This article focuses on creating and managing user learning plans.
TOPICS
- Learning Plan Templates Overview
- Creating a Learning Plan Template
- Editing Your Learning Plan Template
- Learning Plan Overview
- Creating a Learning Plan
- Editing Your Learning Plan
Learning Plan Templates
Learning Plans are a mechanism in Totara Learn that allow both users and managers to design a learning path that can be used to target relevant learning.
Learning plans are based on system-wide templates, which you can configure. There are also a wide range of implementation and configuration options available to create different ways that learning plans can be used to support staff development.
Users and managers can also determine who drives learning through using a template with either a user-driven, manager-driven, or custom workflow. Users and managers can then determine if users should be in control of their learning objectives, if managers should drive required learning, or if it should be a mix of both.
Creating a Learning Plan Template
1. Go to Site Administration > Learning Plans.
2. Scroll down and expand the 'New Template' section.
3. Enter a name for your learning plan template.
4. Enter a end date for your learning plan template. The end date can be used to automatically complete any learning plans created from this template.
5. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Editing Your Learning Plan Template
When a learning plan template is first created, there are still settings that need to be configured before it can be implemented.
After you initially finish creating your learning plan template, you will be redirected to its editing page. There are two other tabs for you to edit.
Editing Overview: Components
The 'Components' tab allows you to configure how components are presented in your learning plan template.
By default, a learning plan template has four components: courses, competencies, objectives, and programs.
1. To enable or disable any of the four components, click on the corresponding eye icon 
to show it or hide it.
2. To change the order of the components, click on the corresponding up and down arrows 
to move it up or down.
Editing Overview: Workflow
The 'Workflow' tab allows you to control who can set up a learning plan, with tasks including:
- Adding courses, competencies, objectives, and programs
- Approving a learning plan
- Completing a learning plan
There are three preset workflow settings, and a custom setting for you to choose from:
Basic Workflow: This is a simple, manager-driven workflow. Options such as due date and priority on course, competencies, and programs, are turned off.
User-Driven Workflow: This workflow allows the user to have control over their learning plan. The manager is able to view the plan, but cannot make any changes.
Manager-Driven Workflow: This workflow allows the manager to assign content to their staff's learning plan. The user can request that content is added, but everything requires manager approval.
Custom Workflow: This workflow allows you to customise all the learning plan workflow settings to meet your requirements. These settings can be further configured in 'Advanced Workflow Settings.'
Creating a Custom Workflow
1. If you have selected Custom Workflow, then the Additional Workflow Settings will be enabled.
2. In the 'Additional Workflow Settings' page, there are four tabs for you to edit.
Custom Workflow: Plan
In the 'Plan' tab, you can determine how much control specific roles have over viewing and editing learning plan components.
1. Scroll down and expand the 'Plan settings' section, and select how you would like learning plan completions to be marked.
2. Scroll down and expand the 'Plan permissions' section, and configure the types of actions that each role can perform in your learning plan template through the drop-down menus.
There are four permission levels available:
Allow: Allows the role to perform the action.
Deny: Prevents the role from performing the action.
Request: Allows the role to request that this action is performed.
Approve: Allows the role to approve an action.
3. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.
Custom Workflow: Courses
In the 'Courses' tab, you can specify the available course settings, and determine how much control specific roles have over viewing and editing courses.
1. Scroll down and expand the 'Course settings' section, and configure how due dates and priorities are set in learning plan courses. If priorities are enabled, then you can select an appropriate priority scale from the drop-down menu.
2. Scroll down and expand the 'Course permissions' section, and configure the types of actions that each role can perform in your learning plan template through the drop-down menus.
There are four permission levels available:
Allow: Allows the role to perform the action.
Deny: Prevents the role from performing the action.
Request: Allows the role to request that this action is performed.
Approve: Allows the role to approve an action.
3. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.
Custom Workflow: Competencies
In the 'Competencies' tab, you can specify the available competency settings, and determine how much control specific roles have over viewing and editing competencies.
1. Scroll down and expand the 'Competency settings' section.
First, configure how due dates and priorities are set in learning plan competencies. If priorities are enabled, then you can select an appropriate priority scale from the drop-down menu.
Then, you can configure how automatic assignment and default status are established in learning plan competencies.
Automatic Assignment: Allows the learning plan to automatically include competencies assigned to the user's position and/or organisation with any courses linked to these competencies.
