if the goal of training is a change in behavior, which leads to improved employee performance, training should, instead, be viewed as a learning journey – a series of learning events made up of a blend of formal and informal interventions, nudges, and follow-ups that ingrain new knowledge and behavior in employees.

• Formal training is one of the key elements of a learning ecosystem that typically facilitates the learning acquisition.
• As you add informal training (some initiated by L&D teams, some initiated by individuals and coached by leaders), you create a learning journey.

Why Should You Invest in Learning Journeys?

Learning is the key to thriving business.

In the animal kingdom of North America, the coyote has perhaps proven to be the most apt at learning and has therefore thrived. When Meriwether Lewis in the early 19 th  century first encountered a coyote on his famous exploration, he was perhaps the first of European descent to see one. He attempted to kill and collect it as a new specimen. He and his men were unsuccessful though – an experience that thousands of American hunters have shared since. The coyote has learned to adapt and thrive to constant changes in their ecosystem and are now a common sighting in large cities like San Francisco (California) and Salt Lake City (Utah).

In business, those who can learn are the coyotes – they can adapt and thrive to changing circumstances. Companies should find and develop coyotes in their organizations – employees who actively participate in their own learning journeys and contribute to the journey of their coworkers.

From a business perspective , learning journeys provide highly customized programs that are structured around key enterprise goals and objectives. Leaders should provide this insight to help prepare their organization for future challenges.

Not only does this help futureproof their business by driving incremental and disruptive innovation but it also improves employee engagement. Employees are looking for organizations that value learning and encourage professional development.

Organizations benefit from employees who continuously strive for improvement.

From the employee’s perspective , the learning journey acts as a GPS that guides learners in their efforts, through formal and informal learning, to perfect their art by acquiring new skills and proficiencies in business domains and technological mastery. These GPSs guide learners through motivation, awareness, learning consumption, and knowledge application.

Learning journeys comprise formal and informal learning – opportunities to acquire skills for a specific role or technological domain. They are highly relevant to the individual, assisting him/her with his/her career aspirations.

What Do You Need to Consider While Creating an Effective Learning Journey?

The following are vital issues to consider when building learning journeys:

• Look at the  big picture  and consider that, while foggy, the future is ever present. Learning occurs over prolonged time and should never been something that employees stop doing, nor should organizations ever rest on their previous laurels.
• Awareness : Before employees can begin a learning journey, they need to be aware of what is available, how the organization will support them, and what lies ahead.
• Motivation : While some employees are motivated for the pure sake of learning, some are looking for additional extrinsic motivations. Organizations should set up systems to reward progression in the learning process, encouraging employees to begin and continue the learning journey.
• Participation and experimentation : Throughout the learning journey, employees need a safe space to participate, digest, apply, and experiment with the new knowledge they’re gaining through the learning journey. The experimentation and feedback loop are key to achieving behavior change.
• On-going connects:  Design learning journeys that include more than formal training events. Develop guides for managers to follow-up with employees on what they learned, implement social and mobile learning strategies, and allow employees to direct much of their own informal learning.

What Are Key Aspects that Would Help You Create Effective Learning Journeys?

Leverage the following aspects when developing learning journeys:

• Start with the end in mind : Planning is too often abbreviated in the L&D field, a reaction to develop content as quickly as possible to please business stakeholders. Remember what Albert Einstein said about planning: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
• Include all stakeholders:  During the initiation phase, include key stakeholders and ensure that everyone involved in the process has the information they need. Leaders should ask themselves the following questions: What do I know? Who needs to know? Have I told them?
• Build awareness of the solution with the target audience : Begin with primers to help them understand the big picture of the learning journey. Include an exposition on the current state, the desired future state, and the differences between those two states. Use microlearning hits that get to the point quickly.
• Stimulate prior knowledge with which learners can scaffold new information.
• Present content in the most appropriate modality.
• Model learning strategies to help students assimilate new information.
• Include as much application and practice as possible with healthy feedback loops.
• Assess performance, giving additional feedback to learners.
• Once learners are back on the job, use informal learning and coaching nudges to reinforce the application of new knowledge on the job. Employ performance support systems so learners can quickly find and share information they need in the flow of work.
• Reward behavior change : While punitive rewards may be effective in the short term, for effective long-term behavior change, learning journeys should offer employees as much purpose, autonomy, and mastery as possible. Once employees are paid a fair and competitive wage, purpose, autonomy, and mastery are more effective methods of motivation than even bonus models.

Making It Work – EI Design’s Learning and Performance Ecosystem Based Approach to Create Effective Learning Journeys

EI Design has developed a highly effective model for creating effective learning journeys in a Learning and Performance Ecosystem. It’s a cyclical model that includes the following:

• Capture  attention  about learning opportunities.
• Explain what employees will gain from the learning journey ( what’s in it for me ).
• Leverage  immersive  formal learning events that employ gamification, virtual and augmented reality, scenario based learning, and branching scenarios.
• Support formal events with  performance support tools , giving employees access to information in the flow of work: exactly what they need, when they need it.
• Reinforce learning after formal events with safe places to  practice  and receive  feedback  on their performance.
• Provide  social learning  so that learners can collaborate with others progressing in the learning journey, sharing knowledge and experiences.

Designing an Effective Learning Journey

Why Maximizing Manager Involvement Can Boost Performance Impact by More Than 40%

“ ” Focus on preparing your managers to coach to the skills your employees are learning—because coaching skills alone are not enough.  

The Learning Journey

You’ve seen the technology, you like the customization options, and you understand the impact, but before you implement a learning journey in your organization , what are the key “must haves” that ensure new skills are effectively applied and transferred to the job? Manager support and coaching get results, but which approach is actually proven to boost learning transfer, drive application, and improve performance?

Wilson Learning’s research, drawing on nine rigorous studies, found that organizations that provide their managers with the same training as their employees, in addition to training on an effective coaching process, can boost the impact of a program’s learning transfer by more than 40%.

“ ” Training managers on both content and coaching skills is more than twice as effective as coaching skills training alone.

In fact, training managers on both content and coaching skills is shown to be more than twice as effective as coaching skills training alone—and four times more effective than just encouraging managers to coach.

The Six Must-Have Manager Skills

Managers whose training leaves them ill-prepared for developmental coaching will fail as coaches. In order to coach effectively, managers must practice these six critical skills:

• Provide specific and constructive behavioral feedback.
• Use effective communication skills, such as listening and questioning.
• Motivate and hold employees accountable for improvement.
• Establish trust.
• See different perspectives and show empathy.
• Clarify employees’ roles and responsibilities.

