Learning plan components: Troubleshooting guide

This guide covers structural and behavioural issues within the Learning Plan, including component status, mapping, dates and progress calculations.

For issues related to uploading or marking evidence, see: Learning plan evidence – troubleshooting guide.

Access & visibility

Why is a learner unable to access their learning plan?

If the learner is directed to their Onboarding when they log in or see a screen like the one below advising 'All good. You're up to date'.

In such a case, please check the following:
1 – Onboarding has been completed and all compliance documents have been signed by the learner.
2 – It is on or after the start date of the programme.

Why is it that our learners cannot see their learning plan and only see the "All Good. You're up to date" screen?

Some learners when trying to access their learning plan via Aptem Console may be presented with the following informational page.

This will occur if:

• The learner's current programme has the "Do not create compliance documents at end of onboarding wizard (console only)" option enabled in the Onboarding Wizard token.

AND

• Any of the following compliance document types are configured in the programme:
  • Commitment Statement
  • Apprenticeship Agreement
  • Onboarding
  • Training Plan

AND

• None of the compliance documents mentioned above are created on the learner side, so an administrator needs to create them.

Once any of the above-mentioned compliance documents are created by administrator, the learner will receive a Signature required notification, and will be able to sign the documents. Once this is done, the Learning plan will be unlocked in Console.

This process is implemented in Console only as this is where the majority of our customers' learners complete their programmes.

Why is the learning plan showing as up to date, when it is still in progress?

In some cases the following message is displayed on a Learner’s Learning Plan stating that it is up to date, but there is still in fact further progress to be made,

This may be caused due to the compliance documents for the Learner being added to their programme after they have already completed their Onboarding. This means that the system believes that the Learner is up-to-date, even though they are still required to sign these documents. 

Please note that the compliance documents are only generated automatically the first time a learner is enrolled onto a programme. If the compliance documents are added after the Learner has completed their Onboarding, then their Tutor will have to manually create them via the Compliance documents section in the Learner Profile in Classic, using the Create option which will be available against the documents.

Why can’t I see my learner's English and maths diagnostic assessment results in the Learning support section of the learner profile?

This question is about additional integrations / add-ons that are not part of any Aptem Apprentice package. If you want to use this functionality, please contact your Customer Success Manager. See Aptem Apprentice pricing and packages for information about the packages.

For diagnostic results to pull through, there must be an FS diagnostic component in the learning plan with type specified as Skills forward/BKSB, as this activity type is generally used for indicating the result of the Functional Skills Diagnostic Assessment.

In instances where integration with either BKSB or Skills Forward is utilized, this will act as a placeholder for the results to be automatically populated once the diagnostic assessment is completed.

It's important to note that for the results to be automatically populated, the learner must access BKSB/Skills Forward through the learning plan activity link. If integration isn't utilized, the results can be manually uploaded as evidence.

Please note, if the activity type is specified as Manual, the outcome won't be displayed in the learning support section of the learner profile.

There is no option to log an activity in a learner’s learning plan via the new Console like there is in Classic. Why is this?

This will be because the 'Job Finder' option has been enabled in the Jobs token for the programme that the learner is currently enrolled on.

Once this option has been disabled, learners will have access to the 'Log Activity' functionality.

Why are overdue tasks from the learning plan not showing in the Task Tracker?

The Task tracker is for showing reminders which have been set for activities.

Not all activity types can have reminders set for them. If there is no reminder for the activity, it will not show in the Task Tracker when overdue.

Activity status & completion

How do I record a Meeting component as not attended?

Meetings are not suitable in this case, as attendance cannot be updated once the date has passed, which may lead to inaccurate records.

We recommend using Workshop meeting components in Aptem, as they allow you to record attendance and non-attendance more flexibly and reliably. For more details on how to use workshops, please see: Getting started with Placements and Workshops.

Why is the component still not showing as complete?

1. “I have uploaded evidence and assessed it."
   
   Some component types need more than just uploaded evidence.  For example, a Digital Learning component uses SCORM assets.  These assets may contain sections such as questionnaires. You can upload evidence to a digital component, but the content of the digital learning must be finished too for Aptem to recognise that this component is completed. Please check component progress percentage to confirm if the Learner has completed the content in full.

   Please also check that the evidence uploaded to the component has been accepted against the criteria that is mapped to it.
   

   If the evidence fails to meet all the mapped criteria, the component will remain incomplete until all criteria are adequately evidenced and that evidence has been accepted.

