Skill Level: All
There are several ways you can deliver an online course that has modules and lessons using AccessAlly. In this article we will explore three different popular approaches. If you have questions about this article join a free Tune Up Call, or Contact Support.
ARTICLE CONTENT:
Example 1: Module With Lesson Tabs
Add all of the lesson content to a single module page using tabs in your WordPress theme or page builder.
Why choose this option?
This content delivery style is beginner friendly if you are new to WordPress. Perfect for a beta or first round of a course. It is Kimberly’s top pick for building offerings with modules and lessons!
Pros:
- This is the fastest way to launch a course with lessons.
- There are only a few pages to design, style, and add content to.
- It creates a very user friendly experience with a clean look.
- Easy to update and tweak with each launch round.
Cons:
- This style does not allow for unlocking each lesson as they are delivered with the module.
- It is not the best design style for courses that have lots of text or written page copy.
Offering View
In this example the module is Fabulous Course Week 1 and it contains a single WordPress page called Fabulous Course Week 1.
Permissions View
This view of your offering allows you to see what tags are used to deliver the content.
All module and lesson content is unlocked at one time using a single Module Has Access tag. You can drip modules, but not lessons with this content delivery style.
AccessAlly > Offerings > Name of Offering > Permissions Tab
Page View
The single WordPress page is styled using tabs in your WordPress theme or page builder to hold the content for each lesson. A single objective checklist is shown at the bottom of the page for tracking progress.
Tip: If you are using the AccessAlly Theme with Gutenberg try the free Spectra plugin which gives you the option to add tabs quickly and easily. As shown in the image below.
Example 2: Module With Lesson Pages
This module/lesson style is great for more robust courses with lots of objectives to be completed for each lesson, large amounts of written text, or multiple videos per lesson.
Why choose this option?
This option is great for content rich courses that have lots of videos and written text within each lesson. Lots of space to breathe and create a more visual experience.
Pros:
- Adaptable for a variety of videos, text, and downloads.
- Each page can look different based on the content in your course.
- Creates a polished look and feel.
Cons:
- This style does not allow for unlocking each lesson as they are delivered with the module.
- Revisions take longer due to the number of pages.
- Menu structure is important submenu items are recommended for larger courses.
Offering View
Everything inside the module dropdown (the module and lesson pages) are delivered at the same time. One single access tag unlocks everything!
AccessAlly > Offerings > Name of Offering > Content Tab
Permissions View
All module and lesson content is unlocked at one time using a single Module Has Access tag. You can drip modules and/or require progress based completion of modules, but not lessons with this content delivery style.
AccessAlly > Offerings > Name of Offering > Permissions Tab
Page View
Note the menu area. This style results in a module page with separate lesson pages. Adding the AccessAlly course navigation shortcode to each page makes it a breeze to move between each lesson.
Example 3: Module With Dripped Lessons
But wait! A question that often comes up when creating a course with a modules and lessons is… “What if I want to drip each lesson (or require completion of each lesson) separately?”
And… the answer is you can!
This is a popular option for course creators delivering a yearly experience dripped out over 52 weeks. If a course participant logged in and saw 52 items down a sidebar menu – it could feel very overwhelming.
Breaking large course content into monthly modules with weekly lesson modules gives you a unique tag for each month and each lesson! It’s the ultimate way to create an engaging user experience while offering the most control and flexibility for larger courses and memberships.
Why choose this option?
You need the most robust and flexible way to deliver your course. Advanced progress tracking, completion and release of content in different ways, certificates or quizzes that are unlocked within a course.
There is not much that isn’t possible with this content delivery style.
Pros:
- Great for experiences that are unique and varied.
- Each page can be locked and unlocked based on tags for the ultimate user experience.
- Perfect for Masterminds and VIP course experiences
Cons:
- This content delivery style has a lot of moving parts.
- Revisions take longer to complete.
- Menu structure is important submenu items are recommended for larger courses.
- Takes the longest to implement!
Offerings View
You can drip both modules and lessons. You can also require completion of lessons to unlock the next lesson (for AccessAlly Pro users) as each page of the course uses a unique tag.
In this example each page is built as a single freestanding module to provide unique tags for each dropdown section inside the offering.
AccessAlly > Offerings > Name of Offering > Content Tab
Permissions View
All module and lesson content is unlocked with unique access tags for every page of content using a Module Has Access (shown as 1 below) and Lesson Has Access (shown as 2-5 below) tagging structure.
AccessAlly > Offerings > Name of Offering > Permissions Tab
Page View
Frequently Asked Questions About This Article
The best approach when following examples 2 and 3 in this article is to create your offering and then use the WordPress menu section to drag each lesson to the inside of the module.
WordPress > Appearance > Menus > Select Offering Menu
Here’s an example:
