Educational Community: Why It's Worth Developing

Contents:

• Hypothesis Testing Platform
• Business Barometer
• Client Attraction Resource
• Ambassador Factory
• Student Support Tool

Learning is an important social process, in which a significant portion of skills is acquired solely through interaction with other people. Observing the actions and approaches of others also plays a key role in the learning process. Therefore, educational products aimed at individual clients can significantly increase their effectiveness by uniting students in communities. This allows not only for the exchange of experiences but also for the creation of an atmosphere of support and motivation, which in turn facilitates deeper assimilation of the material and the development of essential skills.

Communities play a key role in educational projects, as confirmed by representatives of EdTech companies and universities at the discussion "Offline vs. Online: Communities at the University and in Continuing Education" at the annual Yandex conference YaC/e. Participants shared their experiences, emphasizing the importance of creating and supporting communities for effective student learning and development. Active communities promote knowledge sharing, increased motivation, and the formation of professional networks, which in turn enhances the educational process in both traditional and online formats.

• Alexey Tolstikov, Academic Director of the Yandex School of Data Analysis;
• Alexey Maleev, Director of the Higher School of Software Engineering at MIPT;
• Elizaveta Anistratenko, Head of Management Support at Yandex.Practicum;
• Vadim Mikhalev, Founder of the Zerocoder Online University and a promoter of zerocoding.

A Platform for Testing Hypotheses

Testing educational product ideas plays a key role for education startups. Vadim Mikhalev claims that the Zerocoder project began its journey with the creation of a zerocoder club. A subscription was required to join the club, but courses were launched only after the organizers confirmed the community's interest and a genuine need for training. This approach allows for the effective adaptation of educational offerings to the needs of the target audience and increases the startup's chances of success.

"Business Barometer"

Mature community projects also receive support to keep their products relevant. Vadim Mikhalev suggested calling this function a "business barometer." Student chats serve as an indicator of demand trends and identifying what piques their interest. This allows projects to adapt to market changes and better meet the needs of their audience.

Alexey Tolstikov emphasizes that students have the potential to significantly influence the development of educational products. Educational communities generate ideas that developers may not have initially foreseen. These ideas, emerging through learning and interaction, can form the basis for improving and updating educational solutions. Active student participation in discussions and feedback play a key role in creating more effective and in-demand educational programs.

A Resource for Attracting Clients

A community formed around an educational product can identify promising students for various projects. An example is the Olympiad schools created with the support of MIPT, mentioned by Alexey Maleev. The schools' primary goal was never to have all participants enroll at MIPT. However, over time, an active community has formed around the project, from which not only applicants but also master's students, doctoral students, and young professionals are admitted to the university. This demonstrates that such educational initiatives contribute not only to the development of the learning environment but also to the professional growth of the participants.

In commercial educational products, communities are actively involved in attracting customers, says Vadim Mikhalev. Potential students who don't yet trust online universities and their teaching methods may change their minds when they observe an active community where real people share experiences and discuss their projects. Having such a platform builds trust and promotes a positive image of the educational institution, which in turn can increase interest in educational programs and increase customer acquisition.

Ambassador Factory

Communities play an important role in spreading information about online learning opportunities and helping course creators advertise their products. Elizaveta Anistratenko noted this during the discussion. Active participation in such communities allows you to effectively reach your target audience and increase interest in your educational programs.

From a course organization perspective, the best ambassadors aren't always the most loyal students. If a student has complaints about a course or its organization during their studies, and their opinions are taken into account and errors are corrected, this can lead to significant improvements to the course. Having had a positive experience, such a former student will become an active supporter of the program and will be willing to defend its reputation, even refuting negative online reviews. This emphasizes the importance of feedback and adapting the course to student needs.

Student Support Tool

Some participants noted that online learning is not only more difficult but also more challenging to form educational communities. Elizaveta Anistratenko argues that online student associations are essential for every educational program, even if it only has a few dozen students. It's easy to feel isolated when learning online. A community provides support and demonstrates that you're not alone on this challenging educational journey. Creating active learning communities encourages the exchange of ideas and experiences, which in turn enriches the learning process.

The community function has clearly measurable metrics. As Elizaveta notes, community support contributes to students' successful completion of the course. This interaction not only increases motivation but also improves overall learning success.

Vadim Mikhalev gave an interesting example of a metric—the percentage of questions students receive answers to in the course chat from their classmates. If an educational community is actively developing, it functions independently, and organizers don't require constant intervention. The ability to share emotions and receive concrete answers to emerging problems within the community is an important indicator of its effectiveness. This shows that the community really works and promotes learning.

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