The EverCourse format is an innovative lifelong learning model based on the Balanced Classroom.
The instructor is available as an individual coach and mentor in addition to being the instructor.
As explained in Session 0, one of the best ways of learning is to teach others. And that is what you will be doing.
You are paying for this class, so you should get the best value you can out of the teamwork (you and me).
Description
Each course using the Evercourse format contains a number of modules, each module may contain between one and seven lessons. Each lesson contains a prerecorded video lecture, a pdf handout version of the lecture slides, readings and a number of exercises.
Participants progress through the modules at their own pace which will depend on their work schedules and other commitments. This means that there may be participants in the course in different modules at the same time.
The participants meet together in the weekly live Q&A sessions so that both the instructor and participants can share examples and comment on each other’s work which enhances the learning experience and serendipitously allows the participants to increase their network of contacts.
The participants can adjust the videos to slow the lecture down if necessary and replay sections to clarify concepts.
The live Q&A sessions contain the instructor student interaction and allow more real-time interaction since the lecture has been removed from the live session while the asynchronous group provides non-real time interactions providing needed thinking time.
The course integrates the balanced classroom teaching method and flexible delivery to maximize the effectiveness of the learning opportunity.
The self-paced mode allows participants to bring problems from their workplace into the discussion in the appropriate modules. This beneficial feature allows the instructor to act as a coach as well as an instructor. since the lecture sessions are freed from the traditional weekly schedule, Each participant can take as many sessions as they wish to complete a module.
This format also allows time to be taken to comment on exercises. For example we may take an entire live session to present and comment one exercise and go deeply into the material. This is impossible in the traditional weekly or block modes where the presentations and comments have to be completed within an hour or less.
Structure
As explained in the introductory video, learning in each module takes place in three areas.
- The lectures are self-paced so you can stop them and replay parts until you understand the content. This design is responsive to a few past participant comments that the lecture was too fast.
- The exercises allow you to practice applying what you have learnt. You post your responses to the exercises in the Asynchronous group. A good source of material to use as comparisons in the knowledge reading exercises can be found on Researchgate.net and Google scholar. There are two kinds of exercises:
- Practice exercises in which you practice the knowledge gained in the lesson and resent your findings.
- Knowledge reading exercises in which you present some of the knowledge learned in the lesson. Details are given in the YouTube video at https://youtu.be/NltGcO2cmJg.
- The interaction takes in two ways.
- A live Zoom meeting once a week at the regularly scheduled time. It is focused on participant questions and a discussion of the exercises.
- Questions and comments which are posted and answered in the Asynchronous group within a specified time limit.