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7 sections, at each learner's pace Self-Paced Course For coaches and course creators turning a method into an evergreen course

Self-paced course template

A self-paced course template is the structure of a course people start whenever they like and finish at their own speed, with no cohort and no deadlines. This one has a Start Here section with a self-assessment, five modules that each pair a lesson with an exercise and unlock in order, and a Wrap-Up with a final reflection that mirrors the self-assessment and an action plan.

Use this template

Opens as a ready-made self-paced course in your trial: Start Here, five modules, Wrap-Up, the assessments and a homepage.

30 minutes4 blocks
  1. 0:00Where are you?5 min
  2. 0:05Your question15 min
  3. 0:20Next step7 min
  4. 0:27Close3 min
The course outline

The self-paced course: start, five modules, wrap-up

Everything is available from day one, and learners can see every module, but each one requires the one before it, so nobody skips the foundations. Each content module has a lesson for teaching and an exercise worksheet for practice. Guides marked "for you" are notes for the course creator: read them, then remove them before you invite anyone.

  1. 1

    Start Here

    Section 1

    Orient the learner and capture where they start.

    1. Section 1

      Welcome

      • Your Course Guide (for you)
      • How This Course Works lesson
      • Pre-Course Self-Assessment
      • What Do You Want to Achieve? worksheet
      • Getting Started Checklist

      This section does more work than any module. A learner who knows how the course works and has set a goal is far more likely to keep going.

  2. 2

    Modules

    Sections 2–6

    One step at a time, each unlocked by the one before.

    1. Section 2

      Module 1: Foundations

      • Lesson: the basics
      • Module 1 Exercise

      Requires the Welcome module in Start Here.

    2. Section 3

      Module 2: Core Concepts

      • Lesson: going deeper
      • Module 2 Exercise
    3. Section 4

      Module 3: Application

      • Lesson: put it to work
      • Module 3 Exercise: apply it to your own situation
    4. Section 5

      Module 4: Advanced

      • Lesson: level up
      • Module 4 Exercise
    5. Section 6

      Module 5: Mastery

      • Lesson: bringing it together
      • Module 5 Exercise
  3. 3

    Wrap-Up

    Section 7

    Measure the change and turn it into action.

    1. Section 7

      What's Next

      • Course Complete: Your Action Plan lesson
      • Final Reflection & Outcomes
      • Your Action Plan task list

      Requires Module 5. Learners can still go back to any module.

Optional office hours

Office hours structure: one 30-minute session

A self-paced course runs without live sessions. If you add office hours, learners book 30 minutes with you from your availability. The program type leaves the session to you; this agenda keeps it on the learner's question.

TimeBlockWhat the facilitator does
0:00–0:05 Where are you?5 min Which module the learner is on, and what they've done since starting.
0:05–0:20 Your question15 min Work through the question or the exercise they brought. Point back to the lesson that covers it.
0:20–0:27 Next step7 min Agree the next module or exercise and when they'll do it.
0:27–0:30 Close3 min Ask what they're taking away, and remind them they can book again.
The assessments

Two assessments that bookend the course

The final reflection repeats the skill rating from the start, so you and each learner see the change. Both are private: learners see only their own answers. Replace [course topic] with your subject.

Pre-Course Self-Assessment

Start Here
  1. 1What is your primary goal for taking this course?
  2. 2Rate your current skill level in [course topic]. (1 to 10)
  3. 3How will you know this course was successful for you?
  4. 4How much time can you commit to this course per week? Less than 1 hour, 1-2, 2-3, 3-5 or 5+ hours
  5. 5What's your preferred learning style? Video lessons, reading, hands-on exercises or mixed

Final Reflection & Outcomes

Wrap-Up
  1. 1Rate your skill level in [course topic] now. (1 to 10)
  2. 2To what extent did you achieve your primary goal? (1 to 5)
  3. 3Which module was most useful to you and why?
  4. 4How would you rate the overall quality of this course? (1 to 5)
  5. 5How likely are you to recommend this course? (0 to 10)
  6. 6What could we improve about this course?
  7. 7Any additional feedback?
Setting the goal

What Do You Want to Achieve? Three questions in Start Here

The goal-setting worksheet turns a vague reason for buying into a specific one. Learners come back to it in the final reflection.

