Course Types
Learn what Self-paced, Live class, Compliance, and Public course types do in Edvello and when to use each.
Course type is set in each course’s Settings. It is easy to miss because the dropdown alone does not show every change. Types mainly affect admin navigation, compliance tracking, grading, and whether the course uses the normal enroll-and-LMS flow.
Types at a glance
| Type | Best for | Main differences |
|---|---|---|
| Self-paced | Default online courses | Standard LMS; students progress at their own pace |
| Live class | Instructor-led with grading | Marks nav for grading exercises |
| Compliance | Required training with deadlines | Compliance dashboard, due dates, retakes, bulk actions |
| Public | Open content without login | Anonymous lesson access; no normal enrollment flow |
Self-paced
Self-paced is the default. Students enroll, open lessons in the LMS, and complete exercises on their schedule. Auto-grading applies to many exercise types in self-paced and compliance courses.
Use self-paced for standard training, onboarding content, and evergreen material.
Live class
Live class adds instructor grading workflows. Admins and tutors see a Marks section in the course sidebar to review and grade student work.
Use live class when an instructor scores assignments and you need a dedicated grading view. To schedule sessions with a join link, automatic reminders, and a calendar invite, see Run a Live Class.
Compliance
Compliance turns on compliance-specific tooling:
- Compliance nav in the course sidebar
- Passing scores, due dates, and retake rules
- Bulk actions on student status
- Completion tracking (including not started before a student opens content)
- Certificate rules tied to compliance settings
Use compliance for mandatory training where you must track who completed requirements by a deadline.
Public
Public courses skip the normal enroll-and-LMS path. Visitors can access lesson content anonymously. The landing page routes toward lesson content rather than a Join course flow.
Use public when you want open educational content without requiring accounts. Public courses are not a substitute for private cohort enrollment.
Why types can feel identical in Settings
If you only flip the type dropdown, the course title and content look the same. The differences show up in:
- Which sidebar items appear (Marks, Compliance)
- How exercises are graded
- Whether anonymous public access is used
- How completion and certificates are evaluated
Open the course sidebar after changing type to confirm the right tools are available.
Related guides
- Course — course overview and admin areas
- Run a Live Class: schedule sessions, reminders, and calendar invites
- Control Course Progression: sequential learning and completion rules
- How Course Enrollment Works — enrollment (not used for Public in the same way)
- Student Dashboard — student LMS views
- Create Your First Course