Learning Management Plan and Instructional Design
The Learning Management Plan (LMP) or as it is sometimes called, Course Management Plan or Training Management Plan, is created and implemented by ensuring the courseware, class setting, and staff are ready. The learners must be scheduled and notified. Any prereading material must be sent to them ahead of time. The training staff may require training (Train-The-Trainer) to perform their roles in the learning process by giving them time to prepare and rehearse their instruction:
Instructor Preparation Estimation Chart (Laird, 1985)
- Course is five days or less - 3 hours of preparation for each hour of training
- Course is between five and ten days - 2.5 hours of preparation for each hour of training
- Course is over 10 days - 2 hours of preparation for each hour of training
The LMP informs the trainers of all factors related to a particular training process. New trainers who study the LMP should be able to deliver the instruction with little or no difficulties. The LMP should contain the following sections (U.S. Army Field Artillery School, 1984):
- A clear, complete description of the learning platform
- A description of the audience (target population)
- Directions for administering the learning platform
- Directions for administering and scoring tests
- Directions for guidance, assistance and evaluations of students
- Task List
- Task Analysis Information Sheets
- Learning platform map or learning platform sequence
- POI (Program of Instruction), e.g. lesson plans and learner guides
- Any other documents directly related to the administration of the learning platform
- Instructor/staff's training requirements (needed and accomplished)
The LMP should inform the instructors of all the factors that will have an impact on the manner in which they carry out the instructional function. It is the documentation that shows the designers, developers, and trainers' plan for actually delivering the course to the learners.
The steps for the implementation or delivery of the learning platform consists of:
- The gathering of the LMP documents and the creation of needed ones
- Training-the-Trainers
- Preparing the learning environment
- Conduct the training
- Documentation any deviations of the LMP
Note that step one and step five interlock with the other phases. That is, there is no real dividing line between the various phases of ISD — the building of the training documents in the developing phase fades into the gathering of the LMP documents in the implementation phase; and the documentation of training deviations fades into the evaluation phase.
References
Laird, Dugan (1985). Approaches To Training And Development. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, (Chart is based on U.S. Civil Service estimate).
U.S. Army Field Artillery School (1984). A System Approach To Training (Course Student textbook). ST - 5K061FD92.
Next Steps
Go to the next section: Deliver the training
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