These skills highlight two key points. First, managers need an effective coaching process to follow and the underlying skills to carry it through. Second, managers need knowledge of the skills to which they are coaching. Without this knowledge, they cannot provide the behavioral feedback or role clarity their employees need.

The Power of Knowledge

Our own research supports these findings. Across the nine studies we reviewed, adding manager coaching to a learning journey clearly increased performance outcomes—but there was a stark difference in the percentage improvement based on the type of manager coaching delivered. We analyzed the three types of coaching support to reveal a more insightful result:

• When an organization equips managers with new coaching skills, performance improvement jumps to about 18%.
• When an organization provides managers with a combination of new coaching skills and training in the specific skills their employees learned, performance improvement skyrockets to 41%, on average.

What Should You Do Next?

Focus on preparing your managers to coach to the skills your employees are learning—providing coaching skills alone are not enough. Unless your managers can provide meaningful, constructive feedback and role clarity, based on their knowledge of the job and the desired competencies, you will lose more than half of the potential impact of the manager coaching. So, as you develop and launch any manager coaching program, ask:

• Do my managers have an effective coaching process?
• Do my managers have the necessary leadership and communication skills to coach effectively?
• Do my managers know enough about what their employees are learning to provide constructive feedback and advice?
• Have my managers had an opportunity to practice these skills before coaching employees?
• Have my senior leaders created a supportive coaching culture for our managers?

A Learning Journey That Works

Wilson Learning’s blended Learning Journey increases managers’ involvement in the learning, with embedded application challenge assignments to promote and track this approach. In fact, our research shows that adopting this feature doubled the percentage of assignments completed by learners, with 82% of assignments completed. And, 91% of learners received manager feedback and coaching, a 45-fold increase. These results clearly show the value and impact of the Learning Journey approach.

To learn more about creating effective learning journeys, feel free to get in touch with us .

Article based on: Impact of Manager Coaching on Learning Transfer by Michael Leimbach, PhD, VP of Global Research and Development, Wilson Learning Worldwide

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• Learner-Centered Design
• Empathy Mapping
• Learning Outcomes
• Learning Journey
• Paper Prototyping

Learning Journey Mapping

Thinking about learning as a journey can help you and your team:

• break down complex outcomes into smaller tasks,
• situate your learning outcomes within the learner's process,
• identify learning outcomes you may want to explore in your design.

This learning journey map explores the challenge of working in groups on an experimental research project. The designer has identified a possible learning outcome, and then brainstormed how to set learners up for success (in the left box) and what learners will do next (in the right box).

Note that for this project, the designer has chosen to focus on one of the pre-requisite skills in the left box.

CC BY 4.0, Brecher Cook, D., & Worsham, D. (2018, April). Adapted from: Stanford d.school. Design Thinking Bootcamp Bootleg. and Gray, D., Brown, S., & Macanufo, J. (2010).

Start by making your own learning journey map.

• Download the Build Something Toolkit and print a blank learning journey map template, or sketch the learning journey map in your notebook. Each member of the team should have their own copy of the learning journey map.
• Review your empathy map, and the learning outcomes you have identified so far.
• Work individually to create a learning journey for your challenge. Place one of the learning outcomes you have identified in the center, and then identify what learning comes before and after this learning outcome. Work rapidly, generating ideas individually for no more than 5 minutes.
• Revisit your empathy map. What are some of the hidden or invisible challenges learners might face? What can learners do to overcome these challenges?
• Identify the steps that experts sometimes forget they do, or do automatically and/or unconsciously. Think about how to make these steps easily understandable for learners.

Share your ideas with your team

• Come together as a team to share and compile your ideas. Work together to identify the actions and learning outcomes that will be most helpful for learners. Use this process to narrow down the scope of your project to focus on a small number of manageable learning outcomes.

Create a Learning Journey for Leaders

LEARNING JOURNEY

What Is a Learning Journey?

A learning journey is a strategic approach to developing groups of leaders over time. It’s based on the principle that true behavior change takes time, and that people learn best together—as long as they can personalize their experience.

At DDI, we create learning journeys to maximize the time and effectiveness of leadership development . Learning journeys offer the right blend of personalized learning with group connection. For example, leaders can take assessments, pursue online learning, and coaching to boost their knowledge and insight. But they cement learning when they come together in virtual or in-person classroom sessions.

Ready to get started? We offer proven, competency-based learning journeys you can implement right away. Or we can work with you to create a completely custom learning journey, just for you. Either way, we’re ready to start walking by your side as your leaders begin their transformation.

Compared to Companies That Use More Traditional Learning Methods, Companies That Use a Blended Learning Journey Are:

more likely to be financially successful

more likely to have a highly-rated development program

more likely to have a strong leadership bench

Learn how Commvault built a global leadership development program with content from DDI's leadership development subscription.

How Commvault Develops Leaders Strategically with a DDI Leadership Development Subscription

A one-and-done or an eight-hour-long Zoom session wasn’t going to cut it. That’s why we moved to the concept of a learning journey that included content delivered in shorter sprints, but delivered over a period of time

— Joe Ilvento, Chief Learning Officer at Commvault

Explore Sample Learning Journeys

A learning journey to help leaders build morale and engagement to retain talent.

Boost Team Engagement

Take your leaders on a learning journey to create a coaching culture that boosts performance.

Build a Coaching Culture

This learning journey will help leaders practice inclusion to create a welcoming, supportive environment for all.

Develop Inclusive Leadership

Design Your Own Learning Journey

With a DDI Leadership Development Subscription, you get a dedicated strategic learning team who will work with you to create a custom program, just for your leaders.

We start by understanding the business goals you need to accomplish. From there, we’ll work by your side to curate the perfect blend of content to ensure your leaders will gain the right skills. Then we’ll tailor learning formats that will best fit your culture and your leaders’ needs.

Explore subscriptions

Want to Take Things Virtual?

At DDI, we’re big believers in the power of learning together. But that doesn't mean it has to be in-person.

As many companies have shifted to a virtual workplace, we’ve taken leadership development with it. We offer learning journeys that take place entirely in the virtual world.

But that doesn’t mean you miss out on human connection. Our virtual classroom format creates the same bond leaders get in the classroom – just without handshakes.

Learn about virtual classroom

Don’t Forget Microlearning

The key to creating successful learning journeys is to sustain learning in between classroom sessions. And that’s where microlearning comes in.

Microlearning offers quick learning experiences that help leaders practice and deepen their skills between larger learning sessions. It can be things like short courses, videos, self-assessments, online tools, or other quick formats.

