Section 3: Course Creation & Management

3.1 Creating a New Course (Front-End Only)

Creating a course on VirtualX is as easy as putting together a lesson plan—but this time, you’re doing it digitally. With our front-end course builder, there’s no need to access the backend or deal with complex settings. Everything happens from your teacher dashboard.

You’ll be able to add lessons, videos, quizzes, assignments, and even certificates—all in one place.

🧑🏽‍🏫 What is a “Course” in VirtualX?

A course is like a digital classroom. It holds your lessons, worksheets, videos, assessments, and more. You can structure it to match the school term, CAPS topics, or weekly lessons—whatever works best for you.

Each course can include:

• Units (lessons)
• Sections (topics)
• Media (videos, slides, H5P, PDFs)
• Quizzes and Assignments
• Certificates and Badges

🛠️ Steps: How to Create a New Course (Front-End)

1. Login to your VirtualX teacher profile.
2. Go to your Dashboard and click on “Create Course” (this may appear as a button or menu item).
3. The Course Creation Wizard will open. Follow these steps:

🔹 Step 1: Course Title & Description

• Course Title: Give your course a clear name (e.g. Grade 6 Mathematics – Term 2).
• Course Description: Write a short intro. Example:
  “This course covers Number Patterns and Basic Algebra for Term 2. Suitable for Grade 6 CAPS curriculum.”

🔹 Step 2: Add Course Image & Category

• Course Image: Upload a thumbnail (e.g. Maths icon, school logo, subject-related picture).
• Category: Choose subject and grade level (e.g. Mathematics → Grade 6).

🔹 Step 3: Curriculum (Your Lessons)

Here, you build your actual lessons and topics using drag-and-drop.

• Click “Add Section” → Name it (e.g. Week 1: Number Patterns)
• Click “Add Unit” under the section:
  • Title your unit (e.g. Introduction to Number Patterns)
  • Add content (text, video, files, H5P, SCORM, etc.)
• Repeat for each section and unit

💡 You can reorder units or sections anytime by dragging them up/down.

🔹 Step 4: Add Quiz or Assignment (Optional)

• Click “Add Quiz” below a section
• Add questions (multiple choice, true/false, match-the-column, etc.)
• Set pass marks, time limits, and retry options

🔹 Step 5: Course Settings

• Maximum Students: Leave blank unless there’s a limit
• Course Duration: Set how many days the course will stay open (e.g. 30 days)
• Drip Content: If enabled, this unlocks units day-by-day or week-by-week
• Certificate/Badge: Tick if learners will earn a certificate at the end

🔹 Step 6: Set Access Rules

Choose how learners will access the course:

• Free: Anyone can join
• Manual Enrolment: You or the admin will add learners
• Paid (if enabled by admin): Not usually used by schools unless selling courses

🔹 Step 7: Preview & Publish

• Click “Preview” to see how the course looks
• If you’re happy, click “Publish”
• Your course will now appear in your “My Courses” list and be visible to students

🖼️ Example in Action:

Mrs. Ndlovu, a Grade 5 English teacher, clicks “Create Course” and builds a 4-week module on Comprehension Skills. She adds videos for each lesson, a quiz every week, and an assignment at the end. Within 30 minutes, her entire course is ready—and her students can access it right away.

🛠️ Tips for Success

• Use clear, short names for your units (e.g. “What Are Fractions?”)
• Upload supporting files (PDFs, PowerPoints, links) inside the units
• Keep videos under 10 minutes for attention span
• Use quizzes or short tasks every 1–2 units to keep learners active

✅ You’ve Just Built a Full Digital Classroom!

From here, you can manage the course, add or remove students, and update content anytime.

3.2 Adding Units, Sections & Quizzes via Curriculum Builder

Once you’ve created your course shell, it’s time to build the real learning experience—your lessons, topics, and assessments. VirtualX uses a Curriculum Builder, which lets you structure your course in an organised, step-by-step way. It’s as simple as dragging and dropping.

📚 What is a Curriculum Builder?

The Curriculum Builder is a front-end tool where you:

• Add Sections (like weeks, topics, or terms)
• Add Units (your actual lessons or sub-topics)
• Add Quizzes (quick assessments or end-of-topic tests)

Everything is built in blocks, so you can easily arrange your content without any coding or technical steps.

🧱 How a Course is Structured

Here’s how it looks in VirtualX:

yaml

CopyEdit

Course

├── Section 1: Term 2 – Number Patterns

│   ├── Unit 1: What are Number Patterns?

│   ├── Unit 2: Identifying Patterns in Sequences

│   └── Quiz 1: Number Patterns Quick Test

├── Section 2: Term 2 – Algebra

│   ├── Unit 3: Intro to Algebra

│   └── Unit 4: Using Letters in Equations

🛠️ Steps: Adding Sections, Units, and Quizzes

✅ Step 1: Open the Course

• From your dashboard, click on “My Courses”
• Click on the course you want to edit
• Click “Edit Course” → then go to the Curriculum step

✅ Step 2: Add a Section

• Click “Add Section”
• Give it a name (e.g. Week 1: Whole Numbers)
• This will help group your units into topics or time blocks

✅ Step 3: Add a Unit (Lesson)

1. Under the section you just created, click “Add Unit”
2. Name the unit (e.g. Understanding Whole Numbers)
3. Click on the unit to edit the content:
   • Add text, video, PDF, voice notes, images
   • You can embed content from YouTube, Vimeo, or upload files directly
   • Add practice questions if needed

💡 Units are your teaching content—the heart of each lesson.

