Understanding Core

Course Structure 

The difference between self-study and interactive courses 

Sometimes new instructors (or students) get confused about the relationship between self-study and interactive courses.

The course content (training videos and text) for self-study courses and is identical to interactive course.  The difference between the two is the amount of interaction students have with instructors in interactive courses.

Self-study students have no interaction with instructors. A self-study course could be compared to buying a book, a DVD or a streaming video. People who buy a book or DVD would not expect to have direct access to the author. Students in a self-study course do not have the options of interaction with the instructor. This is why we call them "self-study"

But when an instructor builds out a self-study course the goal should be to put as much information into their courses that students have very few questions.

While interactive courses contain the same material as a self-study course, the students have a number of ways they can interact with instructors.

Interactive features are:

1 - Courses are made up of modules (modules contain segments). Each module has the option of having its own forum. In interactive courses the instructor moderates the forums.

2- Students can send the instructors private message questions in interactive courses.  These are similar to, but not the same, as emails.

3- Instructors have the option of assigning homework in the form of  short smart phone videos. It is a simple process for student to uploaded videos into the forum. Instructors then offer training advice which is viewed by all the students in the class.

4- Instructors have the option of holding live round-table chats (similar to Zoom). Usually this is once a week.

5- Instructors have the option of creating multiple choice or essay style tests for each module of the course.  

Some instructors make passing these tests mandatory if the student wishes to get a certificate of completion for the course or to qualify to take the next higher level course.  

When instructors have levels of interactive courses students must pass the level one courses before being allowed to enroll in the level two courses 

6- In interactive classes, the instructors have the option of opening modules on predetermined dates.  For example, they can open a new module once a week. The instructor sets the date a module opens. In self-study courses the entire course is opened when the student signs into the course.

Each of these options will be covered in its own segment later in our tutorial.

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New instructors will always surprised at how quickly they can build out their online course.

It only takes about 15 minutes to set up course structure. This tutorial will show you how simple it is and explain the available features.  

18 min 30 sec