Create a track

A track is a named run of content beside the main path of your course, a "Refresher" for learners who struggle, an "Advanced" run for those who don't. Only learners a routing rule sends there receive it. When they finish it, they rejoin the course at a point you choose, or the course ends for them.

Admins and editors can create and change tracks.

Creating a track

1. Open the course's content page and choose Add Track.

2. Give it a Track name. Learners never see it, so name it for your team — "Refresher", "Advanced", "Managers only". Each track in a course needs a different name.

3. Choose where it Branches off: the Main path, or another track.

4. Choose where it Rejoins the course at: a piece of content, or Ends the course.

5. Save.

Choosing where it rejoins

The rejoin point is where a learner continues once they reach the end of the track. Two rules decide which content you can pick.

• It must be outward. A track can rejoin on the main path, or on a track it branches off — never on a track further in.

• It must be forward. The rejoin point has to come after the quiz or decision point that sends learners onto the track. Rejoining at or before it would send them straight back into the same branch, over and over.

The forward rule is checked every time something could break it: when you save a routing rule, move or reorder content, or edit the track. A change that would break it is refused, and you are told which track it affects.

Rejoin, or end the course?

A detour usually rejoins at the content straight after its branch point, so learners on it miss nothing and simply receive more.

Putting content on a track

Once your course has at least one track, the lesson, quiz, assignment and decision point forms gain a Track field. New content goes to the end of the track you pick, and to the main path if you leave it alone.

To move content that already exists, use Move to on its row in the content table. It lands at the end of the track you choose, or back at the end of the main path.

• Each track has its own order. Drag to reorder within one track at a time. A drag that crosses into another track is refused.

• Waiting periods work as they do on the main path, with one addition: the first item on a track is timed from the quiz or decision point that sent the learner onto it.

Tracks inside tracks

A track can branch off another track — an "Extra help" run inside "Refresher", say. Tracks can be nested up to ten levels deep.

A nested track can rejoin its parent track, or anywhere further out. If you leave its rejoin point empty and its parent has one, learners continue wherever the parent track rejoins.

How tracks look in the content table

• Each track appears indented under the content that routes onto it.

• Its header row names the rule that selects it — "If failed", "If score ≥ 80" — and has Edit Track and Delete Track.

• A closing row says "Rejoins at …" or "Ends the course".

• A track that several branch points send learners to appears once, with Also reached from listing the others.

• A track no rule sends anyone to yet is listed at the bottom, under Tracks no rule routes onto yet, so you can still find and edit it.

The Flow view draws the same thing as a diagram, which is easier to check at a glance once a course has more than a couple of tracks.

Changing a track

Choose Edit Track to rename it or change where it branches off or rejoins. The same outward and forward rules apply, and learners already on the track follow the new rejoin point from then on.

Deleting a track

A track can only be deleted once nothing depends on it. Clear these first, in any order:

1. Its content - move it with Move to, or delete it

2. Any tracks nested inside it - delete or move them

3. Any routing rules that send learners onto it - remove them, or point them at a different track

If anything is left, deleting the track is refused and you are told what is in the way.