Will an educator reply to my comments and questions?

All of our short courses are designed so you can work through them on your own, learning through conversation with other learners. 

Some courses are facilitated, which means the educators will be joining in with the discussions for a specific period of time.

You can see if and when a course will be facilitated by checking the 'learning on this course' section of the course page.

You may also see information about when a course will be facilitated in the early steps of the course, or in course information emails you receive over the period you're studying.

Course types

There are different levels of educator involvement for our different course types. For example, ExpertTracks are designed to be self-guided, and there will not be educators joining the course. On the other hand, microcredentials are often more closely supported by a facilitator, and degrees include a high level of contact with tutors.

In the cases where an educator is present, they will usually focus on promoting discussion rather than replying to individual questions.

Educator presence

Our courses are often taken by many thousands of students, spread across the globe. Because of the large number of learners on these courses and the limited time of the educators, educators can't reply to every comment or speak directly or privately with learners.

Some educators are also supported by facilitators who will also interact with learners as part of the discussions, and help guide learners. They will be identified with a 'mentor' or 'host' label next to their name.

We know our learners are great at helping each other - if you have a question, other learners may well be able to answer you.