✅ Step 4: Add a Quiz

1. Under the same section, click “Add Quiz”
2. Name your quiz (e.g. Week 1 Quick Quiz)
3. Click to edit the quiz:
   • Add questions (multiple choice, true/false, match, etc.)
   • Set time limits, pass marks, and number of attempts
   • Link the quiz to a certificate or badge if needed

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Mr. Petersen, teaching Grade 8 EMS, adds a section called Term 2 – Budgeting. He creates 3 units:

• What is a Budget?
• Fixed vs Variable Costs
• Preparing a Simple Budget

Then he adds a quiz: Budgeting Basics Quiz with 5 multiple-choice questions. His course is now well-structured and ready to go live.

🔄 Rearranging Your Content

• Simply drag units or sections up or down to change the order.
• Use the pencil icon to edit content and the bin icon to delete any item.

📌 Best Practices for Teachers

Tip	Why It Helps
Name sections clearly (e.g. Term 1 – Life Skills)	Helps learners stay on track
Keep each unit focused	Short lessons = better engagement
Add a quiz after every few units	Reinforces learning
Mix media (text, video, activities)	Supports all types of learners
Use SCORM/H5P for interactive content	Makes lessons fun and interactive

✅ Summary

The Curriculum Builder gives you full control of how your course flows. You’re not just uploading files—you’re building an interactive, structured lesson plan that learners can follow at their own pace.

3.3 Embedding Media: Videos, SCORM, H5P, PPT, VdoCipher

Teaching online isn’t just about text—it’s about using different types of interactive media to keep learners engaged. VirtualX makes it easy to add videos, slides, quizzes, and interactive content directly into your lessons.

This section will show you how to embed:

• 🎥 Videos (YouTube, Vimeo, or your own uploads)
• 🧩 SCORM & xAPI content
• 🎮 H5P interactive elements
• 📊 PowerPoint presentations (PPT)
• 🔐 Secure videos using VdoCipher

🎥 A. Adding Videos to a Unit

Videos are great for explaining concepts visually and can be added directly into your units.

✅ How to Add a Video:

1. While editing a unit, click on the Text Editor / Content Area.
2. Paste your YouTube or Vimeo link.
3. It will automatically embed the video inside the lesson.

🎬 Prefer your own videos? Use VirtualX’s upload feature or tools like VdoCipher (see below).

🧩 B. Embedding SCORM or xAPI Packages

SCORM and xAPI are formats used for interactive learning content created using tools like Articulate, Adobe Captivate, or iSpring.

✅ How to Embed SCORM/xAPI:

1. Export your content as a .zip SCORM or xAPI file.
2. In the unit editor, choose “Add SCORM Package” or “Upload xAPI”.
3. Upload the file.
4. The system will process and embed it within your unit.

🔁 SCORM keeps track of learner progress and can report scores to your dashboard.

🎮 C. Using H5P Interactive Content

H5P allows you to add things like:

• Drag-and-drop quizzes
• Fill-in-the-blanks
• Interactive videos
• Memory games

✅ How to Add H5P:

1. In the unit editor, select “Embed H5P” or paste the H5P iframe code.
2. If your school has H5P plugin access, you can select from saved activities.
3. Click Save to embed.

💡 H5P is ideal for Grade R–9 where interaction and visuals are important.

📊 D. Adding PowerPoint Presentations (PPT)

Teachers who use PowerPoint in class can still use it online.

✅ Option 1: Convert PPT to PDF

1. Save your presentation as a PDF.
2. Upload it directly into your unit.
3. Learners can scroll through and download it.

✅ Option 2: Embed via Microsoft OneDrive

1. Upload your PPT to your OneDrive.
2. Click Share > choose Embed.
3. Paste the embed code into your unit’s editor.

🔐 Make sure the sharing permissions are set to “Anyone with the link.”

🔐 E. Adding Secure Videos with VdoCipher

VdoCipher is used to protect your videos from being downloaded or shared without permission.

✅ How to Use VdoCipher:

1. Upload your video to your VdoCipher dashboard.
2. Copy the iframe embed code provided.
3. In your unit, switch to the “Text” or “HTML” view and paste the iframe.
4. Click Save.

🔒 Great for paid or sensitive content where protection is important.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Ms. Moeketsi, teaching Grade 10 Accounting, uploads a SCORM package for “Cash Flow Statements”, adds an H5P interactive quiz on Revenue vs Profit, and inserts her weekly lesson video via VdoCipher. Learners now have text, visuals, and interactivity—all in one unit.

