Cohort based learning or Cohort Based Course platform is one of the most popular forms of education recently.
The other popular teaching method based on MOOCs (where students take part in independent learning and essentially teach themselves) often just exacerbates students’ indifference toward professional learning management systems.
With MOOC teaching, typically just 5% of students complete the course. On the other hand, a much higher 90% of students finish Cohort Based Courses (CBC).
If you are a teacher or the creator of a course and you want to continue to be successful in your field, then CBC is an obvious choice.
However, developing self-paced courses that are part of a cohort is only one part of the success story; the functioning of the cohort-based learning platforms that the creator of the course chooses to use is also very important.
According to the findings of a study conducted on learning platforms, the efficacy of a learning platform influences the motivation and performance achievement of a student.
So what are the best cohort-based course platforms to create a cohort-based course on?
We have compiled this list for you that takes into account performance outcomes, reviews, and the general level of interest.
Before we go into a more in-depth comparison of the websites, let’s first talk about what “cohort-based learning” is, how the platforms operate, and why you should consider developing a course that Cohort-based course platform.
What Is Cohort-Based Teaching/Learning?
You might not be familiar with the term “cohort-based teaching/learning” if you are relatively new to the field of education or if you have mostly used the model of the MOOC.
Cohort-based learning is an instructional approach that’s been quite successful in recent years.
The instructional approach encourages collaborative and synergistic educational participation on the part of the students.
Students sign up for a program at a certain time and go through it at their own pace within the allotted time frame while using this approach.
They have an in-depth discussion and exploration of the material together as a group during the whole learning session.
This goes against the principles of the massive open online course (MOOC), which gives students the freedom to go through coursework at their own leisure.
The MOOC may have a more flexible appearance, but it is extremely inefficient and less beneficial for learning.
The explanation for this is straightforward: several academic studies have shown that human beings absorb new information better and more quickly when they are part of a group setting, and they are also more dedicated to the activities they are participating in.
Cohort-Based Learning Platforms
Every person who develops an online course or teaches classes on the internet should have access to a platform that can help them organize their course material, administer the learning process, and host their students.
In addition to that, there are many other learning systems accessible via the internet.
However, not all of these platforms allow for instruction or learning based on cohorts.
A cohort learning platform is essentially a technology that enables instructors to host and teach cohort programs while also enabling students to study in a digital environment easily in a collaborative setting.
A learning platform that is based on a cohort cannot be compared to or replaced by any other kind of learning platform since it takes a distinctive approach to teaching that emphasizes learning in groups while also encouraging social interaction.
The Top Cohort-Based Courses Platforms
Today, many different systems are built on cohorts. They each provide somewhat unique features, each of which may be perfect for a specific scenario.
Here are some of the most effective platforms for engagement and learning following the cohort method.
Maven
- Price – Around $950 per course
Maven was one of the first platforms to make its appearance on the scene of cohort-based learning.
When Maven was first created, it brought with them the flavor and flair of certain well-known content creators, such as Sam Parr, Nir Eyal, and others.
Despite this, the most significant drawback of using this platform is that it is based on a marketplace business strategy.
As a result, the platform has authority over your data as well as your brand, which exposes you to an entirely new level of competition with many other content creditors.
The Maven platform is best suited for course content producers who are already well-known in their respective professions and have a sizable number of loyal followers on various social media platforms.
Key Features Of Maven
- On Maven, you can create a curriculum and be responsible for monitoring project submissions. You can also create timed learning sessions for you and the group.
- Personalized follow-up emails are sent automatically to students at various stages of the registration process.
- Personalized instruction at your own speed with clear objectives.
- Monitor the performance of teachers as well as students in courses taught in cohorts.
Pros
- Content producers have access to all of the resources they need to begin teaching when they enroll in the Maven cohort-based courses platform.
- Maven will take care of promoting your material on your behalf, which will assist you in establishing your reputation as an industry expert in the field of education.