Default Status: When enabled, the default status from the competency scale displays when the competencies are assigned in the learning plan.
2. Scroll down and expand the 'Competency permissions' section, and configure the types of actions that each role can perform in your learning plan template through the drop-down menus.
There are four permission levels available:
Allow: Allows the role to perform the action.
Deny: Prevents the role from performing the action.
Request: Allows the role to request that this action is performed.
Approve: Allows the role to approve an action.
3. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.
Custom Workflow: Objectives
In the 'Objectives' tab, you can specify the available objectives settings, and determine how much control specific roles have over viewing and editing objectives.
1. Scroll down and expand the 'Objective settings' section.
First, configure how due dates and priorities are set in learning plan objectives. If priorities are enabled, then you can select an appropriate priority scale from the drop-down menu.
Then, you can select an appropriate objective scale from the drop-down menu.
2. Scroll down and expand the 'Objective permissions' section, and configure the types of actions that each role can perform in your learning plan template through the drop-down menus.
There are four permission levels available:
Allow: Allows the role to perform the action.
Deny: Prevents the role from performing the action.
Request: Allows the role to request that this action is performed.
Approve: Allows the role to approve an action.
3. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.
Learning Plans
When creating a learning plan, users and managers select a pre-existing template and can include courses, competencies, objectives, and programs to structure learning.
The learning plan's components can also be scaled to determine their priorities. This helps users identify which components they should allocate more time towards.
If users have already completed some of the required learning, they can also attach evidence to their record of learning and apply it to a specific component of their learning plan.
Creating a Learning Plan
Once a learning plan template has been created, users and managers can create personalized learning plans from these templates.
1. Go to My Learning > Learning Plans.
2. In the 'Learning Plans' page, click on the 'Create new learning plan' button.
3. Select an appropriate template from the 'Plan template' drop-down menu.
4. Create a name for your learning plan in the 'Plan name' field.
5. Set a date started and completion date for your learning plan by clicking on the calendar icon 
and choosing appropriate dates.
6. Once you are complete, click Create Plan at the bottom of the page.
Editing Your Learning Plan
When a learning plan is first created, there are still settings that need to be configured before the learning plan can be activated and users can be enrolled.
After you initially finish creating your learning plan, you will be redirected to its editing page. Depending on the template settings, you will have other tabs to edit.
Editing Overview: Courses
The 'Courses' tab allows you to add and manage courses available in your learning plan.
1. To add courses to your learning plan, click on the 'Add courses' button.
2. Browse through all of the available courses on the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of the course to include it under Items to add.
3. Once you have selected your desired courses, click Save at the bottom of the screen.
4. Depending on the template settings, you can set a priority and due date for each course.
5. If you would like to delete a course from your learning plan, you can click on the delete icon 
to remove it.
Editing Overview: Competencies
The 'Competencies' tab allows you to add and manage courses available in your learning plan.
1. To add competencies into your learning plan, click on the 'Add competencies' button.
2. Browse through all of the available competencies in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of the competency to include it under Items to add.
3. Once you have selected your desired competencies, click Continue at the bottom of the page.
4. Depending on the template settings, you can set a priority and due date for each competency.
5. If you would like to delete a competency from your learning plan, you can click on the delete icon to remove it.
Editing Overview: Objectives
The 'Objectives' tab allows you to add and manage learning objectives available in your learning plan. Learning objectives are a useful way to include training targets that either relate to the assigned courses and programs, or to actions taken outside of Totara.
1. To add objectives to your learning plan, click on the 'Add new objective' button.
2. Add a name for your learning objective in the 'Objective Title' field.
3. Set a due date for your learning objective by clicking on the calendar icon 
and choosing an appropriate date.
4. Set a priority level for your learning objective by clicking on the 'Priority' drop-down menu.
5. Once you are complete, click Add Objective at the bottom of the page. This lists the objective in the main Objectives page.
6. If you would like to delete an objective, click on the corresponding delete icon to remove it.
Editing Overview: Programs
The 'Programs' tab allows you to add and manage courses available in your learning plan.
1. To add programs into your learning plan, click on the 'Add programs' button.
2. Browse through all of the available programs in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of the program to include it under Items to add.
3. Once you have selected your desired programs, click Continue at the bottom of the page.
4. Depending on the template settings, you can set a priority and due date for each program.
5. If you would like to delete a program from your learning plan, you can click on the delete icon to remove it.