In just a few minutes, microlearning offers a quick boost to keep your leaders engaged.

Explore microlearning

recommended Resources

How one company developed a frontline leadership learning journey with elements of both digital learning content and in-person classroom experiences.

How We Did It: Creating a Frontline Leadership Learning Journey

Explore best practices for how to create a learning journey and learn why this approach is crucial for a company’s leadership development strategy.

How to Design an Effective Learning Journey

DDI’s Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development gives HR pros everything they need to create and launch powerful leadership development experiences.

Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development

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Blog Article

How to Create a Learning Journey that Improves Employee Performance

David Marshall | November 29, 2021

Content Strategy , eLearning , Learning & Development , Tips & Tricks

This guest blog post was written by Dr. David Marshall, a technical writer and a training developer since 2007. He is also the owner of Neithdos Consulting Services LLC. Dr. Marshall received his DM in Executive Leadership from Colorado Technical University in 2021. Currently, Dr. Marshall lives in Summerville, South Carolina and is planning on following up his dissertation on Changes Executives Need to Implement to Promote Women to Executive Positions with additional articles to business journals.

There are many employees who want to improve their performance not only in the workplace but also in their careers. These individuals are looking for the right learning platform to become better not only at the job but all around. A way an organization can assist in helping the team is to establish an effective learning journey.

What is a Learning Journey?

A learning journey is a series of formal and informal training programs that ingrains new knowledge, build existing skills, personalized content, and change the behavior of employees. The team uses the learning journey to become better at their positions by acquiring new skills and becoming proficient in their areas of expertise. Organizations benefit from this learning intervention by having a team that is prepared for future challenges and continues to strive for improvement. The learning journey is an effective experience to facilitate behavior changes that coincide with the business goals of the organization. Having an effective learning journey for the employees is essential to ensure the performance and productivity of the organization.

Encourage Continuous Learning

Leaders and managers are responsible for the performance and productivity of each member of the team. This is why it is essential to ensure that each member of the team is growing by integrating a learning content management system and developing a training program that meets the needs of the team and the organization.

Organizations interested in how to develop a training program for employees need to keep in mind that learning content is a continuous process, not a one-time course such as a webinar or a learning module. A successful learning journey depends on employee engagement. It is essential that the objectives and goals focus on the individual. What are their needs? What are their desires? What are their constraints? The goals and objectives should also coincide with the organization’s mission and have input from all of the stakeholders.

The next step is to understand the audience by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each employee relative to their and the organization’s goals and priorities. This can be done by leaders and managers meeting with each member individually to discuss their professional development and career goals, build awareness of the learning journey, and create different techniques to enforce the learning process.

Invest in Training and Mentoring

Employees going through the learning journey need to know how leaders and managers are supporting the learning process to include coaching, mentoring, empathizing, and ensuring that the training is available. Are the individual training needs being met within the organization or are resources needed from the outside? What is the career path ahead for the employee who takes part in the learning journey? What is the motivation? There are individuals who have self-motivation and want to learn a new skill or gain knowledge. However, there are others that need additional motivation, for example, a system of rewarding progress that encourages individuals to start and continue throughout the process.

Setup Learning Milestones

As the journey progresses, leaders and managers need to establish milestones for the team to ensure that each individual is completing their training on a timely basis. Also, it is beneficial to have a way to provide positive reminders to the team to continue with their learning journey. Leaders should also take time to meet with their employees on a regular basis to discuss the progress and to have a place for the individual to apply their new knowledge and skill and offer additional informal training to enhance their new craft. Meeting with the team will ensure that they are fully understanding what they are learning but also seeing a change in their behavior.

A successful learning journey is beneficial for the employee and the organization to meet the challenges of the rapid changes that are taking place all over the globe. There are additional benefits to include building trust and creating new ways of collaboration amongst the members of the team, increasing productivity and performance, delivering lasting results, and increasing retention. With the right eLearning and training manual software , your instructors and trainees will make it easier to meet goals and achieve a successful learning journey.

References: Pandey, Asha (2021, July) How to create learning journeys that improve employee performance. eLearning Industry .

Goldberg, Stephen (2016, April) Creating an Employee Development Plan for Improved Employee Performance [YouTube]

Cole, Britney, (2020, February) 3 Keys to Create Learning Journeys that Work [YouTube] Ken Blanchard Company

About the Author

David Marshall

Dr. David Marshall is a technical writer and a training developer since 2007. He is also the owner of Neithdos Consulting Services LLC. Dr. Marshall received his DM in Executive Leadership from Colorado Technical University in 2021. Currently, Dr. Marshall lives in Summerville, South Carolina and is planning on following up his dissertation on Changes Executives Need to Implement to Promote Women to Executive Positions with additional articles to business journals.

Related Articles

What is Microlearning? A Guide for Beginners

How New Technology Has Improved Training and Development

How to Develop a Training Program for Employees

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The four phases of a successful learner journey

This whole concept is very much “on trend” in the corporate world. Variants range from “independent booking”, when staff plan out their own learning route, to “Silicon Valley safaris”, when participants can take a look at the latest forms of collaboration and innovation processes at start-ups. As this range shows, there are very different views in organizations about what a journey of this kind should actually look like. This is even demonstrated by the fact that, in general, the terms “learner journey” and “learning journey” are used synonymously – just like they are in this text. After all, however vivid the journey metaphor may be, each organization will approach and organize it differently in practice.

What is a learning journey?

In an era of rapid knowledge cycles, high pressure on productivity and diversified work structures, education processes that are not integrated into the actual work and take place at a separate time are rarely successful. Occasional, isolated training sessions are not, on their own, enough to enable learners to progress and acquire knowledge and new capabilities such as the much-invoked “future skills” in an agile, direct way during their actual work. Learners therefore need to be part of both a personalized and a social process. This opens up a new perspective on not only education itself, but also on tools and formats.

There are three key features:

• The focus is not on compressing content into a single workshop, a traditional training course or a digital study module. Instead, digital options linked together in a way that makes good educational sense support employees for as long as it takes for them to internalize the new knowledge and build up the relevant skills to the point that they can apply them correctly in their everyday jobs.
• As the approach is designed from the student’s perspective, learners can choose the route and activities that meet their personal needs, progress at their own speed and reach their destination independently.
• It is not a sequence of activities in the sense of a prescribed linear route within a learning management system. Instead, it describes all activities and methods that employees use to access, assimilate and, ultimately, apply a particular topic, including adding their own experiences (e.g. expectations and concerns) into the mix, interacting with colleagues and sharing their knowledge with others.

Reflecting on experiences, learning from them and applying new knowledge in a practical setting all takes time – weeks, months or even years in some cases.

