Course default settings allow you to set the default settings used for new courses.
These will be the initial settings for all new courses, although they can be changed on individual courses after creation.
To set preferred default course settings go to Site administration > Courses > Course default settings.
The following settings are available:
| Setting | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Default image | Set a default image to display if no image is uploaded by the course creator. | A default image is also included within Totara Learn. If you are using a PNG or JPEG image then for the best resolution it is recommended that you use an image of at least 920x368 pixels with an aspect ratio of 10:4. This size will vary for other file formats, such as SVG which is more scalable. |
| Visible | Choose whether the course will be, by default, visible and available to learners to access via any course listings including their Record of Learning, Learning Plan(s) or the Catalogue. Visibility settings also apply to enrolled learners. | Users with the viewhiddencourse capability (such as course creators, editing trainers etc) will be able to see the course listing and access the course. This functionality is designed to allow course managers to assign learners to a course that is still being finalised. |
| Audience-based visibility | Specify if, by default, designated audience(s) members are able to see a course. | Please see Audiences for more information on Audience-based visibility. |
| Course format | ||
| Format | Choose from any course formats enabled on the site. | - |
| Maximum number of sections | Select the maximum number of sections (topics or weeks) a course can potentially hold. | - |
| Number of sections | Specify how many sections will show by default on a new course page. | Sections can be added and removed as required either via Course settings or on the course page using the add/remove section buttons. |
| Hidden sections | Whether sections are completely hidden or displayed but unavailable for access. | - |
| Course layout | Whether to have all sections on one page, or one page per section. | - |
| Course duration | The course duration is used to calculate the default course end date. | Course end date is used for determining whether a course should be included in a user's list of current courses. This field can also be used within custom reports. Enrolled users can still enter the course after the end date. |
| Course end date enabled by default | This setting determines if the course end date will be enabled by default for new courses and set to the date calculated from the course start date and course duration. | Course end dates can be edited within each course. |
| Appearance | ||
| Force language | Choose whether to force courses to display in a particular language | Note only the course and block navigation will display in a selected language. Content is not translated. |
| Number of announcements | Number of recent items from the news forum appearing in the latest news block on the course page. If set to zero, the latest news block will not be displayed. | - |
| Show gradebook to learners | Enable the display of the gradebook. | This setting does not prevent grades from being displayed within the individual activities. |
| Show activity reports | Whether you activity reports will be turned on by default. | - |
| Files and uploads | ||
| Maximum upload size | Define the largest size of file that can be uploaded in this course, limited by the site-wide setting. | - |
| Learner progress | ||
| Completion tracking | Choose whether completion tracking should be enabled and shown in activity settings or not. | Please see Course Completion for more information. |
| Mark as In Progress on first view | Mark course completion status as In Progress as soon as learners view the course the first time (instead of when they meet the first criterion). | - |
| Groups | ||
| Group mode | Decide on the default group mode: No groups, Separate groups, or Visible groups. | Please see Groups for more information. |
| Force (groups) | Force the course group mode to every activity in the course. | - |
Once you have chosen your desired settings click Save changes.
Totara Academy
The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to using Courses and categories in Totara Learn.
