Course creation example

Creating a comprehensive course structure in Edusign is easier than you might think. This guide walks you through the essential steps to build a robust educational framework that grows with your needs.

The main things you will need to create an attendance sheet are:

Students
Teachers
Course
Groups (optional - For advanced users)

Then you can go further with training, documents, surveys, our events API or more!
If you do not track attendance with Edusign, your workflow might be simple and you might want to add events instead, as it is a lighter object to manipulate.

The Foundation: Getting Started Right

1. Add Students

Import your students into Edusign to create your digital attendance ecosystem. This is often the first step.
However, you could also decide to add student only when they have a course soon.

How to implement, example:

POST /v1/student
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "student": {
    "FIRSTNAME": "John",
    "LASTNAME": "Doe",
    "EMAIL": "[email protected]",
    "PHONE": "+33782576803",
    "GROUPS": ["group_id_1", "group_id_2"],
    "TRAINING_NAME": "Bachelor Digital Marketing",
    "API_ID": "student_001",
    "API_TYPE": "student_management_system"
  }
}

2. Add Teachers

Import teaching staff with specialties and contact information.

API Example:

POST /v1/professor
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "professor": {
    "FIRSTNAME": "Jane",
    "LASTNAME": "Smith",
    "EMAIL": "[email protected]",
    "SPECIALITY": "Digital Marketing",
    "TAGS": ["Marketing", "Social Media", "Analytics"],
    "API_ID": "PROF_001"
  },
  "dontSendCredentials": false
}

Adding at least one teacher to a course is mandatory.

3. Create Courses

Build courses and link them to groups or individual students.

API Implementation:

POST /v1/course
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "course": {
    "NAME": "Introduction to Digital Marketing",
    "DESCRIPTION": "Fundamentals of digital marketing strategies",
    "START": "2024-01-15T09:00:00.000Z",
    "END": "2024-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
    "PROFESSOR": "professor_id_here",
    "CLASSROOM": "Room 101",
    "SCHOOL_GROUP": ["group_id_here"],
    "API_ID": "COURSE_DM_001",
    "NEED_STUDENTS_SIGNATURE": true
  }
}

Linking options:

Group-based for standard classes
Individual-based for tutoring

Course Creation Best Practices

Use descriptive names that include level and subject
Set realistic time slots and duration
Assign appropriate classrooms or locations
Link to the correct teacher profiles
Plan your structure before creating multiple courses

Congratulations! Your first course should be live and you can track attendance in Edusign!

Login as a teacher or go to an attendance sheet (course) in Edusign and track attendance, with or without a signature. Using a QR code, an email or even an NFC badge!

Take Your Setup Further

Training Programs

Create comprehensive learning paths by grouping related courses.

Why use trainings:

Provide holistic view of student progress across multiple courses
Simplify document and survey distribution
Enable professional certification workflows

Implementation Example:

POST /v1/trainings
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "NAME": "Complete Digital Marketing Certification",
  "START": "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "END": "2024-06-30T23:59:59.000Z",
  "GOALS": "Comprehensive digital marketing skills development",
  "TAGS": ["certification", "digital-marketing", "professional"],
  "STUDENTS": ["student_id_1", "student_id_2"],
  "API_ID": "TRAINING_DMC_2024"
}

Why use trainings:

Holistic progress tracking
Simplified document distribution
Professional certification workflows

Surveys & Feedback

Gather valuable insights throughout the learning journey.

Survey Integration:

POST /v1/surveys
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "survey": "survey_template_id",
  "students": ["student_id_1", "student_id_2"],
  "professors": ["professor_id_1"],
  "sending_date": "2024-01-20T10:00:00.000Z",
  "trainingId": "training_id_here"
}

Benefits:

Real-time feedback collection
Course improvement insights
Student satisfaction monitoring

Document Management

Seamless document distribution and digital signatures.

