What is Cohort-Based Learning? A Deep Dive into Collaborative Learning Models.

Curious about a learning method that’s reshaping education and professional growth? Discover how a powerful approach is changing the way we learn together and succeed. Dive in to explore why everyone’s talking about cohort learning!

Imagine a situation where you got signed up for an online course where you are assigned to a group of people whose pace of learning and shared ultimate goal is the same as yours.

Now you’ll get a team that has shared goals, challenges, and values, and then you’ll work in a team and not get distracted by other difficulties that you face in the journey, all thanks to your team spirit. That’s the power of the “cohort learning model,” which focuses on learner-based interests and social connection in the learning process. 

Why Cohort-based Learning Matters?

Why does the cohort-based learning matter to you? This is what you are thinking, right? But the future is all about adopting technology; technology is changing our daily lives and even society’s way of thinking.

Before technology, people used to travel for shopping and even for their daily requirements, but now with technology, you can buy anything with just one click. Technology drastically affects our lives. Like that, even in education, technology has come up with e-learning concepts that make our education digitally accessible.

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E-learning is growing rapidly in India, with a market size of $1.51 billion dollars in 2018; the market is now at $6.71 billion dollars in 2024. The e-learning market is expected to grow by about $15 billion in 2028, which is a whopping 123% growth!

                                                             Source: Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research

Study shows that the e-learning market is growing, but that doesn’t mean that all learners and educators are satisfied. A study shows that the engagement level in e-learning is 78% but the satisfactory level is still 22%, which raises a question; what really goes wrong?

The answer is with rapid-growing technology shifting traditional classroom-based to online classes, which brings a lot of challenges for educators and even learners. Educators don’t know how to utilize the technology, which makes them confused, and learners feel lonely and disconnected from the classes.

An all-in-one solution to this problem is Learnyst’s cohort-based learning! This not only makes it easy to operate the online classes, keeps track of classes, generates reports, and also supports the marketing of your course with its unique tools. Which makes the Learnyst an all-in-one package.

Key features of a cohort-based learning model

• Shared start and end dates of the learning
• Group interactions through discussions and group projects
• Peer-to-peer support and collaboration with each other

How Does Cohort-Based Learning Work?

You might be wondering how cohort-based learning works. Well, when you enroll in cohort-based learning courses, you’re assigned to a group of learners where everyone will begin their course at the same time. The courses are usually scheduled for a particular period of days or weeks, depending on the length of the course content and the difficulty level of the topic. 

At its core, cohort learning means you and a group of learners start together, face the shared challenges and difficulties, and finish the course together. And on this journey, you’ll have team spirit because you’re not alone in this learning journey; you have got teammates walking beside you, encouraging and sharing tips along the way.

Building a community is the focus of this learning, which makes it more beneficial than just a class. A cohort learning group will make learning much more relevant for you since it will put you in a community of learners who will teach you social skills, cooperation, and shared growth.

The Basics Of Cohort-learning

Cohort learning is a learning strategy prioritizing coursework or lessons that groups of students complete together interactively. This type of learning is typically used in K-12 and higher education settings where instructors teach the same lessons to groups of students.

Now, let’s talk about why the cohort learning model has become so popular and for the future learning model.

• Enhanced Engagement and Motivation: Statistically, learners in cohort-based learning report a higher level of engagement and motivation in the learning process.

• Networking Opportunities: By doing the cohort-based courses the learner will develop a Network in their group, which will be Started by doing project work, and assignments, and during discussions among the group members. Which may extend after the course Period,
  
  
• Improved learning outcomes: The cohort learning method can improve the learning outcomes, which shows a positive result in the learner’s growth in all aspects of learning.

Case Study: Cohort-Based Education and Other Factors Related to Student
Peer Relationships

A research conducted by the U.S. Department of Education on the cohort-based learning approach, Shows that the learners studied under cohort-based learning will improve their sense of community among the learners.

“At first, when I joined the cohort system, I thought it was a little bit limiting because I didn’t get to experience as many individuals... but I will say now that I am finishing up my degree, when I go into those classes that are open to anybody and I see individuals from my cohort, I gravitate to them, I trust them more, and I feel like we’ve been through stuff together, so it’s almost a sense of security.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            - A cohort-based learner.

Different Types of Cohort-Based Learning Models

Not all cohorts are the same; you might find that some courses are conducted "online," where all interaction happens virtually. Or, you might join an “in-person cohort," where face-to-face interaction leads to deeper connections. 

There are also “thematic cohorts," where learners are assigned to a group by a specific subject, topic, or interest. And if you’re looking to boost your career, you can join a “professional development cohort," where they focus on job-related skills.

Models of Cohort-Based Learning

·       Peer-Led Learning

In peer-led learning, learners take charge of their educational experience. You may lead a study group or even teach your peers. This model focuses on a deeper understanding of the “teaching is often the best way to learn” method.

For example, In a programming boot camp, you and your cohort group members are responsible for completing a project together. You might handle individual problem sections, then regroup each other's different components as a group whole.

·       Facilitated Cohorts

In this model, a facilitator guides the cohort group in a structured activity, encouraging collaboration while providing industry expert insights. The facilitator may intervene in the group discussion or focus the group when challenges arise along the cohort journey.

