Creating a Course Schedule

Introduction

The Course Schedule (also known as the Course Run) allows you to configure when your course is available for enrollment, when learners can access content, and when the course is archived.

Depending on your requirements, you can set a Course End Date, a Course Enrollment Start Date, and a Course Enrollment End Date.

Note: The scheduling behavior is influenced by your choice of Course Pacing (Instructor-Paced vs. Self-Paced), which determines how content is released to your learners.

Guidelines for Start and End Dates

Course dates are visible to learners on their Dashboard and to prospective students on the Course Landing Page.

Accuracy: Learners rely on these dates to plan their study time.
Certificates: The achievement of a course certificate is depentent on the following events:
- Immediately upon passing the course's graded assessments
- End date of course
- A specific date after the course end date

Getting Started

Tip: Ensure you are logged into Open edX Studio with Staff or Admin permissions before proceeding.

To begin configuring your Course Schedule:

Open your course in Studio.
In the top navigation bar, click the Settings menu.
Select Schedule & Details from the dropdown.

Selecting Your Course Pacing

Course Pacing refers to whether course content is released at specific dates and times or all at once.

Instructor-Paced Courses

In an Instructor-Paced Course, the course follows a fixed timeline managed by the instructor.

Controlled Release: You can set specific release dates for individual Sections and Subsections within the Course Outline.
Deadlines: Learners must complete assignments by set due dates to receive credit.
Visual Indicator: An "Instructor-Paced" badge appears on the Course Outline in Studio.

Self-Paced Courses

In a Self-Paced Course, the experience is flexible for the learner.

Immediate Access: Learners can access all published material as soon as the Course Start Date arrives.
No Hard Due Dates: While there are no fixed assignment deadlines, learners must complete all work before the Course End Date.
Personalized Schedules: Learners may be given the option to set their own targets to stay on track.

Note: You can not change the pacing of a course if its start date has passed.

Configuring Dates

Course Start Date and Time

This is the date and time when learners can begin accessing course content.

Input: Enter the date in MM/DD/YYYY format or use the calendar picker.
Time: Specify the time in UTC. If left blank, it defaults to 00:00 UTC.
Staff Access: Course Team members with Staff or Admin roles can view published content even before the start date.

Course End Date and Time

The Course End Date marks when a course is archived.

Learner Access: After this date, learners can still view content in a "read-only" state but cannot earn further credit.
Certificates: Learners who have already passed can still view their certificates after this date.

Enrollment Start and End Dates

Enrollment Start Date: (Optional) The date learners can begin signing up. This can be set well before the Course Start Date to build a student base.
Enrollment End Date: (Optional) The date after which new learners can no longer join the course.

Best Practices

Time Zones: Always remember that dates and times in Studio are set in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Validation: If you set an Enrollment End Date that is earlier than the Enrollment Start Date, Studio will display an error message and prevent saving.
Advertising: You can use the "Course Pacing" settings to clearly communicate to learners whether they should expect a structured schedule or a flexible experience.