What is Community-Powered Learning?
In this article I want to share a little bit about why community is such an important part of our Digital Habit Reset course.
What is a Community-Powered Course?
A Community-Powered course is a learning experience delivered in-person or virtually to a group of students who begin and end their journey together.
Humans have evolved as social creatures. We rely on cooperation to survive, and we learn best in a group of motivated learners with a shared interest in the course topic.
The Digital Habit Reset takes advantage of the convenience and global inclusivity of an online course and leverages the momentum and peer-learning benefits of a cohort-based approach.
We considered creating an online course that could be accessed on-demand. However, there is a growing body of evidence that teaching to a community of learners is significantly more successful than self-driven study in solitude.
This study, published by in 2020, explores the influence of social learning on the completion rate of massive online open courses at the University of Exeter.
The researchers concluded that ‘social learners’ (those who actively participated in the course online forum) were considerably more likely to complete their course than ‘non-social’ learners.
I had a profound experience of this power of community when I completed my slightly unconventional Sculpture degree at University of the Arts London.
We were being taught problem solving and idea development, and this can’t be done well through theory. It’s all about getting stuck into the practice.
This meant that across the 3 years we were never once set a brief nor, quite frankly, even required to show up if the inclination wasn’t there. The only hard requirement was to meet with a tutor once every 6 weeks and include a piece of work in the group show at the end of each term.
You might imagine that a group of young adults would take advantage of such freedom, but at the start of the year we all made a commitment to support each other.
The incredible power of a community of others around me, each showing up for themselves, was transformative and helped me establish a practice of 8 hour+ shifts in the studio each day without fail.
In addition to keeping me on track, peer conversations and anecdotal learnings helped drive my own development.
When designing the Digital Habit Reset we decided to group our learners into cohorts to embrace the benefits of community learning and help create a lasting support system.
When establishing new habits, surrounding yourself with people who share the same intention is incredibly powerful.
So what kind of people join the Digital Habit Reset?
Business Leaders & Professionals: Most of the people we work with use technology every day in their jobs, and exist in work environments with demanding digital expectations. They are often looking for ways to increase their ability to focus and reduce digital distraction.
Freelancers & Entrepreneurs: Maintaining boundaries between work and personal life is challenging for anyone running their own business or in the gig-economy. These individuals are normally looking for ways to protect their physical and mental wellbeing.
Parents & Couples: Staying present and feeling connected to loved ones is a strong motivation for many people who seek out support with their digital habits. We often get feedback from individuals who have experienced a positive shift in their relationship with their life-partner or kids after working with us.
Artists & Creators: Sharing your work online and in public can be a vulnerable experience for makers. Many of the professionals we work with are artists or creators looking for ways to embrace the gifts of technology and avoid the risks of social comparison paralysis that can stifle creativity.
Ultimately, our digital habits influence our lives in so many different ways that the people we work with often experience a positive shift in multiple areas.
The impact of technology is increasing exponentially.
Your profession, pursuits, and even hobbies require you to interact with your devices more intensely than ever, and it will only get more demanding.
The Digital Habit Reset has been designed to help you take back control of your tech and create a relationship with your devices that supports your wellbeing, focus and connection.
If this sounds good to you, Enrol Now.
Want to get a taste of the Mind over Tech approach?
Getting M.O.R.E. from your tech (live session)
Join me on Thursday May 18th at 4pm GMT where I share a one-hour distillation of the methodology we teach at the Mind over Tech.
I look forward to seeing you there.
P.S If you have any questions or need help making your purchase, simply reply to this email.
P.P.S ?? Your Follower Bonus
As a Mind over Tech follower, we’d like to gift you an extra 45-minute 1:1 session with me if you enrol on the course. To claim your bonus, just email [email protected] when you sign up.
Jonathan Garner Founder of Mind over Tech
A seasoned web developer and user experience designer, Jonathan has spent the last 10 years designing and delivering programmes that demystify disruptive technologies, like Machine Learning and AI, to C-suite leaders around the world.
In 2015, while on a meditation retreat, Jonathan suddenly found himself doomscrolling in a locked toilet cubicle. He founded Mind over Tech with the mission to help himself, and others, find a better relationship with their tech while embracing the gifts of the digital world.
He firmly believes that exploring our digital habits can turn the mundane reality of emailing and zooming into fuel for personal transformation.