Where does a learning journey start – and where does it end?

It starts with the first contact with the topic and extends through the initial learning phase and everyday application in the working context until such time as the learner has mastered the subject and can themselves play a part in consolidating and further developing the topic or the options on offer.

The concept therefore extends far beyond the formal training. The underlying idea of the process is based on the 70:20:10 principle devised by Morgan McCall, Robert W. Eichinger and Michael Lombardo back in the 1980s. To put it in very simplified terms, according to this concept, people only acquire around 10 percent of their skills through traditional methods such as seminars, eLearning or books. The bulk of knowledge acquisition – some 90 percent or so – takes place outside the traditional context, e.g. through interaction with others.

As we observe in practice time and again, the risk of failure increases if the process comes to an end before this discussion phase has taken place. If, for example, organizations roll out a collaboration tool such as Microsoft 365 and focus exclusively on how the tool is used, key aspects will be omitted, such as the important phase of collective social learning and negotiations over how the tool should be used in the everyday working context to improve collaboration. As a result, employees receive training on specific principles, but no consideration is given to the elementary phase of collaborative work. This means countless teams are created, overwhelming staff and resulting in a sense of confusion and frustration that the project isn’t taking off.

How do I develop a successful learning journey?

Tts learner journey template.

To be successful, the journey has to encompass more than just the initial phase of knowledge acquisition – it also involves the starting point, the application in the everyday employment context and the consolidation of what has been learned through sharing, advocacy and continuous improvement. That’s because, of the four phases in total, it is only in these last two that the sustainable practical transfer of knowledge takes place – and this process is vital for subsequent value creation in the organization.

However, before we start designing the four key phases in our capacity as an HR manager or learning academy, we first need to undertake the pre-planning stage. The following points need to be clarified:

• Who are the students? A journey is always developed from the target group’s perspective (learner personas). Materials and methods are chosen to meet individual learning needs, with an increasing focus on the learning experience, i.e. personalized educational environments and experiences.
• What do students need? Before an education program can be devised, a comprehensive assessment to identify the target group’s needs and requirements is vital. This assessment takes the form of interviews and, where appropriate, an initial assessment of the realities of the work experience.
• What is the aim? Which of the organization’s strategic or performance targets need to be supported? The more clearly the educational targets and context of the target groups are defined, the more effectively a mix of formats (e.g. blended learning) and methods that mesh together and make good educational sense can be put together.

It is clear from the points outlined above that the development of learner personas is a key success factor, since very different routes will be required for different target groups.

Four key phases of the learning journey – these are what matter

It’s now a case of fleshing out the four phases in detail. In our example, we want to drive forward digital transformation and use Microsoft 365 to make it easier for sales staff at an organization to collaborate with each other.

1. Starting point

In what context do the students first come across the topic that they will be dealing with on their learner journey? Although this may be a chance encounter, such as via the office grapevine or an informal recommendation from a colleague, it is generally in the organization’s interests to specifically design the introduction to the topic, incorporating the knowledge that has been acquired by working out the personas. How is the topic relevant to students? How should students come into contact with it? To what extent do they benefit from engaging with the topic?

This phase lays the foundation for the learning experience and the subsequent learner journey experience, so particularly close attention needs to be paid to it.

2. Initial study phase

During this phase, the focus is on the “traditional” building up of knowledge and skills. It’s all about fundamental questions such as: What goals are being pursued with the change? What is the underlying idea? How do I use the tools? How do I create a team? How do we want to make use of the new options for our future collaboration? A carefully curated mix of formats is chosen for the initial stage. This may involve devising blended learning concepts that combine online sessions, workshops, virtual classrooms, study groups or learning nuggets, for example. This phase is traditionally very much the central point of focus. Participants find out what they ought to be able to do. All the essential foundations are laid for the subsequent application phase.

3. Application phase

In this phase, the focus is no longer on acquiring knowledge and skills, but instead on applying them on a daily basis and providing direct support in the workplace. If, for example, an employee needs to make use of a seldom-used feature of Microsoft 365 on a one-off basis, nobody wants to have to work through an entire course. Instead, what the user needs in these circumstances is quick, straightforward answers to their questions. The important thing is to provide the user with exactly the kind of efficient support they’re looking for in their moment of need. There are various suitable forms, such as performance support (e.g. step-by-step instructions), communities or social learning programs that help users help themselves.  Organizations often neglect this phase – with the result that the tool isn’t used effectively and the expected benefits in terms of productivity and efficiency are not realized.

4. Consolidation phase

The focus in this phase is on interaction with colleagues, e.g. in a community, since this helps drive forward and improve the topic. In our specific example, experienced sales staff in a “community of practice” could work on building up knowledge management based on Microsoft 365 and transferring the insights gained through this process to the learner journey for future users. When this phase is reached, participants can themselves act as mentors, helping colleagues progress or supporting them during the onboarding process by means of user-generated content, for instance. This phase is considered the icing on the cake, since not all participants will achieve the level of expertise required for this or demonstrate the necessary commitment.

The role of HR as the “travel agent”

Even though the four phases have been set out chronologically here, this does not mean that learners actually work through them in this order. It is perfectly possible to jump between the different phases at will – the only reason for breaking the process down into the various phases is to provide guidance for structuring the learning journey. Even in phase 4, for example, it may be necessary to return to phase 2 if a new technical function becomes relevant as part of the digital transformation.

As HR managers and learning professionals, we need to ask ourselves the following fundamental question: What does our “travel agent” role in this context look like? Not all factors that contribute to the process can be planned. It is therefore important to give employees access to all the formats and options they may need – including remotely. When making the arrangements, we need to include plenty of embarkation and disembarkation points to ensure users have the option of skipping certain material. After all, focusing exclusively on the initial building up of knowledge to the extent that the whole process comes to an abrupt halt after the end of phase 2 would be a terrible waste of potential.

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Blended learning reloaded – a classic concept is reinventing itself

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How to create Impactful Learning Journeys for Employees?

Table of Contents

What is a Learning Journey?

A learning journey is a structured process designed to guide an individual’s learning experience over a certain period of time. It usually refers to a planned sequence of learning activities and experiences, organized to facilitate progressive skill or knowledge acquisition. The goal of a learning journey is to improve the learner’s competencies, skills, or understanding in a specific area or topic.

