Understanding Course States

Courses progress through different states during their lifecycle. Understanding these states helps you manage course availability and student access effectively.

Available Course States

DRAFT

Purpose: Initial creation and editing phase

When a course is in DRAFT state:

• Only the instructor can view and edit the course
• Students cannot see or access the course
• All materials and quizzes can be modified
• No student data or progress is tracked

Tip: Keep your course in DRAFT while you're building content. This gives you freedom to experiment without affecting students.

READY

Purpose: Course is prepared but not yet active

When a course is in READY state:

• The course is complete and reviewed
• Students still cannot access the course
• You can make final adjustments
• The course can be switched to LIVE at any time

Use READY state when you've finished creating content and are waiting for the right time to start teaching.

LIVE

Purpose: Active teaching and student participation

When a course is in LIVE state:

• Students can join and access all visible materials
• Real-time updates are enabled
• Student progress is tracked
• Quizzes can be completed and scored
• The live feed is active for real-time interaction

Important: Only switch to LIVE when you're ready for students to begin. All visible content becomes immediately accessible.

PAUSED

Purpose: Temporary suspension of course activity

When a course is in PAUSED state:

• Students retain access to materials they've already viewed
• Real-time features are suspended
• No new students can join
• Existing progress is preserved
• Students see a pause notification

Use PAUSED for short breaks, technical issues, or when you need to temporarily stop course activity.

ARCHIVED

Purpose: Course is concluded and stored

When a course is in ARCHIVED state:

• All student connections are severed
• The course becomes read-only
• Students can no longer access the course
• All data and progress is preserved for records
• The course can be duplicated for future cohorts

Note: Archiving is typically done at the end of a teaching period. Make sure you've exported any needed reports before archiving.

When to Use Each State

| State | When to Use | |-------|-------------| | DRAFT | Creating new content, major revisions | | READY | Content complete, preparing for launch | | LIVE | Active teaching period | | PAUSED | Short breaks, technical maintenance | | ARCHIVED | Course concluded, end of term |

How State Changes Affect Students

Transitioning to LIVE

When you switch a course to LIVE:

• Students with the course link can join immediately
• All visible materials become accessible
• Real-time features activate
• Notifications may be sent to enrolled students

Transitioning to PAUSED

When you pause a course:

• Students see a pause overlay
• Real-time updates stop
• Students cannot progress to new materials
• Current progress is saved

Transitioning to ARCHIVED

When you archive a course:

• All student sessions end
• The course disappears from student dashboards
• No further student interaction is possible
• Historical data remains available to instructors

Changing Course States

1. Navigate to your course in the Instructor Dashboard
2. Locate the course state selector
3. Select the desired new state
4. Confirm the state change

Tip: State changes take effect immediately. Consider timing when transitioning between states, especially when moving to LIVE or ARCHIVED states.

Best Practices

• Plan your timeline: Know when you'll transition between states
• Communicate with students: Notify students before major state changes
• Test before LIVE: Review all content while in DRAFT or READY
• Archive responsibly: Export reports and data before archiving