How to Create Interactive Online Lessons on the CoreApp / Skillbox Media Platform

Contents:

• What features and limitations are available on different plans?
• How to get started with CoreApp
• What educational content can you create in CoreApp?
• What the CoreApp lesson and course designer offers?
• How to set up a lesson
• How to share a lesson with students
• How to track student results

What Features and Limitations Are Available in the Different Plans?

CoreApp offers four plans, each designed to meet the varying needs of its users. These plans provide flexibility and the opportunity to choose the optimal solution for your business. Explore our offerings to find the perfect plan that meets your requirements.

• "Basic" is a free plan that allows you to test the course builder's capabilities by creating individual lessons. Suitable for teachers and tutors who develop interactive materials with assignments and exercises for students. Student progress can be tracked for each lesson.
• "Profi" starts at 1,190 rubles per month (pricing information here and below is as of September 2024) and is designed for experts who independently create information products and small educational projects. It allows you to create up to ten online courses (divided into modules, with stop-lessons, live webinars, and more) and sell them. This level includes all the basic features needed for promoting courses, managing payments and your customer base, and a built-in chat for communicating with students. Starting with this plan, you can also generate content using ChatGPT. "Guru" is designed for online schools that, in addition to basic marketing and analytics tools, require advanced branding features. These include issuing certificates, customizing course designs, setting up system emails, and a custom domain. The number of courses created and launched is unlimited, and it costs 16,800 rubles per month. "Online Academy" offers the creation of an independent educational platform tailored to the client's needs—it can be useful for large online schools serving the B2B segment and companies seeking a corporate online university. This plan includes project hosting on the client's servers, third-party service integration, payment acceptance from legal entities, advanced gamification tools, a mobile app for students, and personalized support. Prices start at 30,000 rubles per month.

The "Pro" and "Guru" plans offer the option of connecting to an internal webinar platform for an additional fee of 1,490 rubles per month. This platform is designed to organize synchronous online classes with students. After the live broadcast, webinars can be recorded and downloaded as a video file, allowing you to conveniently save and use the material for further training.

How to get started with CoreApp

First, you need to register by clicking the "Login / Register" button located on the platform's main page.

After registration, the user has access to their personal account, which includes two modes: "Learning" and "Teaching." The "Learning" mode allows you to take available lessons and courses, while the "Teaching" mode is designed for creating and managing educational materials. When you first log in to CoreApp, you'll be prompted to select one of the modes, but switching between them is easy—just click your name and icon in the upper right corner of the screen. In this article, we'll take a closer look at CoreApp's features for lesson and course creators, focusing on working in the "Teach" mode.

The menu that opens when you click on your username contains the "Personal Account" section. This page provides information about your current plan and financial balance. For plans starting with the "Pro" level, data on income from course sales and the amount available for withdrawal are displayed. Below are five more tabs that provide additional information and tools for managing your account.

• "Plans and Payment" allows you to select a plan and view your CoreApp subscription payment history.
• "My School" contains settings for your educational project. These are only relevant for the "Pro" plan and higher levels, which allow you to create and launch your own online courses. Here you can enter a name, upload a logo and cover image, group courses available to students by category, add contacts and an offer document. In this subsection, you can also configure the payment system and create a payment page, add promo codes and certificates. You can also register tutors here—the platform's term for an expert or curator who can update course content, communicate with students, check homework, and so on.
• The "Finances" section displays information about deposits and withdrawals to your account in the connected payment system.
• The "Affiliate Program" is CoreApp's referral program, where participants receive a percentage when new users register through their links and purchase a paid plan.
• "Profile and Security" contains the information you provided during registration. Here you can change them, for example, by adding a new email address.

The educational project settings include the CRM item in The top menu bar. Access to this feature is available only to paid plan users. The CRM allows you to integrate with your customer database management system to effectively track registrations and payments. Leads collected through lead magnets created on the CoreApp platform will also be added to this system. This will help improve customer engagement and enhance service.

What Educational Content Can I Create in CoreApp?

