Cohort-based learning is one of our latest additions to TopMusicPro. The huge success of the pilot of the cohort-based TopMusicCertification in 2023 led to this small but significant change. Self-paced learning is great. It gives you the flexibility to dip in and out when you want. But several challenges come with it.
Cohort-based learning is one of our latest additions to TopMusicPro.
The huge success of the pilot of the cohort-based TopMusicCertification in 2023 led to this small but significant change.
Self-paced learning is great. It gives you the flexibility to dip in and out when you want.
But several challenges come with it. Let’s unpack them and reveal the success behind our solution.
Table of Contents:
Short answer: yes.
Completion rates for self-paced online courses (with any company) are often very low. According to a recent article by Matthew Mason, “Various research shows the percentage rate for completion of online courses is between 5 and 15 percent.”
If completion rates are low, the courses won’t have the desired impact on the learners.
This is something we’ve heard firsthand
At the heart of our community is TopMusicPro Academy. It’s a treasure trove of
The Academy has been growing ever since we opened its doors in March 2016 (when it was called Inner Circle). The collection is vast.
The easy part is getting started on a course or downloading a resource and jumping in with all the best intentions.
But the hard part is staying motivated, keeping the docs, and finishing the program in a reasonable time. This applies to any course – you should see my SkillShare. 🤫
The same article by Matthew Mason highlights three inherent challenges with self-paced online learning:
Let’s unpack each problem and reveal how we’ve solved it with our new TopMusicPro Accelerators.
On the whole, online courses are well laid out. They’re organised into modules and have
The biggest hurdle is the lack of structure for the learner.
If you don’t have clear timelines and deadlines (like those you might find at an in-person course), life can get in the way.
You tell yourself you’ll devote Thursday mornings to the course, but then that time goes toward painting the spare room.
Staying on track can be challenging without a clear structure that’s time-bound to a calendar or deadlines.
With set meeting times and a discussion plan, cohort members stay on track. Otherwise, they’ll feel lost and unable to join in at the meetings. And no one likes FOMO.
DONNA’S STORY
One of our TopMusicCertified teachers, Donna, shared how group learning (aka TopMusicPro Accelerators) benefited her:
“Live cohorts really helped me stay on track throughout the program and with completing my portfolio. Even in a really busy week, I knew I wanted to complete at least the minimum amount of homework, to enable me to contribute and make the most of the discussions each week.”
Many online courses don’t provide any form of connection between learners. This limits both motivation and support. It also reduces opportunities for growth through learning from others.
As Mason says, “Limited interaction also means that there are limited opportunities for feedback. Without regular check-ins or assessments, it can be difficult for individuals to gauge their progress. This can make it more challenging for learners to identify areas of strength and weakness, and may make it harder for them to make progress.”
We’re proud that TopMusicPro has been a community from the beginning. We’ve always been a place where teachers can get help and support, no matter what they’re working on.
However, there’s nothing like a direct connection with other peers working on the same training (at the same time) as you.
DONNA’S STORY
“Being able to connect with facilitators and other participants each week made me feel less alone. I learned so much, not just from the facilitators, but from the other participants generously sharing their experiences and working through challenges or new things together”.
Most people thrive on accountability.
With many online courses, you’re on your own. You can tell your cat what you’re planning to do and when, but the hard truth is that he doesn’t care.
And if you don’t see your plans through? No one will be there to give you a disapproving look (or to reassure you that you’re doing your best).
Just the simple act of telling someone, “This is what I’m going to do,” can make a huge difference to sticking to your plan. Whether you’re sharing fitness plans, or a weight loss goal, saying it out loud can cement your stickability.
Accountability is one of the main reasons I created our Power Hours inside the membership. Telling another member, “I’m going to do this in the next hour,” and then checking back in at the end helps teachers get things done.
The difference between success and failure depends on if you are:
Yes!
In 2023, we ran a pilot program from TopMusic Certification. For the first time since the membership launched in 2016, we created a 100% cohort-based learning experience.
Over 12 weeks, two groups of 15 teachers from around the world came together. Every week they connected, interacted, shared, challenged, learned, and grew. Together.
The results were outstanding:
In 2024, we decided to double down on cohort-based learning site-wide for members.
We’ve now taken groups through three of our courses:
As Trainer Central states:
The course-completion rate…for cohort-based courses [is] more than 90%
Well, as they say in the UK, “It does exactly what it says on the tin.”
Learning in a cohort with others accelerates your growth.
You’ll learn and absorb the material faster and deeper. You’ll make consistent progress and your teaching (and life) will change sooner as a result.
That’s why we’ve decided to make accelerators a regular part of our offering for members inside TopMusicPro.
Whether you’re a…
…now is the perfect time to join us!
Accelerators are running throughout the year and are available to members on our Studio and StudioPlus tiers.
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