A course map is simply a high-level view of the topics you need to learn to complete an objective. I define a course as “a study or training effort with a clear objective at the end.” I break down a course into streams and modules. A stream is a group of modules, and each stream is either theory or practice. A module is a group of related exercises or lessons.
Let’s look at an example. Flight training usually consists of a flight practice stream as well as a theory stream, with many modules in each. You can see an example of a course map for achieving one major stage of a flight license below.
In this example, others have already worked out a well-defined course map for gaining a pilot’s license. Not all goals have a well-defined course map, so you may need to create your own.
You can break down a course in a way that suits you, so don’t worry too much about my terminology. The idea is to use it to gain a clear understanding of the entire course. Use what makes sense to you and your objective.
This is usually as far as you go during the planning period. During your lessons or studies, you continue to break down the lessons into individual pieces of knowledge that you learn and memorize.
The depth of your map usually depends on the depth of knowledge you need for your objective or goal. For example, a course map for learning how to drive a car should not have as much depth as a map for an engineering degree.