The module exercises

Module 1: Foundations
  • What is the most important concept you learned in this module?
  • How does this apply to your specific situation or goals?
Module 2: Core Concepts
  • What is the most important concept you learned in this module?
  • How does this build on what you learned in Module 1?
Module 3: Application
  • Describe how you applied the concepts from this module.
  • What worked well? What would you do differently next time?
Module 4: Advanced
  • What advanced concept from this module was most useful to you?
  • How does this change your approach compared to what you learned earlier?
Module 5: Mastery
  • How would you explain the core concepts of this course to someone just starting out?
  • What is your biggest takeaway from the entire course?
  1. 1What specific skill or knowledge do you want to gain from this course?
  2. 2How will you apply what you learn? Describe a real situation or project.
  3. 3What does success look like for you at the end of this course?
Running it

Four rules for the course creator

Without a cohort or a schedule, the structure does the teaching.

Make each module self-contained

Learners may take days or weeks between modules. Recap the key ideas when you refer back to an earlier one.

Keep segments short

3-5 minute reads or video segments fit the small windows self-paced learners work in better than long lectures.

Pair every lesson with an exercise

The exercise turns reading into doing. Keep exercises private, so learners answer honestly.

Keep the path, not a calendar

Leave the prerequisite chain on unless your modules really work in any order. It gives direction without deadlines.

Along the way

What keeps learners moving without a cohort

Each learner moves on their own. These give them a start, an end and, if you want, people to talk to.

Getting Started Checklist

Four first steps: the self-assessment, the goal worksheet, How This Course Works, then Module 1.

Your Action Plan

The closing task list: the final reflection, one concept to apply in the next 30 days, a date and an action for it.

Student Community

Optional: a discussion channel with a welcome message written, plus a student directory.

Office Hours

Optional: learners book 30-minute 1:1 sessions with you from your availability.

Open it in upcoach

Open it as a ready-made self-paced course

Choose Self-Paced Course when you create a program and upcoach builds this template for you. You set the program name, and choose whether to add the Student Community and Office Hours (Office Hours need a connected calendar). Lessons are placeholders with tips for self-paced writing; replace them with your content.

What you get

  • Start Here, five content modules and Wrap-Up, all available from day one
  • A prerequisite chain from the Welcome module through Module 5 to Wrap-Up, which you can change or turn off
  • A lesson and an exercise worksheet in every module
  • The Pre-Course Self-Assessment and the Final Reflection & Outcomes that mirrors it
  • The Getting Started Checklist and Your Action Plan task lists
  • A homepage with the learning path, how the course works and an instructor bio placeholder
  • Optional: a Student Community channel and 30-minute Office Hours
  • Every worksheet private and no feed
Source: Self-Paced Course setup guide
Use this template

Opens as a ready-made self-paced course in your trial: Start Here, five modules, Wrap-Up, the assessments and a homepage.

Self-paced course questions

How do you structure a self-paced course?

Open with a Start Here section that explains how the course works and asks a self-assessment and a goal. Follow with modules that each pair a short lesson with an exercise, unlocked in order. Close with a final reflection that repeats the self-assessment's rating, and an action plan.

How many modules should a self-paced course have?

This template has five content modules: foundations, core concepts, application, advanced and mastery. A narrower topic can drop the last two; a broader one can add modules between them. Keep the Start Here and Wrap-Up sections either way.

How do you get people to finish a self-paced course?

Give them a clear path and a reason to keep going: a goal set at the start, short self-contained modules, an exercise after every lesson, and prerequisites that recommend the next step without a calendar. Then look at where learners stop and rework that module.

Should a self-paced course have live sessions?

It doesn't need them. If learners benefit from personal guidance, add optional 30-minute office hours they book from your availability, or a community channel where they can ask each other.

What's the difference between a self-paced course and a cohort course?

In a self-paced course, everyone starts when they like and goes at their own speed, with everything available from day one. In a cohort course, a group starts on the same date and moves through the weeks together, with live sessions. Cohort course template

Self-paced course template7 sections, at each learner's pace · free

Use this template

Keep reading

Self-paced course template · upcoach.com/templates/self-paced-course-template