Connecting the dots: how we bought right here
At Large Nerd Ranch, we’ve some strongly held beliefs about how folks finest be taught new technical practices. A few of the central tenets of our instructing philosophy embrace:
- Assume no prior information however infinite intelligence
- College students be taught finest once they have devoted time and area for studying
- College students can be taught extra, extra shortly once we take away distractions and focus them on studying
- An skilled information gives the most effective pathway to new information frontiers
- College students must work together with a subject in a number of methods to most successfully be taught it
- Adults be taught finest once they begin with particular information after which generalize from it, reasonably than the opposite approach round
These have all been a vital a part of our instructing follow for over twenty years and they’re going to proceed to be for any coaching we ship. Up to now, we even held some extra ‘excessive’ positions like:
- Pupil sources have to be printed on paper, precise paper
- In-person coaching is at all times one of the simplest ways to be taught
- Coaching ought to at all times be executed in a bodily in-person setting
These previous few are a bit tongue-in-cheek. As one should, we’ve developed our beliefs because the world of studying has modified. What we’ve at all times cared about, greater than any of the specifics, is that our college students be taught as a lot as potential as effectively as they probably can. We wish them to have an unforgettable expertise that they wish to inform their associates and colleagues about. That’s how we’ve managed to remain round so lengthy within the quickly evolving world of expertise.
After experiencing the entire ups and downs of the final 5 years, it’s most likely much less stunning that we’d embrace a brand new approach of coaching college students. In spite of everything, the pandemic pressured us to grow to be a live-virtual coaching firm in a single day. Expertise evolutions and our personal progress have seen us department out from our cell core into new applied sciences and domains akin to React, Golang, and Machine Studying.
Why strive blended?
Our blended-learning experiment stems from the identical tradition of studying and innovation that has propelled us from our earliest days by way of now as part of a worldwide expertise, design, and expertise consultancy (Stellar Components).
So why are we providing our SwiftUI course as a blended expertise?
The primary drivers are our college students and shoppers. We now have the chance to work with main corporations from all around the world. These corporations are evolving, and so are their attitudes towards studying supply. Our shoppers and college students have informed us fairly clearly that they wish to have studying supply choices that present flexibility and that allow them to be taught whereas persevering with to fulfill their day-to-day obligations.
Additionally, we consider in creating unforgettable studying experiences, and blended studying permits us to perform that aim in a approach that’s genuine to who we’re and what we consider about college students and studying. Fairly merely, human studying wants a human contact. Studying modalities akin to eLearning and video have their place, however to essentially be taught a brand new skillset or to make a major leap requires a extra immersive and intensive method with the steerage of an skilled mentor. Blended studying combines the most effective components of each worlds to create a cohesive and efficient studying surroundings that enables college students the pliability to do some studying at their very own tempo whereas additionally giving them skilled entry, instruction, and interplay alongside the way in which.
Lastly, blended studying has a capability for scale that we’re wanting to embrace in order that we are able to accommodate extra college students and might present extra skilled entry to high quality technical coaching. In flip we are able to provide the course at a cheaper price, which makes it extra accessible to college students and will increase its general worth for the worth.
What are you able to count on from a BNR blended-learning expertise?
We now have crafted our blended expertise primarily based on a number of analysis, trial and error, and learnings from our whole historical past. It’s geared towards giving college students the most effective studying expertise we are able to.
Right here’s what to anticipate:
- Weekly content material unlocks
- Recorded video introducing the week and its lesson plan
- Recorded lectures for every subject (3-5 per week)
- Assessments for attain subject to construct confidence and verify progress
- Arms-on workouts to cement and construct on the teachings
- Stay Q&A periods
- Stay periods the place instructors reply pupil questions and lead discusssions
- Alternative to submit questions forward of time
- Run twice per week
- Recorded and made out there to college students
- Stay mob programming periods
- Runs as soon as per week to organically convey collectively the subjects from the week
- Objectives are to:
- Reinforce subjects by seeing them utilized in different examples
- Present one other discussion board for folks to ask questions
- Contact on extra subjects which may not be lined within the canonical course content material, however are attention-grabbing or helpful for the venture getting constructed
- Recorded and made out there to college students as extra research aids
- Peer dialogue and suggestions
- The teacher facilitates and encourages college students to share their problem options with one another for critique and dialogue
- College students have a shared chat area to debate and share concepts and questions with one another in addition to the teacher
- College students be a part of our Alumni Group for continued dialogue and connection after the course
Come be a part of us!
This rigorously crafted expertise is geared towards serving to you to grasp what’s potential and supplying you with the arrogance to discover extra. I hope we’ve gotten you interested by what blended studying can give you and/or your workforce. Come be a part of us on our inaugural journey into blended studying with our upcoming SwiftUI course. It begins on September 20 (lower than a month away) so register now!
Eric Wilson
Creator
Large Nerd Ranch
