Modelling routes towards learning goals

The traditional notion of the curriculum as a fixed list of topics to be studied sequentially is undergoing change informed by constructivist theories. However, abandoning the notion of the curriculum as a study plan raises the need to help learners in understanding both where they stand with respect to their desired competences and how these competences can be attained. This article presents a formal model for the description of routes to learning goals, designed to underpin guidance support systems for learners. The article compares the model to other work in the area, illustrates its application with a number of case studies and concludes with a discussion of the broader e-learning infrastructure required in implementing the approach.