📌 Quick Tips

Media Type	Best Use
YouTube Video	Intro lessons, walkthroughs, or public content
SCORM	Full interactive courses with tracking
H5P	Games, quizzes, drag-and-drop tasks
PPT	Slide-based summaries or notes
VdoCipher	Secured content, pre-recorded teacher videos

✅ You’ve Now Unlocked Rich Learning Experiences!

With media added, your lessons are more exciting, interactive, and easier for learners to follow.

3.4 Setting Course Access Rules & Pricing (with Admin Assist)

Once you’ve built your course content, the final step is deciding how learners will access it. VirtualX gives you a few ways to control who can join your course, when they can start, and whether the course is free, manual, or set up for payment.

⚠️ As a teacher, you set most of these options from the front-end. If advanced pricing or product linking is required, your school administrator will assist from the backend.

🎯 What Are Access Rules?

Access rules determine:

• Who can join your course
• When they can access it
• How long the course stays active
• Whether a certificate is awarded

🛠️ Where to Set Access Rules

1. From your dashboard, go to My Courses
2. Click Edit Course
3. Scroll to the Settings or Course Details section

Here you’ll see key access settings.

🔑 Access Mode Options

Option	What It Does
Free	Anyone with a link can access the course
Manual Enrolment	You or the admin will manually add learners
Paid (Admin-Linked)	The course is sold via WooCommerce (admin setup required)

💡 For most CAPS-aligned school courses, use Manual Enrolment or Free Access unless your school sells online courses to the public.

🕒 Course Duration

• Set the number of days the learner can access the course (e.g. 30, 60, 90)
• For ongoing access (like full-term subjects), set it to 9999 days for unlimited access

📌 After the duration ends, learners will see the course as expired unless renewed manually.

🎓 Certificates & Badges

Tick the boxes to:

• Award Certificate – when a learner completes all lessons and passes the quiz
• Award Badge – optional recognition for course milestones

You can also choose a certificate template, or ask the admin to set one up for you.

💵 Pricing (With Admin Support)

If your school is selling courses:

• You must ask the admin to link the course to a WooCommerce product
• Pricing, payments, and checkout will be handled from the backend
• You can request discounts, coupons, or bundles if needed

🛒 Teachers do not need to manage payment gateways or pricing setup directly—this is the role of the Super Administrator.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Mr. Matlala creates a Grade 11 Physical Science revision course. He sets the access as “Manual Enrolment,” duration as “60 days,” and enables a certificate. He contacts his admin to link the course to a product priced at R150 for public learners. Learners who pay will get instant access, while his school learners are added manually.

📌 Summary – What You Control vs What Admin Controls

Setting	Teacher	Admin
Access Mode (Free/Manual)	✅	❌
Duration	✅	❌
Certificate / Badge Toggle	✅	❌
Product Pricing & Checkout	❌	✅
Enrolling Students	✅ (Manual)	✅ (Bulk/CSV/API)

✅ Your Course is Now Enrolment-Ready!

Once access rules are in place, learners can be added, join the course, and begin learning right away.

3.5 Publishing & Previewing Your Course

After all the hard work of building your course—adding units, videos, quizzes, and setting access—you’re now ready to publish your course and make it available to learners.

Before publishing, it’s always a good idea to preview the course to check how it looks from a learner’s perspective. This helps you fix any mistakes or layout issues before learners see it.

🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Preview Your Course

1. From your Dashboard, click My Courses.
2. Find your course in the list and click Edit Course.
3. Scroll to the bottom or look for the Preview button.
4. Click “Preview” to open the course in learner view.

👀 Use this to check layout, grammar, broken links, and quiz flow.

✅ What to Check During Preview

Area	What to Look For
Title & Description	Clear, relevant, and CAPS-aligned
Course Image	Appropriate and not pixelated
Curriculum	Logical order, sections named clearly
Units	Videos load properly, text is readable
Quizzes	Questions appear as expected, scoring works
Navigation	Learners can click “Next Unit” easily

📢 Ready to Publish? Here’s How:

1. After previewing, go back to the Course Editor.
2. At the end of the Course Setup, you’ll see a “Publish” or “Submit Course” button.
3. Click it.

Your course is now:

• Visible in your “My Courses” section
• Available to learners (based on access rules set earlier)
• Trackable—you can now view progress, scores, and engagement

📝 If your school admin has “review before publish” turned on, the course will first go for approval.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Ms. Radebe creates a Term 3 English course with video lessons and weekly quizzes. She previews the course, spots a typo in a quiz question, fixes it, and then hits “Publish.” By the next day, her Grade 8s are logged in and learning independently from their tablets.

🔄 Editing After Publishing

Even after publishing, you can:

• Edit lessons or units
• Reorder content
• Add new sections or quizzes
• Update access settings

Just go to My Courses > Edit Course, make changes, and click Update.

🔔 Learners already enrolled will see the updated version automatically.

✅ Congratulations!

You’ve now published your course—complete with lessons, quizzes, media, and learner access. From here, you can start:

• Managing students
• Monitoring progress
• Posting announcements
• Awarding certificates