Document Creation Example:

POST /v2/documents
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "admin_id": "admin_user_id",
  "recipients": [
    [
      {"category": "student", "id": "student_id_1"},
      {"category": "admin", "id": "admin_id_1"}
    ]
  ],
  "document": {
    "name": "Course Completion Certificate",
    "base64": "JVBERi0xLjQKJeLjz9MKMSAwIG9iaiA8PAovVHlwZSAv..."
  },
  "trainingId": "training_id_here"
}

Advantages:

Legal compliance through digital signatures
Automatic distribution to students
Completion tracking and reminders

Training Program Setup Guide

Step 1: Create your training container

Choose a descriptive name
Set start and end dates
Define completion criteria

Step 2: Link existing courses

Add related courses to the training
Ensure proper sequencing
Set prerequisites if needed

Step 3: Attach resources

Add surveys for feedback collection
Upload documents requiring signatures
Include reference materials

Result: A complete learning pathway with automated tracking and professional documentation.

Create Groups (Advanced Users)

⚠️ Recommended for experienced users only

Groups can streamline course management but require careful planning. Managing courses with groups can be more complex than working directly with students.

Why groups might be challenging:

More complex course updates and modifications
Additional layer of complexity in student management
Requires careful planning of group structure
Harder to troubleshoot when issues arise

When groups make sense:

Large institutions with consistent class structures
Recurring course patterns with stable enrollments
Need for batch operations across multiple courses

API Implementation:

POST /v1/group
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "group": {
    "NAME": "Digital Marketing 2024",
    "DESCRIPTION": "First year digital marketing students",
    "STUDENTS": ["student_id_1", "student_id_2", "student_id_3"],
    "API_ID": "DM2024_GROUP",
    "API_TYPE": "academic_system"
  }
}

Group by:

Class year or level
Specialization or track
Physical location
Learning pace

It's up to you!

A group can contain sub-groups. However, this is only to help visually, it doesn't have an impact with the courses.
For example, a parent group containing 3 subgroups, if associated to a course, will only contain the students linked to the parent group.

Streamline with Smart Automation

Real-Time Data Sync

Set up webhooks for instant notifications:

on_course_locked - Attendance finalized
on_student_sign - Student signs attendance
on_document_completed - All signatures collected

Webhook Configuration Example:

PATCH /v1/school
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "school": {
    "WEBHOOKS": [
      {
        "type": "on_course_locked",
        "url": "https://yoursystem.com/webhooks/course-locked"
      },
      {
        "type": "on_student_sign", 
        "url": "https://yoursystem.com/webhooks/student-signed"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Business Impact:

Instant SIS updates
Automated billing triggers
Real-time parent notifications

Scheduled Updates

Implement automation for regular tasks:

Daily enrollment updates
Weekly attendance reports
Monthly completion certificates
Semester-end grade imports

CRON Job Example:

# Daily sync at 6 AM
GET /v1/course?start=2024-01-01&end=2024-01-31&filters=locked
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN

# Process locked courses for billing
# Update student information systems
# Generate compliance reports

Efficiency Gains:

Reduced manual work
Consistent data quality
Improved compliance

API Resources & Documentation

Essential Endpoints

Student Management:

Create Student - Add new students
Get All Students - Retrieve student list
Update Student - Modify student information

Course Operations:

Create Course - Build new courses
Get Course Details - Retrieve course information
Lock Course - Finalize attendance

Advanced Features:

Create Training - Build learning programs
Document Creation - Generate signed documents
Survey Management - Collect feedback

Authentication

All API calls require authentication:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

Get your API token from your Edusign dashboard under Settings > API Keys.

Best Practices for Success

Start Simple, Scale Smart

Begin with the basic four-step process. Add advanced features as your team becomes comfortable with the platform.

Plan Your Structure

Think about your organizational needs before creating groups and courses. A well-planned structure saves hours of reorganization later.

Monitor and Optimize

Use analytics to understand usage patterns:

GET /v1/course?page=0&filters=locked&start=2024-01-01&end=2024-01-31
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN

Benefits at Every Level

For Administrators:

Reduced paperwork and manual processes
Better compliance and audit trails
Real-time visibility into attendance patterns
Streamlined communication workflows

For Teachers:

Simplified attendance management
Digital signatures instead of paper
Instant access to student information
Automated absence notifications

For Students:

Clear visibility into attendance records
Digital convenience for signatures
Access to important course documents
Transparent communication about absences

Ready to Get Started?

Creating your first course structure in Edusign transforms tedious administrative tasks into streamlined digital workflows. The key is starting with solid foundations and building up gradually.

Next Steps:

Remember: every feature you add creates compound benefits across your entire educational ecosystem.

Need help with specific implementation details? Check our complete API reference or contact support for personalized guidance.