What is a Learning Journal for Blended Training Programs?

A practical tool for extending learning beyond the final screen

In an earlier post we looked at how to combine elearning with an on-the-job mentoring program. I received a lot of questions about the learning journal. So in today’s post we’ll look at the basic structure of the learning journal and how you could use something like it to complement your elearning courses.

You’ve built an online course and learners are completing it. But when the course ends, so does the structure. A learning journal picks up where the course leaves off, connecting learning to practice on the job.

What a learning journal actually is

A learning journal isn’t a workbook or a quiz. It’s a structured document that accompanies the learner from the start of training to the end. Before we set up the journal, let’s look at why it’s worth the effort.

• It connects e-learning to what actually happens on the job. The journal is a bridge between the course and the real work environment.
• It guides the learner’s progress. A calendar of activities and learning objectives turns the journal into a map. It sets expectations and keeps things consistent from one learner to the next.
• It captures the key points. E-learning courses often gives you one shot at the content, so the journal becomes a personal reference the learner can lean on long after training program ends.
• It tracks completion. For the organization, the journal doubles as a training record, and I usually build in a formal completion record that can go straight to the manager or HR.

Once you’ve decided down this path, you need to figure out what to put in the learning journal.

Key takeaways

If you’re doing a blended program that combines online courses with other training, then a learning journal is a good tool that makes a strong connetion between the ondemand training and the real-world training.