NEW Built-In Course Content Dripping Feature for Courses

Aug 30, 2024

Reader Disclosure

These past couple of weeks, we've been rolling out some amazing new features to make your online courses more efficient and manageable.

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From creative Assignments to an extremely organized gradebook, we've spent the last few months at work designing all the tools needed for a truly memorable learning experience.

Now that first-day jitters are over and your students are beginning to settle in and settle in, you can now focus on your primary coursework. This is why we've created a option to ensure that everything is moving along smoothly and in line with your schedule.

The latest update to Courses: built-in content dripping!

Just like a perfectly planned plan, our latest Dripping of course content feature will ensure that your students are getting their instruction precisely when they need them precisely when they require these lessons.

Don't overwhelm them with too much at once or letting them run ahead. With dripping, you can deliver your course information in small chunks that are manageable, keeping your students engaged and eager to see what's next.

The new feature continues to evolve right alongside the needs of your students and makes it simpler than ever to plan and control your online course content.

What exactly is Course Content Dripping?

We've all had those moments... watching the entire TV series over just one weekend, then staying up all night turning the pages of a new book, and then realizing you've finished off a full sleeve of biscuits... all by yourself ().

Although a treat might be appealing at first but it can leave us feeling unfulfilled afterward.

Learning could be the exact way. If students absorb too much information in a short amount of time It can cause:

  • anxiety: Worrying they missed some important detail or made a mistake.
  • regret: Wishing they had taken more time to fully comprehend the content.
  • Doubts: Questioning if they actually comprehended the information.
  • The Overwhelm Feeling overloaded with many things to consider at the same time.

These aren't feelings you want your students to have when they finish your class.

 That's where course the content drips in!

Instead of distributing all the information to students all at once, content drips allow you to release content at a timed, well-timed pace. This method allows them to learn more slowly with each class, remain engaged and learn more effectively.

What Differences Does Content Dripping Bring to Your Class?

1. Build Knowledge One Step at a Time

Instead of allowing students access to all material at once, Dripping allows each lesson or module in a specific arrangement, helping them develop their understanding gradually.

This method is designed to help students develop a sense of progress and achievement throughout the course.

Also, think of your class as a sort of stairwell, with each step being the beginning of a new learning experience. It is essential that students learn the basics prior to moving on to the following. It is important to have a solid understanding of the fundamentals before moving on to higher level concepts.

2. Keep Students Interested and Engaged

If students are aware the new material is being added frequently, they are able to build excitement and curiosity. It keeps them focused because they're constantly waiting for the next lesson or course.

They become accustomed to putting aside time each new lesson, which makes it more likely that they'll remain engaged and focused on learning from beginning until end.

3. Create Content Just at the Right Moment

Course content dripping gives you full control over the timing and method by which your lessons are released and aligns them with your course schedule.

Whether you're introducing a tricky idea that requires a bit more attention, or preparing for a big task that takes more time Content dripping lets users to modify the content of your materials to suit the demands of both your students as well as your course goals.

4. Aid Everyone to Learn at the Same Pace

Dripping course content can be an efficient method to keep everyone's students progressing with a regular pace, ensuring no one advances too quickly or is left from behind.

By releasing content at carefully set intervals, you build an environment of learning that is cohesive and that allows everyone to progress in a coordinated manner.

Welcome student discussions 
 in  Courses

In addition, when everyone is studying together, you are able to quickly identify those areas where students could need extra support, ensuring that no student falls through the cracks.

5. Make Learning meaningful and manageable

Learning should be something that students are able to enjoy and not an overwhelming learning experience. If all the course content is presented in one go this can cause excessive stress and anxiety.

Dripping course content offers an easier learning experience for students by delivering lessons in smaller and manageable chunks.

Instead of being pressured to learn everything all at once learners can process information at a comfortable speed, which makes the learning process feel more personalized and approachable.

When you break up the material, you also create feelings of accomplishment for your students as they complete each part. The steady progress helps keep their enthusiasm and keeps them motivated to continue learning.