2. “I have uploaded evidence and the learner has completed the component content."
   Check the component - is it set to “Tutor decides”?  If yes, this means that assessing the evidence and completing the content isn't enough – the Administrator/Tutor must click “Complete” to close the component.
3. “My component is a Workshop – I have assessed the evidence. Why wont it complete?"
   A workshop component has an extra stage for completion – verifying the attendance hours.  Please make sure you verify that the learner(s) attended. This can be done from the Unverified Hours Tile.
4. “I have an Assignment task – why won’t it complete?”
   A task-style component will create a calendar entry for the learner - they must mark this as complete as well as the component in their learning plan.
5. “The component has been completed and all submitted evidence has been assessed and accepted. Why hasn’t the Progress Percentage increased?”
   Please use the edit option to edit the component build, and confirm if ‘Require Evidence’ has been ticked. If not, please tick this option and update the component. This option allows Aptem to calculate progress percentage using the criteria the submitted evidence has been assessed against. Please note, if this has not been ticked on the Learning Plan template, you will also need to amend this, and use the synchronise component function to ensure this change is synchronised to all Learners on the Programme.

6. The component continues to display "Evidence Required" even after submitting and assessing the evidence.

   Please verify if the component has been uploaded with the minimum required pieces of evidence, as specified in the Component configuration under the field 'Minimum No. of Evidence'. For instance, in the provided example, the component requires 25 pieces of evidence to be uploaded. Until the specified 25 pieces of evidence are uploaded, the component status will remain as 'Evidence Required'. Once 25 pieces of evidence are uploaded, the component status will transition to 'Evidence Submitted'.
   

Why is it that a learning plan activity has had evidence submitted to it, but the Activity is still showing as not started?

Please check which activity type you are using. 

If the activity requires a task to be created, this could be the cause of the problem. If a task isn't created for the activity, the status will change to Evidence Submitted once a document is uploaded, but will revert back to Not Started when the evidence is assessed. 

Please ensure the task is created(if required) and marked as complete in order for the activity status to update correctly.

Our guide to Learning Plan Activities can be found here: A How-To-Guide to Learning Plan activities.

My learner has completed their learning plan but the expected progress is not 100%

Expected progress is calculated against the due dates set within the learning plan, not against whether all components have been completed.

If a learner completes one or more components before their due dates, expected progress reflects what they are scheduled to have completed at that point in time. Expected progress will not show 100% until all due dates have passed, even when the learner has already completed every component.

In short, expected progress shows what should have been completed by now based on due dates, not the learner's actual completion status.

There are activities in a learner’s learning plan which are before their start date. Why is this?

It is most likely that the learner’s start date has been changed to a later date. In this case, any learning plan activities from before their start date will remain unchanged and will still show in the learning plan.
The ILR history can be checked for when the start date was changed.

You can check the <LearnStartDate> field in the ILR:

Why is an Assignment Task still showing as “Not Started” when evidence has been submitted by the Learner?

The status of an Assignment (Task) component is controlled by the task. If the task hasn't been started, then the component will show as "Not started", irrespective of any evidence uploaded.

If the “Don’t create a task” box is ticked:

If this box has been ticked it means the component will not create a task automatically. However, as the component is an Assignment (Task), it requires a task to be completed. Therefore, the status of the component will still show as “Not Started” even if progress has been made on the evidence. This will include the following circumstances:

• When evidence has been submitted and referred by the Tutor
• When evidence has been accepted, and the module has been set to "Tutor decides".

To resolve this issue, you will need to do the following (in Classic):

1. Click on "Create" within the component.
2. Create the task, choosing the appropriate type and due date.
3. Click "Start" on the component and the status should then update.
4. You should then be able to click on "Mark as Complete" to complete the component.

Mapping & configuration

Mapping appears to be working and tracking progress for some learners but not for others on the same programme. Why is this?

Please check if you have correctly configured the mapping in the Learning Plan template at the programme level to the relevant Learning Plan activities.

Updating the mapping both at programme level and individually should resolve this.

After all relevant components have been mapped correctly, all submitted evidence will need to be re-assessed against the newly mapped criteria, which will trigger the progress percentage to be calculated correctly.

Why is there a discrepancy in the component criteria mapping between the programme build and a learner's learning plan for certain learners?

This discrepancy arises because the criteria mapping for the component was modified at the programme level after the learners were enrolled onto the programme. Such changes do not retrospectively apply to learners who were already enrolled on the programme.

This behaviour is intentional. Any updates or amendments to the component configuration will only take effect for learners who enrol after the changes have been implemented. Learners already enrolled will retain the criteria mapping that was in place at the time of their enrolment.

If it is necessary to align the criteria mapping for any component in programme build with the Learning Plans of existing learners, this can be achieved either by manually updating each learner's plan individually or by utilising the Learning Plan synchronisation functionality to apply the changes across multiple learners. For more details, please refer to the Learning Plan synchronisation guide.

There appears to be criteria missing when viewing a learner's learning plan, compared to the criteria in the programme, why is this?

The criteria will not be showing because it has not been mapped to any components in the Learning Plan.

Please therefore check the Learning Plan components for this learner / other learners affected, to see if any are mapped to the missing criteria. Once a component is mapped to this criteria, it will then show in their Learning Plan.

