How to create a WOW online (cohort) learning experience (Part 2)
Different types of community design
Hi friends,
Hope you are having a good weekend ❤️
I am back with another post on my product-building series.
In my last post, I talked about the 4 important elements of an online cohort learning experience.
Content: What kinds of content are we delivering to the learners?
Experience: What kinds of transformations are we delivering to the learners?
Community: What kinds of community are we designing for the learners?
Digital Environment: What kinds of digital learning environments are we holding for the learners?
In this post, I will further expand the community element.
At MỞ, we often talk about creating community-driven learning experiences because we believe this is where transformation lies. We believe that without a community that drives motivation and accountability, it's harder for learners to achieve the transformations they desire.
Through my experience designing and building online learning experiences over the past few years, I've always believed in the power of cohort-based learning experiences.
I believed that the most optimal way to create transformations in online learning is through community, through cohorts.
However, over the past few weeks of delivering a cohort model and building an ongoing community model, I have been able to unpack a few things regarding what community means, what cohort means, and what kinds of impact these models of online learning bring about.
Let's dive into it.
I've spent time designing both cohort-based programs as well as ongoing community models. Through this experience, I've realized there are some key differences in how community shows up:
Cohort-based Model
In a cohort model, a group of learners go through a program together from start to finish. They share the same learning path and timeline. There's camaraderie and intensity - everyone is in the trenches together working towards the same end goal. The feeling of community comes from tackling the experience as one unit.
Ongoing Community Model
This model allows learners to join and leave the community on their own timeline. Rather than a shared start and end point, learners are continuously evolving together over time. Community comes from interacting with others at different stages of the journey and learning from their evolving perspectives. The community is steady and co-evolving.
While both models foster community, the nature of that community differs based on the format. In one, the community bonds over starting and ending together. In the other, it bonds over the ongoing, nonlinear evolution of its members.
But in both cases, a thoughtfully cultivated community enhances connection, accountability, and transformation for learners. As designers, we can leverage different models to create the right community experience for the goals of our programs and students.
Whether it's video courses, cohort courses, or subscription models, community can be integrated into different types of online learning experiences.
For example, for a self-paced video course, community may show up through an online discussion forum where students can connect with each other asynchronously. The emphasis is on learning from each other's perspectives and experiences, not necessarily embarking on the same learning journey together.
For intensive cohort-based courses, community is tightly integrated into the shared learning experience where students start and end at the same time. Cohort models allow for community activities like small groups, peer-to-peer support, and collaborative projects.
Subscription or membership models are great for building an ongoing community over time. As new members join, they can learn from and be inspired by those who are further along in their journey. This creates a continuous cycle of motivation and evolution.
No matter what model is chosen, community plays a key role in driving transformation, accountability, and results. It provides the social support and motivation needed for lasting change. Rather than being an add-on or being an element that is strictly tied to cohort models, community could be intentionally designed into the core of an online learning experience.
The key is figuring out what type of community will serve the goals and needs of our learners best. Once we identify that, we can thoughtfully integrate the right community elements into any online learning program.
#wotn4
Bài viết thuộc thử thách viết 30 ngày của khóa học Writing On The Net.