How to Run an Online Class Series: Plan, Schedule and Share It

To run an online class series, decide the outcome and the number of sessions, schedule them on a fixed rhythm, put the live sessions, videos and files in the order learners should follow, then share one page where learners sign up once. In Educastic you build all of this as a Series.

A single online class is easy to organise. Six connected classes are not, if each one has its own link, its own invite and its own folder of files. Learners miss a session, lose the worksheet or join the wrong link. A series puts the whole programme in one place, in one order.

What is an online class series?

An online class series is a set of connected lessons, usually live sessions plus supporting videos and files, that learners join once and follow in a fixed order. Think of a six-week conversation course, a four-session exam revision cycle or an onboarding programme for new staff.

In Educastic, a Series groups whiteboard sessions (called educasts), pre-recorded videos and files into one sequence with one public page, one list of subscribers and one progress bar per learner.

When should you run a series instead of single classes?

Run a series when the lessons build on each other and you want the same group to stay for all of them.

• Courses with a clear end point: a beginner course, a term of tutoring, a certification prep.
• Revision cycles: a block of sessions in the weeks before an exam.
• Mixed live and recorded learning: live sessions plus videos learners watch between them.
• Paid programmes: one price for the whole set instead of selling each class.

Single classes are still the better fit for drop-in help, one-off workshops and trial lessons.

How do you create a series in Educastic?

Educastic's series builder walks you through five steps, and each one saves before you move on.

1. In the top bar of your dashboard, click Create Educast and choose Series.
2. General Info: enter the Series Title, Unit, Start Date, End Date, Cost, Series Content, Certificate Availability, language, Program, Series Type (Public or Private) and a cover image.
3. Attendees and Description: write the Description and Requirements, list what learners will learn, and use Add People or Add Group to invite your contacts.
4. Series Details: set the Educast Frequency, the No. Of Educasts, the start and end time and the Series Capacity.
5. Sequence: arrange every session, video and file in order.
6. Preview: check the whole series, then click Complete.

Choose Series Content carefully, because it cannot be changed later. Educasts and Pre-Recorded videos mixes live sessions with recorded material; Pre-Recorded videos Only skips the scheduling step and builds a self-paced series.

How do you schedule all the sessions at once?

Educastic creates every live session of the series for you from the rhythm you choose in Series Details.

Each session is named after the series with its number, so "Spanish Conversation - 3" is always the third class. They are regular whiteboard sessions, so you teach them with the same board, video and chat as any other class.

How do you build the sequence?

The sequence is the order learners follow, and each step holds one item. For each step you choose File Upload to add a file from your computer, Add from Library to reuse a file from My Library, or Add Educast to place one of the series' live sessions. Use Add More for another step and drag steps to reorder them.

A sequence that works well alternates input and practice: a short video, the live session, then the worksheet you will correct in the next class. For videos, Add Subtitles lets you attach English and Spanish subtitle files.

How do learners join and follow the series?

Learners join from the series page, a public page that shows the description, requirements, what will be taught and a Get Series button.

1. Publish the series: in your series list, open the menu on its card and click Publish. Everyone you invited receives an email and a notification.
2. Share the page link with your class, or use Share on the page to email invitations. Public series also appear in the Educastic marketplace.
3. The learner signs in and clicks Get Series. A free series enrolls them straight away; a paid series goes through payment first.
4. The series appears in the learner's Enrolled tab, with a Progress bar, a Join Now button for upcoming sessions and view or download buttons for files.

Learners mark each step Complete, and a video counts as complete when it plays to the end. With Access Video set to limited access, the Video Watch Limit sets how many times each learner can play each video.

How do you track subscribers and certificates?

Track learners from the series itself and from your reports. The series detail page lists the subscribers, and Analytical Reports > Series Subscribers shows each learner's progress as a percentage, with a Generate Certificate button to issue their certificate.

Check progress before each live session. A learner at 20 percent before session four probably skipped the video your class depends on, and a two-line message now saves a confused lesson later.

Tips and limits

• Paid series need payouts set up. Connect a Stripe account in your profile before you publish a series with a cost.
• Plan the order before you publish. You can still edit the series and use Change Sequence later, but learners notice when steps move.
• Unpublish rather than delete. A series cannot be deleted once it has sessions, files or subscribers, so use Unpublish to take it off sale.
• Record your live sessions so learners who miss one can catch up. See how to record online classes.

For a ready-made use of a series, read how to run online exam revision sessions.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions can a series have? Up to 20 live sessions are created in one go from the No. Of Educasts setting, and the sequence can also hold videos and files.

Can I charge for a series? Yes. Set a Cost in General Info and connect a Stripe account before you publish; learners pay once for the whole series.

Can a series be only pre-recorded videos? Yes. Choose Pre-Recorded videos Only as the Series Content to build a self-paced series without live sessions.

Do learners have to sign up for each session? No. When a learner gets the series, Educastic enrolls them in every session in it.

Can learners see their progress? Yes. The series page in the learner's Enrolled tab shows a Progress bar that fills as they complete each step.

Plan your first series

Pick a topic you already teach in four or more lessons, schedule it as a series and invite your current students. Teach each session on the Educastic online whiteboard.

Create your series free