Create a Cohort
Create an LMS Batch (cohort) to run instructor-led programs: link one or more published courses, define the schedule, configure seats, set up live classes, and publish to the portal. This guide walks through desk and portal creation paths with corporate terminology (Cohort) called out in the UI.
Table of Contents
- Planning checklist
- Create the batch record
- Link courses
- Instructors and evaluators
- Timetable and live classes
- Assessments and certification
- Paid batches (optional)
- Publish
- Desk paths
- Step-by-step example
- Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Related guides
- HRMS integration
Planning checklist
- Published LMS Course modules ready.
- Instructor User accounts with Course Creator or facilitator roles.
- Batch Evaluator identified for graded work.
- Schedule timezone confirmed for distributed teams.
- Seat count aligned with classroom or Zoom capacity.
- Email templates configured in LMS Settings.
Create the batch record
Desk: /app/lms-batch/new
Required fields:
- Title — cohort marketing name
- Start Date / End Date
- Description (Small Text)
- Start Time / End Time + Timezone for session clarity
Optional:
- Seat Count — cap enrollments
- Allow Self Enrollment — public signup within dates
- Category — LMS Category link
- Medium — Online / Offline / Hybrid metadata
- Meta Image for portal card
Save draft before linking courses.
Link courses
Courses child table (Batch Course):
- Add row per LMS Course included in cohort path.
- Typically order matches delivery sequence.
- Courses remain published independently—batch grants enrolled members access context.
Learners still consume lesson content via course player while batch provides schedule and community features.
Instructors and evaluators
Instructors table lists facilitators (User links). Match names employees recognize from HR directory (Employee records).
Assign Batch Evaluator role to users grading cohort assessments—not every instructor needs evaluator rights.
Timetable and live classes
Schedule tab:
- Pick Timetable Template if reusing patterns.
- Enable Show Live Class for calendar UI.
- Add timetable rows mapping dates to LMS Live Class entries.
Configure Conferencing Provider (Zoom / Google Meet) and link accounts. Test join link 24 hours before first session.
Assessments and certification
Assessment tab define batch-level rubric submissions.
Enable Certification when issuing cohort certificates separate from course certificates. Set Evaluation End Date before publishing grades.
Course-level quizzes still run inside lessons—do not duplicate unnecessarily.
Paid batches (optional)
Paid Batch enables Amount, Currency, and payment reminders (requires payments app for e-commerce). Internal HR training leaves paid flags off.
Publish
Check Published on batch when ready for enrollment. Triggers may send notifications if LMS Settings batch notifications enabled.
Verify portal /lms/batches lists cohort with correct dates and seats remaining.
Desk paths
| Action | Path |
|---|---|
| New cohort | /app/lms-batch/new |
| Edit cohort | /app/lms-batch/{name} |
| Live class | /app/lms-live-class |
| LMS Settings templates | /app/lms-settings/LMS%20Settings |
| Portal list | /lms/batches |
Step-by-step example
New Hire Week — March Cohort
- Title "March 2026 New Hire Cohort".
- Dates: Monday–Friday of hire week.
- Courses table: "Company Overview", "Safety 101", "Systems Training".
- Seat count 25; self enrollment off (HR enrolls).
- Timetable: daily 9am live orientation via Zoom.
- Evaluator: Training specialist user.
- Publish; HR enrolls employees from onboarding list.
Tips
- Clone prior batch via duplicate doc for recurring monthly cohorts.
- Set Allow Future on timetable if scheduling beyond batch start constraints.
- Upload Batch Details rich HTML for portal overview tab.
- Send calendar invites when Send Calendar Invite enabled in settings.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cannot save batch | Fill required dates/description |
| Course missing in picker | Publish course first |
| Zoom link fails | Validate Zoom settings record |
| Published not visible | LMS Settings → show batches |
| Wrong timezone | Adjust TZ; communicate to learners |
Related guides
HRMS integration
Schedule cohorts around Employee Onboarding start dates—HR enrolls hires once Employee records exist. Capture licensed skills in Employee Compliance when cohort includes regulated practicum sign-offs.
Room and capacity planning
For in-person cohorts, set Seat Count to room fire code limit. For virtual, cap below Zoom license maximum. Document backup instructor on batch form internal notes. Test Confirmation Email Template with real employee mailbox before bulk enroll.
