Estimated Duration
Overview
Estimated Duration tells learners how long an Item will take to complete. This helps them plan their learning time effectively, choose content that fits their available schedule, and set realistic expectations before starting.
Accurate duration estimates improve the learner experience and help with learning time reporting across your organisation.
Functionality Breakdown
How Duration Works
Every Item has an estimated duration that:
Displays on Item tiles and detail pages
Helps learners plan their time
Contributes to Learnlist total time calculations
Appears in learning time reports
Duration Options
Learn Amp offers two ways to set duration:
Time Brackets
Choose from predefined ranges appropriate to your content type:
For articles, documents, and quick content:
Less than 5 minutes
5–10 minutes
10–20 minutes
20–30 minutes
More than 30 minutes
For videos, presentations, and e-learning:
Less than 10 minutes
10–30 minutes
30 minutes–1 hour
1–2 hours
More than 2 hours
For courses and longer content:
Less than 1 hour
1–2 hours
2–4 hours
4–6 hours
More than 6 hours
For events and intensive learning:
Less than 2 hours
2–4 hours
4–8 hours
8–12 hours
More than 12 hours
Custom Time
Enter a precise duration using hours, minutes, and seconds:
Ideal when you know the exact length (e.g., video duration)
Provides the most accurate estimate
Displays the specific time to learners
Content Type Groups
Different Item types offer different duration options:
Content Type | Duration Group |
|---|---|
Article | Short increments (5-minute brackets) |
Document | Short increments (5-minute brackets) |
Video | Medium increments (10-minute to hour brackets) |
E-learning | Medium increments (10-minute to hour brackets) |
Book | Longer increments (hour-based brackets) |
Course | Extended increments (multi-hour brackets) |
Duration in Reports
Estimated duration appears in:
Content Log CSV: Total time in seconds for each Item
Engagement reports: Aggregate learning time estimates
Learnlist totals: Combined duration of all Items
Pre-requisites
Platform Requirements
Duration settings are available on all Items by default
Role Requirements
Users who can set duration:
Role | Can Set Duration |
|---|---|
Learner | ✗ |
Curator | ✓ |
Learning Designer | ✓ |
Admin | ✓ |
Owner | ✓ |
Quick Start Guide
Setting Duration Using Time Brackets
Navigate to the Item you want to edit
Click Edit to open the Item editor
Go to Key Details or the relevant settings section
Find the Estimated Duration or Total Time field
Select a time bracket from the dropdown
Click Save
Setting Custom Duration
Navigate to the Item you want to edit
Click Edit to open the Item editor
Go to Key Details or the relevant settings section
Select Custom Time from the duration dropdown
Enter Hours, Minutes, and/or Seconds
Click Save
Checking Duration on Learnlists
Open a Learnlist
View the total estimated time displayed on the Learnlist
This is calculated from all Items within the Learnlist
If the time seems incorrect, check individual Item durations
FAQs
Does duration affect completion tracking?
No, duration is an estimate for planning purposes. Completion is tracked separately based on your completion settings.
What if I don't know how long content takes?
Choose the best-fit time bracket. You can always update it later based on learner feedback.
How does custom time display to learners?
Custom times display as formatted hours and minutes (e.g., "1h 30m" or "45 minutes").
Do videos automatically detect duration?
For some video types, Learn Amp may suggest a duration based on the file. You can accept or override this.
How is duration calculated for Learnlists?
The total is the sum of all Item durations within the Learnlist. If Items are added or removed, the total updates accordingly.
Can learners filter by duration?
Yes, if enabled, learners can filter content by time available (e.g., "I have 10 minutes").
Troubleshooting
Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
Duration not displaying on Item | Ensure a duration is set. Check the Item edit page and save a time bracket or custom time. |
Learnlist shows wrong total time | Individual Item durations may be incorrect. Check and update each Item's duration, then refresh the Learnlist. |
Custom time not saving | Ensure you've entered valid numbers. Hours, minutes, and seconds must be positive integers. Minutes and seconds cannot exceed 59. |
Duration options don't match content type | Duration brackets vary by Item type. If options seem limited, check the Item type is correctly set. |
Report shows "0" for time | The Item may have no duration set, or duration is set to a bracket that reports as the minimum value. |
Best Practices
💡 Tip: For videos and audio, use custom time with the exact duration for the most accurate estimates.
💡 Tip: When in doubt, round up slightly—it's better for learners to finish early than feel rushed.
💡 Tip: Review Learnlist total times periodically to ensure they're realistic for learners.
⚠️ Warning: Very long durations (10+ hours) may discourage learners. Consider breaking content into smaller Items within a Learnlist.