The vast majority of Outschool classes include scheduled live meetings using our video classroom. These are known as live or ongoing classes.   Outschool also offers what are called flexible schedule classes, which do not rely on live meetings. These classes allow learners to fit in classes that don’t work with their own schedules, but still allow them to have the quality interactions our users have come to expect on Outschool.  Instead, learners and teachers conduct class asynchronously through the use of posts in the Outschool classroom that include pre-recorded lessons, announcements, assignments, and other resources. Classes should have assignments posted at various points and deadlines for the students to follow. There is a definite beginning and end to flex classes. Outside platforms can still be used to enhance learnings but effective January 1, 2020 all major communication as listed above will be in the Outschool classroom. 

Even though flexible schedule classes do not meet live, we still require that these classes maintain a high level of interactivity. We want to ensure that learners are given a rich learning experience. This interaction must include discussion, projects, and/or student contributions of work and in-depth analysis and discussion between the teacher and/or other students.  Classes should involve much more than students completing work and the teacher providing feedback on that work.   

The expectations for learners in these classes is to complete work and contribute to the class as outlined in the class description.  The best flex classes include multiple students discussing, sharing and contributing to the topic they are learning about.  It makes the learning experience richer for all involved.