Purpose Statement
The Course Builder in First Due allows agencies to create, preview, publish, and maintain custom online training courses.
This article explains how to preview a course before publication, publish a completed course to the Course Library, and create new versions of courses that are already in use. These tools allow course creators to verify the learner experience before release while maintaining historical versions when course content needs to be updated.
Background Information
Online courses are created and managed from Training > Course Library.
During course development, courses may progress through different statuses that determine which actions are available:
- Draft: The course is still being developed and can be previewed or published.
- Published: The course has been published to the Course Library but can still be edited until it has been assigned or an end user has enrolled.
- Published In Use: The course has been assigned or enrolled in and the current version can no longer be edited. A new version must be created to make changes.
Previewing a course allows the creator to experience the course in the same sequence as an end user before making it available for training.
Once published, the course can be assigned through the Scheduled Training workflow. If self-enrollment is enabled for the course, eligible end users can also enroll themselves.
Required Permissions
Users must have access to the Training Module, Course Library, and the functionality required to create or manage online course content.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to the Course Library
Go to Training > Course Library.
Locate the online course you want to manage.
To preview a course that is still being developed, locate a course with a Draft status and open it.
Preview the Course - Select the Edit (Pencil icon at from the actions column)
From the course creation page, select Preview at the top of the page.
The course opens in Preview Mode.
Use either of the following options to navigate through the course:
- Select individual course content from the navigation panel on the left.
- Select Next at the bottom of the page to move through the course sequentially.
Using Next allows the course creator to experience the content in the same order an end user will experience it.
Exit Preview Mode
When you are finished reviewing the course, select Exit Preview at the top of the page.
You are returned to the course creation page, where additional changes can be made before publication.
Publish the Course
When the course is ready to be made available in the Course Library, select Publish at the top of the course creation page.
Publishing the course makes it available for assignment through the Scheduled Training workflow.
If self-enrollment has been enabled for the course, end users can also enroll themselves in the published course.
Edit a Published Course That Is Not Yet in Use
If a course has a Published status but has not yet been assigned or enrolled in, users can continue editing the course details.
Open the published course and make the required changes.
Publish or save the updated course as appropriate after completing the changes.
Once the course has been assigned or an end user has enrolled, its status changes to Published In Use, and the current version can no longer be edited.
Open a Published In Use Course
Locate and open a course with a Published In Use status.
Selecting the edit function opens the course creation area in read-only mode.
The existing published version cannot be modified because it is already associated with training activity.
Create a New Version
To modify a course that is already in use, select Create New Version at the top of the page.
A new editable version of the course is created.
The Course Name remains locked, but the other available course sections can be edited.
Update the New Course Version
Review and modify the applicable sections of the course as needed.
Confirm that the updated content, settings, and course flow are correct before publishing the new version.
Use Preview when needed to verify how the revised course will appear to end users.
Publish the New Version
When the updated course is ready, select Publish.
The new version becomes the current published version in the Course Library.
The applicable version identifier is displayed in the corresponding version column.
Review Version History
From the Course Library, select the Version History icon for the course.
A modal opens displaying the archived versions of the course along with the current published version.
Use the version history to identify previous versions and confirm which version is currently published.
Best Practices
- Preview the entire course before publishing it to verify content order, navigation, and the end-user experience.
- Use the Next button during preview to replicate the sequential experience learners will have.
- Review course content carefully before assigning the course or allowing enrollment. Once a course is in Published In Use status, the current version cannot be edited.
- Create a new version instead of attempting to modify a course that is already in use.
- Verify all changes in Preview Mode before publishing a new version.
- Review the course's version history when determining which content is currently available to users.
- Avoid publishing incomplete course content simply to test the learner experience. Use Preview while the course remains in Draft status.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why can't I edit a published course?
If the course is in Published In Use status, it has already been assigned or an end user has enrolled in it. The existing version is locked from further editing. Select Create New Version to make changes.
Why does the course open in read-only mode?
Courses in Published In Use status are protected from changes to preserve the version associated with existing training activity. Create a new version to modify the course.
Can I edit a course after publishing it?
Yes, if the course has a Published status and has not yet been assigned or enrolled in. Once it becomes Published In Use, the current version can no longer be edited.
What happens when I select Publish?
The course becomes available in the Course Library for use in the Training Module. It can be assigned through the Scheduled Training workflow and, if self-enrollment is enabled, users may enroll themselves.
What is the best way to see what learners will experience?
Select Preview, then use Next at the bottom of the page to progress through the course sequentially. This most closely represents the order in which learners will experience the content.
Can I change the Course Name when creating a new version?
No. When creating a new version of an existing course, the Course Name remains locked. Other available sections of the course can be edited.
Where can I see previous versions of a course?
Select the Version History icon for the course. The version history modal displays archived course versions along with the current published version.