Tom Vander Ark: Creating Cohorts in a Blended World

Michael Horn, my Liberating Learning blog contributor colleague and author of The Rise of Blended Learning, and I hosted a webinar in which we featured AdvancePath, a drop prevention week, and Carpe Diem, a blended college prep high school in Yuma.
Groups of kids with similar birthdays have been used as the basic building block of education for a century. As we gain the ability to customize learning for every student is there any value in learning in a group?
The Carpe Diem model relies on a backbone of computer-based instruction but it is supplemented with daily workshops in each subject. The computer-based instruction allows the student to vary pacing but workshops are generally cohorts of students moving at approximately the same pace. Like other high performing schools, Carpe Diem utilizes cohorts for integration and application. Workshops promote peer-to-peer learning and problem solving. Students at Carpe Diem generally start and finish classes together.
AdvancePath also relies on a backbone of computer-based instruction but students start and finish classes on their own. There is one-on-one help available on demand and some small group instruction. With students coming and going, there is limited efforts to derive benefit from the cohort; AdvancePath has a fully individualized approach to learning.
Carpe Diem and AdvancePath academies have a very intentional culture that is supportive and productive. Creating a graduation focused culture is important but it doesn’t dictate a cohort approach (i.e., an individualized approach like AdvancePath has a learning environment with clear norms).
As schools incorporate online learning and competency-based practices, we will see more innovative strategies for combining the benefits of customized learning and peer cohorts. Click here to read more about five strategies to promote learning together.