Learning Management Plan and Instructional Design
The Learning Management Plan (LMP) is a set of instructions that provides the managers, instructors, and training staff with the information required to lead and conduct the learning processes in a performance improvement effort.
The LMP is sometimes called a Course Management Plan (CMP) or Training Management Plan (TMP).
It is created and implemented by documenting all course materials into a logical plan for training the learners/performers on a task or subject, such as:
- scheduling and notifiying the learners
- ensuring any prereading material is sent to them ahead of time
- Training-The-Trainers to perform their roles in the learning process by giving them time to prepare and rehearse
- ensuring all course materials, such as lesson outlines and learning activities are ready for the instructors
- reserving classroom space
- gathering all equipment and supplies
The LMP informs the trainers of all factors related to a particular training process. New instructors who study the LMP should be able to deliver the instruction with little or no difficulties. The U.S. Army Field Artillery School (1984) suggests that the LMP contains the following sections:
- 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 module 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. The documentation 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 of any deviations of the LMP
Note that step one and step five interlock with the other phases of ISD. That is, there is no real dividing line between the various phases of ISD, from the building of the training documents in the developing phase fades, to the gathering of the LMP documents in the implementation phase, and the documentation of training deviations fades into the evaluation phase.
Instructor Preparation Estimation Chart
Dugan Laird (1985) listed the following instructor preparation times as reported by the U.S. Civil Service:
- 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
References
Laird, D. (1985). Approaches To Training And Development. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
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
Return to the Table of Contents
Pages in the Implementation Phase
- Introduction
- Learning Management Plan
- Deliver the Training
- Learner Involvement
- Delivering eLearning