10 Reasons why a simple e-learning software might not provide a good experience for a modern and impactful learning journey:

• Lack of Personalization : Modern learners often expect content that caters to their individual needs and learning styles. A basic e-learning platform may offer one-size-fits-all content, which doesn’t address the diverse needs of learners.
• Limited Engagement Tools : Simple e-learning software might lack interactive tools, gamification, and multimedia elements that can make learning more engaging and fun.
• No Collaboration Features : Modern learning often emphasizes collaboration and group activities. Without features like discussion boards, group projects, or peer reviews, learners might miss out on valuable collaborative experiences.
• Inflexible Content Delivery : Today’s learners might prefer a mix of formats, from videos to podcasts to interactive simulations. Basic software might only offer text-based modules.
• Absence of Real-time Feedback : Immediate feedback can be crucial in the learning process. If the platform only provides end-of-module tests without real-time responses, it might hinder the learning experience.
• Lack of Integration with Other Tools : Modern learning often requires integration with other software, like video conferencing tools, project management apps, or external resources. A simplistic platform might not support these integrations.
• No Adaptive Learning : Adaptive learning adjusts content based on the learner’s performance and needs. Basic e-learning platforms might not have this capability, making the learning experience static and linear.
• Updates and Scalability : Simple e-learning platforms might not be easily scalable or updatable, making it hard to adapt to new educational methodologies or accommodate growing numbers of learners.
• Limited Analytics and Reporting : Comprehensive data on learner performance and course engagement is vital for continuous improvement. Basic platforms might offer only rudimentary tracking, lacking in-depth insights.
• Mobile Learning Constraints : With the rise of mobile learning, it’s essential that platforms are mobile-friendly or have dedicated apps. Simple software might not cater to this, limiting access for learners on the go.

What is a good learning journey?

A good learning journey for employees in a company is designed to ensure their continuous growth, development, and alignment with the organization’s goals and objectives. It should cater to individual needs while promoting a collective culture of learning and innovation.

Here are some general models for different contexts for effective continuous growth and learning & development pathways:

• Introduction to company culture, values, and mission.
• Overview of the company’s products, services, and internal systems.
• Training on necessary tools and software.
• Meeting team members and understanding team dynamics.
• Identify current skills and knowledge levels.
• Highlight gaps or areas for improvement.
• Based on the baseline assessment, design individual learning paths.
• Use a mix of online courses, workshops, seminars, and hands-on training.
• Incorporate a blend of hard (technical) and soft (communication, leadership) skills training.
• Assign mentors to provide guidance and share experiences.
• Encourage reverse mentoring where younger employees teach senior members about newer tools or methods.
• Utilize external coaches for specialized training or leadership development.
• Encourage employees to learn about functions outside their primary role.
• Facilitates better team collaboration and breaks down silos.
• Can lead to innovative ideas when diverse skill sets interact.
• Regular performance reviews to gauge progress.
• Instant feedback tools or platforms.
• Employee self-assessment and peer reviews.
• Encourage attending conferences, workshops, and seminars.
• Offer tuition reimbursement or sponsor certifications.
• Provide opportunities for project leadership or management training.
• Set up platforms or events like hackathons or brainstorming sessions.
• Reward innovative ideas and solutions.
• Create an environment where failure is seen as a learning opportunity.
• Encourage team building and bonding activities.
• Foster a culture where employees actively network internally and externally.
• Identify potential leaders early on.
• Offer them specialized training, management courses, and opportunities to lead.
• Update training materials and courses regularly.
• Encourage employees to keep up with industry trends.
• Provide access to e-learning platforms, journals, and books.
• Periodically reassess the learning journey’s effectiveness.
• Adapt based on new business needs, employee feedback , and industry changes.

Lastly, remember to incorporate recognition and rewards into the learning journey. Celebrate milestones and achievements. Recognize employees who display a commitment to continuous learning and growth. This will not only motivate them but also inspire others in the organization.

Don’t forget that you can use our Gamification Engine to do that!

How do I start a learning journey?

1. strong and valuable content.

The foundation of any Learning Journey for an employee is having access to knowledge that complements and enriches everything they already know. If this is not the case, the employee will quickly lose interest with the content they have available, not retaining any added value.

In addition to powerful content, this must also be adapted to each person. One of the bases of Performance Evaluation in a company is the ability to understand not only the competencies of the organisation and its teams, but also to understand what knowledge weaknesses may exist. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the training needs of each employee, each team or even the organisation as a whole.

It is therefore essential that these journeys are personalised to the needs of each individual, ensuring that all weaknesses are covered appropriately.

At GFoundry, besides being able to customize the Learning Journey of the employees, you can also have access to curated content made available by us in several areas, from Health and Wellness, through essential Soft Skills such as Time Management and Resilience, as well as content of General Culture. These contents are made available free of charge to all our clients and can be made available to their teams at any time.

2. Integrating content from different sources

Over the years, the training content is no longer centralized in a physical space, such as a training room, but spread across multiple locations on the internet, accessible in different ways.

One of the biggest challenges in managing people and, more specifically, in managing your training is the agility to aggregate content from various sources that are important for your teams.

Since content is scattered across multiple platforms, it can be confusing for anyone to have to navigate through multiple links until they get to the end of a Training plan.

In addition to all the content that you can add directly on the platform, with GFoundry you can create Learning Journeys that include not only these added contents, but also external sources such as Google Academy, Coursera, Udemy , Youtube , Vimeo , Slideshare , Sharepoint among many others. GFoundry can act as a top layer that encompasses everything that is part of each employee’s Journey, making their experience much more fluid and simple to fulfill.

3. Monitor and Certify!

A very important part of creating a Learning Journey is to understand how effective it is in transmitting knowledge. Therefore, it is essential to be able to define metrics to better understand what has been the performance of employees in the training, how many hours they spent and even what has been their feedback regarding the contents.

Moreover, at the end of a Learning Journey, it is crucial to be able to certify all the people that have successfully completed all their training, representing an official recognition of their knowledge acquisition and their effort during the process.

With the GFoundry platform, all this is possible in a simple and dynamic way. Firstly, you can monitor crucial information about people’s training through reports available both in dashboards and xlsx files.

In addition, you can also certify all employees who complete your Learning Journeys, adding relevant information to these certificates, such as their name, the date on which the training ended, the hours used and even their final score. These certificates are available in each employee’s profile and they can be shared on their LinkedIn profile.

4. Communication Plan

For any area of an organisation, internal communication is one of the key pillars to get a specific message across to people effectively. Therefore, with regard to Training Plans, it is also important to be able to communicate succinctly and clearly to everyone that it is important to use the tools available to improve their skills and knowledge.

GFoundry is a fundamental piece for the internal communication of any organisation. Firstly, the fact that it is a digital solution allows all employees to have access to a mobile application where they can be in direct contact with your company. This direct contact is not only related to their work goals and linked to their functions, but also has other very important aspects.