- The Maven platform provides users with a learning community-centered learning approach that simulates the experience of learning in a traditional classroom setting.
Cons
- The Maven platform is not appropriate for inexperienced content creators who are just beginning their professional careers.
- White-labeling services are not yet provided by Maven. Because of this, consumers might not be able to get individualized educational resources that are tailored to their particular requirements.
- Maven does not operate on mobile devices. Because of this, you won’t be able to learn or create when on the move.
Teachfloor
- Price – It starts at $79 per month, with no more than 50 students allowed in each class.
Teachfloor is a cohort-based learning platform that allows for the facilitation of cohort learning through the integration of the zoom video-conferencing application.
The system is designed to accommodate a wide variety of programs and courses so long as those courses can be taught via Zoom.
The intuitive platform allows teachers to make money while simultaneously growing their cohort-based online learning student population.
gives teachers the ability to keep tabs on how well their students are doing and how they are responding to assignments.
It also gives a comprehensive report on student performance, which will aid the instructor in understanding what works and what does not work for the students, so defining the best techniques to educate them.
This will help the instructor better meet the needs of their students.
Key Features Of Teachfloor
- Offers a tool for the integration of social networks virtually, making it possible for instructors to form interactive communities. In addition to this, it offers a performance report on how each pupil is doing.
- It provides corporate trainers with the ability to access analytical information about their company.
- Integration with Stripe to make it possible for instructors to collect payments.
- White-label support is provided.
Pros
- The software gives teachers the ability to plan boot camps while keeping track of each individual student.
- The platform provides customers with a support service that is always accessible to assist them if they ever experience any difficulties while making use of the platform’s many features.
- Teacfloor comes equipped with an automated email reminder, which makes maintaining a professional demeanor while communicating with students much simpler.
Cons
- It does not have the capacity for one-on-one video learning.
- Only the desktop version is available; there is no mobile app version.
- It just provides the most fundamental capabilities for educational use.
Freshlearn
- Price – Provides a short free trial period, but the no-brainer plan can cost as much as $41 per month.
Freshlearn is a platform that facilitates the development, modification, and marketing of digital courses while also taking care of administrative tasks such as creating landing sites and collecting payments.
Students are allowed to enroll in classes that are being taught by teachers located in a variety of countries, so they can experience a bit of the wider world through education.
Key Features Of Freshlearn
- Allows for learning at your own speed, you are not forced from one task to the next.
- Supports various languages.
- It integrates a variety of payment methods.
Pros
- Gives information on the development of the students.
- It provides a white-label option for businesses.
Cons
- It just partially integrates everything.
EducateMe
- Price – Provides a free trial period in addition to a highly flexible monthly payment plan for $2.5 per student.
EducateMe is a more modern but user-friendly platform for cohort learning that includes crucial features to help instructors to better and more simply administer their programs.
The user-friendliness and adaptability of the platform are enhanced by the inclusion of several live session management tools.
You have the option of integrating Zoom or embedding Jitsi on the platform, depending on which one you prefer.
Through the use of EducateMe, teachers and mentors can automatically record meetings and monitor the progress of their students through the application’s built-in insights and analytics features.
Students can provide comments and observations to their tutors, which can assist the tutors to improve their services.
EducateMe is a platform that enables smooth collaborative learning sessions, which is the essence of a cohort-based learning environment.
Key Features Of EducateMe
- Recording of meetings can be automated so you never have to worry about forgetting to record again.
- You may construct a online courses library from these recordings, which can be used as references in the future.
- Messenger to make real-time communication simple and easy to access.
- Notifications inside the app ensure that nothing is missed.
- Has a tool for analysis and tracking performance, which assists in evaluating student work and keeping tabs on their development.
- Active customer assistance makes it possible for educators to make the most of the platform’s capabilities.
- The platform allows teachers to log in on their own and build the curriculum for their classes.
