Outschool class formats are defined by selecting specific sets of attributes

Courses at Outschool are structured learning experiences that follow a curriculum over a series of lessons, with one or more students. They should be designed to achieve particular learning outcomes and follow a clear structure. This class type works best for semester-long Courses, boot camps, and intensives.

When creating a course, ensure you complete the learning goals section of your listing, fill out all the lessons within the syllabus, and provide mastery evaluation methods. Mastery evaluation includes an estimate of time spent outside of class, a form of evaluation, and a method for feedback & grading. Your lesson title should describe the topic or theme for the corresponding class. Units offer the opportunity to organize lessons thematically. In longer Courses, units are required where lessons duplicate. Including additional context within the description of a lesson will give families a better idea of what to expect. Please be aware that lesson descriptions may be required for advanced concept classes. See our sample class listings.

This format provides flexibility for educators to offer standalone topics each week or practice skills over time. Enrichment & Clubs are ideal for recurring classes like language conversation clubs, test prep, book clubs, current event discussions, or gaming groups.

Descriptions must include a minimum of four example topics or themes. Sample topics help set expectations for the class:

Join our weekly science experiment club and dive into a world of hands-on discovery! Each week, we’ll explore exciting themes like chemical reactions, living organisms, the physics of motion, and the power of magnetism.

For those preferring a set list of topics for each week, dates must be included alongside the topics, such as:

⇢ Week of (Date): Topic/Theme 1

⇢ Week of (Date): Topic/Theme 2

⇢ Week of (Date): Topic/Theme 3

⇢ Week of (Date): Topic/Theme 4

Weekly dates should be kept current. In the future, weekly themes should be added to the syllabus. Self-paced enrichment classes must complete a syllabus.

Clubs that follow a consistent theme, like an exercise club with similar routines each session, do not require example topics if the listing is clear. Please note that classes covering more advanced concepts may require structured weekly topics.

These classes only meet once! One-time classes are perfect for learners who want to explore new interests and for educators to showcase their teaching style before families commit to a longer Course. One-time classes offer one live meeting or a single self-paced lesson and should provide a clear description of the class.

Tutoring classes offer live, one-on-one personalized lessons tailored to a learner’s needs or interests.

When creating your Tutoring listing, be sure to include at least four example topics offered. The teacher expertise section should showcase why you’re the perfect fit for the topic. If you teach across various age groups, don’t forget to highlight your experience with each one. The 1:1 format is also great for meet-and-style sessions, allowing parents or guardians to discuss their learner’s specific needs.

The table below outlines how these attributes define a format.

Attributes can be toggled from the class edit page to suit the unique structure of each class

When content builds, class materials are taught sequentially, and each lesson builds upon knowledge from previous ones. This sequential structure requires learners to have knowledge from previous lessons to fully engage and benefit from the course. Classes where the content does not build each week allow learners to join at any time without the need for prior knowledge.

When late enrollments are permitted, families can join a class after the first week at a pro-rated rate. If your class content builds each week, we recommend addressing how you will accommodate learners who will enroll late. Read more on how to ensure all learners feel welcomed into your classroom who enroll late. Classes that are recurring weekly always allow for late enrollments.

Classes with a fixed length schedule run for a selected number of weeks and have an end date. In contrast, classes that recur weekly allow learners to join at any time. End dates are not required, meaning your class topics can reset or run indefinitely.

Payment options vary by attribute. If a fixed length class accepts weekly payments, you can set a premium percentage for families that pay weekly. This feature offers families that pay weekly the flexibility to pay over time while incentivizing upfront enrollments with a lower class fee. Updating the price adjustment for weekly payments will only affect new enrollments. Existing enrollments in progress will remain unaffected by the changes. Learn more about tips for pricing classes here.

The class syllabus, located in its own tab, outlines the pacing and topics covered in your class. Each lesson in the syllabus corresponds to a live meeting or a pre-recorded video for self-paced classes. Units consist of lessons grouped around the same theme. You can add additional context to the lesson description next to the lesson title. While providing a syllabus is recommended, it is required for Courses.

In this section, you can specify any outside of class learnings or evaluations you offer, such as homework, assessments, and grading. Selecting these options indicates that families can choose to opt in for these forms of evaluation but are not required to.

Learning goals should outline the skills and knowledge learners will gain from your class. These goals help parents understand the value of the lesson and what their learner will achieve.

A self-paced class provides pre-recorded lessons and does not have live sessions, enabling a single learner to engage with the material at their own pace, whether faster, slower, or intermittently. Families can enroll in the class at any time and begin immediately, with content and posts automatically uploaded. Each lesson should be accompanied by a pre-recorded video, with a minimum duration of one minute per lesson. To be eligible for enrollment, all lessons within a self-paced class must contain content in at least one post.

When creating a self-paced class, it's important to set clear expectations on how and when you'll interact with the learner, provide estimated completion times, and specify turnaround times for evaluations. This ensures a smooth learning experience for all participants.

You may use third-party tools for self-paced classes, as long as they are in line with our policies on Third Party Tools Available for Outschool Educators to Use with Learners. Please note that directing students to a Learning Management System (LMS) that houses all class information is not allowed in self-paced classes. Communication must remain on the platform.