Before discussing the course and lesson builder, let's look at what educational materials can be created on this platform. The main categories are available in the top menu and allow users to easily navigate the available resources.

CoreApp offers the ability to create courses in the format of longreads or individual lessons, which are content consisting of text and graphic elements perceived by the user as they scroll the screen. Video and audio files can also be integrated into such longreads. To launch and create courses, you must select the "Pro" or "Guru" plan. However, you can test the platform's features for free. To get started, go to the "Courses" section in the menu and click the yellow circle with a plus sign to initiate the creation of a new course. The platform will prompt you to enter a course title and description, upload a cover, and add the first lesson using the "Create" button.

The platform offers three categories of lessons for courses.

• "Lesson" is the main content type, designed to convey new information in various media formats (text, images, audio, and video), reinforce what has been learned, and allow for self-assessment. When students answer quizzes and complete automatically-checked assignments in this type of material, they immediately see their mistakes and correct answers.
• "Test / Homework" — this lesson type is designed for progress monitoring; the system will hide correct answers from students. This option also functions as a stop lesson: a minimum completion threshold is set in percent, and only if the student reaches it will they be able to move on to the next lesson.
• "Webinar / Online Meeting" — this tool allows you to broadcast live from Twitch, YouTube (please note that it is currently slowing down for Russian users), VK, and RuTube. Users can also integrate with Zoom or Webinar, or use the internal CoreApp video conferencing platform—though this is a paid platform, and there is no free plan. In addition to live webinars, you can also schedule a broadcast of a recorded lecture—you'll just need to upload it to a video hosting service. YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, VK, and RuTube are supported. Chat can be enabled for both types of broadcasts.

The course can be structured by combining lessons into modules. This allows for a logical learning sequence, facilitating learning. Modules help students better navigate the course content and effectively organize their learning process.

All course settings are located in the panel on the right. Here you can get a link to the course to send to students, add students, and add mentors using their email addresses. Among the less obvious options, the following functions stand out:

• "Monitoring" shows reports on the activity and results of students in the course as a whole and in individual lessons, they can be downloaded as a table in XLXS format.
• In "Settings" you can set the pricing (for example, at the minimum rate, students will only have access to part of the course or it will be open for a limited time, and at the maximum rate, permanent access to all content is provided) and select the payment system.
• "Chatbot" allows you to add and configure a virtual manager for sales automation.
• "Web hooks" is a system for setting up pop-up notifications linked to certain events (for example, to enrollment in a new course, discounts and other offers).
• In "Completion" you can select the conditions under which the student-user will be considered as having successfully completed the course (by the number of lessons completed or the results of the final lesson) and configure the issuance Certificates.

This tool is designed for creating independent lessons that are not tied to courses. Users can use this feature for free, sharing finished materials with students and tracking their achievements. The "Lesson" feature allows you to present information in various media formats and also includes exercises and tasks for self-assessment. The "Quiz/Olympiad" option is used to organize tests and quizzes, after which students can see their results in the form of points. All created lessons can be conveniently organized into folders, making it easier to access and manage materials.

This content is designed to attract customers, especially potential students, and to collect their contact information. CoreApp offers free lessons and shares useful materials, such as tips, common mistakes, and examples of successful cases, with the option to connect a form for entering an email address. However, it's important to note that the free plan reduces the effectiveness of lead magnets because, without a CRM, collected contacts are not saved. CRM integration requires the "Pro" or "Guru" plans. Access to lead magnets doesn't require registration or personal information; they are available via a link. If this approach suits you and collecting individual results isn't a priority, this could be an effective solution for your customer acquisition strategy.

The "Assignment Review" section is available in the top menu. This section displays all student responses to open-ended questions and solutions to tasks requiring independent input, which are subject to manual review. In this section, you can approve or reject responses, as well as leave written or voice feedback for the student. You can also attach images or documents to feedback, allowing you to convey information and recommendations more effectively.

What the CoreApp Lesson and Course Builder Offers

We approached the process of creating educational materials using the built-in builder. Whether you're creating part of a course or individual products, the builder's functionality is virtually identical for all content types. However, there are some exceptions, such as lead magnets, where open-ended questions are unavailable due to the lack of manual review capabilities.