After publish, moderators verify cohort appears at /lms/batches and desk /app/lms-batch simultaneously.
Governance, auditing, and data retention
Training data in Smooth LMS is standard Frappe JSON in MariaDB plus files in public/files and public/scorm. HR audits typically require evidence of who completed what by when. Export desk lists (LMS Enrollment, LMS Quiz Submission, LMS Training Assignment, LMS Certificate) to CSV for sampling. Quiz submission print formats provide question-level detail suitable for safety investigations or harassment prevention audits.
Retention policy should align with HR document retention: keep LMS submissions at least as long as related Employee Compliance records. When employees depart, disable User accounts but retain enrollment history unless legal counsel approves purging. Version course content via amended records or annual duplicated courses so historical completions still reference the correct curriculum year.
System Managers should restrict Moderator role membership and enable login activity review on sensitive cohorts (executive leadership programs). Pair LMS reports with HR onboarding status from Employee Onboarding overview to prove training preceded start date when required.
Frequently asked questions
Do employees need desk access? No. LMS Student is portal-only by default; send {site}/lms/courses links.
Can one user be both Course Creator and Moderator? Yes on small teams; larger orgs should separate author vs publish duties.
How do we handle contractors? Create User + optional HR employee record; assign training like employees via Employee records linkage or direct enrollment.
What breaks if HRMS is down? LMS continues serving published content; new hire auto-enrollment pauses until Employee/Onboarding APIs succeed.
Are certificates legally equivalent to HR compliance rows? Not automatically—store PDFs on compliance or document types when statute requires.
Performance and scale notes
Large enrollments (5,000+ users) should batch assign overnight via assign_mandatory_training rather than manual enrollment rows. Rebuild website cache after bulk publish. Monitor background workers if email notifications queue heavily. SCORM packages should be optimized zip exports to reduce disk usage during large uploads.
Additional troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Slow portal after publish | Hard-refresh browser; contact Smooth support if portal styling is broken |
| Wrong user on certificate | Certificate issued to enrollment member—fix User linkage in HR |
| Bulk import partial failure | Check error log; validate Course Instructor rows exist |
| Cohort vs course progress mismatch | Learner must open each course inside cohort; enrollments are per course |
| Timezone confusion on due dates | Training assignment due dates are date-only—communicate timezone in email |
Operations calendar (recommended)
| Cadence | Action | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Review overdue LMS Training Assignment | /app/lms-training-assignment |
| Monthly | Publish content changelog to employees | Email + /lms/courses |
| Quarterly | Role audit (Moderator/Creator) | /app/user |
| Annually | Recertify mandatory courses | Re-assign with new due dates |
| After upgrade | Sign out/in; smoke-test /lms portal |
/desk/learning |
Integration smoke tests with HRMS
- Create test Employee with user — confirm LMS Student role.
- Submit test Employee Onboarding — confirm enrollments when courses mandatory.
- Complete course — attach quiz PDF to test Employee Compliance row.
- Archive evidence in document compliance SOP.
Support runbook (L1)
Collect: user email, course/cohort name, screenshot of error, timestamp. Check enrollment exists, course published, role present. Escalate to System Manager if SCORM extract failed or permission hooks deny batch access. Reference Employee records to fix missing user_id before reassigning training.
Document history and change control
When updating this process, record the Smooth LMS app version, platform update date, and whether HRMS onboarding templates changed. Authors should note breaking changes in course release notes (quiz question changes may require reattempts). For regulated customers, maintain a binder linking LMS course ID to compliance control ID in Employee Compliance.
Desk administrators use /desk/learning for cross-course metrics; portal users rely on /lms/courses for consumption—both URLs should appear in internal SOP PDFs so auditors can reproduce learner steps without admin credentials.
Quick reference card
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Admin workspace | /desk/learning |
| Employee catalog | /lms/courses |
| HR employee link | Employee records |
| Onboarding hook | Employee Onboarding overview |
| Compliance ledger | Employee Compliance |
Keep this table in your L&D onboarding packet for new coordinators.
Closing notes for administrators
Schedule annual review of this guide with HR compliance and L&D. Confirm your organization's backups include public/scorm and file attachments for quiz uploads. After major HR reorgs, rebuild cohort rosters from Employee records exports rather than stale distribution lists.
Last updated: May 2026