Cohort-Based Courses
I have been interested in learning for a while. My pursuit of learning how to learn was triggered by this quote from Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
My motivation for learning has always stemmed from personal growth and improvement or becoming a better version of myself. I now realise that it is the wrong approach. I need to approach it from the abundance mindset and curiosity, rather than becoming better. I had this profound realisation last year when I attended a course called “Art of Accomplishment”.
MOOCs or massively open online courses were the first innovation in online education. They were great because they levelled the playing field. Any lecture given in a prestigious university was reserved for a select few. It was now open to anyone with curiosity. It led to the creation of companies like Coursera, Udemy and so on.
This model turned into a marketplace later on. Udemy and Skillshare got high-quality content/skill creators on board and wanted students to have a subscription or membership. But even then, I am told that the course completion rate is abysmally low. Close to 96% of the students enrolling the classes don’t complete it.
If MOOCs were an attempt to unbundle universities, it was not a success because they provide three things: knowledge, credentials and community.
MOOCs were ticking the knowledge box. The credentials were not a big USP as the completion rates were too low. Many companies made all the course content free, but you had to pay to get the certificate. Companies like Udacity created an alternative for the university with nano-degrees too.
(… to be continued)