Managing Learning Path Contents
Managing learning path contents involves adding published courses to learning paths, establishing appropriate course sequences through reordering, removing courses when program requirements change, and previewing course content within learning path contexts. The Contents tab provides the primary interface for organizing course sequences and maintaining learning path structure as training programs evolve.
Effective contents management ensures learning paths deliver logical skill progression, maintain appropriate prerequisite relationships, and provide optimal learning experiences that build knowledge systematically from foundational concepts to advanced competencies. Regular contents review and adjustment keeps learning paths aligned with organizational training objectives and learner development needs.
Requirements
To manage learning path contents, users must be assigned a security role with the following permissions:
- Administrator System Role
- Access Level: Training Manager
Contents Tab Overview
The Contents tab displays the complete course sequence within a learning path, showing all included courses with their publication status, enabling drag-and-drop reordering, and providing action menus for course management. The Contents tab serves as the central workspace for organizing training program structure and maintaining course sequences.
Accessing the Contents Tab
- Navigate to the Training module and select the Learning Paths tab
- Click the name of the learning path you want to manage from the learning paths list
- The Learning Path Details page opens with the Contents tab selected by default
- The Contents tab displays all courses currently included in the learning path sequence
Contents Tab Layout
Header Section:
- Learning path name and publication status (Draft or Published)
- Actions dropdown menu (Clone, Sharing Options, other management functions)
- Total course count indicator showing number of courses in the learning path
Course List:
- Ordered list of all courses included in the learning path
- Course names displayed as clickable links to individual course detail pages
- Course status indicators showing whether courses are Published or Draft
- Action dropdown menus (three dots icon) beside each course for individual course management
Action Buttons:
- Add Course: Opens course selection interface for adding published courses to the learning path
- Drag-and-drop handles beside each course for sequence reordering
Empty Learning Path State
When a learning path contains no courses, the Contents tab displays a message indicating the learning path is empty with prominent Add Course button to begin building the program structure.
Important: Learning paths without courses are automatically set to Draft status and cannot be published until at least one published course is added to the sequence.
Adding Courses to Learning Paths
The Add Course workflow enables administrators to search for, select, and add published courses to learning path sequences, building comprehensive training programs from existing course content.
Course Addition Requirements
Only published courses can be added to learning paths. Draft courses do not appear in course selection interfaces and cannot be included in learning path sequences—this ensures learners assigned to learning paths have immediate access to all required training content.
Before adding courses to learning paths, verify that:
- All desired courses are set to Published status in the Courses tab
- Courses contain complete content with chapters, lessons, and quizzes as needed
- Courses are configured with appropriate settings for learner access and completion requirements
- Course sharing options allow target learner populations to access course content
Adding Courses to Learning Paths
- Navigate to the learning path's Contents tab
- Click the Add Course button in the action area
- A course selection dialog appears displaying published courses available for addition
- Use the search field to filter courses by name, description, or reference code
- Browse the list of published courses to locate desired training content
- Select courses to add by clicking checkboxes beside course names
- Add multiple courses in a single operation by selecting multiple checkboxes
- Click Add Courses to confirm selection and add courses to the learning path
- The dialog closes and newly added courses appear at the bottom of the current course sequence
- Reorder newly added courses to establish appropriate learning progression within the sequence
Course Selection Best Practices
Verify course relevance: Before adding courses, review course descriptions and content to ensure they align with learning path objectives and contribute meaningfully to the overall training program
Check prerequisite relationships: Consider which courses require foundational knowledge from other courses and plan to sequence them appropriately after addition
Review course settings: Verify that added courses have appropriate passmarks, attempt limits, compliance settings, and other configurations that support learning path objectives
Consider course length: Balance comprehensive coverage with learner time constraints—extremely long individual courses within learning paths may create completion bottlenecks
Test course access: Ensure added courses are accessible to target learner populations by verifying sharing options and permissions before widespread learning path deployment
After Adding Courses
Immediate actions:
- Reorder newly added courses to establish logical learning progression using drag-and-drop
- Preview courses to verify content appropriateness within learning path context
- Review overall learning path sequence to ensure smooth knowledge progression from foundational to advanced topics
Verification steps:
- Switch to Learner View to experience the learning path as learners will see it
- Verify course names, descriptions, and navigation work appropriately in learning path context
- Test learning path enrollment if self-registration is enabled to validate learner workflows
- Confirm that adding courses maintains appropriate learning path structure and usability
Reordering Courses
Course sequence order determines the progression learners follow through the learning path, establishing knowledge-building patterns that support comprehension and skill development. Drag-and-drop reordering enables administrators to adjust course sequences easily as training priorities evolve or prerequisite relationships change.
