Preparing and maintaining the learners’ individualized learner plans (ILP’s), is a task required of all instructors working in LBS. Due to the significance of this document to the learner’s program, the amount and nature of the information it contains, and the ongoing maintenance it requires, learner plan development is perhaps the most challenging of all the information management tasks. Instructors ask a lot of questions about it. Here are just a few:
- Exactly what information has to go on the training plan?
- How much detail is necessary?
- What particular language is expected?
- How soon in the learner’s program do you start working on the learner plan?
- How involved is the learner in developing the learner plan?
- Do you do the same kind of learner plan for someone who comes 4 hours a week as for someone who comes 25 hours a week?
The following list summarizes the essential information instructors need to have in order to know what to teach and how to go about teaching it:
- learner’s name
- background information
- transferable skills,
- learning style
- long-term and short-term goals
- current program details (# of hours, location etc.)
- required training supports and services
- tasks related to successful goal completion
- the learner’s current knowledge, skills and abilities related to task performance
- skills to be developed in this training (the GAP)
- milestone tasks for demonstrating learner progress
- culminating tasks that indicate transition readiness
- summary documentation of the learner's training and transition to the next step
Further information that is specific to Learner Plan development can be found in Planning the LBS Program.
While in the past MTCU encouraged LBS programs to develop their own forms and procedures for working with Learner Plans, (formerly called Training Plans), the ministry is currently developing an online Learner Plan template that programs will use as learners register for LBS. Programs can expect to begin to use the online Learner Plans in April, 2012. Until April, programs will continue developing learner plans as they have always done.
