How learning sprints work
This is how our learning sprints are run. If you buy a ticket or make a group workshop booking, this is what you are in for
This is how our learning sprints are run. If you buy a ticket or make a group workshop booking, this is what you are in for
Before we get into the details of how things work, let's talk about a few of the things we value and aim for.
The way we teach is unusual - it might be like nothing you have seen before. It's very intentional. Traditional learning mechanisms are sub-optimal in many ways. What you will experience with Prelude is the result of years of study and experimentation.
A lot of our thinking is based on concepts of Mastery Based Learning. You can read more here. The TLDR is that asynchronous learning, where people are supported with what they need as they need it and get to move at their own pace is really really good for students.
So that is what we do.
We get all kinds of people in our workshops: from hobbyists building tools for their friends and family, to seasoned professionals with 20 years of experience. The way we run our learning sprints works for all of these folks.
This is partially due to the fact that our learning sprints are self-paced and highly-supported:
One of the challenges with asynchronous, online learning is that folks can feel disconnected and alone.
We have a few mechanisms in place to get our participants talking to the instructor and each other. Conversation topics are quite wide-ranging - we don't only focus on what is covered in the course material, but discuss technical curiosities, cool tools, cultural differences and anything else that the group wants to talk about.
Participants learn from each other, inspire each other, and are given the space to form lasting connections.
One of the challenges of learning software development skills is that code that looks right can be buggy and broken in subtle ways. This can stop a learner in their tracks if they are not used to the technology they are working in. A single character out of place, a _ instead of a -, can cause major problems.
Debugging nitty gritty issues can stand in the way of progress, and can cause enough frustration that learners need to step away from the computer.
We aim to remove as many obstacles to learning as we can. That means we monitor the needs of participants closely.
If you ask a question, you can expect to get attention within minutes.
We know our participants are busy people with busy lives. If you need to step out for a while to take your dog to the vet, get a cup of tea, or take a walk and clear your head, it's completely fine!
We are all adults here.
Many online courses try to sell "Mastery". But it's not something that can be bought, it can only be earned.
Our courses are very hands on and practical, the goal is to give you solid, durable skills.
We have a lot of science-backed techniques baked into our systems that help you to earn mastery.
A learning sprint is only a few days long, there is a limit to what we can do in that time. Instead of aiming to cram as many facts as possible into your head, we aim to set you up to continue learning, growing and building after the sprint is over.
Education is not the filling of a pain but the planting of a seed.
An effective learning experience need not rely on everyone studying the same thing and having the same goals.
We allow our learners to pick what they want to learn from our menu, choose their own adventure, move at their own pace, and get the support they need.
When we run a learning sprint we don't need everyone to be learning the same thing. The number of people who we can support in a learning sprint is limited by the instructor's ability to context switch between them and keep track of everyone. It doesn't matter too much what they are sprinting on so long as the instructor has the expertise to support them.
Here is what you can expect if you buy a ticket to one of our learning sprints:
The first thing that happens is that you buy a ticket to the learning sprint. You will be given an option of different courses to focus on.
A few days before the learning sprint begins, you will get an email with a whole lot of necessary details. This email will include an invitation to join a Discord server.
If you are not familiar with Discord, it is a voice and text chat platform. It is very versatile. It is the main communication platform we will be using.
This YouTube video does a great job of explaining what Discord is about.
Please respond to the welcome email as soon as you can! This will let us know that you got it and it isn't sitting in your spam folder or anything like that. We'll keep trying to get hold of you until you answer and that is no fun for anyone!
You will be invited to join the Discord server immediately, there will not be a lot to see yet. You will see the code of conduct, and you will be encouraged to introduce yourself to the other folks in the course.
If you are new to Discord then it would be good for you to spend a bit of time poking around and familiarising yourself with it.
Note You'll notice that there are not a lot of people on the server. This is intentional. We make sure that the groups are kept quite small so that everyone gets the support they need, and so that the people taking the course can make genuine connections with their peers.
Note It would be good for you to join hte server as soon as you can in case there are any difficulties.
When the learning sprint starts, you will be given access to a whole lot of content on Discord. This will include:
The fact that these are sent to you so that you can go through them at your own pace makes the kick-off mechanism user-friendly for people in different time zones.
Since you will already be on Discord, you will be able to ask questions and get quick answers about anything that is covered.
Note: Even though the kickoff is asynchronous, the instructor will be online and available in case you need anything. From this point on you will be able to ask questions and get attention within minutes.
At this point you will have access to all the sprint content. You will be expected to go through the content and exercises at your own pace.
We do self-paced learning because it's just better for people:
You will be allowed to move at your optimal pace, and you will have an expert on hand for whenever you need a bit of help.
The content itself will lead you through a series of practical exercises of increasing complexity. You will build your skills, mental frameworks and confidence by writing code and solving problems.
The content will often include a number of extra challenges and side quests for those who want to stretch themselves further.
Once the sprint begins, you will be given access to a lot of content and text channels. If the sprint content has 18 sections, then there will be 18 text channels. One per section.
As you move through the sprint content, you will be able to ask questions about what you are doing in the relevant channels. You will also be able to see past discussions with other participants, this is often helpful.
If you are a bit shy about posting your questions in places where others can read them, then you will also be able to send private messages to the instructor.
There will also be a dedicated "office" voice channel where you can go to have a conversation with the instructor. You will be able to pop in at any time during the sprint hours and get the attention you need. This is a good place for solving weird bugs and doing screenshares and other exercises.
Last but not least, if you are being quiet in all the channels, then the instructor will reach out to you to check if you are doing alright.
This is why we only run small group sprints: Giving people all the support they need takes a lot of care and attention! The instructor needs be be able to context switch between all of the people present.
You will see a bunch of optional but recommended live "check in" events displayed in the Discord server. These will be live, group discussions that you can join.
In these events you will be able to:
There will be a lot of these scheduled in order to cater for people in different time-zones. In general, it is useful if you attend at least two of these per day.
These check in meetings are very useful for your own connectedness and motivation. Talking about your plans and progress in a group is very helpful.
Eventually time will run out. We will have our final check-in meeting and say our goodbyes (or our "see you laters"... a lot of people come back for more).
The Discord server will be left online for a number of weeks after the sprint to allow participants to refer to old conversations and to connect with one another.
Participants will have access to their content forever :)
Shortly after the sprint, you will receive a short survey asking you for feedback, and seeing if there is anything else you would like to learn with us.