On the platform’s homepage, employees have access to a news area, where the company can share important messages, but they can also use push notifications to pass a shorter and more direct message to everyone or to a specific group of people.

Know more here.

5. Have a good platform!

With technological evolution, and the inevitable digitalisation of Human Resources, employees should have access to tools that allow them to access your company’s content in a simple, agile and impactful way for their performance.

For this reason, GFoundry is an ideal partner to implement a project to create Learning Journeys for your employees, whether they are seniors or people who have just joined the organisation.

GFoundry works as a multi-platform solution (Web, Android and iOS), which supports all the actions directly related to Talent Management in an organisation, from attracting and recruiting people, through their integration and development to their departure, providing a rich experience in impactful moments for their performance.

Finally, through a Gamification Engine , which allows you to create game and reward dynamics through multiple user actions and achievements, you can make these paths much more interactive and interesting for any employee, directly impacting their results and, consequently, those of your organisation.

Know more about GFoundry’s Talent Management Solutions here.

Employee Learning Journey Map example:

Example from a possible Learning Journey journey map using GFoundry:

• A specific topic video visualization using Learn Module ;
• Complete a “who-is-who” in the organization quiz challenge using  Learn module ;
• Check a set of processes using  Tasks Module ;
• Enter a Zoom call, using a link available in the  Tasks Module ;
• Submission of a course certificate using Feedback & Surveys Module;
• Definition of professional goals for the short and long term using  Goals Module
• Definition of the PDP (Personal Development Plan) discussed with the manager using  Evaluation and Careers Module

What makes GFoundry different from other traditional e-Learning tools?

Above all, what distinguishes GFoundry from other e-Learning tools is the final experience achieved with the dynamics that can be created with the different micro-learning formats and with the use of Gamification dynamics, which introduce much higher interactivity that leads – in the majority of cases – to much higher results in an organisation.

Moreover, we believe that a learning journey does not have to consist only of training moments, with presentation of contents in different formats, but also be enriched with feedback stages, interaction between peers, moments of knowledge assessment, definition of individual development plans, among others.

What kind of content can I insert in GFoundry?

The GFoundry platform allows the insertion of quizzes in 4 different game modes – including the battle mode, in which the users play against each other – PDF documents and videos.

The GFoundry platform also allows the integration and incorporation of content from other platforms or even a more integrated management of actions from other LMS. Click here to learn more.

Who can create training content?

Training content can be easily created by the client using their backoffice, or created with the help of the Partner associated with the project, being responsible for content creation and all the management of strategic consulting dynamics, monitoring, among other tasks. Click here to learn more about our Partners.

Is there any content already made, ready to use?

Yes, the client has access – 100% free of charge – to a series of contents curated by GFoundry, in various areas of knowledge, such as: Communication, Time Management, Empathy, Feedback, Design Thinking, Creativity and Innovation, Management, Collaboration, Marketing and Sales, Health and Well-being , Resilience, Productivity, Data Protection – among many other examples. Read more here: GFoundry Curated Content applied to Learning and Development

How much does it cost to produce content for GFoundry?

The cost will depend on the complexity and volume of content to be created, but on average, the costs involved are much lower than the ones for a traditional e-Learning platform.

Can Individual Development Plans (IDPs) be managed with this solution?

Of course. Identifying learning needs (collective and individual) and managing them is a fundamental process in the development of people in an organisation. Normally this information is obtained at moments of assessment and feedback and is then managed in a 

Who can help us think about and implement such a system?

Consulting services and implementation of a GFoundry project are included in any project and are fundamental for its success.

The maturity and experience that GFoundry has achieved throughout its existence means that we position ourselves in the market with an indirect business model, always associated with a Partner in the construction of the solutions we present.

GFoundry realized that it cannot be alone when it comes to strategy, assessment, consulting, gamification design and monitoring of our customers.

For this reason, we always associate a Partner to each project we start with a client, chosen for their expertise in the area to be developed, with a package of hours already included in the annual licence fee. Click here to know more about our Partners.

Keep on reading:

• The Ultimate Guide for Remote Onboarding
• Case Studies GFoundry
• The Learning Journey
• eLearning Software
• Onboarding and Adoption of new Software
• HR Trends: What Will HR Look Like Next Year?
• Real-world OKR examples across different industries

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The Importance of a Learning Journey

The pursuit of knowledge has the power to transform us. A learning journey nurtures this curiosity of transformation in the learners. It offers continued learning and ensures continued growth. It uses tools that can also help learners navigate the terrain to keep learners going. One can use a it to discover what to learn, how to learn, and what they are good at. Once they understand this, they can easily use the tools and techniques provided by a learning journey to improve their knowledge.

Table of Contents

What is a learning journey, why is a learning journey important, how do you create a learning journey, how to implement it, benefits of the learning journey, infographic, knowledge check , frequently asked questions (faqs), what is the learning journey, what is an employee learning journey.

The term learning journey refers to a planned learning experience that takes place over time and includes various learning aspects and experiences using multiple techniques and platforms. Instructional designers create a learning journey to identify the appropriate format and methodology of learning. A well-structured learning journey can help the learners to achieve the objectives effectively, ensure learning implementation, and initiate actual behavioral change .

It caters to the leadership style, culture, specific needs of any organization , and the preferences of the learner’s leadership level. It also shows a more straightforward path to the learners’ learning goals, demonstrating a starting point and structured progress to help them achieve the objectives effectively. Organizations take the help of a learning journey to navigate their employees into a well-structured training process.

Organizations that employ a mixed learning journey are 2.5 times more likely to be financially successful than those that use more conventional learning approaches. (Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast).

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- Cultivate a thriving learning culture – that drives engagement, productivity & success.

Learners find the structure provided by the learning journey very helpful. It clarifies what people should do next and how much time they should set aside. It offers a high level of flexibility around where and when they should study, together with the multiple modes and channels for learning, which help embed essential skills rapidly and effectively.

The knowledge, study, and research abilities that learners bring to the learning process make up their learning journey. Since instructors are involved in designing and evaluating their education, it also offers a structural method to the learners and the instructors who are shaping the module. Instructional designers create a well-aligned learning module using a it.

