Learning Paths
Release lessons on a schedule — all at once, sequentially, on chosen days, or at class start — so students progress at the right pace.
Configured Through Class Setup: Pacing and release strategies are configured directly through the Four Class Setup Answers in each class's Lessons & plan tab (?tab=learning), or as reusable blueprints under Materials → Programs (/platform/materials?tab=programs). The sections below describe how opening rules operate across live meetings, self-paced marathons, and structured learning sequences.
A Learning Path turns curriculum materials into an intentional release schedule. Instead of making every lesson accessible immediately, you control when each item unlocks for students. Students see upcoming lessons in their learning trail with an unlock hint, and receive a notification the moment a lesson becomes available.
Release Strategies
Pacing strategies are selected during class creation or when editing the class plan:
| Strategy | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| At class start | Unlocks when the teacher clicks Start class inside the live room (or manually opens it). | Cohort live classes, weekly group sessions |
| All lessons at once | Every lesson unlocks on the class start date or upon enrollment. | Self-paced catalogues, open reference libraries |
| One at a time, after previous is done | Each lesson unlocks once the student finishes the preceding lesson. | Sequential mastery tracks |
| Every few days | Lessons unlock automatically spaced apart by a specified day interval. | Intensive study challenges, marathon bootcamps |
| Every week on chosen days | Lessons unlock on specific recurring weekdays (e.g. Tuesdays & Thursdays). | Term-based asynchronous cohorts |
| You open each lesson yourself (Manual) | Lessons remain locked until the teacher clicks Open for students now. | High-touch private tutoring, custom pacing |
Live Meeting Classes: Opening on Teacher Start
For classes that meet live:
- Lessons and their attached child tasks (homework and exercises) unlock when the teacher clicks Start class inside the live room.
- Students receive a notification 24 hours prior to class alerting them to the upcoming session, and a 5-minute reminder before start time.
- If a scheduled meeting does not take place, the lesson stays closed until the teacher clicks Open for students or moves the session to another date.
- Teachers can also use the row action Open for students now to release content ahead of time.
Self-Paced & Marathon Classes: Anchored to the Start Date
For cohorts studying on their own schedule without live meetings:
- The release schedule is anchored to the Class start date.
- For Every few days or Every week on chosen days, the calendar rhythm calculates release moments in the class time zone automatically.
- For One at a time, after previous is done, passing a prerequisite lesson immediately unlocks the subsequent item.
The Side-by-Side Lesson Panel
On the class Lessons & plan page, clicking any lesson row opens the Lesson Panel on the right side of the screen:
- Cohort Timeline: Displays an active roster timeline showing which students have received the lesson, who has started, attended live, or submitted work.
- Direct Link to Work: Teachers can click directly into any student's work to review answers or provide feedback.
- Individual Overrides: If a specific student needs an early unlock or an extension, adjustments can be made directly in the panel.
Editing Opening Rules: "Lesson dates will change" Preview
When you edit a class's opening mode or schedule rhythm in the About the class card:
- The platform calculates how the changes affect future lessons.
- A "Lesson dates will change" preview modal opens before any change is saved, comparing existing unlock dates with new proposed dates.
- Lessons that have already been held, opened, or completed are pinned in place and never moved by automated schedule recalculations.
Sub-Lessons (Child Homework & Exercises)
When you nest homework or exercises under a class lesson (see Manage Course Lessons), those sub-lessons follow their parent:
- Inherited Unlock Moment: Sub-lessons unlock in lockstep with their parent lesson. When a parent live lesson opens at class start, its attached homework and exercises unlock alongside it.
- Waiting States in Course Following: If a course author adds a new sub-lesson whose parent is not yet in the class plan, the sub-lesson remains in a waiting state until its parent lesson is added.
- Sequential Mastery: Under sequential opening modes (One at a time, after previous is done), passing the parent lesson is what unlocks the next unit. Completing a sub-lesson (such as submitting homework) does not advance the main unit chain on its own.
- Manual Release Cascading: When you manually release a parent lesson using Open for students now, all attached child tasks release along with it.
Adding a sub-lesson to a shared course lesson makes it part of that lesson's package. Ensure homework tasks are ready before releasing the parent lesson to students.
Notifications & Course Follow Digests
Students stay informed when lessons open:
- Instant Unlocks: When an individual lesson unlocks, students receive a notification linking straight to the content.
- Course Follow Digests: If a class following a course unlocks multiple self-paced lessons or exercises at the same time, the system groups them into a single consolidated digest email and notification to prevent message clutter.
Vocabulary Arrives with the Unlock
Words attached to a lesson are delivered to students the moment the lesson becomes available to them. Attaching vocabulary to a locked lesson ensures the class receives the terms exactly when they reach that lesson, rather than weeks in advance. See Assign vocabulary with the Words tab.
Related pages
- Classes for the unified four-question setup dialog
- Class Programs & Learning Plans for structuring curriculum and course following
- Class Materials & Coverage Checklist for row actions and coverage tracking
- Homework Management for tracking student submissions
Q&A
Can I adjust the opening mode of a class after it starts?
Yes. Open the About the class card and click Change. If the update shifts future dates, you will see the "Lesson dates will change" preview before confirming. Past or currently opened lessons remain untouched.
What counts as "completed" for sequential unlocking?
A lesson is considered passed when the student finishes the required exercises or clicks Save & Finish (or Send to teacher for homework).
Can I open a locked lesson early for just one student?
Yes. Click the lesson row to open the side-by-side Lesson Panel, select the student, and release the material specifically for them.