If you’re new to online study, it can appear mystifying at first. But don’t worry, it isn’t. If you’ve navigated to this page then you probably have all the tech skills you need.
This page is here to help you get started. If you think we’ve missed anything, contact us.
As soon as you enrol you will receive access to the course page. If your course hasn’t begun yet you will see some introductory materials.
Your Course Page
The main parts of your course page are:
Forums: These allow you to communicate with your tutor and other students. Ask questions, propose new ideas, share your thoughts. Whether you actively participate or simply follow the discussions, these are an exceptional source of learning.
Lecture Videos: At the beginning of each week a new lecture video is available. You can watch this at any time that suits you.
Downloadable Lecture Audio: For when you want to listen to your lectures on the move.
Downloadable Lecture Notes: Also made available weekly. These are specially written for your course by our course specialists and form the basis of the lectures.
Video: Live vs On-Demand
Videos are one of the most important parts of an online course. Our courses offer two distinct types of video.
Live Zoom sessions. Each term, we have three Zoom sessions open to all our students. These cover a range of topics. They let you explore other areas of study, and to meet tutors and students from other courses. Recordings are also made available after the session has ended.
Video on demand. Core videos for your course available to watch at any time. Audio versions are also available for download.
How Much Time Will it Take?
This varies a lot by course and by individual. But here are some guidelines.
Each weekly session has a 30-45 minute video plus approximately 25 pages of reading. So we would recommend at least 90 minutes per week. Of course, these are deep subjects and you may wish to study more deeply.
Then there are the forums. These vary in intensity from term-to-term and from course-to-course. On average though, we would suggest allowing 30 minutes per week for reading and for participating in discussions.
There is also the optional assessment for those wishing to receive a Completion Certificate. We wouldn’t like to assess how long this may take as it varies too much between individuals.
Assessment
Assessment is optional (about half our students go for it) and is based on either an essay (approximately 2000 words) or Weekly Coursework (mostly for Sanskrit courses).
Essays are usually due four weeks after the course ends. We encourage our tutors to assist where possible with extensions when needed.
Completion Certificates are awarded on successful assessment. Please do note though that these courses aren’t accredited. Some students have used them towards degree courses, yoga training, and even Masters degrees, but that was by individual arrangement.
Essays? Urgh!
A common reaction, certainly. But a few things to keep in mind.
It’s optional and you don’t have to decide until the course ends.
There are few better ways to really get to grips with the material than by putting it in your own words.
You don’t need to write to an academic standard. The idea is to display your grasp of the ideas.
Your tutor’s focus will be on helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses, not pointing out your faults.
Access
You will have lifetime access to your course materials. Most can also be downloaded to keep.
What Else?
This page is about your course experience. We hope it helps.
