Build a Course with the Stat Mania Template

All coursesAuthoringQuarto

Beginner

Build a Course with the Stat Mania Template

A self-guided tour of the course template itself: learn how modules, lessons, quizzes, takeaways and progress tracking fit together, then copy it to start your own course.

SM Created by
Stat Mania, Course authoring team Last updated 10.2026

📚 What you'll learn

• Understand how the three-column course layout maps to files and settings.
• Create modules and lessons and put them in the right order.
• Use front matter to drive lesson headers, time estimates and the home page.
• Add takeaways, callouts, discussion prompts and graded quizzes.
• Write code blocks, and know how to switch on live, executable code.
• Customise colours and layout, then render and publish the course.

3modules

7lessons

53 minof content

8quiz questions

🔁 Why plain files, not a CMS?

A course here is a folder of text files in git, built into a static site. That choice makes it reproducible, and it avoids what usually goes wrong with a CMS.

Every change is tracked

Lessons are Markdown in git. Each edit is a reviewable diff, and any past version of the course can be restored in one command.

One command rebuilds everything

Clone the repo, run quarto render, and you get the same site. No database, no plugins and no hidden settings to drift.

Results come from code

Numbers, tables and plots can be produced at build time from the code on the page, so they are regenerated, not pasted in as screenshots.

Review like software

Collaborators propose changes as pull requests and comment line by line. A CMS gives you a revision list; this gives you a review workflow.

No lock-in

Content is plain text and the output is ordinary HTML. Move hosts, change tools or archive the course without exporting anything.

Fast, free and low maintenance

A static site has no login, no server to patch and no plugin updates. It can be hosted for free on GitHub Pages.

Rebuild it yourself

git clone https://github.com/statmania/course-kit.git

cd course-kit && quarto render

A CMS is still the better choice when many non-technical people must edit in a visual editor, or when you need server features such as user accounts, grading or payments. This kit gives learners progress tracking and quizzes in the browser, but not those.

🧰 Requirements

• A text editor and Quarto 1.4 or newer.
• Python 3 with PyYAML (used by the pre-render script).
• No prior Quarto experience needed.

Course content

Module 1Start Here2 lessons · 11 min

What the template is, how a course is organised, and where every file lives.

1.1How the template worksThe three columns, the generated home page and where progress is stored.Reading6 min1.2Project structureA tour of the folders and the one file that defines the course order.Reading5 min

Module 2Writing Lessons3 lessons · 28 min

Front matter, reusable components and code cells: everything you use day to day.

2.1Anatomy of a lessonThe front matter fields that drive the lesson header and the home page.Reading7 min2.2ComponentsTakeaways, callouts, discussion prompts, quizzes, tabs and margin notes.Reading12 min2.3Code blocks and live codeShow code, run code at build time, or run it in the learner's browser.Code9 min

Module 3Make It Yours2 lessons · 14 min

Re-skin the theme, then render and deploy.

3.1ThemingChange colours and column widths from one SCSS file.Lab8 min3.2Rendering and publishingPreview locally, render, and deploy the finished course.Quiz6 min

SM

Stat Mania

Course authoring team

Stat Mania builds free, hands-on statistics and programming courses that run entirely in the browser.

0%

0 of 7 lessons

Start course

• Modules and lessons
• Built-in quizzes
• Saved progress, no account
• Works on phones

Progress is saved in this browser only.