Console

Classic

Scheduled Online Components showing 'Number of Evidence 0/1' despite configured to not require evidence, why is this and how do we change this?

It is likely the case that these components were configured to require evidence at programme level during the time the learners were enrolled onto the programme. So now even if the components are edited at learner level to not require evidence, this change will not reflect to the components.

In order to remove the 'Number of Evidence 0/1' from these components you will need to first ensure that the components are configured to not require evidence at the programme level. You will also need to remove the learners from the programme and then re-apply them - we recommend doing this in Classic to avoid updating the learners ILR unintentionally.

Follow the below steps to remove the 'Number of Evidence 0/1' from the components:

1. Edit the programme.
2. Within the Learning Plan token of the programme, copy the components and delete the original components.
3. Set the copied components to 'Tutor Decides' and make sure the 'Require Evidence' box is not ticked.
4. Save the programme.
5. Remove learners from the programme in Classic.
6. Re-apply learners back onto the programme in Classic.
7. The components should no longer show 'Number of Evidence 0/1'.

You will need to delete the components from the programme because Aptem essentially remembers the component configuration from when the learners were initially enrolled on the programme. So, if you simply edit the existing components and then re-applied the learners back onto the programme, the changes to the components would not apply and will look as they did when the learner was initially enrolled.

Progress & percentage calculations

A learner's expected progress percentage for their qualification/ standard criteria is showing as less than their actual progress. Why is this?

The expected qualification/standard criteria progress can show as less than the learner’s actual progress if there are any components which have been mapped to the qualification/standard criteria but do not have a 'Complete By' date value set.

To resolve this, please check the learner's learning plan to ensure that all mapped components have a 'Complete By' date value set.

Why is the criteria for a certain section of a standard or qualification not showing as 100% complete despite there being uploaded evidence on a learning plan component which is mapped to this criteria?

The figure will only change to 100% once all components have been completed.

A learners progress is not being pulled through to the Progress card on the Dashboard even though work is mapped to criteria and has been marked. Why is this?

Please make sure that for the components where you have marked evidence against criteria the 'Evidence required' box has been ticked. Ticking this box will ensure that evidence marked against criteria will count towards the progress. 

This option will need to be ticked in any component where you would like the progress to be calculated towards the Progress card on the dashboard. 

Why when a learner has completed a digital asset component is one of questions in the course report blank?

This can be caused by the learner copying and pasting from another source which has line breaks.

Any copy/paste should be checked for hidden line breaks. One way to do this is by pasting the text into Notepad, where hidden items can be identified and removed before pasting the cleaned text into the asset text box.

Why does the % completion for criteria on the learning plan and evidence tab not match?

Check all completed components - these should be set to “require evidence” for their completion to count towards the %. If they are not, please edit the component and tick the “require evidence” box.

Please also see: My learner has completed their Learning Plan but the expected progress is not 100%.

Why is mapped and accepted evidence not populating the progress for learners, even when the component is set to “require evidence”?

Please check the learning plan at programme level.  If the weighting on the criteria for this standard is set to 0, this will mean that it will not contribute to the learning plan progress.

Other issues

For delivery programmes, which day of the week should the 'complete by week' option end on?

When determining the end date, please bear in mind that the 'complete by week' configuration will cover 7 days (and not just 'working days') and so includes weekends.

How should I track learners who have uploaded case studies linking associated evidence for their End Point Assessments?

We would suggest creating a miscellaneous component for each of the case studies (mapping each case study holistically as required). This would then pull through to the learner's e-portfolio. When generating the e-portfolio, the learner or assessor can choose which evidence they would like to include. 

You could grant access to the learner record for the cmi assessor or, you could provide a zip file to send to the assessor. 

How do learners add components to their learning plans and can they be prevented from doing this?

Learners can add components using the Thunderbolt Icon > Log Activity.

There is no way to stop learners from adding components to their Learning Plans using the above method.
The reason behind this is to allow learners the ability to log extracurricular activities.

Why is the tutor unable to mark a scheduled online event learning component as complete?

If a tutor is unable to mark a Scheduled Online Event learning component as complete, this may be because multiple event dates have been set up for the component and so this will remain as in progress until all of the events have been completed. This can be checked by selecting the edit option for the learning component. A list of all of the event dates will also be displayed against the dates tab for the component: 

If the Learner is required to complete all of these dates, then this component can be left as it is, and it will change to completed once the final date has passed.

Alternatively, individual components can be set up for each event instead, and these components will then change to the status of completed, once the Learner has attended the event, had their hours verified, and uploaded any required evidence. 

Is it possible to put half figures into the 'Planned hours' and 'Complete by' fields?

Partial hours can not be entered. Only integers are accepted in the 'Planned hours' and 'Complete by' fields.