In order to create a successful learning journey that is well-aligned with the organization, instructional designers try to:

• Bring attention to the prospects for learning:  The goal can only be achievable when the learners understand why this learning is essential. Only then can the organizations promote a healthy learning environment .
• Describe the benefits for the employees: Adult learners are encouraged intrinsically with self-esteem, desire for a better quality of life, self-development, and recognition. Therefore, instructors must plan a well-aligned learning journey according to that.
• Use gamification , virtual and augmented reality, scenario-based learning, and branching scenarios like immersive formal learning. The effectiveness of immersive learning has been demonstrated, with assignments finished on schedule. As a result, compared to other conventional learning approaches , this style of education has a higher likelihood of producing successful results. Immersive learners always develop more extraordinary cognitive abilities than traditional learners. They exhibit better problem-solving skills, better memory, and higher attention control.
• Provide employees with access to information during work so, they know what they need when needed.
• Support formal events with performance support tools.
• Reinforce learning by providing opportunities for practice, follow-up tools, and constructive criticism.
• Offer social learning so learners can interact with those who are also learning and advancing while exchanging information and experiences. As adult learners, they are instrumental in their learning process. They are more proactive in doing the work needed to facilitate learning and drive the learning process based on what they think they have to succeed on the job . Learners bring a greater volume, quality of experience, and rich resources to one another.

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Instructional designers can implement it like this:

• First, they should assess the employees’ current skill levels based on the organization’s competency model. Finding and concentrating on the essential leadership skill gaps is the first step in a precise diagnosis.
• Then, learning should be applied and tested through computer-based business simulations customized to the organization’s specific needs. Simulation exercises ensure that concepts learned during the learning event apply to the organization’s real-world issues.
• Next, they can use follow-up tools to support continuing learning with additional content, case studies , and community leader boards to encourage the new learners. It utilizes several measurement techniques to quantify the effectiveness of the talent development program.

It has the following advantages:

• It helps the learners to navigate appropriately. It helps them to gain knowledge independently.
• A well-aligned learning journey brings additional structure to a learning system. It provides a structured environment that helps to maintain discipline in the learning process.
• It enables self-paced learning for the learners. It generates an individualized experience. It helps learners undertake the courses at their own pace, according to their needs. It gives the learners freedom in their choices.
• It makes it easier to define and pursue goals. It generates an achievable goal for the learners and motivates them to achieve it.
• It helps accelerate the learning and development goals of the employees as well as of the organizations.
• It saves admin time.
• It promotes a continuous feedback method that reevaluates the purpose of the journey.
• It makes learning a continuous process, a journey indeed.
• It offers to learn in small chunks. Small amounts are better for retention. It allows learners to remember and relearn the materials at their convenience.

Learning Journey

• To allow learners a competitive edge.
• To provide structured learning experience.
• To offer creativity.
• To make feedback more immediate.
• Finding and concentrating on the essential skill gaps in the organization.
• Communicating with the employees/stakeholders.
• Imposing a general training and development journey.

With the help of a learning journey, one can evaluate a learner’s progress, clarifying what they should accomplish next and how much time they should allot for it. Learners’ ability to self-evaluate their learning progress makes the learning process independent. Employee learning journeys consist of a number of distinct learning experiences that are spread out over time, utilizing various methods and delivery modalities and leading to the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, or behavioral changes at the end of the journey.

The term learning journey refers to a planned learning experience that takes place over time and includes various learning aspects and experiences using multiple techniques and platforms.

In order to create a successful learning journey that is well-aligned with the organization, instructional designers always keep the end goal in mind, recognize the gaps, extend learning over development-related activities, involve the learners to direct management, calculate the effects, and plan for flawless execution.

With the help of learning journeys, one can evaluate a learner’s progress, clarifying what they should accomplish next and how much time they should allot for it.

Employee learning journeys consist of a number of distinct learning experiences that are spread out over time, utilizing various methods and delivery modalities and leading to the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, or behavioral changes at the end of the journey.

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Why You Need a Learning Journey Map

What do instructional designers, training managers/directors, and CLOs all have in common? These roles all (should) care intensely about creating learning solutions that deliver operational results for a business.

Do you want the learning solutions you build or buy to deliver meaningful business results? If so, you’ll need to look outside the traditional box that “training” sits inside.

For example, software developers and product managers obsess over the user experience (UX) of what they create. It drives almost every decision, and the success or failure of their efforts depends on having a great UX.

It’s way past time for learning professionals to do the same for the learner experience (LX). When the LX is properly calibrated, the learning solutions you create can sustain high performance over time and deliver business results.

The Rise of Design Thinking

I continuously search for ways to improve our ability to help clients create solutions that enable people to consistently perform and drive business results. Most practitioners (but not all organizations) know that a great training solution, by itself, isn’t the answer. But getting learning professionals to understand and embrace what is required can be tough:

• Relevant, contextual knowledge and practice opportunities.
• Spaced repetition and retrieval practice.
• Coaching and support as a learner attempts to transfer knowledge and skills into workflow.
• Consistent processes, incentives that align with the behavior we tell people they need to do.
• Adequate resources available that can easily be retrieved as part of an employee’s workflow.

My quest for answers is pushing more toward increased use of design thinking. The increasingly complex problems we seek to solve for our clients require us to visualize and consider the  entire learning journey.  It is not enough to focus exclusively on mapping out the courses or events that are part of a curriculum. The instructional materials may be strong. But the client still must think through implementation and plan every step of the experience that totals up to sustained performance over time.

Designing the Learning Journey

If you begin to think through the entire learning journey and thoughtfully plan out every step of the experience, you can achieve results that will never be obtained with a focus on just one step in the journey. This is what design thinking is all about.

The biggest risk is a journey that stops short of the final destination point. If you cannot make it to Step 6, then you’ve wasted a lot of dollars and failed to achieve the ultimate business results that drove the entire endeavor.

We have a huge opportunity to increase benefits to both learners and organizations if we move beyond the primary focus on Step 3, Learn and Practice, and also consider the impact that Steps 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 have on the results an organization achieves. Those steps need to be as carefully planned and considered as Step 3. Use the template below to map out an entire learning journey that will…

• Identify pain points to address  at each step to ensure a journey continues.
• Ensure there IS a plan for each step of the journey instead of just planning out and developing things for Step 3: Learn and Practice.
• Empathize from two points of view : the learners’ and the organization’s.

How to Create a Learning Journey Map

We use the format below to create our Learning Journey Maps.

Target Learners are Not Optional

The inclusion of learners in the journey mapping process is critical for innovation to happen. Unfortunately, some organizations are hesitant to include learners in the design process. It’s really, really tough to design a relevant learning experience for someone to whom you have no access. Here’s what needs to happen:

• Observation of the target learners in their environments doing the skills that you are trying to improve. We need to understand their workflow, their mindset, what they are seeing, hearing, thinking, and feeling. From that understanding, we can begin to craft more meaningful and memorable experiences.
• Prototyping and iteration of solutions so real learners can test what gets created early – and let us fail faster. People are horrible at predicting future wants and needs. Often what they imagine they want doesn’t stack up when what they imagined is provided to them. People need to see and try things to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Prototyping lets people do this. It leads to iteration and refinement so you build something that actually works.

