Before you get started with a course, you must add it to your list first. Then, you choose a coach, exercise set and level. Once you have done this, you can start following the course. In this article we tell you more about the structure of a course.

1. XP's

At the top of the screen in every course, you will see a progress bar, which indicates how many XP's (experience points) you have already earned.

XP points are earned by completing assignments, where 1 XP equals about 1 hour. The number of XP's therefore indicates approximately how long you spend on a particular assignment. 

On the left side of the progress bar you can see the total number of XP's for the course. The yellow star that says 'Final assignment' indicates at how many XP's you may request the final assignment or exam, if there is any. For most courses, this will be about 80% of the total amount of XP. With the final assignment you can complete the course. The final assignment is often an exam, but can also be another type of assignment. 

2. Chapters

Most courses consist out of themes. These themes give more structure to the assignments within the course. These chapters give more structure to the various assignments within a course. Usually there is no specific order in which the chapters should be completed. However, in a couple of instances the chapters should be completed in a specific order. When this is the case, a chapter will be 'locked' before you have obtained a certain amount of XP in the previous chapter. 

3. Assignment tiles

Below the progression bar you will see different types of assignment tiles. On the assignment tile you can read the title of the assignment and see various icons. The meaning of these icons is as follows:

• The green icon indicates the amount of XP you can earn by handing in the assignment
• The purple or blue icon indicates the amount of people you need to do this assignment
• The red icon with the little house on it indicates whether the assignment can be done at home

When you click an assignment tile, it will be opened.

4. Assignments - content

When you open an assignment, you can read what you need to do and get started on the assignment. There are different types of assignments you can encounter on the platform. Most assignments will be action based. These assignments may look something like this:
The assignment starts with an introduction. Here you can read about the subject of the assignment. Often the introduction will also contain a video. 

Next, you will get instructions on what steps exactly you have to follow to do the assignment. Sometimes an assignment consist of multiple parts. The assignment above for example consists out of three parts. In each part of the assignment you have to follow different steps.

To complete the assignment, you must hand in a file. Often this will be a written report in which you have answered some questions. Besides reports, you sometimes have to hand in video's, audio recordings, images or other types of files. In this way you can build a portfolio, which can later help you prove you are ready for the final assignment. Your coach will assess your assignments before you are allowed to take the exam!

In some assignments you will be handed a piece of theory to read. To check whether you have understood this theory completely, you have to answer a question about the subject. This can be a multiple choice question or a drag and drop exercise for example. These assignments may look something like this:

5. Assignments - assessment 

Immediately after you hand in the assignment, you are automatically rewarded with the corresponding amount of XP. Your coach will also receive a message about you handing in the assignment, and they can view and assess it. During the assessment your coach can approve or reject the assignment. If the assignment is approved its colour will turn green and you can keep the XP. If the assignment is rejected, the XP will be taken off of your progress again. Your coach will provide you with feedback for the rejected assignment you so you improve it. 

6. The final assignment

Once you have reached the star that says 'Final assignment' in the progress bar, a sample of your assignments will automatically be requested directed at your coach. Our system will automatically generate the sample of your completed assignments. Your coach must assess these assignments (again) and determine whether you are ready for the final assignment. Once the coach approves the sample, you can start the final assignment. This assignment is often an exam, but may also be another type of assignment. After also successfully completing the final assignment, you will have completed the entire course!

Frequently asked questions:

• Can I also request the final assignment before I have made it to the star in the progress bar? 
  Yes, this is possible! Your coach can manually start the sample for you. So consult your coach about this. Remember that you usually prepare yourself for the final assignment by finishing almost the entire course though. If you are missing parts, it is possible that you will not be prepared optimally for the final assignment.
• What happens to my progress when my subscription ends or when I change my settings? 
  Your progress will always remain safe! You do need a subscription to continue a course, and to request and complete the final assignment.  When you change your settings to a new school year and also choose the most recent exercise set, it's possible that your (older) progress may no longer be visible. This can always be resolved. In this case, contact us. 
• A link an assignment no longer works, what should I do?
  It's a possibility that you are experiencing (technical) issues. Attempt to resolve these yourself first. In case you can't figure it out, you can contact us. 
•  Can I hand in an assignment a second time? 
  Yes, this is possible. The file will be added to the rest of the files you have handed in. 
• I am unable to hand in an assignment, what can I do? Het lukt me niet om een opdracht in te leveren, wat kan ik doen?
  It's a possibility that you are experiencing (technical) issues. Attempt to resolve these yourself first. Perhaps your video file is too large (bigger that 100MB). Read this article on ways to submit a large (video) file. 
• My progress has disappeared, what can I do?
  Annoying! This might happen when you have (by accident) chosen the wrong exercise set. For example when you have started the course in an exercise set of last school year, and a new school year has just started. No worries, your assignments and progress can always be restored. Contact us about this.