For example, in an online supply chain management course, a professor leads weekly discussions where you and fellow cohort group members discuss the case studies. The facilitator encourages different viewpoints and opinions that deepen your understanding of complex supply chain issues.

·       Self-Directed Learning with Cohort Support

Self-directed learning is a model of cohort learning where the learner will learn the course at his pace by considering the other fellow learner's feedback not only he complete the course but also he will understand the content even deeper by taking the feedback from his cohort group which gives his the environment for him to improve his academics as well as his personality.

For example, if you are preparing for any competitive exams and you are enrolled in a cohort-based group where every fellow learner has the same goal and the same challenge you can discuss the exam topic-related discussions which can be helpful for both sides of the discussion.  

Benefits That You Get from the Cohort-Based Learning Approach:

The benefits that the educators and learners will get from the cohort-based learning are the following:

Benefits for Learners

• Creates Sense of Community: Cohort-based learning facilitates a digital platform for learners to build a sense of community among the learners; a cohort creates a positive environment for learners; a good community means a good learning environment.
  
  
• Accountability: Learners will be more accountable when they study with their peer members, who will push the learners by guiding and giving feedback for their work. And also, the feeling of ‘keeping up’ with their fellow peer members will motivate them to work hard on their studies.
  
  
• Structured learning schedule: A structured learning path will give learners clarity about the course topics, timing, and duration of classes, and tests will guide the learners to manage their time accordingly. Especially those who are working professionals.

Benefits for educators

• Enhanced learning: If the learners have the motivation to learn and hold accountability for the course, it will make their educators teach them in a better manner, which might make it easier for the learners to understand the concepts.
  
  
• Improved course completion rates: If the learners feel motivated to learn the concepts and the educator has a positive environment for teaching, it will make the classes enjoyable for learners and eventually improve the overall course completion rates.
  
  
• Helps to create blended learning: Cohort-based learning creates an environment for learning where educators can blend online as well as in-person classes together. Which will create flexibility in the course structure.
  
  

If you want to know more about the Benefits of Cohort-based learning in detail then the top 5 benefits of cohort-based learning for adult education may be helpful to you. 

Challenges of Cohort-Based Learning

Every positive thing will bring a negative thing with them, like that cohort-learning has unique features which also bring some unique challenges, now we’ll understand what are the challenges of cohort learning.

• Group Dynamics: Managing different personalities and opinions in a cohort group can lead to conflicts and disagreements, making collaboration difficult to manage and creating tensions among peers that distract from learning.
  
  
• Time commitment: Balancing a cohort-based program can be affected by learners’ responsibilities, which cause stress and affect your learning pace, but as a whole cohort group.
  
  
• Varying learning paces: In cohort learning one of the challenges which is faced by the learner is their varying learning pace because naturally, every individual has their own understanding pace which leads to frustration in the learner about their slow or fast pace will affect the overall group's performance.

There is an article that focuses on what are the challenges in Cohort-based Learning And how to overcome them which has in detailed study about the challenges that may arise in cohort-based learning.

Setup a Cohort-Based Learning System in 5 Simple Steps

To set up your cohort-based learning program needs a systematic structure can be created by following these 5 simple steps which will provide and guide you to create your cohort learning model, here is a step-by-step guide to get started.

Step 1: Define Learning Objectives & Curriculum

The first step in creating Cohort-based learning is to make sure you are clear on your objectives and the curriculum you want to use. This will act as a base for your cohort learning.

Step 2: Develop a structured course timeline

After setting a clear objective and deciding the curriculum for your cohort-based learning, the next step is to develop a structured timeline for your course. That includes when the course should start, how many learners should be in the course, and what is the schedule of your course etc.

To develop a course timeline you need a flexible Learning Management System (LMS) which provides all the necessary tools and platforms to create the course timeline.

Step 3: Build a Strong Learning Community

After creating the curriculum, the next step is to create a space or environment for students, which will be the community for the students or learners. Where they can share their experience and discuss the topic and also build a strong emotional bond with their fellow peers, which eventually builds team spirit among the students.

And also provides a personal space for learners who will get a chance to discuss the topic independently, which are live chatting, virtual class, and community discussion. In group assignments, the instructor will be able to analyze the performance of the individual and also the group as a whole.

Step 4: Prepare Course Materials and Activities

To start a course, the most important component is the course material and activities, so you need to prepare suitable study material for the students according to their subject or topic, and creating activities for the group will also play a crucial role in the cohort structure, so keep the activities more social and make the learner do it in as a team with their fellow learners.

Step 5: Track and Measure Progress

Measuring the progress of the learners and tracking the performance of the learners is also important, so make sure the LMS you are using in your cohort course should have a tracking system. For example, the Learnyst LMS is one of the advanced analytical tools integrated into their course system.

So analyzing the performance and tracking their progress is also a crucial step for the cohort system. Analyzing the feedback and answering the FAQs also help you to improve the overall performance of your cohort system.

These are the simple and major 5 steps that every instructor should follow and create their own cohort-based learning model.

Start Your Cohort Journey Today!

Cohort-based learning is not just a learning model; it's an evolution in how we approach education and collaboration in a single framework. Bringing learners who share the same goals and challenges and making them a group of individuals where teamwork will guide them to their goals by sharing knowledge and experience and engaging with each other will increase the success rate, which not only improves their professional life but also their work.

Start your cohort-based learning journey with Learnyst.com today!