Skills and learning outcomes

Help

How to read Profile cells (UI / CI / CC / UC, P, T, D, ring); practice points; session learning outcomes; endorsement

Skills and learning outcomes

In-app help: open Help → Skills and learning outcomes.

What this is

After a session is completed, participants and leaders can log learning outcomes against a kayak training skills catalogue (Orientation & Safety, Strong foundations, Launching & landing, Craft dynamics, Safety & Rescues).

This sits on the personal log book path — the same privacy idea as journey / CPD records: your practice and reflection, not Past sessions’ names and contacts. It is optional; safe return and completing the session do not require it.

Paddle UK describes three optional paths — getting started (Start / Discover / Explore), personal performance awards, and leadership / coaching. The Profile page is the kayak “can do…” log, not those awards — the heading uses the paddler’s name (for example Alex’s profile). Places and conditions, can-do counts, and declared awards sit at the top of that page. Logging skills never hides harder water.

Three things, not one

The app uses three related objects. They are not the same:

In the app What it is Example
Learning outcome A “can do…” statement from the catalogue — the thing you plan, practise, log, and endorse Can paddle a reasonably straight course with occasional gentle turns.
Skills Card Drills, cues, and teaching points for how to work on an outcome. Paddlers see these as Practice points; coaches as Coaching notes Forward paddling card
Profile cell Your latest stamp on that outcome: a letter, a date, and optional marks CI · 18 May · ring · D

You rate learning outcomes, not Skills Cards. A session plans outcomes; cards help you practise or teach them; after the trip you log the outcomes you practised.

flowchart LR
    O[Learning outcome]
    C[Skills Card]
    P[Profile cell]
    O -->|"how to practise or teach"| C
    O -->|"where you are"| P

New to the terms? See Paddlesport terms & glossary.

How to read a Profile cell

Each cell is one learning outcome. Marks on it come from three different jobs. The on-screen key uses example cells (a ringed CC, CI with T, CI with D) — those are not extra grades.

Optional self-rating (the letter)

When you log an outcome you can pick a letter on the four-stage competence ladder. It is optional self-reflection, not a Paddle Award and not a remit. Every letter uses the same fill — UC is not a pass and not a “better colour”.

Letter Name Plain English
UI Unconscious incompetence You have not noticed this yet, or you think you can do it and cannot.
CI Conscious incompetence You know you cannot do it yet — useful; you know what to practise.
CC Conscious competence You can do it if you think about it.
UC Unconscious competence It happens without thinking.
P Practised You logged practice but did not pick a letter.
(empty) Never logged No paddler stamp yet.

Skip the letter and you get P.

Confirmation by a leader (the ring)

A ring around the letter means a session leader endorsed that you logged this outcome on a trip they led. The letter inside is still your self-rating. The key’s ringed CC is an example of an endorsed cell — not a code called “CC Endorsed”. They cannot add a ring if you have not logged that outcome this trip.

Activity marks (T and D) — not grades

Mark Meaning
T beside the date You helped teach or assist this outcome. Not a higher grade than UC, and not a remit.
D filling the cell You delivered this as session leader: a completed trip you led that had this outcome on the group plan (revised on Wrap-up as Covered today). My practice does not count as D. Not a grade and not a remit.
Letter plus a small D You have a self-rating and you delivered it as leader. The key’s CI D is that example, not a new code.

If you have never logged the outcome as a paddler, D still fills the cell (accent outline) so delivery is visible. D-only cells appear under All and Never practised, not under Practised, not endorsed.

Worked example: CI · 18 May 2024 · Harbour Club, with a ring and a small D — last self-rated conscious incompetence on that date at that host; a session leader endorsed that trip; you also delivered this outcome as session leader.

How to log

  1. Open your safe-return link after you mark as safe → Log the skills you practised, or Paddler → Profile when signed in. Guests should sign up (or sign in) so progress is kept on the account — guest logs are attached when the trip link, or matching name and phone, can be claimed. Session conditions (venue, water grade, weather, optional pathway tag) sit beside the ticks; you can add a short conditions note per outcome.
  2. Choose a completed session you joined (or led), or open a skill on Profile and use Log this on a completed session.
  3. Tick learning outcomes you practised. The letter is optional — a self-rating on the four-stage ladder above. Leave it blank and the cell shows P. Add a short reflection if you want.
  4. Aspirant coaches/leaders can mark Teaching / assisting on outcomes they helped deliver. Session leaders who put an outcome on the group plan and complete the trip get D on their own Profile automatically — no extra tick.

When you log a trip, planned outcomes are pre-ticked as practised but do not copy last week’s letter. The form shows Last: CI · 18/05/2024 · Harbour Club; Same as last is optional.

