LearnDesk Live Classes enables you to run classes that occur on a one-time basis. For example, you want to offer a free trial class to a new student that can occur on Friday, 6-7 pm. One-time scheduled classes are a great way to get new students to try your existing class, which can enable the students to experience your teaching style. This will eventually help you funnel such students into your recurring classes.
Terminology
- Event Interval: One-time event interval is an instance of a single or a repeating time period during which the student can book a class with you. You will learn to create event intervals below in the section titled "Schedule".
- Slot: A slot is a period of time that can be booked by a student for a class. The duration of the slot is equivalent to the value of the "Duration" field. A slot can be booked during the event intervals defined by you. You will learn about "Duration" and "Event Interval" below.
- Event Interval dialog box: An event interval dialog shows up whenever you add or edit an Event Interval in your Schedule.
Setting up One-time Events
Once you have completed the basic information of the class, added the pricing, and submitted the class for approval, it's time for you to set up the One-time events for the live class.
Events in LearnDesk include location, time period, duration, schedule, notice period, maximum events, maximum students, and notifications that are combined together to enable students to book a slot on your calendar.
To know if your class supports the One-time events schedule, check the helper label below the class name in the class editor, as shown below:
To set up/edit the events for a class that you have already created, navigate to the list of Live Classes for your School, click on the class that you want to edit, and then click on the "Events" tab.
Location
As a first step towards setting up your One-time events, you need to set the location of the class. The location can be any one or a combination of the following:
- Phone: If you will be teaching over a phone call/conference call, input the phone number and additional dial-in information at which the students should call you at the time of the event.
- Address: If you will be teaching at a physical location, input the address for the location where the students should come to attend the event. For example, the address of your teaching facility.
- URL: If you will be teaching using online meetings software like Zoom or Webex or GoToMeeting, you can input the URL of your meeting.
Location is a required field.
Time Period
Next, you will set the time period for the event intervals by selecting one of the options, as shown below:
You can select from the following three options:
- To a limited number of days from today: Using this option, you can limit the event intervals available for booking to a certain number of days from today. For example, students can book a slot only 15 days from the current date. Do note that the number of days from today is calculated on a rolling basis, where with each new day, the intervals will be available till the specified number of days from that day.
To set this option, input a number in the field as shown below. The maximum value for this field is 730. - Within the select range of dates: Using this option, you can limit the event intervals between a start and an end date. For example, starting in a week from now and ending in 3 weeks. Do note that, once the end date has passed, no more slots will be available for booking by the students. As a result, if you want to get additional bookings after the end date, you will have to update this start and end date and save and publish the events schedule.
To set this option, click in the input field as shown below and then select the start and end dates from the date selector, as shown below:
Once selected, the start and end dates will be set to the chosen dates. - On ongoing basis: Using this option, you can offer intervals for booking on an ongoing basis. This option is especially useful when you run your class year around. If this option is selected, event intervals will be available for up to 24 months (2 years) from the first instance of the interval.
Schedule
The schedule is the fundamental part of a live class. In the schedule of a one-time live class, you select the dates and times, also called "Event Intervals", during which students can book a slot on the teacher's calendar.
The schedule for a one-time live class is set by adding event intervals on your calendar, as shown below:
Add an interval
To get started with adding an event interval, click on the day when the interval should start. In the resulting event interval dialog, start by adding an interval for the hours that you will teach by clicking on the "+ Add an interval", as shown below:
Next, enter the start time, end time, and select the teacher.
Repeat
You can set the interval to repeat by choosing the "Repeats every ..." option, as shown below. If you select this option, then the slot will be made available for booking, for the same day of the week, in the following weeks as well.
Does not repeat
If you choose the "Does not repeat", as shown below, then the slot will be available only for that particular day/date.
Delete
To delete one of the event intervals, use the trash option, as shown below:
Additional Event
You can add additional event intervals by clicking on the "+" icon.
Color
Learndesk Color feature allows you to differentiate between multiple classes, as shown below:
Multiple events will appear, as shown below:
Reorder Events
You can re-order the event intervals by clicking on the drag handle for the respective entry and moving it up or down. Re-ordering the event intervals changes the order in which they are displayed in this dialog. They do not have any impact on the sales and checkout pages of the class.
