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How to Create and Manage Courses

This article helps you understand how to create, customize, and manage courses in Opus.

Ben Brunken avatar
Written by Ben Brunken
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Table of Contents

What is a Course?

A course is the actual training experience your learners go through—whether it’s part of a module or a stand-alone assignment.

Courses are made up of:

  • Screens – the main content (text, images, videos, quizzes, etc.)

  • Course Breaks – full-screen dividers to break up sections

  • Question types – quizzes or interactive prompts to reinforce learning

🎯 Quick facts:

  • Average recommended completion time: 3–5 minutes

  • Typical length: 15–20 screens + 1–3 quiz questions

  • Include a title screen with an overview (outline, summary, or “Employee Will Be Able To…” statement). The title screen is not part of the in-app learning experience, so think of it as your internal trailer—it’s a preview of what’s coming and why it matters.

  • Mix in media (images, GIFs, video) to boost engagement and keep learners’ attention

How to Create a Course

Go to the Courses page in the Opus dashboard.

  • Click + New Course: Choose how you want to start:

    • Blank Course – start from scratch.

    • Template from Marketplace – start from a pre-built structure.

    • AI Assist – generate an outline or content based on your prompt or uploaded files (handbooks, SOPs, role guides, etc.)

  • Start building and customizing your course.

  • Add a cover image to give learners a visual preview.

Using AI Assist for Courses

AI Assist helps you speed up course creation and enhance your content. You can:

  • Generate outlines based on prompts or uploaded files

  • Suggest edits for clarity, tone, and grammar

  • Recommend media (images, GIFs, videos)

  • Create quiz or text screens from existing content

💡 AI suggestions are a starting point. Review for accuracy, adjust to match your brand, and ensure they meet your training objectives.

Learn more about Opus AI Assist here!

Course Screens

To add a new screen, click the + button in the builder grid, or hover between screens to insert one.

Available screen types:

  • Text – for explanations, context, and instructions (supports media)

  • Course Break – full-screen divider with your brand color

  • Image Choice – quiz with images instead of text answers

  • Multiple Choice – single or multi-answer quizzes, including “select all that apply”

  • True/False – simple two-option questions

  • Short Response – short typed answer with a correct response required

  • Open-Ended – no right/wrong answer; great for feedback or reflection

  • Matching – match terms, tools, or processes (text-to-text or text-to-image)

  • Ordering – put processes or items in the correct sequence

Copying and Reusing Screens

  • To copy, select the screens and press Cmd/Ctrl + C or use the “Copy to clipboard” option in the ... menu.

  • To paste, use Cmd/Ctrl + V into another course.

  • Duplicate a screen to instantly clone it in the same course.

  • Hold Shift to multi-select screens for copying or moving.

Merge Fields

Merge fields are placeholders you insert into a course. When the course is assigned, Opus fills in the field with the right info for each learner based on their profile or your org setup.

  • {{name}}: Pulls in the learner’s first name. Great for greetings and check-ins to make the tone more conversational.

  • {{company}} or {{org}}: Inserts your company name as listed in Opus. Use this for referencing policies or values that apply across the org.

  • {{brand}} – Inserts the brand name tied to the user’s location. Useful when training content is shared across brands but needs to feel brand-specific (e.g., uniforms, menus).

Adding Media and Emojis

You can add media to any screen using the Add Media button in the builder or by uploading when creating a screen. The more contextualized and brand-specific the media is, the more meaningful it will be to your learner. It will also help them make visual connections back to their specific position.

Supported media include:

  • Library resources

  • Links (websites, docs, YouTube/Vimeo embeds)

  • Stock photos and videos

  • GIFs

  • Files from your device

Use emojis to:

  • Reinforce ideas

  • Make text scannable

  • Replace bullets or punctuation for a visual break

Course Settings

In the Manage tab, you can:

  • Set a due date (specific date or days after assignment)

  • Enable awarding a certificate after completion

  • Allow retry of wrong answers

  • Set passing grade (percentage)

  • Add tags for organization

  • Generate a QR code for assigning via scan

Course Status

  • Draft – Not visible to learners; can’t be assigned

  • Published – Ready for assignment or to add to a module

  • Unpublished Changes – Edits made but not re-published; learners still see the old version until updated

Publishing a Course

  • Click Publish in the top right corner.

  • Confirm settings (due date, retries, access, etc.).

  • Click Publish again to finalize.

  • Assign directly or add to a module.

Stand-Alone Courses vs. Courses in Modules

  • Stand-Alone Course – Assigned directly to learners; ideal for quick lessons or single-topic refreshers

  • Course in a Module – Part of a structured multi-topic training flow with resources, check-ins, and sections

FAQ

Can I reuse the same course in multiple modules?

Yes. A single course can appear in multiple modules without duplicating your work.

What happens if I edit a published course?

Learners will see the previous version until you republish. Unpublished changes stay saved in the draft state.

Can learners skip questions in a course?

Only if you allow it in the course settings. You can require correct answers before continuing.

What’s the max number of screens I can have in a course?

There’s no hard limit, but we recommend keeping it short (under 20 screens) for engagement and retention.

Can I track course completion separately from a module?

Yes, completion data is available both at the course level and within the module it’s in.

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