Pathways

LabXchange allows users to create pathways, which are short, contextualized learning experiences that may include both public resources from the library and privately created content. Think of a pathway as a customized playlist of resources that provides a guided learning journey through any concept or topic. 

There are hundreds of pre-made pathways in the LabXchange public library that anyone can use. With a LabXchange account, you can also make copies of existing pathways and edit them to suit personalized needs. You can also create your own pathways from scratch using the Create content feature. 

Creating a Pathway

To create a pathway, click the My content link to go to your Dashboard. Then, select Add new content from the My content section. Select Pathway from the available options. This will open up the pathway editor.

The fields that are required in order to create the pathway are marked with an asterisk (*). Feel free to add more information if you would like, but we will focus only on the required fields in this guide.

First, enter a title for the pathway in the Pathway name field. The title should explain what the pathway is about, but should not be too long.

To add resources to the pathway, click on +Add content. A new pop-up window will appear. Here, you can search for a piece of content that you would like to feature in the pathway, choosing from the public LabXchange library (Library), your private content (Your Content), or favorited content (Favorites). You can also create a new piece of content by clicking on +Add new content. (Note that this will temporarily take you out of the pathway editor, but you will be prompted to save your pathway before leaving the page.)

Once you have found a resource to add to the pathway, click the + button located in a circle to the right of the resource. You should see the number on the Add items button at the bottom of the pop-up window change from (0) to (1). Click Add items to add the selected piece(s) of content to the pathway, or continue searching for more content to add.

In the video below, you’ll see how we add a sample question from Your content. We then search the library to find the text article titled “Making the Most of Online Learning”. (You do not need to save between each selection. Also, notice how you can search the entire LabXchange public library using both keywords and search filters.) As when adding the question, we click the + in a circle. The Add items button lists (2) items, and clicking it saves them both to our pathway. 

The arrows to the left of the content in your draft pathway can be used to change the order of the resources. You can also preview (eye icon), add notes (speech bubble icon), or remove (trash can icon) any resource in your pathway using the options on the right of each resource while editing your pathway. You also have the option of including additional context like a description or learning objectives, if appropriate. 

You can now save your pathway. When you are ready, scroll to the bottom of the page and tick I agree to the LabXchange Terms of service and Privacy Notice, then click Save Pathway.

The pathway will now be visible on your Dashboard, and can be viewed by other registered users if you give them the web address (URL). You can also share your pathway in any class that you have created. Your pathways will not be shared to the public library.

Pathway FAQs

• How long should my pathway be?

  It's up to you! The length of your pathway will depend on your teaching context and the learning objectives that you have in mind. We recommend including 5–15 resources in a pathway. 

• I would like to have two versions of a pathway. Can I copy a pathway and make the necessary changes?

  Yes! You can clone any of your own private pathways, or any public pathway, in order to customize it for different learning contexts. The cloned pathways will be saved to your private library.

• How do I make a copy of a pathway from the public library? 

  When you find a pathway that you would like to make a copy of, click Copy and edit above the pathway title (next to the Favorites star). You will need to be logged into your account in order to make the copy. You can then edit it to suit your needs by changing the title, description, order, learning objectives, and even the resources you included.

  You can also clone a private pathway, the URL of which was shared with you by another account holder, in the same way. It will include any private assets created and included by that user.

• I set up a pathway and gave it a "private" setting. Will my students be able to access it once they open an account on LabXchange?

  If your students have registered and have LabXchange accounts, they will be able to view private pathways (or other private content) when logged in. As the instructor, you will need to share the content URL with the students. Individual users do not have the option to make content publicly available in the LabXchange library.

  Note that users who have not registered will not be able to view private pathways, or other private material, even if you give them the link.