Apply
Once you have added the required event information, it's time for you to apply the event schedule to your calendar. To do so, click on the "Apply" button in the dialog, as shown below:
View all Events for a Day
If you have set up more than 2 events per day, you can access the additional events for that particular day by clicking on the label "+n interval". When you do so, you will get a dialog box similar to the one shown below, which will list all the events for that particular day. Click on any of the events to continue editing their fixed schedule.
Time Interval Conflicts
If the Check Conflicts option is enabled, an attempt to add a new event at the time of a day when an event is already defined for the same teacher will display an error message "This time interval has a conflict. Click here to view the conflicts", as shown below:
When you click the link "Click here", a new information window will appear and it will display the list of classes that have time interval conflicts, as shown below:
Time Zone
You can change the time zone for all the event intervals in your schedule. To change the time zone, click on the "Edit" icon located next to the time zone, as shown below. From the resulting drop-down, select the new time zone.
Duration
Next, you will set the duration of the slots that can be booked for each of the defined event intervals. For example, let's say, you have set an event interval from 6 pm to 8 pm, and you set the duration to 15 minutes, as shown below:
With this setting, your students will now be shown slots every 15 minutes, starting at 6 pm and ending at 8 pm. The following would be the list of slots that will be shown for booking to the student on the checkout page.
- 6:00 pm - 6:15 pm
- 6:15 pm - 6:30 pm
- 6:30 pm - 6:45 pm
- 6:45 pm - 7:00 pm
- 7:00 pm - 7:15 pm
- 7:15 pm - 7:30 pm
- 7:30 pm - 7:45 pm
- 7:45 pm - 8:00 pm
You can also input values in minutes or hours by choosing the "Custom" option, as shown below:
Notice Period
Next, you will set the notice period that can be required before a slot of the live class can be booked. For example, let's say, you have set an event interval from 6 pm to 8 pm, and you set the duration to 15 minutes, and the notice period to 30 minutes. With this setting, your students will now be shown slots every 15 minutes, starting at 6 pm and ending at 8 pm. Since the notice period is set to 30 minutes, the slot at 6:00 pm will not be available for booking after 5:30 pm.
You can set the notice period in minutes, hours, or days, as shown below. The minimum value for the notice period is 5 minutes and the maximum value possible is 30 days.
The notice period is not a required field.
Maximum Students
To effectively manage your live class, and provide a meaningful experience to your students, you can limit the maximum number of students who can book a particular slot.
You can set the maximum number of students for each slot by inputting a number in the "Maximum Students" input box, as shown below:
The maximum students' field is a required field.
Limits for maximum students
Maximum values that you can input in this field are related to the Location set for the events of the live class. Following are the maximum values as per the location:
- Phone: 100
- Address: 100
- URL: 100
Maximum Slots
Next, you will set the maximum slots that can be booked for a particular day for a particular teacher. For example, let's say, you have set an event interval from 6 pm to 8 pm, and you set the duration to 15 minutes, and the maximum slots are set to 4. With this setting, your students will now be shown slots every 15 minutes, starting at 6 pm and ending at 8 pm. However, once 4 slots have been booked for that particular day, no other slots will be available for booking, for that particular teacher on that day. Do note that, if this class is a group live class, students can continue to book from the already booked 4 live slots, till those slots themselves reach the maximum number of students allowed.
The maximum slots field is not a required field.
Check Conflicts
To manage your time conflicts make sure the box is checked, to avoid clashes with other live classes for a particular teacher, as shown below:
Email Notifications
LearnDesk's Live Class Notifications feature enables teachers to send email messages to their students and provide them with information about the class. Event notifications are a powerful tool that enables teachers to engage students. Amongst other uses, event notifications help increase class attendance, help students come better prepared for the class, and get students to perform follow-up actions after the class. Notifications include a variety of messages such as messages that can be sent out when students book a class or messages that are sent out before the start of the class.
Teachers can set up the following notifications for One-time classes:
- Confirmation Email: Message sent when a student buys the class.
- Cancellation Email: A message is sent if the class is canceled by the teacher or the student.
