Self-Paced Courses – Complete Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview & Introduction

Self-Paced Courses are designed for independent learning. Students work through plans without time restrictions, allowing them to progress at their own pace. These courses are ideal for online training programs, self-study modules, or learning paths requiring minimal teacher involvement.

2. Prerequisites & Requirements

- Permissions: Teacher or Administrator role required to create and configure courses. 

3. Getting Started

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3.1 Basic Setup

When creating a new course, select Self-Paced Learning as the focus. This format uses the planner tool as the central element for student learning. 

3.2 Initial Configuration

In this initial layout:

  • Students land directly on the Plans page.
  • Plans have no deadlines or time restrictions.
  • Announcements and some traditional Subject course tools are excluded.

4. Core Features & Functions

4.1 Self-Paced Course Page

  • Students only see the Plans menu item.
  • Teachers see all menu items except the Course Overview.
  • No option to pin a plan. 

4.2 Course Page Components

On the Course page, participants see: 

  • All plans and Topic view.
  • Course Introduction block including:
    • Course image
    • Introductory text (optional)
    • Teacher’s name and image (optional)
    • Visual indicator of student’s overall plan progression 

4.3 Plan Workflow Options

To define the plan workflow, teachers must go to:

  • Drop down menu on the right top site […]

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  • Click on ’Plan settings’

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Teachers can choose between: 

  • One plan at a time – sequential unlocking of plans.

All plans at once – all course content available immediately.

 

The All Plans tab displays the full list of course plans in the order set by the teacher, helping students follow the intended course sequence. 

5. Step-by-Step Workflows

5.1 Create a Self-Paced Course

Objective: Create a new self-paced course.
Steps:

  1. Navigate to Courses → Create Course.
  2. Select Self-Paced Learning as the course focus.

Result: Course is created with Plans as the central navigation. 

5.2 Change Course Focus

Objective: Switch between Subject and Self-Paced Learning.
Steps:

  1. Open the course.
  2. Click on the […] drop down menu on the top right side
  3. Select Settings 
  4. Go to Course Properties and Features.
  5. Select the new focus (Subject or Self-Paced).

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Note: Content and student progress remain intact.

6. Settings & Customization

6.1 Layout Options

- Currently, only the default self-paced layout is available.
- New layouts will be introduced later. 

6.2 Teacher View 

Teacher view: All menus except Course Overview are available.

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7. Technical Information

- All student data and content are preserved when switching course focus.
- Self-Paced Courses use the same infrastructure as Subject Courses. 

8. Troubleshooting

Problem: Cannot find Self-Paced Course option
- Cause: School has not enabled it.
- Solution: Contact your itslearning administrator.

Problem: Course Overview page not available
- Cause: Self-Paced Course layout does not include it.
- Solution: Use the Plans page as the landing page. 

9. Related Features & Cross-References

- Planner tool – central for Self-Paced learning.
- Subject Courses – alternative course focus with more teacher involvement.

10. Additional Resources

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