Cohorts

A cohort is a group of people who all experience a set of influences together. Historically, this term has been used to designate a birth cohort. In educational settings, it means a group that is admitted and begins a program at the same time. In online learning, orientation and face-to-face meetings are often designed around particular cohort groups. All the members of this group are expected to move through the program and graduate at the same time. Policies and procedures may be developed to encourage members of the group to stay together, and members may be expected to take core courses at the same time, to enter advanced studies together.

In online learning, the formation of cohort groups is encouraged so that members of geographically dispersed ...