Add a welcome or orientation lesson
In this article: How to add a welcome lesson that helps students navigate your course, set up their profile, and know what to expect. Includes a ready-to-use template you can copy and adapt. All Plans
Why Add a Welcome Lesson
A short orientation lesson as the first lesson in your first module helps students feel confident from the start. Instead of figuring out the platform on their own, they get a quick walkthrough of how to navigate, where to find meetings, and how to mark lessons as complete.
This is especially helpful if your students are new to online courses or if your course includes live sessions, discussions, or scheduled content.
The welcome lesson doesn't need to be long. A few bullet points and an optional video can make a real difference in how smoothly students start.
Create Your Welcome Lesson
- Open the Manage Course menu (Cmd+K on Mac, Ctrl+K on Windows) and click Modules & Lessons.
- In your first module, click Add Lesson and title it something like "Welcome" or "Start Here."
- Add orientation content using the template below, or write your own.
- (Optional) Embed the Ruzuku learner walkthrough video shown above into the lesson using Add media → HTML or embed code. Here's the embed code:
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/846201847?h=edb7d9b176&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" width="600" height="384" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" title="Ruzuku learner walkthrough"></iframe>
Ready-to-Use Welcome Lesson Template
Copy and paste the text below into your lesson editor, then customize it for your course. Replace anything in brackets with your own details.
Here are a few quick tips about how to navigate the platform:
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If it's your first time on this platform, watch this short orientation video to get familiar with how things work. [Embed the video above, or link to it.]
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Set up your profile. Go to your Account and upload a profile photo and a short bio. It makes discussions and interactions much more personal. While you're there, check that your time zone is set correctly so you receive notifications at the right time.
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Find your meetings. Click Meetings in the left sidebar menu (on mobile, tap the three lines at the top left to open the menu). You can join live sessions from there, and if you miss one, the recording will be available through the same link.
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Work through the lessons. Each module contains a series of lessons. When you finish a lesson, click the Mark as Complete button at the bottom to move to the next one. This is how [I/we] track your progress.
Try that now by marking this lesson as complete once you're done reading!
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Get email notifications. Add notifications@courses.ruzuku.com to your email contacts so course notifications reach your inbox. Check your spam folder if you don't see them.
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Bookmark the course. Save courses.ruzuku.com in your browser. You'll get email links to bring you back, but the bookmark is a handy shortcut.
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Adjust your notifications. Click Preferences in the left sidebar menu to control which email notifications you receive for this course.
Need help? Click the menu at the top-right of the page (where your initials or photo appear) and click Support to browse help articles. You can also email Ruzuku Support directly at support@ruzuku.com.
Tips for a Strong Welcome Lesson
- Keep it short. Students are eager to start the real content. A brief orientation (5-minute read or 2-minute video) is plenty.
- End with an action. Ask students to mark the lesson as complete or post a quick intro in a discussion prompt. This teaches them how the course works by doing it.
- Mention your schedule. If your course has drip-released modules or live sessions, tell students when new content arrives and how they'll be notified.
- Set the tone. Your welcome lesson is your students' first impression of the learning experience. Make it warm and encouraging.