Longread content is formed from specialized blocks that can be dragged from the sidebar into the main workspace. Design customization options are limited: you can't change the block shape, add images and icons in inappropriate locations, or place multiple blocks side by side—all elements are placed only sequentially vertically. As a result, the finished lesson consists of vertically scrolling pages.

All blocks added to the page can be easily moved using drag-and-drop and can be duplicated or deleted as desired. The lesson page can be converted to a "Checklist" mode; in this case, students will not see the correct answers to questions and assignments. To activate this mode, click the checklist icon in the upper right corner of the page and turn on the corresponding toggle. The remaining pages of the lesson will remain available as usual.

Six information blocks are designed to effectively present educational material in Various media formats. These blocks help diversify the learning process, improve information comprehension, and increase student engagement. Each block is adapted to the specific requirements of different formats, ensuring maximum efficiency in knowledge transfer. The use of multimedia elements promotes better assimilation of the material and increases interest in learning.

• "Text" — this block can contain regular text, and selecting a fragment will reveal formatting options. For example, there are subheadings of different levels, numbered and bulleted lists, case changes, adding links and emoji, underlining, highlighting, and even a Code format for programming lessons. And if you move the mouse cursor to the left edge of the block and click the plus sign before entering text, you can add an image, table, formula, spoiler (the text will expand on click), quote, or horizontal line.
• "Instruction" — a colored box with an icon and bold font to focus students' attention on the text of the assignment or an important note. You can choose the color and icon to suit your taste.
• "Media File" — upload an audio or video file to play on the lesson page. MP4, MP3, and WAV formats are supported; the uploaded file must not exceed 100 MB. You can also attach a media file via a link from Vimeo, Kinescope, SoundCloud, Dailymotion, YouTube, Twitch, VKontakte, and RuTube.
• "Image" — adds a JPG, JPEG, PNG, or GIF image to the page. The maximum size is 5 MB. You can also upload an image via a link.
• "Document" — upload a file in PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, or PPTX format, no larger than 5 MB. A document of a suitable format can also be added via a link, and CoreApp also supports Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Docs.
• The "Button" element places one to four buttons with links in a row.

These blocks allow you to integrate exercises and tasks into your lesson to reinforce what has been covered and test your students' knowledge. Using such elements in the educational process increases student engagement and helps them better absorb information.

• "Test" — a question with a single or multiple choice answer. Optionally, you can enable randomization so that the answer options appear in a different order for each student.
• "Open Question" — the student independently enters the answer in a special field or uploads a document. Answers will be assessed in the "Assignment Checking" section.
• "Classification" is a task to correctly classify words into given categories.
• "Question with Auto-Checking" - the teacher pre-sets the correct answer, which the student must enter as the answer to the question.
• "Fill in the Blanks" - after entering the text, the teacher marks the missing words and determines how the student will act: fill in the blanks themselves or choose from the suggested options.
• "Dialogue Simulator" is a branching scenario in which the development of the plot depends on the student's decisions. The simulator consists of separate screens with text and images. The user reads a question or description of a situation and selects one of the answer options or an action. After making a choice, they proceed to the next screen, and so on until the end of the scenario.

Comments can be attached to each version of tests and tasks with automatic checking. The student will be able to read these comments both for the correct and for the incorrect answer. This will help improve your understanding of the material and identify areas that require additional attention.

This category includes various formats for effectively collecting feedback. These tools allow organizations to gather valuable information from users, which helps improve products and services. Feedback can be collected through surveys, questionnaires, testimonials, and other methods that help identify customer needs and expectations. Using these formats significantly increases audience engagement and satisfaction.

• "Survey" contains multiple answer options, and you can also add an "Other" option for the user to type their own answer.
• "Feedback" is an open-ended question with a response field and the ability to attach a document. Unlike a similar option in the "Assignments and Tests" category, the student's answer here is not subject to review, so it is immediately included in the results report.

