Learn WordPress is a platform that offers courses powered by Sensei Pro.
The courses are standalone individual things, and there are currently no cohorts or groups of students.
To access the courses, users need to log in to their WordPress profile and navigate to the courses section.
Users can view all available courses and select the one they want to take, and each course has an outline of its content and how long it will take.
Sensei Pro powers the course layout and navigation, and users can mark lessons as completed and take quizzes to test their knowledge.
Once a course is completed, it shows up as an activity on the user’s WordPress profile, but their grade is not publicly revealed.
The course layout and design may vary depending on the theme used, but it typically includes an intro blurb and a course outline.
There is a proposal to add a widget in the WordPress and Min dashboard to display upcoming events and provide quick start videos and courses.
Currently, there are no courses in other languages, but the team is working with Polyglots to get everything translated.
Chapter 2: Enhancing the Learning Experience with Interactive Blocks and Videos
Interactive blocks, such as flashcards, image hotspots, and task lists, can help break up the text and add interactivity to the course content.
Interactive blocks can also be used to make certain activities or lessons required before moving on to the next section, which increases accountability for the learner.
Single quiz questions can be added in the middle of a lesson, allowing for immediate feedback and ensuring that the learner is paying attention.
Interactive videos can be created using video press or uploaded from YouTube or Vimeo. These videos can have break points added where the learner is presented with a pop-over containing additional content or a quiz question.
The use of interactive blocks and videos can greatly enhance the learning experience by making the course more engaging and interactive.
Chapter 3: Making Use of Video
Video chapters are a useful tool for making longer videos more accessible and user-friendly.
Video chapters are typically created using timestamps in a text field or through the use of break points.
Adding interactivity to videos, such as through video chapters, requires the user to be interactive as well, meaning they will need to physically stop the video and select a specific chapter.
Professional training and education places typically go up to about three minutes for their video length, after which they start chaptering the video for easier navigation.
When making use of video chapters, it’s important to keep accessibility, bandwidth, and multiple learning styles in mind.
It would be useful to have a feature that recommends related courses based on the courses already taken or completed, possibly using taxonomy.
Emails can be used to motivate individuals to complete courses and suggest related courses, but privacy implications should be considered.
Reusable blocks could be used to display time-sensitive information across multiple courses without having to edit each individual course separately.
The block visibility feature can be used to schedule content and display it only to certain users or at certain times.
Groups and cohorts can be useful for organizing users and tracking course progress, with the added benefit of reporting on which courses specific groups have taken.
Chapter 4: Navigating Sensei Settings
Courses are automatically listed on the courses list, with the option to hide or show specific content
Grading is not shown for privacy reasons, but reports can be accessed to track course progress
Course creators and editors may not have full access to site reports
The settings for emails and public student profiles can be adjusted
Content drip is an option for spacing out lessons and course material
Appearance settings can be changed, including options for video-heavy courses
Captioning is required for tutorial and course videos, with plans to potentially integrate with video press
Taking notes within Sensei and exporting them is a potential feature for the future
A course page is in development, which may include a forum or discussion area for students to interact with each other and instructors.
Chapter 5: Improving the Course Experience
Sensei Pro focuses on improving the course experience for students and motivating them to complete the course by using gamification techniques such as badges or achievements.
The team is also exploring ways to increase student interaction within the course, such as community options and peer review of assignments.
Sensei Pro is interested in incorporating TinCan API, which allows exporting of student data from one platform to another, making it easier for employers to track employee training.
Sensei Pro is also exploring the use of public APIs to make their features more accessible to users and developers.
It is important for course creators and reviewers to stay informed about new features and updates in order to create more interactive and engaging courses.