Virtual Study Groups™ & Mobile Study Groups™

Virtual Study Groups (VSG’s) are programs that offer a true blended learning experience for online learners with your organization.  Blended learning means the course includes all types of technology: from live webinars to social media to interactive webcasts.  VSG’s are what you’ve been waiting for as a tool to harness web-technologies to enhance and deepen the learning experience for all.

What are Virtual Study Groups™?
VSGs are scheduled online courses, lasting 1 week or more, that take place using online community technology.  VSGs are facilitated by instructors and moderators, but also allow the participants to learn from each other.

Why use a Virtual Study Group™ (VSG)?
Learners and association members today are demanding a deeper learning experience. Basic content can be delivered in short, single-event webinars and webcasts; but higher-value professional development is now taking place in settings more similar to college courses and less like a lunchtime conference call.

What are the main components of a VSG™?
Scheduled live webinars, eGroups and Forums, On-Demand Assignments, Resource Libraries, Quizzes, Evaluations, and Completion Certificates are the primary components in a successful VSG.   Details of each component are below.

How does Peach New Media help us with our study groups?
Peach New Media provides all of the technology for the VSG and facilitates the logistics of building the course, managing the course, and supporting the learners.  Think of Peach as providing the virtual building for your classroom and you are the faculty.  We have your classrooms ready for both you and the students by the first day of school.

Why do VSGs work better than On-Demand 24/7 libraries?
Busy people need help prioritizing the decision to learn.  Scheduled study groups that require attendance and participation, along with peer-review and accountability to other professionals provide the ingredients to get those learners to show up!  Where standalone webinars can be skipped or rescheduled, participation in multi-week courses requires full attention of learners.

What are some common uses of Virtual Study Groups?

• Certificate Programs – (Example: develop/demonstrate a new skill and earn a designation)
• Prep Courses– (Example: prepare for licensure exams, review tests, discussions)
• Basic Skills Courses – (Example: for young professionals, just entering the field)
• Developing Areas of Content – (Example: Social Media boot camp)

Can learners participate via mobile devices?
YES!  Using our add-on for Mobile Study Groups™ product onto an existing Virtual Study Group™,  you can enable learners to participate either online via their PC or on their mobile smart phone.  Mobile learners can access eGroups and Forums, dial in to webinars, access the resource library all from their mobile device!

• VSG Webinars & Webcasts
  Live webinars that include live 30-90 minute presentations by the VSG faculty or guest presenters. Typical webinars are weekly for a multi-week course and are held at the same time each week.  Participation is mandatory for learners.
• eGroups
  eGroups or Forums are traditional message boards that are categorized and used on “theme” within the group. For example, one group may be called “Assignments” and this could be where learners post essays or materials related to weekly assignments.  Peers can and instructors can review and comment using threads within the forum and group.
• On-Demand Assignments
  These assignments can be videos, audio courses, or self-paced documents that must be reviewed within the specified week during the course. Often, on-demand videos are assigned to be reviewed before a weekly live webinar, then the learners can discuss and review the contents of the videos during this live webinar.
• Resource Libraries
  Think of resource libraries as the traditional library at your college, only this library can include links to outside web-sites, other courses, videos, additional resources.   In some VSGs, you can allow learners to contribute to the resource library, so you can be constantly building your resource base.
• Quizzes
  Many VSG’s only require a single quiz at the end of the multi-week course, but you can also offer quizzes at regular intervals within the course. With Peach VSGs, you can require certain minimum passing scores on quizzes, or use the quizzes as exercises only.
• Completion Certificates
  Once learners complete your course, whether it is for CEU credits or a stand-alone certificate, you should offer them some proof of their accomplishment.  Completion certificates can be setup so they are only accessible once a learner has completed the evaluations, quizzes, participation minimums, and assignments.
• Evaluations
  As with any course, offering evaluations are a must. Some VSG courses evaluate each live webinar and each week of the course, and others only seek learner feedback at the end of the group.

In addition to the VSG Platform – Freestone™- Peach VSG facilitation includes:

1. Registration & Full Learner Support
2. Webinar Event Management
3. Speaker Prep Sessions
4. eGroup Moderator Training
5. VSG Platform Setup and Configuration
6. Quiz build-out
7. Completion Certificate management & Attendance Verification
8. Learner Communications (Follow-ups, Reminders, Surveys, etc.)

For more information about Virtual Study Groups, contact us today.

Standard Virtual Study Group Includes

• Faculty Blogs
• Forums
• Faculty Training
• Quizzes
• DIY Data Entry Option
• Priced by course session or annual license

Options and Features of Virtual Study Groups™

• Live Webinars & Webcasts
• Mobile Study Groups™ – allows access to forums via mobile app
• On-Demand Video Assignments
• Resource Library for End User Content Uploads
• Self-paced or SCORM conformant courses and modules

For more information about Virtual Study Groups, contact us today.