I recently relocated to a new and unfamiliar city. It’s exciting and I’m thrilled to be here—but moving takes work! Most of it starts with big questions and decisions: Which part of town suits my lifestyle? How does the public transportation system work? What clothing do I need for this new climate? Luckily, I have friends and colleagues who are longtime residents of my new destination. They provided great tips to help me prepare for my move and get settled in the city. I’m so appreciative of their support!
There are so many times in life when we need that extra person to help us along and at Aptly, that’s a core focus of my work: I lead our team of online forum moderators that supports more than 300 courses available on Coursera. Our goal is to provide consistent and efficient guidance that maximizes the learner experience.
The forum moderation team is committed to learner success, and we have found that course familiarity and subject specialization helps our moderators make the best possible connection to students. Forum moderators often have completed the courses themselves which allows them to offer applicable tips and empathetic responses to learner inquiries. Sometimes it can be so encouraging to hear someone else affirm your concerns: “Yes, this is a really challenging assignment, but you can do this! I found it helpful to review these concepts and resources—I suggest you try that too!”
We also align the specializations of our team members with the course subjects. Our small but mighty team brings a wealth of knowledge from backgrounds in education, customer experience, psychology, IT systems and support, data analysis, UX design, social media management, programming, and more! We have a remarkable documentation system with detailed responses to frequent or anticipated learner inquiries, but we find the most effective approach is to pair that documentation with the skills and experience of a moderator. Subject matter experts for many courses are also available to complement our holistic approach.
Finally, our moderators are the eyes and ears of the courses. Moderator feedback identifies pinch points, unclear lesson sequences, or opportunities for content expansion. Aptly, and our partners, use this cache of information to refine courses and improve the learner experience.
In my previous roles as an educator, I learned how connection, empathy, and scaffolding go a long way in building confident learners. At Aptly, I hope that learners never hesitate to reach out with questions or feedback and that they always feel supported by a friendly and well-informed moderator who is committed to their success.
As I enjoy a sweet treat in my new home—recommended to me by a local friend—Aptly’s learner support system, which emphasizes familiarity and subject specialization, feels so relevant to me right now in my new city! Always ask a local for support along the journey!