In short, course dripping is a powerful method to keep students engaged, focused and in the right direction. It's a simple yet efficient method to change the way you deliver your courses, making learning an enjoyable experience for all those involved.

NEW Built-in Course Content Dripping: Simplifying rules for courses

Setting up course content dripping was somewhat of a hassle that required numerous steps and configurations. It got the job done, but let's be honest - it wasn't the most efficient way to go about it.

We saw the need for a streamlined solution, so we've incorporated our Rules feature into the Courses add-on. The process of setting your drip calendars is much simpler and more user-friendly.

With the new built-in dripping feature, you are able to create drip schedules without having to leave the curriculum builder. It not only helps save time, but it also guarantees that your course materials are safe and distributed according to plan.

You can also modify drip notifications within the settings. This makes it easy to communicate with your students on when the next content release is scheduled to be released. This can help maintain expectations and keep everyone in the same place.

By taking care of all the technical details by taking care of the technical details, you're free to concentrate on what matters: creating top-notch courses.

How to Set Up Course Content Dripping within the Courses

When your students begin hurrying ahead, consider organizing the course material so that it keeps them on pace and fully engaged with the lesson at hand.

As we mentioned a little while ago, Courses utilizes Rules to power content dripping.

 That being said: Any drip options that you apply through Rules could conflict with Dripping option built into your course's settings.

So...

  • For a streamlined, hassle-free experience: If you want your lessons to drip content according to an established schedule (like releasing new lessons automatically each week) this new drip feature is the most efficient alternative. This makes the process easier and provides a reliable supply without requiring any additional configuration.
  • For more personalized control: If you need the flexibility to release content frequently or at highly personalized time intervals, Rules gives you that control. However, this approach requires some effort and time to create the Rules.

Keep It Simple: Let's get your Drip Content flowing smoothly!

To set up course content dripping, start by switching your course's "Enable Dripping" option in the course configurations.

After that, you'll need to specify how the content will drip - by section or by individual item. It is also possible to set the frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) as well as the beginning date and the time zone for each release of content:

Enable Course Content Dripping in  Courses curriculum

Are you ready to setup Dripping of course content? Watch the full tutorial below for an in-depth tutorial on getting going.

What's next for courses? Or Should We Say, What's New...

Course Dripping may be the latest and greatest feature we've rolled out for Courses, however it's far from the only change we've recently made.

Before diving into dripping, take a moment to go through some of the other amazing changes you might have seen in the plugin.

While we work to improve our tools for online courses, we discovered that the growing list of options - including Lessons, Quizzes, Assignments as well as the Gradebook deserve an entire space.

This is why we've made Courses its own menu item on the WordPress dashboard.

 Courses WordPress dashboard view

Today, all aspects of your courses, whether that's the creation of a new course, building out your curriculums as well as tweaking the course's settings - can be managed through the Courses menu on the Dashboard.

Separating Courses into its own menu item helps you ensure that your course development and member management functions distinct This is particularly useful for businesses that rely on both.

If you're a user then you've probably seen this minor change. We hope you're finding the new interface much more efficient and cleaner!

But, if you're just getting to learning about and want to get started creating your own courses, you might be wondering how to access these powerful features.

You just need to open the plugin and navigate to the Add-Ons tab and do a quick search for "course" to narrow down the options available, and then you'll find all the educational tools that have grown bigger than the core plugin itself:

 Courses add-on

As always, stay tuned for more new upgrades and features coming in the near coming months. However, for the moment, benefit from the brand new course content dripping feature, as well as explore other enhancements we've made to make your course design more enjoyable than ever!

Katelyn Gillis       Meet Katelyn managing a membership site or online classes can be a challenge and that's exactly where Katelyn comes in. A graduate of the field of the field of education as well as her job title as a  Content Manager, she's got an eye for breaking down the complexities and offering suggestions that feel like an exchange with a friend who gets it. In case you're seeking fresh ideas or just some reassurance, Katelyn's blog articles here to help.