The best learning solutions happen when we have access to target learners during the design phase. Better yet, target learners make excellent members of the actual design team. They can help you build an empathic view of your learners and understand the workflow, constraints, and challenges of their world. They’ll also help you identify potential opportunities.  In short,  access to the target learner is  essential to crafting a relevant learning journey.

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Excellent! Lots of great stuff! Thank for writing.

Very interesting and comprehensive. My fourth step about individual learning journeys is a bit different, because I add in reflection and a check in with the initial learning gap diagnosis, as described here. https://wp.me/p9tI1w-6P This then leads to the next step in the learning journey, what skills can now be built on the new foundation.

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Tala Dahmash ’24MED: ‘Learning is a Lifelong Journey, and Adult Education Allows Individuals to Continually Adapt, Grow and Thrive in an Ever-changing World’

Tala Dahmash ’24MED has spent the last decade as an English teacher and English as a second language (ESL) specialist in Dubai. Teaching at international academies, Dahmash said, has allowed her to grow into a multicultural individual who understands, perceives and responds to global workplace issues in more complex ways.

To further grow as an educator, Dahmash decided to earn her master’s degree in training and development at the NC State College of Education, and she will make the 15-hour flight from Dubai to Raleigh to attend her graduation ceremony. 

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Degree: Master of Education in Training and Development

Activities (Research or Extracurricular) :

Parallel to my educational career and background, I have always had a passion for design, creativity and attention to detail. I have pursued that passion and successfully completed a diploma in interior design to sharpen my skills and polish my talent. I work on personal interior design projects as an extracurricular hobby in my spare time. It is a fulfilling creative outlet that allows me to constantly learn and grow as a designer. I also enjoy immersing myself in different cultures, meeting people from diverse backgrounds and visiting new places. I have been lucky to be a globetrotter, leaving my footprints across four continents and traveling to 20 countries. Traveling allows me to broaden my horizons, gain new perspectives and create unforgettable experiences. I am bilingual in English and Arabic and on my way to learning Spanish and becoming trilingual soon. 

Why did you choose the NC State College of Education?

I have always had a passion for learning and teaching. Therefore, I decided to pursue a pathway in instruction and earn a master’s degree in education. NC State has a strong reputation for its education programs, offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees in education-related fields and consistently ranks as one of the best values in public higher education. Since I currently work abroad, it was the best choice because NC State is recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Master’s in Education Programs rankings and is highly distinguished by international educational organizations.

Why did you choose your concentration?

Learning is a lifelong journey, and adult education allows individuals to continually adapt, grow and thrive in an ever-changing world. Earning a Master of Education in training and development was a precise and carefully considered decision to become a professional who designs, delivers and evaluates adult learning programs. As an educator, the main reason why I chose this area of study is that it unlocks many innovative opportunities in the future world of education and organizational change and success. It can open up new career opportunities and enhance my prospects for advancement within organizations. Pursuing a master’s in training and development is a rewarding choice for me as a passionate individual about learning, development and making a positive difference in the workplace.

What’s your next step? What do you have planned after graduation?

Now that I have completed my graduate program with honors, I have the opportunity to consider multiple opportunities at this juncture and start planning for the future. I have just recently started a new and exciting role at Alef Education, an international educational institution, as an instructional and digital implementation specialist, where I support the integration of technology into teaching and learning and collaborate with educators to design and develop digital learning materials, including interactive multimedia content, online courses and learning management system (LMS) modules. The next step to accomplishing my learning and teaching goals is to work in the higher education sector and utilize my master’s credentials with community colleges and universities. I am positive that the higher education sector will foster a culture of intellectual curiosity and innovation, providing opportunities for continuous learning, research and collaboration with other experts in my field of study.

Learning never stops, especially in this age of infinite knowledge. After achieving a few years of work experience, I am considering continuing toward my doctoral degree. I believe that a Ph.D. could be an excellent option to be a part of the vibrant academic community as a professor. Also, it fulfills my passion for researching, contributing to the development of my field, building my expertise and working outside of the classroom setting on preferred subjects and topics, which increases the opportunities for intellectual stimulation. In addition, I am optimistic that a Ph.D. has the potential for further personal rewards, such as a sense of accomplishment and the feeling of being an expert in the education domain.

How has the College of Education prepared you for that next step?

The College of Education provided a strong foundation for my instructional design and educational leadership career. Additionally, it emphasized the importance of ongoing learning and reflection, which is invaluable as I can navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education. The training and development master’s program enabled me to develop critical competencies in instructional design, evaluation and assessment of training programs, adult learning, incorporating technology in training and organizational change. It also proposed actual prospects for professional networking, professional conference participation, presentation or publication, and faculty and student interaction. Such an experience will definitely be an excellent infrastructure to assist me in facilitating a unique transformative process within any organization.

What do you hope to accomplish in your field?

I plan to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and research in my field through scholarly activities such as conducting research studies and publishing academic papers. Throughout my courses, I had the chance to complete a number of research and scholarly projects, such as “Adult Learning and Integration of Technology,” “The Effect of the Pandemic on the Education of Children with Special Education Needs” and “Building Special Training Models for Academies,” which are only the stepping stones on the path of further research in the educational arena.

Expanding the existing body of knowledge by providing solutions to different problems in pedagogy while improving teaching and learning practices is crucial. Research allows the development of models, theories and practical applications that can address specific cultural patterns or improve conditions in scholarly literature, theory or practice. By developing my own educational research, I can contribute to this essential practice and assist in solving educational struggles and discovering new knowledge to increase the quality of education.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the College of Education?

One of my favorite memories is the strong friendship I built with one of my professors, [Assistant Teaching Professor] Pooneh Lari , who is an excellent teacher and adviser. She constantly inspired me to pursue my passion for education and strive for excellence in my studies. One of my favorite interactions with Dr. Lari was when I interviewed her as a special matter expert for one of my research projects. It was an incredible opportunity for me to learn from her as a professional instructional designer. She challenged me to think critically, communicate effectively and push myself beyond my comfort zone. At the same time, it was a great chance to get to know her closely as an individual with such a lovely personality. Working alongside her not only enriched my academic experience but also deepened our friendship. I will always cherish the conversations we had, the guidance she provided and the laughter we shared.

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