Using Drag-and-Drop Reordering
- Navigate to the learning path's Contents tab displaying the current course sequence
- Hover over the course you want to move—a drag handle icon appears beside the course name
- Click and hold the drag handle or course row
- Drag the course up or down in the list to the desired position
- A visual indicator shows where the course will be placed when released
- Release the mouse button to drop the course into the new position
- The course list updates immediately to reflect the new sequence order
- Changes save automatically—no additional save action is required
Reordering Strategy Considerations
Foundational-to-advanced progression: Sequence courses so that foundational concepts appear early in the learning path, with progressively more advanced or specialized content following prerequisite courses
Prerequisite relationships: Ensure courses requiring specific background knowledge appear after courses that teach those prerequisites to prevent learner confusion and knowledge gaps
Complexity gradation: Arrange courses from simpler to more complex topics, allowing learners to build confidence and competence progressively through the training program
Logical topic grouping: When learning paths cover multiple distinct topic areas, group related courses together before moving to new subject domains for better knowledge organization
Engagement pacing: Consider alternating between different content types, lengths, or difficulty levels to maintain learner engagement throughout longer learning paths
When to Reorder Courses
During initial learning path development: Establish optimal course sequences based on instructional design principles and prerequisite relationships as learning paths are first created
After adding new courses: Integrate newly added courses into appropriate positions within existing sequences rather than leaving them at the end by default
When prerequisite relationships change: Adjust course order when course content updates create new prerequisite requirements or eliminate previous dependencies
Based on learner feedback: Modify sequences when learners report confusion, knowledge gaps, or suggestions that earlier exposure to certain topics would improve comprehension
After completion analysis: Review where learners struggle or drop off in learning paths and reorder courses to address identified progression challenges
When organizational priorities shift: Adjust course sequences to emphasize newly critical skills or knowledge areas by moving relevant courses earlier in learning paths
Reordering Best Practices
Test learner experience: After significant reordering, use Learner View to experience the learning path as learners will and verify that the new sequence flows logically
Communicate sequence changes: If reordering affects learners already enrolled in learning paths, communicate changes and explain how new sequences improve learning outcomes
Consider in-progress learners: Recognize that learners already working through learning paths continue following the sequence they started—new sequences apply to future enrollments
Document sequencing rationale: Maintain notes explaining why courses are ordered in specific sequences to support future administrators and inform reordering decisions
Review periodically: Schedule regular reviews of course sequences to ensure they remain optimal as course content evolves and organizational training needs change
Removing Courses
Removing courses from learning paths adjusts program scope, eliminates outdated content, or modifies training requirements as organizational needs evolve. Course removal affects learning path structure immediately and applies to future enrollments while preserving progress for learners already working through programs.
Removing Courses from Learning Paths
- Navigate to the learning path's Contents tab displaying all included courses
- Locate the course you want to remove from the learning path
- Click the Actions dropdown menu (three dots icon) beside the course name
- Select Remove from the dropdown menu options
- A confirmation dialog appears warning that the course will be removed from the learning path
- Review the confirmation message to ensure you are removing the correct course
- Click Confirm, Remove, or OK to proceed with course removal
- The dialog closes and the course immediately disappears from the learning path sequence
- Remaining courses automatically reorder to fill the gap left by the removed course
Course Removal Considerations
Impact on learning path status: If removing the last course from a learning path, the learning path automatically changes to Draft status since empty learning paths cannot be published
Effect on existing enrollments: Learners already assigned to the learning path maintain their assignments to individual courses even after those courses are removed from the learning path structure—course removal does not automatically unenroll learners
Progress tracking implications: Learning path progress percentages recalculate for enrolled learners after course removal, potentially changing overall completion status as the denominator (total courses) decreases
Certificate requirements: If learning path certificates exist, verify that remaining courses still satisfy the intended learning outcomes and certification standards after course removal
Prerequisite impacts: Ensure that removing courses does not create knowledge gaps where remaining courses assume prerequisites that are no longer covered in the learning path sequence
When to Remove Courses
Content becomes outdated: Remove courses covering deprecated products, obsolete policies, or superseded methodologies that no longer serve training objectives
Program scope reduction: Streamline learning paths by removing tangential content that dilutes focus on core learning objectives or extends program length unnecessarily
Course redundancy: Eliminate courses that duplicate content covered more effectively in other learning path courses to reduce learner time investment and improve program efficiency
Prerequisite elimination: Remove foundational courses when target audiences already possess prerequisite knowledge, shortening programs for experienced learners
Content quality concerns: Temporarily remove courses requiring significant updates or revisions while maintaining functional learning paths with remaining high-quality content
Organizational priority shifts: Adjust learning path focus by removing courses covering topics that are no longer strategic priorities for the organization
After Removing Courses
Verify learning path integrity: Review remaining course sequence to ensure the learning path still provides cohesive training coverage and logical knowledge progression
Update learning path description: Modify descriptions to accurately reflect current course content if removed courses were specifically mentioned in program descriptions
Review completion requirements: Verify that learning path completion remains achievable and meaningful with reduced course count
Test learner experience: Use Learner View to validate that learning path navigation and content flow remain clear after course removal
Communicate changes: Notify stakeholders, trainers, or learners about course removal if it significantly changes learning path scope or requirements
Document removal rationale: Maintain records of why courses were removed to inform future learning path management and support decision-making continuity
Preview Course Option
The Preview Course action enables administrators to view course content as learners would experience it, supporting quality assurance, content verification, and learning path structure validation before or after adding courses to learning paths.
