Pre-Course Materials

Pre-Course Materials are essential informational resources that provide students with the necessary context and guidelines before they begin their formal training. This module allows your RTO to centralise student handbooks, course guides, and policies into a single digital gateway. By digitising these resources, you ensure that every learner is well-informed and possesses the foundational materials required for a successful training experience. This stage is critical for establishing clear expectations and ensuring that all students have received the same high standard of introductory information.

What's Covered in This Article

This guide walks through the setup of informational document collections that students must review before course access is granted:

Understanding Pre-Course Materials

Pre-Course Materials are collections of informational documents that students must review and acknowledge before accessing their course. These materials ensure students understand institutional policies, course expectations, and their rights and responsibilities before training begins.

Common Pre-Course Materials include:

  • Student Handbook
  • Course Guide
  • Complaints and Appeals Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credit Transfer and RPL Information
  • Workplace Health and Safety Guidelines
  • Code of Conduct
  • Assessment Policies

Key Features

Centralised Resource Delivery

Provide a range of files such as learner guides, policies, and handbooks in one location. Students access all essential information through a single, organised interface.

Structured Document Collections

Organise multiple items into a single, cohesive pre-training package. This ensures students receive all necessary information in a logical, easy-to-navigate format.

Validation of Receipt

Require students to formally acknowledge or "accept" materials before proceeding. This creates a clear audit trail demonstrating that students have been provided with and acknowledged critical information.

Administrative Automation

Set "default" Pre-Course Materials at the RTO level to automatically apply to all new courses, saving significant time across your entire curriculum and ensuring consistency.

Configuration Guide: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Access the Pre-Training Module

Navigate to the central registry for all entry-level content.

  1. From the left-hand navigation sidebar, locate the CONTENT pillar.
  2. Click on Pre Training.
  3. Click the Add button in the top-right corner.
  4. Select Pre Course Material from the header options to start a new collection.

Step 2: Define the Collection Header

Establish the identity and purpose of your document set:

  • Title: Enter a descriptive name for the collection (e.g., SIT30821 Standard Induction Pack).
  • Introduction Message: Use the text editor to explain to students what these materials are and why they must be read.

Step 3: Add and Configure Documents

Build a comprehensive list of documents within your Pre-Course Material collection.

Default Document Suggestions

When you create a new Pre-Course Material collection, the system provides default placeholders for common documents:

  • Student Handbook
  • Course Guide
  • Complaints Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credit Transfer/RPL

Adding Documents

To add more documents beyond the defaults:

  1. Click the + Add New button for every additional document you wish to include
  2. Common additions: Code of Conduct, WHS Policy, Assessment Policy, Fee Schedule

Configuring Individual Documents

For each document in your collection:

  1. Click the down arrow icon next to the document to expand its configuration menu
  2. Customise the document name:
    • Click into the text field
    • Rename to clearly identify the document for students
    • Example: Change "Student Handbook" to "SIT30821 Student Handbook 2026"
  3. Upload the file:
    • Drag and drop your PDF into the upload area, or
    • Click Upload a file to browse and select
    • File limit: 500 MB per individual file

Organising Documents

Arrange documents in a logical order:

  • Welcome/introduction documents first
  • Critical policies next (Student Handbook, Code of Conduct)
  • Information documents last (Course Guide, Fee Schedule)

Use drag-and-drop to reorder documents within the collection if needed.

Organise via the Down Arrow: Click the down arrow icon next to each item to expand its individual configuration menu.

  1. Customise Names: Click into the text field to rename the file type to clearly identify the document for the student.
  2. Upload Files: Use the expanded menu to drag and drop your PDF or click Upload a file (individual files cannot exceed 500 MB).

Step 4: Configure Student Acceptance (Agreement Declaration)

To ensure students have formally reviewed the material, you can require a digital sign-off.

  • Enable Declaration: Within the expanded menu for a document, toggle the Agreement Declaration to ON.
  • Set Requirements: When this is active, students must read the file and select a checkbox to indicate their agreement before they can proceed with their course.
  • Mandatory Status: Use this for critical documents like the Student Handbook or Code of Conduct to lock further progress until the declaration is met.

Step 5: Preview and Publish

Before making the collection available to students:

  1. Preview: Switch to the Preview tab to review how the document list and agreement toggles appear to the student.
  2. Publish: Click the red Publish button in the top-right corner to make the collection active

Setting Default PTR at RTO Level

Administrators can configure default Pre-Course Materials and Pre-Training Review assessments that automatically apply to all new courses.

How to Set Defaults

  1. Navigate to Settings → RTO Settings
  2. Locate the Pre-Training section
  3. Select your published Pre-Course Material and/or Pre-Training Review from the dropdown menus
  4. Click Save

Linking PTR to Courses

Pre-Training components must be linked to specific courses to become active.

  1. Navigate to Units & Courses
  2. Select the course you want to configure
  3. Click the Units & Content tab
  4. Locate the Pre-Training section
  5. Enable Pre-Course Material: Toggle on and select the published Pre-Course Material
  6. Enable Pre-Training Review: Toggle on and select the published Pre-Training Review assessment
  7. Click Save

When PTR is Required

  • PTR is only required when it has been enabled and linked to a specific course
  • Courses without PTR linked allow students immediate access to their class
  • Students see PTR requirements immediately after enrolment
  • Class access is blocked until all PTR requirements are completed

Related Articles

  • Setting: Pre-Course Requirements (Courses)
  • Pre-Course Materials & Pre-Training Review (Student Guide)
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