Cohort-based learning is an educational approach in which a group of learners moves through a learning path together. Today, the term cohort-based learning often refers to online or hybrid courses with collaborative elements.

Many cohort-based programs like ADOPT, use a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous learning. For example, learners may watch videos, complete readings and hold facilitated discussions. Then, they periodically convene in person or online to share ideas and complete interactive peer-to-peer exercises. 

This allows participants to benefit from interactive learning within the context of a busy professional life.

Cohort group development programs integrate four specific learning components — group learning, leader and peer coaching, experiential/action learning activities and a strong emphasis on personal development and self-awareness.

Cohort groups offer a powerful way to rapidly develop leaders at any level. Moreover, the cohort group (community-based) nature of such leadership programs helps nurture the traits of collaboration, teamwork, empathy, communication, social dexterity and emotional intelligence that are so essential to effective leadership in modern-day work setting and organizational environment.

The Benefits of Cohort-Based Learning

The design of cohort-based learning offers numerous advantages for both companies and individual learners. They include the following.

• Collaboration: Especially in an online environment, a cohort learning model facilitates social interaction and collaboration with your peers. This can enhance your learning experience and sense of community as you progress through an online program.
• Support: Cohort learning connects you to the support of peers and faculty. If you need help with an assignment or want to discuss your evolving career goals, you can easily connect with your cohort. You can also turn to your cohort for encouragement when you need it. 
• Structure: Because you advance through a program with others, cohort learning provides structure in the form of set due dates (weekly, monthly, etc.) and discussion forums. Cohort members also keep each other accountable (and motivated) to watch lectures, complete assignments, and contribute to discussions. 
• Perspective: A cohort learning model expands your perspectives. As you engage with your cohort members, you’ll be exposed to new careers, opinions, experiences, and ideas. This is a unique benefit of cohort vs. on-demand learning; in the latter, your perspectives are the only ones available. 
• Networking: By enrolling in a cohort, you’ll meet new people from across the world. You may have similar interests, goals, and/or experiences as some of your peers. Being part of a cohort makes it easier to further network and build relationships.
• Increased Accountability: It might seem like entirely self-paced courses would be easier to fit around other commitments. But in reality, the lack of deadlines, feedback, and accountability to group members can make completing the learning a real challenge. When learners are part of a cohort and complete their assignments by specified deadlines, they are far more likely to carve out the time needed to focus on that work. Plus, keeping up with peers, especially when group work is involved, is a major driver for most participants. 

• Specificity of Learning Material: Since most online learning programs are designed to appeal to mass audiences and remain relevant for an extended period of time, they tend to be quite broad in scope. The smaller audience and real-time nature of cohort-based courses (like Small Private Online Courses, or SPOCs) allow instructors and course leaders to dive deeper into focused subject matter. This makes the courses more targeted and useful for corporate learners. Since these courses include synchronous components, they provide additional opportunities to explore current events and even specific business challenges as they unfold.

• Applied Learning: Since online cohort-based courses utilize more interactive teaching methodologies than lecture-style courses, they by nature prioritize applied learning. This can take numerous forms, from in-class case studies to discussion boards and group assignments that ask students to apply course concepts to real-world problems. Research shows this approach produces a deeper level of understanding and knowledge retention than traditional lectures. Plus, the more intimate setting of small learning cohorts (especially private cohorts) gives instructors the flexibility to work one-on-one with learners to address their specific situations and provide personalized advice.

• Community Building and Support: Community is one of the most meaningful aspects of in-person education. And cohort-based online learning brings the power of community to a virtual environment. The ADOPT program is specifically designed to encourage engagement between learners as well as with instructors or other support resources. They use discussion groups, group exercises, and additional collaborative learning methods to ensure participants can learn from one another. Private cohorts also offer significant benefits for teams. When teams’ complete courses together, they gain a shared framework and language for tackling challenges. The cohort-based learning model provides a unique opportunity for participants to work with team members in new ways and strengthen working relationships. 

• Soft Skills Development:  Many of the most in-demand skills today, like critical thinking and innovation, fall into the category of “soft skills.” They are sometimes referred to as “power skills.” Since many of these skills are best developed through practice, the more interactive model of cohort-based programs makes them more impactful than traditional learning models relying on lectures or reading. The ADOPT program that The Helix Group offers in areas like leadership, product and upskilling Scrum Masters draws heavily on interactive work and coaching to ensure students walk away with both a deeper understanding of theory and the ability to apply it. Effective cohort-based programs don’t just address immediate skill gaps or company needs; they also provide learners with the tools to engage in ongoing upskilling and reskilling.