Start learning path

start-learning-path

What This Skill Does

Enrols the learner in a learning path. Discovers available paths, lets the learner choose one (if more than one is available), presents that path's project options, records the choice, creates the two progress files that track path-level state, updates the active learning path in AGENTS-CUSTOM.md, and displays the roadmap. Does not start the first course — that is the learner's explicit next action via start-course.

This skill works for any learning path that conforms to the LEARNING-PATH.md schema. Path-specific content (project options, course sequence, integration tasks) is read from the path's definition; nothing in this skill is hardcoded to a specific path.

→ Schema reference: references/LEARNING-PATH-SCHEMA.md

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Before You Start

Read these files — they must be in your context before continuing:

1. references/LEARNING-PATH-SCHEMA.md — the schema you'll be reading
2. references/LEARNER-CONTEXT-TEMPLATE.md — skeleton for the learner context file you'll generate
3. references/INTEGRATION-JOURNAL-TEMPLATE.md — skeleton for the integration journal you'll generate

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Instructions

Step 1 — Identify the learning path

Scan core/learning-paths/ and custom/learning-paths/ for directories containing a LEARNING-PATH.md file. Each is an available path.

• One path found — use it automatically. Confirm with the learner: "I found [title]. Starting enrolment?"
• Multiple paths found — list them by title and slug. Ask the learner which one they want to enrol in.
• No paths found — tell the learner there are no learning paths available and end the skill.

Record the resolved <path-slug> for use in later steps.

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Step 2 — Check for existing enrolment

Read progress/<path-slug>/learner-context.md.

If it exists: The learner is already enrolled. Read the file and display:

• Chosen project
• Current position (course they are on)
• Integration task checklist (which tasks are done)
• What to do next (the next incomplete course or the capstone)

Do not re-enrol. End the skill here.

If it does not exist: Proceed with enrolment.

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Step 3 — Read the path definition

Read core/learning-paths/<path-slug>/LEARNING-PATH.md (or the custom/ equivalent). Extract:

• Path title, target audience, estimated weeks
• courses list (slug, order, integration-task-summary)
• project-options list (slug, title)
• capstone-title
• The ## Project Options markdown section (full briefs)
• The ## Integration Tasks markdown section (per-course task variants)

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Step 4 — Orient the learner

Before presenting project options, explain in plain language how a learning path works. The learner may have come to this skill cold — they need context for the choice they're about to make.

Part A — Shape (4–6 sentences):

• A learning path is a sequence of courses bundled around one project. State the path's title, the number of courses, and the estimated duration (read from estimated-weeks).
• You pick one project at enrolment, and it threads through every course. Each course teaches a skill; the integration task at the end of the course applies that skill to your project. By the time you finish all the courses, every component of the project has been built.
• The capstone at the end is assembly, not a new course. Read capstone-title and describe what the learner will have at the end.
• The project doesn't change mid-path — pick one you'll be happy working with for the duration.

Part B — What you'll build, course by course:

Show a concrete table built from the path's courses YAML so the learner can see what they will actually have produced by the end. Use courses[].title for the course name and courses[].integration-task-summary for the second column — both are read directly from the path YAML; do not open each course's COURSE.md. Append the capstone row using capstone-title.

| # | Course           | What gets built                       |
|---|------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 1 | [Course Title]   | [integration-task-summary]            |
| ...                                                          |
| — | Capstone         | [capstone-title]                      |

This grounds the abstract "you'll build a project" in concrete deliverables the learner can evaluate against their goals.

No filenames, no framework terms. Then say something like: "With that in mind, here are your project options."

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Step 5 — Present project options

Present the project options in plain language. No filenames, no framework terms, no internal jargon. Use the full project briefs from the ## Project Options section — the core workflow example, the key design decisions, and why each is a good vehicle. Give the learner enough information to make a genuine choice.

Format as numbered options (one per project-options entry). Ask the learner to choose.

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Step 6 — Record the choice

Wait for the learner's choice (number, slug, or title).

Resolve to the project slug from the project-options YAML list.

Read the learner's name from profile/PROFILE.md (use "Learner" if not found).

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Step 7 — Create progress files

Read today's date for the enrolment timestamp.

Create progress/<path-slug>/learner-context.md from references/LEARNER-CONTEXT-TEMPLATE.md. The template is a skeleton with placeholders and one example checklist row. Generate the concrete file by:

• Replacing top placeholders: [Path Title], [Learner Name], [YYYY-MM-DD], [project-slug], [Project Title], [first-course-slug], [total-course-count]
• Generating one checklist row per entry in the path's courses YAML list, in order. Each row uses courses[].order, courses[].slug, and courses[].integration-task-summary for the columns
• Appending a final capstone row using capstone-title from YAML

Create progress/<path-slug>/integration-journal.md from references/INTEGRATION-JOURNAL-TEMPLATE.md. Generate by:

• Replacing top placeholders: [Path Title], [Learner Name], [project-slug], [Project Title], [YYYY-MM-DD]
• Generating one ## After <course-slug> section per entry in courses, each with body *Not yet completed.*
• Appending a final ## Capstone section with body *Not yet started.*

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Step 8 — Update AGENTS-CUSTOM.md

Update the ## Active Learning Path section in AGENTS-CUSTOM.md.

Replace the placeholder content with:

**Path:** <path-slug>
**Project:** <project-slug> — <Project Title>
**Context:** progress/<path-slug>/learner-context.md

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Step 9 — Commit

git add progress/<path-slug>/ AGENTS-CUSTOM.md
git commit -m "progress: enrol in <path-slug> (<project-slug>)"

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Step 10 — Display the roadmap

Build the roadmap from the path's courses YAML — one line per course showing order, courses[].title, and integration-task-summary. Append the capstone using capstone-title. Do not read each course's COURSE.md for this — title in the path YAML is authoritative.

Example shape (the actual course count and content depends on the path):

[Path Title] — your roadmap
Project: [Project Title]

Course sequence:
  1. [Course Title]    → Integration task: [integration-task-summary]
  2. [Course Title]    → Integration task: [integration-task-summary]
  ...

  Capstone: [capstone-title]

Then tell the learner in plain language:

You're enrolled. Each course ends with an integration task that applies what you learned to your project — complete the task before moving to the next course.

To start your first course, use /start-course.

Do not start the first course automatically. Enrolment and course start are separate, explicit learner actions.