Free-standing courses: when you Add training / CPD, you can attach the same outcomes to that training entry.

Profile

Profile (page title Name’s profile) is the catalogue of learning outcomes as cells — letter · date · ring. See How to read a Profile cell. Open an outcome for the “can do…” statement, the trail (session or training, host club, who endorsed), linked practice points, and a shortcut to log it on a completed session.

Filters hide never-practised or unendorsed outcomes, or filter by craft and environment.

Profile record is the printable log: every catalogue outcome (all sections; never logged shown empty) and the trail of stamps for practised outcomes. Collapsed accordions on Profile do not affect it. The cover sheet can show your Paddle UK membership number from Personal details → Account & display. Notes appear on your own record; a share or organisation view follows the same notes rules as the live glance.

The Places, can-do, and awards strip at the top is a snapshot of data you already have (log-book trips, logged outcomes, awards marked on Personal details). It does not score “12 of 38 = Discover”. Log is still a separate page: the full chronological book (every trip, Add training / CPD, the Coach pack, and the CPD evidence pack). Profile does not replace that book.

On Profile, Share this profile creates a live link (and QR) of the cells on this page — letter, date, host, and endorsement rings — that you send to another club’s coach or anyone else. They open it without an account. Nothing is copied into their database. It is not a Paddle Award and not a remit. They cannot add a ring.

Profile record on that page (and on your own Profile) opens a printable document of every catalogue outcome and the logged trail — not a screenshot of the accordion glance. Collapsed sections do not hide anything. Print / Save as PDF from that record. It is last-known at that moment, not a file export into another club’s records, and not a certificate. The share link stays live until it expires or you revoke it. Open in new window shows the same guest glance, so you can check it before you send the link.

Default expiry is 7 days. You can pick 24 hours, 30 days, or until you revoke. Revoke stops the link immediately. Creating a new link revokes the previous one. Reflections stay off unless you tick Include notes.

Joining another organisation, or paddling there once, does not share the skills profile. Today’s session leader already sees last-known on that trip’s planned outcomes. When you have ticked Clubs that can see this, they also see section chips for your whole profile on that session.

Organisation members (duty, admin, and session leaders)

On Profile or Personal details, tick Clubs that can see this for an organisation you are an approved member of. That club’s duty and admin can then open your skills profile from Organisation → Members (section chips, then the same letter · date · ring cells). Notes stay off. Untick or leave membership to stop.

On a session you have booked at that club, the session leader (and host duty) see the same chips on the leader page and roster, and can open the read-only profile from there. They do not get the whole-club list unless they also have duty. Members who have not ticked show not shared on that session. A one-off guest is not an approved member, so they never show a profile. Section chips are practised / endorsed counts (OS, SF, LL, CD, SR) — not a rolled-up UI→UC score.

Practice points and Skills Cards

Skills Cards are coaching resources — teaching points, drills, cues, and optional photos — each linked to one or more learning outcomes. They do not replace outcomes; they help you practise or teach them.

Environments (teaching hints)

Outcomes and Skills Cards carry optional environment tags (very sheltered, sheltered, moderate sea, and so on). These say where that skill is typically practised. They are not a leadership remit and do not block a session.

For session leaders

Planned learning outcomes

When creating or editing a session, leaders can tick:

On Wrap-up (after Start), Covered today is the same group list: add what you actually delivered (including a skill someone asked for), untick what you never got to, then Save covered today. Until Start, change ticks under Session details. My practice is unchanged. Do this before Complete — after archive the group list is frozen. One paddler asking for a skill can still log it on their picture without putting it on the group list.

When the session is completed, planned learning outcomes are snapshotted into the log book. Learning-outcomes forms pre-select those skills (group for paddlers; group + leader practice for the session leader) and mark them This trip covered this. That is a coaching plan, not a qualification — adjust on the log form before saving. D on the session leader’s picture follows the Covered today / group plan at Complete.

In the session planner, ticking a learning outcome highlights the linked cards under the Coaching cards section, which opens automatically. Cards are tagged by craft (Kayak / SUP / Canoe); the planner defaults to this session’s trip craft, with a Show cards for other craft option. From the leader page, open Coaching plan (print) for a one-page plan of the planned outcomes and their linked cards. The public Session overview lists the planned group outcomes with their related cards in a collapsible section (leader “My practice” outcomes stay private).

Coach endorsement

On a completed session you led, Endorse skills — 3 logged, 1 waiting opens a group picture: people × this trip’s planned group outcomes, using the same letter · date · ring cells as Profile. Last known stays visible even if they have not logged today. Tick a cell only when they have logged that skill this trip. You cannot invent a ring for someone who has not logged. Extra skills outside the plan are on that person’s name. Endorsement is a session task, not under the Paddler menu.

