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First published in Polish by Noemi Gryczko

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Are you looking to host an online cohort course? Do you have the budget at your disposal? Find out about 3 'all-encompassing' platforms.

^{photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash}

This article is the third in the series 'Where to move from Facebook', in which I share my thoughts on how the choice of a platform affects course participant experience and where to move from Facebook.

As a reminder, a year ago, we recorded a video for a course addressed to NGO and social movement activists. The very nature of their work in NGOs contributes to burnout. The course developed by the Culture Shock Foundation was intended to equip the participants with methods to counteract burnout and provide support and relief.

Objective 1: Community

Course participants share experiences and opinions. We wanted to make sure that as part of the 'Catch your breath...' course addressed to people working in the 3rd sector, i.e. in NGOs and informal groups, its participants can interact with one another.

Objective 2: Lightness

Knowing the challenges activists face and their time constraints, we wanted to produce a unique, light programme that is not overloaded with content and does not shy away from humour (as a counterpoint to the weight of the topic of burnout itself).

Objective 3: On the move

The 'Catch your breath' course was designed to give relief by presenting simple relaxation techniques and exercises that can be done even at a desk or sitting in a chair. We encouraged taking regular breaks and moving outdoors. Therefore, the selected content was to be accessed on the move, away from a computer.

Objective 4: Tools

The course authors assumed that the participants would be given a set of practical, original tools to use independently. The Culture Shock Foundation drew on the extensive experience of the Burnout Aid international partnership.

Alternative platform: Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform that enables the creation and moderation of online communities. The developers of this platform boast that it forms an attractive alternative to Facebook groups and other social networks. Unlike Facebook, Mighty Networks does not display advertisements, thanks to which course participants can focus on what matters most to them – course content and interaction with other users.

The key features and functions of the platform are discussed in a short video (lasting 3 minutes and 28 seconds).

https://youtu.be/56C2_L-9X4s

Re.: the community

Course authors using the platform can structure their courses accordingly. The basic unit on the platform is spaces. Depending on the purpose of a course, a convenient template can be selected - for example, a cohort-based course, a content course or a live event. Individual templates differ in terms of available functionalities and the layout of the tabs. In addition, you can configure tailor-made space by selecting relevant functionalities.

^{Screenshot 1 - list of templates to choose from}

With the Mighty Networks platform, course authors and community moderators have much more control over where, what and how a course participant can post. Comments can be added in various places, such as feed, chat and directly under the materials posted in individual lessons. Course authors can define the types of content that participants can publish in a particular section - for example, in the feed, they can create posts, articles, polls and quizzes.

^{Screenshot 2 - the participant's rights to publish different content}

Re.: lightness

Gradual release of contents

As part of the Catch Your Breath course, we aimed to deliver content to participants gradually, without overburdening them with too much material. Therefore, we published no more than two posts on weekdays. On the Mighty Networks platform, it is possible to choose sequential mode.

^{Screenshot 3 - lesson settings}

Welcome Page

The curse of Facebook Groups' administrators is that they have no accurate control over what participants see and in what order. Fortunately, Mighty Networks allows you to set up the welcome page and featured posts that members can see on the platform.

Chat

Course participants can add their comments directly below the course materials. In addition, there is a dedicated space (chat) for discussions among participants, which helps to keep things tidy and makes it easy to find interesting content. Course authors can also add a bookmark where highlighted hashtags appear, making finding specific content easier. In the Catch Your Breath course, we used hashtags such as #elixirs, #MyPowers and #alarm.

Titles

Depending on the course type, individual roles can be named very differently. Mighty Networks offers a wide choice of titles, and a title specific to the course type can be used. For example:

• The host can be called host/hostess, guide or wizard.
• The facilitator can be called a facilitator, instructor or the good spirit of the course.
• Member can become a learner, student, course participant or trainee.

This gives course authors new possibilities when designing course participant experience and adds lightness.

Re.: On the move

Mighty Networks is available via a browser and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. Advanced settings allow sending customised notifications on different devices, thanks to which course participants can control what they want to track and how. In the Catch Your Breath course, the authors focused on promoting good digital hygiene. The availability of audio and video files in a practical app and the ability to customise notifications to suit individual needs and daily schedules would certainly reinforce this goal.

Re.: Tools

Mighty Networks allows you to create a page to upload different types of files. This is the ideal place to collect all the materials discussed and recommended for download at the end of the course.

^{Screenshot 4 - page}

Test an alternative platform

Before deciding to use a platform, it is worth testing its functionalities. Mighty Networks offers a 14-day free trial during which you can test its premium features. Detailed tutorials, such as the one available at [https://youtu.be/IM30YJVte1k], make setting up the platform quickly easy. In addition, course authors and community moderators can also read an interesting proprietary 'Guide | Your Big Purpose', which helps create and moderate online groups.

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The following article will look at the Circle.so platform.

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Noemi Gryczko - designs online and offline learning experiences. She teaches how to use technology to engage staff, students and conference participants better. She implements digital competence development projects. She has supported over 400 lecturers and PhD students at the University of Warsaw in their digital transformation. Co-author of the book Business in a Mobile World.

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Further reading:

Where to move from Facebook? Cohort-based courses in practice (part 1)

Where to move from Facebook? Cohort-based courses in practice (part 2)