Why is a deleted component from the programme build still showing in a learner's learning plan?

This is expected behaviour. If a learner was already enrolled in the programme when the original component was added, deleting it from the programme build does not remove it from their Learning Plan. Such changes only apply to learners who enrol after the component has been deleted.
Please note, new components are pushed to existing learners, but deleted components are not automatically removed.
To remove a component from existing learners' Learning Plans, it must be either manually removed by following the instructions in the ‘Deleting an activity’ section of this guide: Editing an activity or by using the Learning Plan synchronisation feature.

Note: Avoid deleting components that learners have already started or completed, as this may result in the loss of evidence and progress.

Why do components in the learning plan have 'Complete By' dates beyond the programme end date?

This situation can arise when components are configured with 'Complete By' dates based on a specific number of months, weeks, or days. The completion date is calculated by adding the specified time frame to the programme start date.

Example:
If a programme starts on 23/02/2022 and a component is set to be completed within 204 weeks, the calculated completion date would be 21/01/2026. As a result, such components will appear in sections corresponding to their calculated completion date, in this case, January 2026.

To ensure components have an end date within the programme period or before the programme end date, please adjust the 'Complete By' settings accordingly.

When a new component is added to a delivery programme, how are learners already on the programme impacted?

When a new component is added to a delivery programme, it will auto-populate to the learning plans of all learners who are enrolled on that programme.

Why do some components not have the 'Edit' option?

If a component is of type 'Online Training' and has no associated course, it won't have an edit option. However, the component can be edited in classic for existing learners.

The 'Online Training' functionality is outdated, and it's best to avoid using this component type if you're not utilizing courses. Instead, consider the 'Online - external activity' which might be a more suitable alternative.

Why are some Assignment (Task) learning plan components showing under an incorrect month?

This can happen if the tasks associated with the components are set to repeat, which results in the task date differing from the component's completion date.

To resolve this, remove the recurring tasks from the components. Please note this can only be done using the Classic user interface. Click the 'Edit' button for the component task.

Set the Repeat option to 'Never' and click 'Update'.

Changing the case owner for a learner does not change the component owner of the learning plan components. Why?

For the component owner to be updated with new case owner, the following conditions have to be met.

• The component is assigned to the learner's current episode program.
• The component is not deleted.
• The previous case owner is set as the component owner.

If the component owner is not being updated for any of the components in the learning plan, it is likely because the case owner was changed after the learner was stopped on the current program, which means that the 1st criteria from above set is not met.
To address this issue, please follow these steps:

1. Re-apply the learner back to the same programme.
2. Assign the same case owner which was assigned prior to learner being stopped on the programme. You can check the Learner’s Audit trail for the changes to case owner.
3. Then, change the case owner to the desired one.

Please note that sub-programme components will not be affected, as component ownership for those is handled through the programme application form.

Can the evidence for a learner’s previous learning plan be transferred across to their new learning plan?

If a learner needs to transfer their evidence across to a new learning plan, this can be done by downloading and saving each piece of evidence from their original learning plan, and then uploading the evidence again to the required components in their new learning plan.

The start date for my learner’s programme has been updated, but this does not reflect in the dates of their learning plan components. Why?

The change in start date for a learner does not automatically update their learning plan. 

If you want the dates in their learning plan to also be updated, then you will need to stop their programme and then re-apply it, using the ‘Stop’ and ‘Apply’ options on their profile. Once this step is completed, the new start date will be applied to the learning plan components.

How do you transfer learning plan component ownership if the case owner has changed?

If the case owner has changed, you will need to manually update the case owner for the learner and then the learning plan component ownership will be updated automatically.

Why is text in an Asset Report PDF displaying with overlapping or unreadable content?

This typically occurs when text has been copied from an external source, such as a website, email, or Word document, and pasted directly into the asset. External sources can carry hidden formatting that conflicts with the PDF's font and layout structure, causing text to display incorrectly.

To prevent this, paste any copied text into a plain text editor such as Notepad first. This strips hidden formatting. Copy the text again from Notepad and paste it into the asset text box.

If the evidence has already been submitted, refer it back so the learner can resubmit with the corrected text.

Are the learning plan components (Actual/Expected) time related?

Learning plan progress is calculated as the number of components completed out of the number of components due to be completed by the current time (today’s date).  

In the example below, 55 actual components have been completed out of the 69 expected at this point in time.

Why are the learning plan filters persisting even after logging out of Aptem?

Filters set in the learning plan are retained as long as users remain logged in. However, logging out should remove these filters and these shoudl not be present when the user next logs in.

It can occur for a user that the learning plan filters remain even after logging out and logging back into Aptem. If filters Persist After Log-in/Log-out, this indicates a browser caching issue. To resolve this behaviour, clear your browser cache.

By clearing the browser cache, any lingering filter issues should be resolved.