Pros
- The platform includes everything necessary for use in cohort-based education and gives teachers access to all of the required resources from one spot.
- It has more than one dynamic. EducateMe is not just designed to cater to individuals who wish to develop their courses. It is also appropriate for use in accelerator programs, boot camps, virtual lectures, and other similar settings.
- Users are allowed to test out the platform’s capabilities during a free trial period that has a time limit.
- It provides an excellent opportunity for learning through a method that is driven by analytics. The rates at which students withdraw from a course are studied, and the reports that are produced can be put to use by mentors to improve the level of assistance they provide for their students and raise the percentage of students who successfully complete the course.
- It incorporates several communication technologies to guarantee a high level of student participation.
- The solution supports collaboration in the Kanban format, which makes interactions and sessions more flexible and enjoyable.
- Offers solutions to help automate the management of day-to-day operations and the distribution of duties.
- The system is intuitive and easy to use for anybody to understand. Because it is appropriate for both novice and experienced course developers.
- The platform provides an additional avenue for sharing the message of your business with a more extensive student audience.
Cons
- No Mobile App so students and teachers cannot access it while on the go.
Eduflow
- Price – Eduflow provides users with three plans. The first is the free plan which has some functionality restrictions. The $20 per month plan has more features than the free version but is still limited. Finally, there’s the $120 per month pro plan.
Eduflow is a platform for collaborative learning that makes it easier for businesses to train their employees and gain new skills.
The platform is the go-to platform for corporate and sales training.
Eduflow gives educators the ability to construct and personalize their own course outline designs without compromising the quality of the learning experience for students.
Eduflow provides a free version of their service, but if you want access to more comprehensive bundles, you may pay for the premium version of the service instead.
Key Features Of Eduflow
- The platform allows teachers to log in on their own and build the curriculum for their classes.
- Has editing tools with a lot of power for building courses.
- Learning management systems that are both professional and capable of providing individualized educational experiences for trainees.
- Functionalities for monitoring progress.
- Record video pitch.
- Classrooms with interactive activities for trainees.
- The capabilities of both peer review and teacher review.
Pros
- Because the platform is straightforward, developing content requires far less effort and time than on other sites.
- To facilitate more inclusive learning and the retention of information among students, it provides activities for instructor and peer evaluation in addition to group discussion and practice sessions.
- The platform offers tracking capabilities that may be used to monitor the development of trainers and learners over the course.
Cons
- Because the platform does not pay much attention to behaviors related to peer review, it is unable to fulfill the interactive learning mission for which it was first developed.
- There is no functionality on the platform that allows users to restrict actions to a certain category. Because of this, users are only given the option of developing an external dashboard to sort activities according to their respective categories.
Disco
- Price – The standard price for the professional edition of Disco is $60 per month, while the price for the organizational version is $319 per month.
Disco is a platform for the production of live cohort courses that allow instructors and other experts to provide live learning opportunities in the form of cohort-based workshops, classes, and dialogues.
This platform gives teachers the ability to trademark their specialized knowledge.
Key Features Of Disco
- Integrate various digital tools to provide live sessions.
- Build a more collaborative workplace by allowing chat and direct messaging to be used.
- It provides opportunities for socialization and the development of communities.
- Helps with keeping track of things and measuring performance.
Pros
- Students are given access to classes that are designed to meet the requirements of the business.
- It is possible to handle anything remotely.
- It enables creators to position themselves as authoritative figures in their respective fields.
Cons
- Learners might not be able to access the courses once the live session has ended.
- No mobile app.
Summary
It is not easy to single out one particular educational platform as the superior choice because different applications work best on various kinds of platforms.
Because of this, your educational requirements should serve as the primary consideration while selecting a platform.
For example, if you are looking for a training platform, Eduflow is typically recommended as a platform to use.
However, if the introduction of a flexible cohort-based course is what you have in mind, EducateMe should be your platform of choice.
Try out a few of the platforms above to see which Cohort based course platform works best for you.