This block allows you to integrate educational material from other digital platforms using a link or HTML code. Various services are supported, which provides flexibility in choosing information sources.

• LearningApps;
• Wordwall;
• Quizlet;
• 3D Viewer Online;
• Apple Music;
• Landbot;
• Typeform;
• GoogleForms;
• Trinket.

The results of built-in assignments or exercises will not be displayed in CoreApp reports. This is important to consider when analyzing data and assessing user progress.

How to set up a lesson

On the lesson edit page, when you hover over the right panel, it expands, providing access to customization options.

To save the material, simply click the "Publish" button. This will allow you to commit your changes and make the content available to users.

The following elements are located in the central part of the panel:

• "Lesson Content" displays all the pages that make up the material. You can also delete unnecessary sections or add new ones here.
• "Launch Presentation" allows the lesson creator to enable full-screen viewing mode with switching between blocks, which become separate slides. This can be useful for in-person and synchronous online lessons, but frankly, it looks unsightly and unintuitive, especially if the blocks are small and occupy only a small portion of the screen. This mode is not available to students.
• "Lesson Settings" allows you to choose the lesson display format: paginated (in which case the student will first see a list of pages, after which they can open their content) or pageless (the content will open immediately, and if it consists of several subsections, they will load at the click of a button). You can also enable a timer for the lesson and set access times. Another option is to access the lesson via LTI instead of a link. We'll explain how this works and what other options there are for accessing lessons below.
• "Change History" shows different versions of the created lesson. If something went wrong while editing the material, you can roll back the changes to the desired state here.

How to Share a Lesson with Students

To share the finished material, use the "Share" option in the sidebar. This tool allows you to quickly and conveniently send your content to other users, providing easy access to information.

CoreApp creates two links For user convenience. The first link, in the format https://coreapp.ai/app/preview/lesson/…, is intended for teachers. It allows them to copy other users' materials to their personal account for future use. The second link, https://coreapp.ai/app/player/lesson/…, is for inviting students. These links provide easy access to educational materials and promote effective learning.

You can access the lesson without a direct link. To do so, enter the lesson code located next to the link for students.

Students can log in to their existing CoreApp account, create a new account, or use the login option without registering. This is especially convenient for users who use the platform infrequently. To track your individual results, you will need to enter your name in the special field.

Students can log in to CoreApp through an account An LMS (Learning Tools Interoperability) platform that supports the LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) specification. CoreApp integration with the LMS allows, among other things, the transfer of learning outcomes from CoreApp to the main LMS platform, which is particularly useful for corporate training. To properly configure the integration, we recommend contacting the technical specialist responsible for administering your LMS. The keys required for configuration can be found in "My Account" → "My School" → "Integrations" → LTI on the CoreApp platform.

How to Track Student Results

The "Progress" section is located in the right-hand panel of the lesson designer. In this section, you can view student responses and analyze reports on their activity and achievements.

By clicking the "Enable statistics view mode" button, the teacher will have access to overall lesson statistics, presented as a pie chart. This chart displays the percentage of students who answered questions correctly and incorrectly, as well as the proportion of those who skipped questions. Below the chart will be a list of students with their results, with corresponding notes next to each question.

For a more in-depth analysis of individual results, you must disable the statistics view mode by clicking the same button. Then, click on the student's name in the list on the left under the heading "View results for each student separately." In this mode, the platform will provide detailed information on how the student answered each question. You can also enable the display of results from all lesson pages or select individual pages for analysis.

Below the list of students is the "Reset results" button. This function deletes all lesson reports. Please note that it will be impossible to recover deleted data.

At the top of the page is a table with the results, which is available exclusively to users of paid plans. The report can be customized depending on different types of data.

• "By results" downloads answers to all questions and tasks with automatic checking (these are the "Test", "Classification", "Question with automatic checking", "Fill in the blanks", and "Dialogue simulator" formats).
• "By questions" selects only answers from tests and surveys.
• "By answers" includes answers that students entered in the line themselves (in the "Question with automatic checking", "Open question", "Survey", and "Feedback" blocks).