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Learning Hierarchy Overview

SkillShop organizes educational content through a sophisticated four-tier learning hierarchy that enables flexible, personalized learning experiences. This guide explains how to design effective curriculum using these learning structures.

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The Four-Tier Learning Hierarchy

Learning Activities

Atomic Learning Units Individual pieces of content like videos, documents, assessments, and interactive exercises.

Learning Plans (PLPs)

Structured Sequences Ordered “playlists” of activities designed to achieve specific learning objectives.

Learning Modules

Cohesive Units Collections of plans with assessments that focus on skill mastery and topic understanding.

Learning Paths

Flexible Journeys Non-linear learning experiences with multiple routes and adaptive progression.

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Building from the Ground Up

The learning hierarchy follows a bottom-up construction approach:
1

Create Learning Activities

Start by uploading and organizing individual content pieces:
  • Videos: Lectures, demonstrations, tutorials
  • Documents: PDFs, presentations, reading materials
  • Interactive Content: Simulations, coding exercises, virtual labs
  • Assessments: Quizzes, tests, practice exercises
Each activity includes:
  • Duration estimates for time planning
  • Topic and skill associations for knowledge mapping
  • Completion criteria for progress tracking
2

Design Learning Plans

Combine activities into structured sequences:
  • Sequential Organization: Activities build upon each other logically
  • Learning Objectives: Clear goals for what students will achieve
  • Difficulty Progression: Gradual increase in complexity
  • Time Estimation: Automatic calculation from component activities
Think of Learning Plans as “lessons” or “units” that students complete in order, like chapters in a textbook.
3

Build Learning Modules

Group related plans with assessment outcomes:
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Multiple plans covering all aspects of a topic
  • Skill Focus: Organized around specific competencies students will master
  • Assessment Integration: Final evaluations to verify learning outcomes
  • Progress Tracking: Monitor student advancement through the module
4

Create Learning Paths

Design flexible, non-linear learning journeys:
  • Graph Structure: Visual representation of learning progression
  • Multiple Routes: Different pathways to achieve the same learning goals
  • Prerequisites: Clear dependencies between learning components
  • Adaptive Branching: Students can choose routes based on their needs

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Curriculum Design Perspectives

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For Instructional Designers

Best for: Traditional course structures, prerequisite-heavy subjectsApproach:
  1. Create comprehensive Learning Plans for each course unit
  2. Organize plans into Learning Modules by topic or skill area
  3. Use simple Learning Paths with clear sequential progression
  4. Include regular assessments to verify understanding
Example: Mathematics curriculum where algebra concepts must be mastered before calculus

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Knowledge Organization Integration

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Topics and Skills Framework

SkillShop organizes knowledge into five topic categories:
  • Concepts: Abstract ideas and principles (e.g., “Photosynthesis”, “Democracy”)
  • People: Important individuals and their contributions (e.g., “Marie Curie”, “Shakespeare”)
  • Events: Historical occurrences and their significance (e.g., “World War II”, “Industrial Revolution”)
  • Academic Domains: Major fields of study (e.g., “Biology”, “Mathematics”, “Literature”)
  • Subdomains: Specialized areas within domains (e.g., “Molecular Biology”, “Calculus”, “Poetry”)
Curriculum Application: Associate your learning content with relevant topics to enable intelligent content discovery and recommendation.
Skills represent measurable competencies with five proficiency levels:
  1. Novice: Basic awareness and understanding
  2. Beginner: Fundamental knowledge with guided practice
  3. Intermediate: Independent application of concepts
  4. Advanced: Complex problem-solving and analysis
  5. Expert: Innovation, teaching, and leadership capability
Curriculum Application: Map your learning activities to specific skills and target appropriate proficiency levels for your learners.
SkillShop creates relationship maps between topics and skills:
  • Topic Relationships: How concepts connect and build upon each other
  • Skill Prerequisites: Which competencies are needed before advancing
  • Learning Dependencies: Optimal sequences for knowledge acquisition
Curriculum Application: Leverage these relationships to create logical learning progressions and identify prerequisite gaps.

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Student Experience in Learning Client

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How Students Navigate Your Curriculum

Content Discovery

Netflix-Style Browsing
  • Featured content and recommendations
  • Category-based organization
  • Personalized suggestions based on progress
  • Search and filtering capabilities

Learning Progression

Progress Tracking
  • Visual completion indicators
  • Skill development monitoring
  • Achievement badges and milestones
  • Time investment analytics

Adaptive Pathways

Personalized Routes
  • Multiple paths to the same learning goals
  • Difficulty adjustments based on performance
  • Alternative explanations and resources
  • Skip-ahead options for advanced learners

Interactive Learning

Engaging Activities
  • Video players with note-taking
  • Interactive coding environments
  • Assessment feedback and explanations
  • AI tutor assistance when needed

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Best Practices for Curriculum Design

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Content Organization

1

Start with Learning Objectives

  • Define clear, measurable outcomes for each learning component
  • Align objectives with relevant topics and skills
  • Consider different proficiency levels for diverse learners
2

Design for Flexibility

  • Create multiple activity types for the same learning objective
  • Build alternative pathways for different learning preferences
  • Include optional enrichment and remediation content
3

Implement Progressive Assessment

  • Include formative assessments throughout learning sequences
  • Design summative evaluations for modules and paths
  • Provide immediate feedback and explanations
4

Enable Personalization

  • Tag content with appropriate difficulty levels
  • Associate activities with multiple topics and skills
  • Create branching points in learning paths for student choice

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Quality Assurance

Regularly review your curriculum structure to ensure learning paths remain coherent and prerequisites are properly sequenced.
Key Validation Points:
  • Prerequisite Chains: Ensure students have necessary background before advancing
  • Duration Estimates: Verify time estimates match actual completion times
  • Assessment Alignment: Confirm evaluations match learning objectives
  • Content Freshness: Update materials to maintain relevance and accuracy

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Advanced Features

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AI-Powered Enhancements

  • Automatic topic and skill identification from uploaded content
  • AI-generated summaries and learning objectives
  • Smart recommendations for related materials
  • Content gap analysis and suggestions
  • Dynamic difficulty adjustment based on student performance
  • Personalized content recommendations
  • Automatic prerequisite checking and remediation
  • Learning style adaptation
  • AI-created questions from content materials
  • Automatic rubric generation for subjective assessments
  • Difficulty calibration and item analysis
  • Performance prediction and intervention recommendations

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Analytics and Insights

Monitor the effectiveness of your curriculum design:
  • Engagement Metrics: Which activities and paths students prefer
  • Completion Rates: Where students struggle or drop off
  • Learning Outcomes: Assessment performance and skill development
  • Time Analytics: Actual vs. estimated completion times
  • Pathway Analysis: Most and least effective learning routes

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Next Steps

Create Your First Learning Plan

Start building structured learning experiences with step-by-step guidance

Design Learning Paths

Create flexible, non-linear learning journeys for your students

Organize Topics and Skills

Build the knowledge framework that powers intelligent content organization

Student Experience Guide

Understand how students will interact with your curriculum design
Ready to start designing your curriculum? Begin with Learning Plans to create your first structured learning experience.