Before you get started with a course, you must add it to your list first. Then, you choose a coach, exercise set and level. Once you have done this, you can start following the course. In this article we tell you more about the structure of a course.
1. XP's
At the top of the screen in every course, you will see a progress bar, which indicates how many XP's (experience points) you have already earned.
XP points are earned by completing assignments, where 1 XP equals about 1 hour. The number of XP's therefore indicates approximately how long you spend on a particular assignment.
On the left side of the progress bar you can see the total number of XP's for the course. The yellow star that says 'Final assignment' indicates at how many XP's you may request the final assignment or exam, if there is any. For most courses, this will be about 80% of the total amount of XP. With the final assignment you can complete the course. The final assignment is often an exam, but can also be another type of assignment.
2. Chapters
Most courses consist out of themes. These themes give more structure to the assignments within the course. These chapters give more structure to the various assignments within a course. Usually there is no specific order in which the chapters should be completed. However, in a couple of instances the chapters should be completed in a specific order. When this is the case, a chapter will be 'locked' before you have obtained a certain amount of XP in the previous chapter.
3. Assignment tiles
Below the progression bar you will see different types of assignment tiles. On the assignment tile you can read the title of the assignment and see various icons. The meaning of these icons is as follows:
- The green icon indicates the amount of XP you can earn by handing in the assignment
- The purple or blue icon indicates the amount of people you need to do this assignment
- The red icon with the little house on it indicates whether the assignment can be done at home
When you click an assignment tile, it will be opened.
4. Assignments - content
When you open an assignment, you can read what you need to do and get started on the assignment. There are different types of assignments you can encounter on the platform. Most assignments will be action based. These assignments may look something like this:
The assignment starts with an introduction. Here you can read about the subject of the assignment. Often the introduction will also contain a video.
Next, you will get instructions on what steps exactly you have to follow to do the assignment. Sometimes an assignment consist of multiple parts. The assignment above for example consists out of three parts. In each part of the assignment you have to follow different steps.
To complete the assignment, you must hand in a file. Often this will be a written report in which you have answered some questions. Besides reports, you sometimes have to hand in video's, audio recordings, images or other types of files. In this way you can build a portfolio, which can later help you prove you are ready for the final assignment. Your coach will assess your assignments before you are allowed to take the exam!
In some assignments you will be handed a piece of theory to read. To check whether you have understood this theory completely, you have to answer a question about the subject. This can be a multiple choice question or a drag and drop exercise for example. These assignments may look something like this:
5. Assignments - assessment
Immediately after you hand in the assignment, you are automatically rewarded with the corresponding amount of XP. Your coach will also receive a message about you handing in the assignment, and they can view and assess it. During the assessment your coach can approve or reject the assignment. If the assignment is approved its colour will turn green and you can keep the XP. If the assignment is rejected, the XP will be taken off of your progress again. Your coach will provide you with feedback for the rejected assignment you so you improve it.