- Reminder Emails: One or more messages that are sent before the start of the class.
- Follow-up Email: Message sent after the end of the class.
Confirmation Email
The confirmation email sends out a system-generated email confirmation to students once they book the class. The email lists the time and location of the class. The time of class is listed as per the student's time zone. The location of the class is listed as per the location set by the teacher under the Location section. This includes the phone number, address information, or the URL to be used for the web meeting. If the teacher selects the "LearnDesk web conference" option, then LearnDesk automatically generates a web conference URL for the students and includes it in the confirmation email.
The confirmation email is set up using the "Confirmation Email" checkbox, as shown below:
Cancellation Email
The cancellation email sends out a system-generated email to students and the teacher.
The cancellation email is sent in the following scenarios:
- If the student cancels their booking for a slot of the one-time class.
- If the teacher cancels the booking of a student for a slot of the one-time class.
- If the teacher cancels a slot of the one-time class. The cancellation email is sent to each of the students of the slot of the one-time class.
The cancellation email is set up using the "Cancellation Email" checkbox, as shown below:
Reminder Emails
The reminder emails are sent out before the start of the class and help increase class attendance and engagement. You can ensure that your students come better prepared for the class by including the class agenda, reading materials, class rules, class requirements, and other such materials. This will help you get started with teaching right away during the live class.
The reminder notification is set up using the "Reminder Email" checkbox and by entering information after clicking the "Manage" button, as shown below:
You can use a customized subject line and email body for the reminder notification, as shown below. The body of the email supports rich-formatting options.
The reminder notifications automatically include the time and location of the class. You can further customize the email and include additional information with the use of email template variables. To view the list of available variables, click on the "Variables" button, located next to each of the subject and body labels.
Clicking on the variables button should bring up the variables dialog, as shown below. Click on any of the variables to add them to the subject or body.
You can restore the default subject and body for the reminder email by clicking on the "Restore default" button, located next to each of the subject and body labels.
You can set the reminders to be sent up to 3 times before the start of the class. You can configure the time at which the reminder emails are sent before the beginning of the class under the "Timing" section, as shown below:
You can set the time period in minutes, hours, or days. For example, you can set the reminder notification to be sent out 30 minutes, 2 hours, or 3 days before the start of the class.
Reminders can be set up to be sent from 0 minutes to 25 days before the start of the class.
Follow-up Email
The follow-up email is sent out after the end of the class and helps increase student engagement and actions. You can use the follow-up emails to let the students know about your class offerings, sign up for an advanced class, or provide feedback on the class they have attended. This will help you to build a relationship with the students once the class has ended.
The follow-up notification is set up using the "Followup Email" checkbox and by entering information after clicking the "Manage" button, as shown below:
You can use a customized subject line and email body for the follow-up notification, as shown below. The body of the email supports rich-formatting options.
You can further customize the email and include additional information with the use of email template variables. To view the list of available variables, click on the "Variables" button, located next to each of the subject and body labels.
Clicking on the variables button should bring up the variables dialog, as shown below. Click on any of the variables to add them to the subject or body.
You can restore the default subject and body for the follow-up email by clicking on the "Restore default" button, located next to each of the subject and body labels.
You can configure the time at which the follow-up email is sent after the end of the class under the "Timing" section, as shown below:
You can set the time period in minutes, hours, or days. For example, you can set the follow-up email to be sent out 30 minutes, 2 hours, or 3 days after the end of the class.
Follow-up emails can be set up to be sent from 0 minutes to 25 days after the end of the class.
Check out the Email Template Variables help document to learn how to add the name and email address of the student in the notification emails.
SMS Notifications
LearnDesk's Live Class Notifications feature enables teachers to send SMS to their students and provide them with information about the class. Event notifications are a powerful tool that enables teachers to engage students. Amongst other uses, event notifications help increase class attendance, help students come better prepared for the class, and get students to perform follow-up actions after the class. Notifications include a variety of messages such as messages that can be sent out when students book a class or messages that are sent out before the start of the class.
Teachers can set up the following notifications for One-time classes:
- Confirmation SMS: Message sent when a student buys the class.
- Cancellation SMS: Message sent if the class is canceled by the teacher or the student.
