Course Pacing
When you create a course, you can set the schedule of the course, including due dates for assignments or you can allow learners to work at their own pace.
- Courses that follow a schedule that you set are known as instructor-paced courses.
- Courses that allow learners to submit assignments at any time before the course ends, without internal due dates, are known as self-paced courses.
An indicator for the pacing for your course appears on the Course Outline page. By default, courses are Instructor-paced.
Note: You cannot change the course pacing after the course start date has passed. So if you need to make a modification. First change the “Course Start Date” under Schedule and Details page.
Instructor-Paced and Self-Paced Courses
Instructor-paced courses progress at the pace that the course author sets. You set release dates for content and due dates for assignments, and assignment due dates are visible. Learners cannot access course content before its release date and learners must complete assignments by their due dates.
In self-paced courses, learners can access all course materials when the course begins, and assignments do not have due dates. You do not have the option to set release dates for course content or due dates for assignments. Learners can complete course material at any time before the course end date.
Note: If you set due dates for assignments or exams in an instructor-led course and later change the course to be self-paced, Studio stores the due dates that you previously set. If you change the course back to instructor- paced later, Studio restores the due dates.
| Self-paced | Instructor-paced | |
| Content availability | Everything available as soon as the course starts | Content may be published periodically |
| Due dates on assessments | Flexible | Fixed |
| Certificate availability | As soon as you pass | After the course ends |
Set Pacing for Your Course
To set the pacing for your course, follow these steps:
- On the Settings menu, select Schedule & Details.
- Scroll down to the Course Pacing section.
- Under Course Pacing, select either Instructor-Paced or Self-Paced.
Note: You cannot change the course pacing after the course start date has passed. You must change the date in the future to change again the pacing.