What students see in spaces
When you open a space, it helps to know what your students see: where they find it, how they get in, what they do inside, how they control its notifications, and what happens as their subscription nears its end. Then you can explain it all in one message, and you know why someone asks “where is the space?”. We follow Yacine Bouzid and Ines Hamdi, students in Sara Makhloufi’s video-editing courses; the experience is the same for a photography trainer’s student, a marketing coach’s subscriber or a pupil in an exam class.
- About 3 minutes to read
- 5 steps
Who can do it: This is what a student sees in their portal. To see spaces they need access to one of your courses or membership of one of your spaces.
In 5 steps
- 1A student finds “Community” in their portal: on a computer by switching from “Academy” to “Community”, on a phone from “More”.
- 2They join a free space with “Join” or “Ask to join”, and subscribe to a paid one with “Subscribe”.
- 3Inside a space: “Feed”, “Questions” and “Links”, and they write a discussion or a question if you allow it.
- 4The bell “Notifications for this space”: every post, teacher only or off, with muting and “Leave space”.
Before you explain it to students
- A published space whose rule covers your students, or where you added them.
- Your portal’s link: students sign in there with their account.
- The space’s own link, copied with “Copy link” from any post in it.
- Step 1 of 5
Where a student finds their spaces
On a computer, at the top of the portal’s menu, two buttons: “Academy” and “Community”. Under “Community”: “All spaces”, then “Spaces” with their spaces by name and the count of new posts on each, and “Browse spaces”. On a phone: “More” → “Community”. The “Community” page shows their spaces, with small numbers when they belong to several — “My spaces”, “New”, “This week”, “Ending soon” — then “Open to join” and the “General space”. Someone who hasn’t joined any space yet sees “Open to join” first, not empty numbers.
On screenAcademyCommunityAll spacesMy spacesBrowse spacesMoreNewThis weekEnding soonOpen to joinGeneral spaceTipEasiest of all: send the student the space’s own link; they land on it right after signing in.
- Step 2 of 5
Joining and subscribing
In a free “Instant” space they press “Join” and they’re in. “On approval”: they press “Ask to join”, read “Request sent — awaiting approval” and “You'll be notified once accepted.”, and the space shows “Awaiting approval”. For a paid space they open its page: name, contents, “What you get”, a price like “1,500 DZD / month” and the “Subscribe” button (“No commitment: the subscription simply ends at the end of its term.”), then pay as in the lesson “Free and paid spaces”. An invite-only space shows “This space is by invitation from your teacher.”, with no pay button.
On screenJoinAsk to joinRequest sent — awaiting approvalAwaiting approvalWhat you getSubscribeThis space is by invitation from your teacher.TipIf a student says “I can’t find the join button”: either the space’s rule doesn’t cover them (they didn’t buy the course, aren’t in the group), or it’s invite-only. Add them from “Members”.
- Step 3 of 5
Inside the space
The student sees the space’s header (name, members, this week’s posts) and three tabs: “Feed”, “Questions” and “Links”. In the “Feed” they write in “Write in …” a discussion or a question if “Members open threads” is on; on a phone, a square question-mark button opens a question directly. They react to each post: “Like”, “Comment”, vote in a poll, answer a quiz, reply to an event with “Going”, play a clip. They edit or delete what they wrote themselves. In the general space they can always write.
On screenFeedQuestionsLinksWrite in …LikeCommentGoingTipTeach students to post a question as a “Question”, not a “Discussion”: it’s gathered under “Questions”, and once accepted the answer helps everyone after them.
Heads-upA student can’t post an announcement, poll, event or clip: those are yours and your team’s.
- Step 4 of 5
The bell: each space’s notifications, in the student’s hands
At the top of each space a bell opens “Notifications for this space” — “You decide what reaches you.” — with three levels: “Every post” (“Everything posted here, by the teacher and by students.”), “Teacher only” (“The teacher's announcements, files and events — not students' questions.”), “Off”. Your choice in settings carries “Default here”, and theirs wins. Below, “Mute for a while”: “8 hours” or “A week”, and a line: “Nothing rings between 22:00 and 06:30. Anything posted at night arrives in the morning.” In a free space, “Leave space” with a confirmation: “It leaves your list and its posts stop reaching you…”.
On screenNotifications for this spaceEvery postTeacher onlyOffDefault hereMute for a while8 hoursA weekLeave spaceLeaveCancelTipPhone notifications need the student to install the portal on their phone and allow notifications. On iPhone it must be added to the Home Screen first.
Heads-upA subscriber to a paid space doesn’t see “Leave space”: their membership runs to the end of the period.
- Step 5 of 5
Before the end, and after
Seven days before a subscription ends, a strip shows inside the space with the days left and the “Extend membership” button, and the space carries “Expires soon” in their list. If they renew, the period is added to what is left. If not, the space and its included courses close on the date, and opening it they see “Subscription lapsed — renew to return” with “Extend membership”; the space moves under “Lapsed” in their list. Their course progress stays saved.
On screenExtend membershipExpires soonSubscription lapsed — renew to returnLapsedTipIf they already have an open order, they read “Track order” instead of paying a second time.
Next
- Send the link“Copy link” on the welcome post, in a WhatsApp message to your students.
- Set the default“Member notifications” in settings: what rings for those who haven’t chosen.
- Watch the lapses“Lapsed” in the “Members” tab.
- Answer questionsThe “Questions” tab and “Accept as answer”.
Questions
My student can’t see the space — why?
Three reasons: the space’s rule doesn’t cover them (they didn’t buy the course, aren’t in the group), it’s closed and invite-only, or they don’t have access to any course yet. Add them from “Members”, or change the rule.
How does a student silence a space?
With the bell at the top: “Mute for a while” for 8 hours or a week, or “Off” for good. The space keeps its “new” dot.
Does a student see who voted or answered?
Voters’ names aren’t shown. And in a “Challenge” they don’t see classmates’ answers before the time.
Can a student leave a space?
They leave a free space from the bell → “Leave space” → “Leave”. They come back according to its joining: at once, with a new request, or when you add them. A paid space runs to the end of the period.
Why doesn’t the student get notifications on their phone?
They must install the portal on their phone, allow notifications, and their level must let the post through (for instance “Teacher only” doesn’t ring for students’ questions). Between 22:00 and 06:30 nothing rings; it arrives in the morning.
How does a student renew?
From inside the space: “Extend membership” in the strip before the end, or on its page after. They pay as the first time, and the period is added to what is left.