This guide covers how to structure your course curriculum for the two main course types on Heartbeat — evergreen and cohort-based — along with a few principles to keep in mind as you build.
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In this guide
How to write effective lessons
Less is more. Focus your content on the core skills needed to achieve a clear outcome. The more focused your lessons are, the higher your completion rates will be — and a member who completes your first course is far more likely to come back for the next one.
One thought per lesson. Each lesson should teach one thing and show one example of it in practice. If you find yourself writing "and also..." — that's a sign you need a new lesson.
Include a feedback opportunity in your course
Gathering feedback mid-course — rather than waiting until the end — gives you a chance to act on it while the course is still running. This matters most for live cohort-based courses, where you can still adjust what's coming.
How to set it up: Create an assignment at the halfway point of your course. Set the submission type to external and link to a feedback form (Google Forms works fine). Label it clearly so members know what it's for, and include a few prompts — what's been most useful, what's felt unclear, what they'd like more of.
Use the course to pull members into your community
A course that exists in isolation misses an opportunity. The members going through your course are often your most engaged — they're invested enough to show up and do the work. Use that momentum to connect them with the rest of your community.
Community embeds let you bring community features directly into your course — discussion channels, events, peer matchups, and more. This creates natural on-ramps from the course into the broader community, and gives members a reason to keep showing up after the course ends.
🎓 Learn how to create community embeds.
Structure your content based on your Course type
Evergreen Courses
Evergreen Courses are self-paced — members can start and progress at their own speed. The goal is a structure that guides them forward without overwhelming them.
Modules: Each module should focus on one self-contained skill. Members should be able to complete a module and walk away having learned something they can apply.
Lessons: Aim for 2–3 lessons per module, drip-released one day at a time. This keeps members moving at a sustainable pace without letting them rush ahead before the material has had time to land.
🎓 Learn how to drip release content in courses.
Assignments: Include one assignment per module. This is where members demonstrate what they've learned — and it gives you a signal on where people are getting stuck.
🎓 Learn how to create assignments.
Events: Even in a self-paced course, a regular touchpoint goes a long way. Weekly office hours or drop-in Q&A sessions give members a place to ask questions and feel like part of something, not just someone working through videos alone.
🎓 Learn how to create community events.
Cohort-based Courses
Cohort-based Courses run in groups with a fixed start and end date, typically with a mix of live sessions and asynchronous lessons. The structure is tighter — and more dependent on pacing.
Modules: Each module should represent a unit of time — typically one week. Lock modules until the relevant week begins. This keeps the cohort moving together and prevents members from rushing ahead.
Events: Live sessions are the backbone of a cohort course. For shorter courses (1–3 months), aim for 2–3 events per week. For longer courses (3+ months), one per week is usually enough. These sessions are where the cohort experience actually happens — don't treat them as optional.
Lessons: Asynchronous lessons support the live sessions — pre-recorded videos or written materials members can return to. The number will depend on how many live sessions you're running each week.
Assignments: Plan for at least one assignment per week, and no fewer than two per month. Assignments keep members accountable between sessions and give the cohort shared reference points to discuss.
Next step: Create assignments and lessons
➡️ Create assignments and lessons for your course
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