Online Course Progress Tracker

Who this is for

An online course, one module at a time. Each row records a module's lessons, how many are done, the hours put in and the result of its quiz or assignment, and the sheet shows the percent complete and the days left to the finish date you set.

Self-directed learners working through an online course at their own pace, whether for work, a qualification or simply interest, and anyone who has started a course and lost track of it.

What this helps you track

• How far through each module you are, as lessons and a percentage
• How far through the whole course you are
• The hours you have put in, module by module and in total
• Quiz and assignment results as they come in
• How many days are left before the finish date you chose

How to use it

1. Write the course name, the provider, the date you started, your own target finish date and whether a certificate is needed.
2. List the modules in course order with the number of lessons in each.
3. After each study session, update the lessons done and add the hours spent.
4. Record each quiz or assignment result and the date a module is finished.
5. Percent complete, total hours and days remaining are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, divide lessons done by lessons in the module.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is percent complete worked out?

Lessons done divided by lessons in the module, as a percentage. The overall figure uses all lessons done over all lessons in the course, so a long module counts for more than a short one.

Where does the target finish date come from?

From you, or from the course if it has a deadline. The days remaining figure counts from today to that date, so check it now and then against the lessons still to do.

What if modules have no lessons, just videos or readings?

Count whatever the course uses as its unit, such as videos, readings or units, and use it consistently. The percentages work the same way.

Why record hours as well as lessons?

Because lessons vary in length. Hours show how much time the course is actually taking, which helps when planning the rest of it around work and home.