Before you begin using the Pathway Builder, there are a few things you’ll need in order to effectively build or design pathways:

1. Pre-designed Pathway or Framework to Design a New Pathway: You should have a pre-designed pathway or a general framework for designing a pathway using the Pathway Builder. This will serve as a guide for placing components, connecting them, and adding any necessary conditions or constraints.
2. Analysis and Planning: Whether you’re building an existing pathway or creating a new one, some analysis and thought are required for planning and constructing your pathways effectively.
3. Identify Pathway Components and Resources: If you’re designing a new pathway or publishing an existing pathway, you’ll need to identify the specific Pathway Components that will be included and plan for how they should be depicted as a progression.
4. Publish Pathway Resources to the Credential Registry: If you have existing pathways in various formats such as posters, images, or spreadsheets, the first step is to publish data about the Pathway Components to the Credential Registry. This includes the credentials, courses, competencies, jobs, and other relevant components that are part of the pathway. Make sure to include the final destination component of the pathway. You can use the Credential Registry publishing tool that suits your needs. Once you have published and approved your uploads to the Credential Registry, you can use your existing pathway information as a reference for building your pathway on the Pathway Builder. It’s worth noting that in cases where data isn’t published to the registry prior to building a pathway, you can also use the pathway builder to publish assessments, courses, and credentials.
5. Determine if a Progression Model is Needed: Pathways can involve a progression across grades, levels, stages, or time. In CTDL, this type of progression is referred to as a Progression Model. As part of your analysis, determine if the components of the pathway need to align with specific points in a Progression Model. For example, if there is a progression model across time with intervals of 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months, each component in the pathway should align with one of these three points in the Progression Model. This additional information helps understand not only the progression through components but also how it relates to grades, levels, stages, or time. Knowing that the progression to a destination can occur within 12 months provides valuable information.

By having a pre-designed pathway or framework, publishing pathway components to the Credential Registry, analyzing the progression requirements, and planning accordingly, you’ll be well-equipped to effectively build or design pathways using the Pathway Builder.

Pathway Analysis

Whether you’re building an existing pathway or creating a new one, some analysis and thought are required for planning and constructing your pathways effectively. Here’s some key considerations for pathway construction:

• Destination: Clearly define the ultimate destination of your pathway.
• Pathway Components: Identify the specific components needed to progress towards the destination.
• Combination of Resources: Determine if the components consist of resources offered by your organization or resources offered by others.
• Sequence: Establish the logical sequence for achieving the pathway.
• Progression Levels: Consider if organizing components based on progression levels would enhance the pathway structure.
• Completion Requirements: Define the specific requirements for successfully completing the pathway.
• Level of Expression: Determine the appropriate level of detail to ensure a clear understanding of pathway progression and completion.

This list is not exhaustive but provides a good starting point.