---
title: "Your first course"
description: "Create a course, add a slide with a button, test it in the preview and publish it as a file for Moodle."
canonical_url: "https://docs.ols.yonn.online/en/start/first-course"
---
# Your first course

> Create a course, add a slide with a button, test it in the preview and publish it as a file for Moodle.

This page takes you from an empty course list to a finished file for Moodle. It takes about ten minutes. You will:

- **create a course** from a template,
- **add a slide** with text and a button,
- **make the button work** so it goes to the next slide,
- **test** everything in the preview,
- **publish** the course and keep a backup.

## Create the course in 3 steps

<procedure>

### Open My courses

Open the Studio and click **My courses** at the top. This is your workbench: every course stored in this browser appears here.

### Click New course

Click **New course** at the top right. A window opens with three choices.

### Fill it in and click Create course

Type a **Course name**, choose a **Slide format** and a **Template**, then click **Create course**. The editor opens with the first slide. From now on everything is saved automatically.

</procedure>

![The New course window with name, slide format and the sample course Example: IT basics selected](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/screenshots/en/first-course-new-course.png)

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Element
    </th>
    
    <th>
      What it does
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        Course name
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The name in your course list, in the player and later in Moodle. You can change it any time by clicking the title in the editor.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        Slide format
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        Widescreen 16:9
      </strong>
      
       (1280 x 720 px, fits most screens) or <strong>
        Standard 4:3
      </strong>
      
       (960 x 720 px). You can change it later under <strong>
        Design
      </strong>
      
      , <strong>
        Size
      </strong>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        Template
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <strong>
        Blank
      </strong>
      
      : one start slide with a title and a start button. <strong>
        Branching scenario
      </strong>
      
      : one decision, two paths, a shared ending. <strong>
        Quiz
      </strong>
      
      : two questions and a results slide with a passing score.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        Example: IT basics
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      A large sample course with 7 chapters, many interactions and a final test. Under <strong>
        Course language
      </strong>
      
       you choose <strong>
        English
      </strong>
      
       or <strong>
        German
      </strong>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<hint-box kind="tip" title="Learn from the sample course">

Create **Example: IT basics** once, just to look at it. You see layers, triggers, questions and a results slide in action and can copy ideas from it.

</hint-box>

## Add a slide with a button

<procedure>

### Insert a new slide

Click **New slide** on the **Home** tab. The new slide appears after the current one. The small arrow on **Layout** next to it gives you a slide that is already arranged, for example **Title and content**.

### Write the text

Double-click a text box on the slide and type. A small toolbar appears for bold, lists, links and more. Click next to the slide when you are done.

### Add a button

Open the **Insert** tab and click **Button**. Drag the button to where you want it. Double-click it to change its label, for example to "Next".

### Make it do something

Keep the button selected. On the right, open the **Triggers** tab (the lightning icon) and click **New trigger**. In the window, pick the template **Go to the next slide** under **Quick start**. Everything is filled in for you: when learners click the button, the course goes to the next slide.

</procedure>

<hint-box kind="note" title="What is a trigger?">

A trigger is a rule: "when this happens, do that". Here: "when learners click the button, go to the next slide". More in [Triggers and variables](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/en/interact/triggers-and-variables).

</hint-box>

## Test it

Click **Preview** at the top right. The preview plays your course exactly as learners will see it. With the small arrow next to **Preview** you choose what to play:

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Choice
    </th>
    
    <th>
      What it plays
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        This slide
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Only the slide you have open. Quick for checking a single slide.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        This scene
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The current chapter.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>
        Whole project
      </strong>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The whole course from the start slide.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Publish it

<procedure>

### Open Publish

Click **Publish** at the top right. The window has four steps: **Format**, **Details**, **Scoring** and **Check**.

### Choose SCORM 1.2

Pick **SCORM 1.2**. It is marked **Recommended for Moodle** and works in practically every learning platform. Click **Next**.

### Check the details

Under **Details** you see the title and version of the package. You usually don't need to change anything.

### Decide when the course counts as finished

Under **Scoring**, choose when the course is complete: **Slides viewed** (good for courses without a test), **Results slide** (good for courses with a quiz) or **By trigger** (you decide the moment yourself).

### Download the file

Read the notes in the **Check** step and click **Publish**. A ZIP file is downloaded. Upload it to Moodle unchanged, without unzipping it.

</procedure>

![The Publish window, step Format, with SCORM 1.2 selected](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/screenshots/en/first-course-publish.png)

<hint-box kind="privacy">

Publishing happens entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded anywhere. How to add the file to Moodle: [SCORM and Moodle](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/en/ship/scorm-and-moodle).

</hint-box>

## Back up your course

Your course exists only in this browser. Back it up now:

- On **My courses**, open the **Workbench** menu and choose **Back up everything (.olsw)**. This saves all courses in one file.
- Or right-click a single course and choose **Export**, **As .olsx archive**.

More in [Versions and backup](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/en/ship/versions-and-backup).

## If something doesn't work

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Problem
    </th>
    
    <th>
      What to do
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      The button does nothing in the preview
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Select the button and look at the <strong>
        Triggers
      </strong>
      
       tab. Is there a trigger with <strong>
        User clicks
      </strong>
      
       and your button? Check that a next slide exists.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      Objects on the slide look pale in the editor
    </td>
    
    <td>
      They are not visible yet at the current time of the slide. The stage shows them faded. Play the timeline or switch off <strong>
        Respect timeline position
      </strong>
      
       in the bar below the slide.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      Moodle refuses the file
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Upload the ZIP file as it is, without unzipping. Large videos can exceed Moodle's upload limit.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      The editor shows "Saving failed"
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The browser storage is full or blocked. Free up space and make a backup right away.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>


## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://docs.ols.yonn.online/sitemap.md) for all pages.