- Reminder SMS: One or more messages that are sent before the start of the class.
- Follow-up SMS: Message sent after the end of the class.
Confirmation SMS
The confirmation SMS sends out a system-generated SMS confirmation to students once they book the class. The SMS lists the time and location of the class. The time of class is listed as per the student's time zone. The location of the class is listed as per the location set by the teacher under the Location section. This includes the phone number, address information, or the URL to be used for the web meeting.
The confirmation SMS is set up using the "Confirmation SMS" checkbox, as shown below:
Cancellation SMS
The cancellation SMS sends out a system-generated SMS to students and the teacher.
The cancellation SMS is sent in the following scenarios:
- If the student cancels their booking for a slot of the one-time class.
- If the teacher cancels the booking of a student for a slot of the one-time class.
- If the teacher cancels a slot of the one-time class. The cancellation SMS is sent to each of the students of the slot of the one-time class.
The cancellation SMS is set up using the "Cancellation SMS" checkbox, as shown below:
Reminder SMS
The reminder SMS is sent out before the start of the class and helps increase class attendance and engagement. You can ensure that your students come better prepared for the class by including the class agenda, reading materials, class rules, class requirements, and other such materials. This will help you get started with teaching right away during the live class.
The reminder notification is set up using the "Reminder SMS" checkbox and by entering information after clicking the "Manage" button, as shown below:
You can use a customized SMS body for the reminder notification, as shown below. The body of the SMS supports rich-formatting options.
The reminder notifications automatically include the time and location of the class. To view the list of available variables, click on the "Variables" button, located next to the body label.
Clicking on the variables button should bring up the variables dialog, as shown below. Click on any of the variables to add them to the body.
You can restore the default body for the reminder SMS by clicking on the "Restore default" button, located next to the body label.
You can set the reminders to be sent up to 3 times before the start of the class. You can configure the time at which the reminder SMS are sent before the start of the class under the "Timing" section, as shown below:
You can set the time period in minutes, hours, or days. For example, you can set the reminder notification to be sent out 30 minutes, 2 hours, or 3 days before the start of the class.
Reminders can be set up to be sent from 0 minutes to 25 days before the start of the class.
Followup SMS
The follow-up SMS is sent out after the end of the class and helps increase student engagement and actions. You can use the follow-up SMS to let the students know about your class offerings, sign up for an advanced class, or provide feedback on the class they have attended. This will help you to build a relationship with the students once the class has ended.
The follow-up notification is set up using the "Followup SMS" checkbox and by entering information after clicking the "Manage" button, as shown below:
You can use a customized SMS body for the follow-up notification, as shown below. The body of the SMS supports rich-formatting options.
To view the list of available variables, click on the "Variables" button, located next to the body label.
Clicking on the variables button should bring up the variables dialog, as shown below. Click on any of the variables to add them to the body.
You can restore the default body for the follow-up SMS by clicking on the "Restore default" button, located next to the body label.
You can configure the time at which the follow-up SMS is sent after the end of the class under the "Timing" section, as shown below:
You have the option to set the time period in minutes, hours, or days. For example, you can set the follow-up email to be sent out 30 minutes, 2 hours, or 3 days after the end of the class.
Follow-up SMS can be set up to be sent from 0 minutes to 25 days after the end of the class.
Save
You should continue to save the events set up frequently, as you keep making changes. The "Save" button is on the bottom right of the screen. You can also save using the keyboard combination CTRL+S on Windows and ⌘+S on Mac, as shown below:
You will also be notified by email of any changes that you have saved, as shown below:
Publish
Once, you have set the location, time period, duration, schedule, notice period, the maximum number of students, the maximum number of slots, and notifications, and saved the setup, you are ready to publish the events to the sales page of your class. Click on the "Publish" button located on the bottom right of the screen to publish the events to the sales page.
You can publish the events to the sales page only after the class has been approved.
Following is how the slots will look on the checkout page of the live class.
Updates to Schedule
If as part of your changes to the events of the class, you have updated the location, then the resulting updates are automatically reflected on the student's and teachers' schedules. An automatic email notification will be sent out to the students and the teacher providing them with the updates made to the class.