Accessing Course Preview
- Navigate to the learning path's Contents tab
- Locate the course you want to preview in the course list
- Click the Actions dropdown menu (three dots icon) beside the course name
- Select Preview Course from the dropdown menu options
- The course opens in preview mode displaying course content as it appears to learners
- Navigate through chapters, lessons, and quizzes to review complete course content
- Close the preview window or navigate back to return to learning path management
Preview Mode Capabilities
View course structure: See complete chapter organization, lesson sequences, and quiz placement as learners experience them
Navigate content: Move through lessons, chapters, and assessments using learner navigation controls to understand course flow
Review content quality: Evaluate text lessons, uploaded files, embedded content, videos, and quiz questions for appropriateness within learning path context
Verify settings: Observe how course settings (module ordering, sidebar display, content availability) affect learner experience
Test navigation: Validate that course navigation works appropriately and learners can move through content without confusion
Preview Mode Limitations
No progress tracking: Preview mode does not track completion, save quiz responses, or record progress—previews are observation-only without affecting user records
No completion credit: Administrators cannot complete courses for themselves or others through preview mode—previews are for review purposes only
Limited assessment interaction: Quiz previews may show questions and structure but do not process submissions or calculate scores
Sharing restrictions may apply: Preview access depends on administrator permissions and course sharing settings—some courses may have limited preview capabilities
Using Preview for Quality Assurance
Before adding courses: Preview courses before adding them to learning paths to verify content appropriateness, quality, and alignment with learning path objectives
After course updates: Review courses that have been updated within learning paths to ensure changes maintain program integrity and learning progression
Following learner feedback: Preview courses when learners report issues, confusion, or content concerns to investigate and validate reported problems
During learning path design: Preview all courses in sequence to experience the learning path as learners will and identify any progression gaps or redundancies
Before publishing learning paths: Conduct final preview reviews of all courses before changing learning path status to Published to ensure program readiness
Best Practices and Recommendations
Strategic Course Selection
Align with learning objectives: Add only courses that directly support defined learning path objectives—avoid including tangential content that dilutes program focus
Maintain appropriate scope: Balance comprehensive coverage with learner time availability—overly long learning paths reduce completion rates and learner satisfaction
Verify content currency: Regularly review courses within learning paths to ensure content remains current, accurate, and aligned with organizational practices
Consider audience experience: Select courses appropriate for target learner knowledge levels—avoid both excessive difficulty that frustrates learners and oversimplification that wastes time
Plan for progression: Ensure course selection supports natural skill development from foundational to advanced competencies without large knowledge jumps
Effective Sequencing
Start with foundations: Position prerequisite courses early in sequences to establish necessary knowledge before learners encounter dependent advanced content
Build incrementally: Arrange courses so that each builds logically on previous content, creating cumulative knowledge development throughout the learning path
Vary engagement: When possible, alternate between different content types (technical training, soft skills, compliance) to maintain learner interest in longer programs
Group related topics: Cluster courses covering similar themes or skills together to support knowledge integration before transitioning to new subject areas
End with application: Consider placing capstone courses, practical applications, or comprehensive assessments at the end to reinforce learning and validate mastery
Content Maintenance
Review regularly: Schedule periodic reviews of learning path contents to identify outdated courses, content gaps, or improvement opportunities
Monitor course updates: Track when constituent courses are modified and review whether changes affect learning path structure or sequence appropriateness
Respond to feedback: Use learner completion surveys, support inquiries, and satisfaction metrics to identify content issues requiring course addition, removal, or reordering
Coordinate with course owners: Maintain communication with administrators who manage individual courses to stay informed about planned updates that may affect learning paths
Document changes: Maintain change logs explaining when and why courses were added, removed, or reordered to support continuity when different administrators manage programs
Learner Impact Considerations
Minimize disruption: When modifying learning paths with active enrollments, consider learner impact—avoid removing courses learners are actively working through
Communicate changes: Notify enrolled learners when significant content changes occur so they understand how modifications affect their learning path experience
Preserve progress: Remember that course removal from learning paths does not remove individual course assignments—learners retain access and progress in removed courses
Test thoroughly: Before publishing content changes, preview entire learning path sequences to ensure modifications create positive learner experiences
Plan transitions: For major learning path restructuring, consider creating new learning path versions rather than modifying programs with substantial active enrollments
Administrative Efficiency
Use descriptive course names: Ensure courses have clear names that communicate content and level for easier learning path management and course selection
Leverage preview strategically: Preview courses before addition rather than adding and removing repeatedly to reduce administrative overhead
Batch updates: When adding multiple courses, complete all additions before detailed reordering to reduce iterative adjustment time
Document course relationships: Maintain notes about why specific courses are included in learning paths and how they relate to program objectives
Coordinate with teams: Involve subject matter experts or instructional designers in course selection and sequencing decisions to leverage diverse expertise
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