On the leader page, booked paddlers who have shared with the host club show skills profile chips (OS, SF, LL, CD, SR) and a link to the read-only Profile. Planned group outcomes for account holders still use the same cells (letter · date · ring) as a trip-specific screening glance — not a remit.

Organisation duty and admin for the host club can open the same grid read-only (Past sessions → organisation archive, or the archived session page). They see last-known letters, dates, rings, and T (teaching / assisting). They cannot add a ring and do not see reflections.

My practice (outcomes you planned for yourself while leading) is an outline on your Profile — still not a remit. On the group picture, that outline appears on the session leader’s row for this trip’s My practice list. T on a cell means teaching / assisting was logged; it is not a higher grade than UC.

Club contributions (organisation-scoped)

Verified leaders can Propose club learning outcomes. Propose and Edit for Skills Cards needs the Edit skills permission (granted under Organisation → Members or Site: leaders), or being an organisation admin / Site administrator. Authors can still edit cards they proposed. These extend the national catalogue for your organisation only — they never rewrite the BCAB core. Core Skills Cards are editable by Site administrator only. Paddlers do not see Propose, Pending, Shared, or edit. After a permission change, sign out and in again.

Without Edit skills, you can still Suggest edit on an organisation Skills Card you can see, or Suggest for organisation from a core card (creates a local copy — never edits national core). Suggestions appear under Organisation → Coaching notes → Pending (or Leader → Coaching notes → Pending when that coach has no Org hat) for that organisation’s admin to Accept or Reject. Accepting an edit applies it (body/title changes on an approved card may return it to Proposed). Accepting a core suggestion creates a new approved organisation card for that org only.

Shared library: after an organisation card is approved, people who can edit it may Offer to share. Other organisations browse Organisation → Coaching notes → Shared (or Leader → Coaching notes → Shared) and Adopt for organisation (a copy for them; attribution retained). Shared cards do not appear in another org’s planner until adopted. Withdraw sharing any time from Cards.

  1. You submit a proposal (status Proposed), or edit an existing Skills Card.
  2. An organisation admin approves it under Organisation → Pending skills (the same queue as Coaching notes → Pending). The Pending list shows the full teaching points and outcome text — the same detail as Edit — so you do not have to open Edit to review. Unused or pending club items can be deleted. If the outcome is already on a picture, session plan, or programme (or a card has been adopted by another organisation), Retire it instead so history stays — it can no longer be planned.
  3. Other verified leaders in the organisation can add a peer verification (a trust signal shown on the review page). Organisation admins cannot approve their own proposals — ask another admin or site administrator. Authors can delete their own pending proposals.
  4. Once Approved, the item appears in the planner, browse page, and matrix for members of that organisation.
  5. Editing an approved card’s title, teaching points, or photos returns it to Proposed; changing only craft or linked outcomes keeps it approved. Site administrator can add photos to core (national) Skills Cards; those changes apply immediately for everyone. Organisation cards: the people who can Edit the card can add up to three stills (PNG, JPEG, or WebP) with a required caption. Prefer diagrams or boat-only shots. Video is not uploaded into the app.

Club programmes (SOP nights and club CPD)

Staff create Programmes under Coaching notes: a title, the organisation, local procedures, and ticks of catalogue outcomes (core plus that club’s approved extras, including Club learning outcomes). Anyone logging Add training / CPD can pick a programme for an organisation they are an approved member of. That prefills title, provider, and procedures, and pre-ticks those skills as practised — it does not copy last week’s letter.

The log entry snapshots the programme title and the local procedures text. The CPD evidence pack prints them with a note that this is not a Paddle Award and not a remit. Editing the programme later does not rewrite entries already saved. Extra can-do cells stay on the same Profile (section 90); a programme is not a second matrix.

Catalogue

v1 uses the club’s Competency_Matrix kayak pathway (seeded in the app). On Profile and Coverage, chips for Paddle Start, Discover, Explore, and personal performance (kayak, sea kayak, white water, surf) highlight the club outcomes that support those awards. The official headings for Start, Discover, and Explore are listed under How Paddle Start, Discover, and Explore use this matrix. A coaching session tagged with one of those three highlights the same outcomes in the planner and does not tick them. Logging an outcome does not mark the award as held. When you propose a learning outcome, you can tick an existing heading or personal performance course. A Skills Card inherits those courses from the outcomes it links. Instruction, leadership, and coaching awards stay on Personal details and the map.