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Courses & teaching2 min read

Mark a lesson done when my learner clicks Next, even if they skip part of a video

Some learners read every word of a lesson and then move on before the video ends. Maybe they watched it last week. Maybe it is a recap. Under the usual rule that lesson stays unticked, the course page keeps pointing them back to it, and the course never finishes.

The prompt

“On my [course name] course, mark a lesson as done when the learner reaches the end and clicks Next lesson, even if they did not watch every video to the end.”

Signed in, Get my prompt fills in your site for you. Otherwise press Copy and fill in the [bracketed] parts. First time? Connect your AI to bernard once: Use your own AI (opens in a new tab).

You can choose a different rule for any course.

The two rules

  • Done when it is finished. Where every course starts. A video lesson is done when the learner plays a video on it to the end. A lesson with no video is done when the learner reaches the end of it. A quiz is done when it is passed.
  • Done when the learner moves on. Everything above, and also: a lesson is done when the learner reaches the end of the page and clicks Next lesson, even if a video did not play to the end. On the last lesson, the All lessons link counts. And a passed quiz ticks the lessons before it in its module, back to the previous quiz in that module.

Say it in your own words, for example “on the podcast course, count a lesson as done when the learner clicks next”, and bernard sets it. bernard asks you first, because done lessons are part of what finishing a course needs, and finishing gives the certificate (Let learners finish my course without the optional lessons, Give learners a certificate when they finish my course). On an accredited course, check what your awarding body expects before you turn it on.

What learners see

When a learner opens the course page, their current lesson is marked. It is the lesson they last opened, if they have not finished it yet. Otherwise it is the next unfinished lesson after the one they finished most recently. The module that holds it opens by itself. If your site’s design shows its own Up next badge, ask bernard to point it at the current lesson.

What does not change

Lessons already done stay done, whichever rule you choose. Switching the rule issues nothing by itself. The quiz part works at once. The Next lesson part is on your lesson pages, so it reaches learners when you approve the draft.

The course page in bernard says which rule a course uses, in the Certificates card.

Questions people ask

When does a lesson count as done if I change nothing?
A video or audio lesson is done when the learner plays a video on it to the end, or closes the page after 90% of it. A lesson with no video is done when the learner reaches the end of it. A quiz lesson is done when the quiz is passed. Every course starts with this rule.
What changes when I turn this on?
Two things. A lesson also counts as done when the learner reaches the end of the page and clicks Next lesson (on the last lesson, All lessons), whether or not each video played to the end. And passing a quiz also ticks the lessons before it in its module, back to the previous quiz in that module. The usual rules still work beside it.
Should I turn it on for an accredited course?
Think first. A done lesson is part of what finishing a course needs, and finishing is what gives a certificate and starts the course-finished emails. If your awarding body expects every video to be watched, keep the usual rule. bernard asks you before it changes it, and it is off until you turn it on.
Does it change lessons my learners already finished?
No. Lessons already done stay done, whichever rule you choose. Nothing is issued by the change itself. A learner whose course it finishes gets their certificate and emails after their next lesson or quiz.
When does it take effect?
The quiz part takes effect at once. The Next lesson part is on your lesson pages, so it reaches learners when you approve the draft.
My course page shows Up next on a lesson the learner has already moved past. Why?
Up next used to be the first lesson without a tick. The course page now marks the learner’s current lesson instead: the lesson they last opened, if it is not done yet, or else the next unfinished lesson after the one they finished most recently. If your site’s design draws its own Up next badge, ask bernard to point it at the current lesson.
Can I switch it off again?
Yes. Say so, and new progress follows the usual rule again. Lessons already done stay done.

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