How to create a Learning Management System and virtual classroom in WordPress with live and recorded classes

07 Aug How to create a Learning Management System and virtual classroom in WordPress with live and recorded classes

At Algaba Studio, we love challenges. And when they come from our clients, we feel stronger to tackle any project.

One of our clients, a company that provides advisory and training services to help people find work in another European country, tasked us with developing a virtual classroom for their language and cultural integration courses, which they could self-manage. They wanted live classes and later access to recordings for their students, all as automated as possible.

Would you like to know how we did it?

Tools and applications used:

• WordPress
• Astra Theme
• LearnDash LMS
• Events Calendar for WordPress
• Zoom Pro
• Buddypress
• YouTube
• Zapier

Creating the foundation: WordPress website with LearnDash virtual classroom

We installed WordPress on the client’s server and used the free Astra theme. Since most URLs and sections of the website were going to be related to the courses and virtual classroom functionality, we prioritized usability over design, so a free theme like Astra in its basic version was more than enough.

Remember that you can download WordPress for free here and Astra from the WordPress template repository.

For the virtual classroom base, we used Learndash LMS. Without going into too much detail, Learndash LMS is a paid plugin that includes all the functionalities of a virtual classroom that you can imagine on your website. Its configuration is very simple, and even without extensions, it allows you to create countless courses divided into modules and lessons with exams, practices, and certificates.

In our case, we used the following extensions:

• BuddyPress for LearnDash
• Learndash LMS – bbPress Integration
• Learndash LMS – Notifications
• Learndash LMS – Stripe Integration

Check the prices of Learndash LMS.

Live classes and event calendar

For live classes, we decided to use Zoom in its Pro version. Zoom had the following advantages for the project:

• It’s a popular video calling application worldwide.
• It allowed automatic recording of classes in its cloud.
• It could be connected with WordPress to facilitate class management.
• It can be connected with Zapier to manage class automations and recordings.

In its Pro version, by purchasing multiple licenses, it allowed the simultaneous management of classes from different courses.

We installed the Events Calendar for WordPress plugin in its Pro version along with its Zoom extension, which allowed us to create Zoom events directly from WordPress and insert an individualized calendar for each student on the website’s frontend very easily. Events Calendar for WordPress also had a connection with BuddyPress groups, which in turn were integrated with LearnDash courses. This way, the process was as follows:

A Zoom meeting was created from Events Calendar and assigned to a corresponding BuddyPress group for the course to which the class belonged. This way, this event only appeared on the calendar of those students registered in the corresponding course.

You can try the free version of Events Calendar for WordPress here.

BuddyPress, groups, and messaging

BuddyPress became an essential pillar of the project due to its bridging function, through its group functionality, between LearnDash LMS and Zoom + Events Calendar. Additionally, it allowed us to create simple user areas so that students could easily access basic functionalities such as modifying their password, profile picture, and messaging with teachers and peers.

To improve the design and usability of the BuddyPress messaging system, we installed the Better Messages plugin. This way, we not only improved usability by using a design system very similar to WhatsApp, but also extended functionalities to offer students and teachers the ability to send mass messages, create conversation groups, or chat live.

Recorded classes and automation with Zapier

Another key functionality to achieve was for students to be able to watch the recorded classes whenever they wanted, either because they couldn’t attend the live class or because they wanted to review the content.

To do this, we first purchased available space in the Zoom cloud to increase the 5 GB available, as the number of events daily and the length of the classes were not enough. The links to the Zoom classes are available in the virtual classroom almost instantly, as they take only a few minutes to process.

At the same time, an automation is triggered from Zapier that connects Zoom with YouTube. As soon as a recording is automatically uploaded to the Zoom cloud, another automation is triggered that uploads that recording to a YouTube channel and lists it as hidden so that no one without access to the virtual classroom can access it. This process takes 2 or 3 hours between upload and processing on YouTube. At the end of a week of lessons, those YouTube classes are uploaded to the URL of each module of the course, for those who prefer to review the classes more comfortably from YouTube.

Do you want a Virtual Classroom for your Training Center? Do you have any project in mind?

Count on us for your online training project. At Algaba Studio, we stand out for finding imaginative solutions for your project and using the most suitable available tools in the market for each need, saving you costs and optimizing your time.

From our digital marketing agency, we propose innovative ideas and actions at all times so that you continue to elevate your brand. We maintain a solid and lasting relationship with the client and put love into everything we do.

Do you want to join our digital ecosystem? Contact us 🙂

We’re waiting for you!

About The Author

Alejandra Garcés

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