Educator (courses) workflow
Build a flat ordered curriculum in Portal Manager, sell it with a Digital Products Course SKU (portal-only wizard), let students learn in the client portal with progress and video resume, attach lesson downloads, and optionally Explore-upsell related products to buyers.
Architectural alignment
Educators sell structured programs, not single zip files. ArtInStack pairs Portal Manager courses with Digital Products Course SKUs: buyers check out on your site, then sign in to the client portal to move through ordered lessons, resume video, download lesson attachments, and (optionally) see Explore offers for related products. Media stays in the library; lesson order and purchase/invitation grants define the path—without a separate LMS host.
Creator use cases: lesson notes vs attachments
Each lesson has a short description (sales/outline teaser), rich-text lesson notes (the in-portal “textbook”), and optional attachments (files students download). Use them differently:
Lesson notes (rich text)
Notes live beside the video in the student player. They turn a long recording into something students can skim and reuse.
| Use case | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Timestamps & written recipes | Call out timecodes (for example 02:15 — masking skin tones, 05:40 — tone curve) and step-by-step recipes so students jump to the right moment without scrubbing a 20-minute video |
| Cheat sheets & parameter settings | Publish exact values students copy (camera: 1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 400; Lightroom: Contrast +15, Highlights −40) |
| Links & external resources | Link gear lists, location maps, contract templates, or third-party tools inside the notes |
| Findability for students | Written notes are easier to re-open and scan later than hunting through video alone (this is in-portal learning value—not public marketing SEO) |
Attachments (downloadable files)
Attachments are often why students buy. They turn watching into doing.
| Use case | Typical files |
|---|---|
| Editing presets & styles | Lightroom .xmp / .dng, Capture One styles—students apply the look from the lesson to their own RAWs |
| Color grading LUTs | .cube packs for camera profiles (Sony S-Log3, Canon C-Log, and similar) in Premiere or DaVinci Resolve |
| PDF guides & cheat sheets | Posing guides, lighting diagrams, hotkey sheets, pricing guides—printable or on-set on a tablet |
| Sample RAW / practice files | .CR3, .ARW, and similar so students follow the edit in real time |
Author these in Portal Manager on each lesson—see Add lessons.
Required module configuration
| Area | Why you need it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Education module | Courses in Portal Manager and portal | Plan-gated |
| Media | Lesson video, covers, attachment files | Large videos use the video pipeline; lesson attachments can use private files |
| Products → Digital Products | Course SKU and checkout | Step 1–3 wizard; Course is always Client portal access |
| Portal Manager | Curriculum authoring + invitations | Course Progress on home is entitlement-driven (not a Portal Settings toggle) |
| Pages | Sales landing and buy CTA | Marketing layer; product detail pages for checkout |
Step-by-step implementation blueprint
- Confirm your plan includes education (Portal Manager → Courses appears).
- Media — Upload lesson videos and any PDFs/presets/XMPs students will download; wait for video ready before linking.
- Portal Manager → Courses — Create a course shell (title, slug, cover, draft), then add a flat ordered lesson list (drag to reorder). Each lesson can include short description, video, rich-text notes, and attachments.
- Products → Digital Products — What are you creating? → Course → name & price → What your customer receives (link your course; optional portal add-ons). Set Active. See Courses as a product.
- Pages — Publish a sales page with outcomes, lesson outline, and a buy path to that product (or use the product detail page).
- Complete a test purchase; sign in as the test student → Courses → open a lesson; confirm progress %, video resume, and attachment downloads.
- Optional: on the Course product, ⋯ → Upsell related digital products so buyers see Explore additional products on the portal home—see Upsell products in the client portal.
- Optional: invite named students without checkout via Portal Manager → Invitations (course grant).
Detail: Courses overview · Create a course · Add lessons · Student course experience.
Verification framework
- Test student sees only entitled courses (no locked “catalog” teasers).
- Lesson order matches Portal Manager; previous/next navigation works.
- Video resumes after a partial watch; Mark complete updates course progress.
- Lesson attachments download for entitled students.
- Non-purchasers cannot open lesson URLs.
- (If configured) Explore shows related products the test buyer does not already own.