In this week's episode I want to talk about what I believe to be the future of online education – Cohort Based Learning. This isn't a new concept, but it IS revolutionary. After all, a revolution is simply a return to the start.
Cohort-Based learning fills in the missing pieces that we sacrifice when we're not in a physical classroom: The interaction, the community, the time constraints, the accountability…those are all invaluable educational tools that are stripped away with traditional digital courses.
This Cohort-Based format is why, after over a decade of teaching, I had my first 100% successful completion rate. Not completion as in “people showed up and listened to me lecture them“…Completion as in, they showed up and DID THE WORK they came to learn how to do.
Whether you're the teacher or the student, this is the format that will get you the results you're looking for. I'll break down all the why's in this week's episode.
Spiritual Foundations
“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
– Proverbs 10:4, EIV
Is this God's warning to us that unless we toil our life away we will have nothing? No. This is God's reminder to work diligently – Do the right work, at the right time, in the right way.
Tip Of The Week
My tip this week is to get your Inbox organized with the help of Sanebox.
Sanebox uses advanced AI to organize your email, keeping only the right stuff in your inbox. I know the email client or website you use probably has filters and rules to organize your email, but you likely don't use them and even if you do…Sanebox does it better. Click here to learn how.
Feature Presentation
This episode was inspired by two things: A course I recently taught, and an amazing article by Wes Kao.
Before I get started, let me say that I don't think traditional, prerecorded digital courses are going away. This is still an on-demand world and there will be those who prefer the self-paced, self-study route…especially if it's a subject that they're kind of interested in. However, for most serious students who have made the commitment to learn AND implement the material, I believe the cohort model is supreme.
Okay, enough disclaiming…back to my two reasons for choosing this topic.
The 100% Success Rate in the title isn't click-bait. It is a fact, and it was a first for me…literally. This was the first time that EVERY student not only learned the material, but also put it to use and produced a quality product that they were satisfied with. Don't get me wrong, I'm accustomed to seeing some success, but not this level…not everyone. Imagine if you owned a gym and on January 2nd, you got that huge wave of new customers who were determined to get in shape. Only, instead of quitting in a matter of weeks (or days), they all put in the work and actually achieved their goals. Buying a digital course is like joining a gym…it's the easy part. Doing the work is a different story.
The results achieved in that class made me rethink my entire system of educating. People don't want a gym membership…they want the transformation. The cohort environment forced them to interact, to write, to revise, to be engaged – To do the work.
If you're a course creator, you need to become intimately familiar with this format. This is what most of your students will be looking for. If you deliver can deliver what they want, your course completion rate, customer satisfaction rate, reviews, testimonials and revenue will be dramatically amplified.
Links From This Episode
Write an Email Series That Sells – My free workshop that happens on July 8, 2021. This is a live, cohort-based workshop that will teach you how to create must-open subject lines and how to sell using stories. If you want a sample of how effective this style of learning is, just sign up and show up…no investment required.
Sanebox – The most advanced Inbox organizer I've ever used.
In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are – Future – Brilliant article by Wes Kao – a MUST READ for anyone who creates digital courses.
Be Your Own Copywriter – This is my new Cohort-Based course that will not only teach you how to write engaging copy that transforms your readers, viewers, members and followers into customers – BUT also helps you get the work done, in class – with support from me, my team of coaches, and your fellow cohorts. When you finish this live course, you will have every piece of copy you need to launch or re-launch your product, written, reviewed and ready for launch.
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