With the launch of our second learning service, SpanishSense, we have had a number of requests from the community to be able to pick and choose between ChinesePod and SpanishSense as they see fit. To address this need, we have created a new subscription level called the ‘Praxis Pass’, which is similar to a Premium subscription, but enables access to all Praxis Language learning services (and perhaps affiliated services in the future). Pricing will initially be 50% more than a Premium subscription for one site, i.e. $45 for 1 month, $225 for 6 months, $360 for 1 year.
A Universal Learning Pass?
As we have been implementing this concept, we have started to think about how the idea might be extended in the future. Why shouldn’t learners have the ability to mix and match learning services (language instruction or anything else for that matter) and be able to manage all these studies through one, easy-to-use interface and subscription pass?
At the core of each brand are individual learning objects (lesson podcasts, lesson review & community discussion in our case) crafted by academic experts. A learning management system helps learners by offering suggestions (derived from teachers, community experience, etc) on how to make sense of this mass of learning content and provides a number of tools to assist students in their studies. A community envelops the system bringing the whole service to life and adding vibrancy.
From the learners perspective, they then can sort through a portfolio of these learning services and schedule their studies as they (or their counselor/teacher) see fit. One Praxis Pass provides access to all, while a new set of tools are used to manage the process.
Granted, this concept is only in its nascent form, but we look forward to feedback on where this idea might be taken.
中文 Chinese
AuntySue Says:
April 16th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I think this will scale very well, and become even more of an attractive offer if/when more languages or services are available.
Provided it is given on the basis of a single user, no matter how many languages a person studies they’re still only going to spend the same finite number of hours and use a finite amount of the resources in total. While each party is giving and receiving the same amount of stuff, the value to the learner is greater. OK, so the learner gives a bit more money and creates a bit more overhead, but the general idea is a win-win.
Michael Butler Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Hank,
It sounds to me like you want to build a PLE for language learning services. I see this as somewhat of a natural extension to what you now have with Chinesepod and Spanishsense. What I can’t tell is if you intend to move into other content areas?
IMHO Chinese is a special case in terms of language learning. Chinese is very difficult to read and as a result comprehensible input is restricted to listening for most people. To learn Chinese through reading is a very difficult task which most people don’t have the time and patience for. This can not be said for other languages.
As an aside I’ll be interested how you incorporate reading practice into Spanish learning. I’ll be interested to see if and how your tools change to reflect this situation.
I guess my big question in terms of your PLE (do you have a better term?) is will you try to bundle some kind of educational philosophy with the site design? Companies like Moodle have consciously strived to support a specific educational philosophy while others have strived to be neutral.
I raise the question of philosophy because some people (I’m thinking of Stephen Downes) have argued that any PLE should belong to the student. They argue it should be customizable by the student and it should exist for the sole benefit of student. What I see in your model is a seeming step in the opposite direction (what with the talk of brands and passes). I also wonder how far you will be taking your philosophy of open source and at what level of grandularity you intend to open-source your materials.
On a practical level I’d like to echo AuntieSue’s thoughts. Are you creating complementary services or conflicting services? By inviting people to study two languages at once, are you setting them up for failure with both? I have found that many students take on more than they can handle making it difficult for them to be successful with the many things they take on. In terms of learning strategy, is trying to learn two new languages at once a good learning strategy? As I see it your pricing policy is designed to encourage people to take on perhaps more than they can handle. Just a thought.
It just occured to me that the correct container for what you are doing could be called the “Lifetime Language Learning Platform”. Instead of asking people to consume brands you would be encouraging people to build skills and abilities that would last a lifetime. You could create communities of people willing to study languages, practice languages, and brush up existing skills. You would be the place to go for people who love language learning and understand that learning one language, or multiple languages is a multi-year task, perhaps stretching into decades. You would be the antidote to the quick fix while promising as quick a fix as is possible. Boy, I’m dreaming now but what I’m suggesting is to build a customer base that would stay with you for decades.
» Comment on The Praxis Pass by Michael Butler Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 11:35 am
[...] RickB wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptChinese is very difficult to read and as a result comprehensible input is restricted to listening for most people. To learn Chinese through reading is a very difficult task which most people don’t have the time and patience for. … [...]
FuDaWei Says:
April 18th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I’ve already stated elsewhere that SpanishSense wasn’t even really on my radar until I saw the “Praxis Pass” option. That pushed me over. Bundling it was a very clever idea with little or no extra server-strain since (as Sue aptly notes) I only have X amount of time to spend. If I wasn’t checking SpanishSense, I’d probably be reviewing a CPOD lesson.
I’m curious … is it produced in Shanghai too?
Ken Carroll Says:
April 19th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
FDW,
For now it’s produced in Shanghai.
Ken
Bazza 白�? Says:
April 20th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Are there any other languages in the pipeline?
海�? / Henning Says:
April 21st, 2007 at 2:41 am
Just curious: Where is ondemand-english in this game? Is it part of praxis language at all?
Hank Horkoff Says:
April 21st, 2007 at 8:04 am
Bazza,
No other languages in the pipeline right now. With the new site, we are focusing on three main development thrusts (a) building out our new backend academic management system, which has added significant intelligence to our archive of lessons, (b) improving our lesson management system of bookmarking, scheduling, sharing calendars, etc and (c)doing more to turn the Connect section into a more effective ‘Community of Practice’ by making easier for groups of students to get together both on and off-line.
Henning,
OnDemand-English (formerly EnglishPod) split from ChinesePod last summer and is now part of a different company.
Michael Butler Says:
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:53 am
Hank,
I personally would love to see a “metacognative” learning-to-learn “brand” (or subject area) along with all the other content. I suppose you could support a number of different learning theories and it would be a nice place to tie together alot of different ideas and experiences about learning.
Studies about on line learning support (IMHO) the idea that online learners need more explicit help in developing learning strategies and that those who have fully developed strategies are best at getting the most out of distance learning.
One of the things that attracts me most about to Cpod is the opportunity to have discussions about the merits of different approaches to learning (it has broadened by thinking and I thank you for this).
Hank Horkoff Says:
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:00 am
Michael,
We have thought about doing a podcast to help teachers of Chinese. Perhaps that might be the best place to discuss various learning theories.
Michael Butler Says:
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 am
Hank,
That would be neat but will it be in Chinese? That would help people like my wife who wants to teach Chinese but couldn’t follow an advanced discussion in English.
Actually I was thinking about a very short course (free?) for people who wanted to learn more about becoming better on-line students. I have heard it said that online learners who are conscious metacognative strategy users get more out of online learning.
Robert Says:
April 24th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Where can I upgrade to the Pass, so that I can cover Spanish as well?
I’m already a chinesepod user.
Thanks,
Robert.
Hank Horkoff Says:
April 24th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Robert,
In ChinesePod, if you go to Your Account and then upgrade you will be presented with the option to purchase a Praxis Pass. Alternatively, you can go to spanishsense.com and login with your ChinesePod username and password and then go through the same process of going to Your Account, etc. Once you purchase the pass, both sites will be updated.
Henry Charlton Says:
April 30th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I love this idea, and absolutely plan on joining the Praxis pass after my free trial expires (although perhaps not instantly due to money constraints). I would love to see more languages added to Praxis, as I really love the method. I just hope that if you add more languages, you won’t add more to the price as well, since (as has been said a couple times) I only have X numbers of hours to study. Expanding the number of languages covered should bring in extra profits from new members, not higher prices (and your blog makes me think that this is what you had in mind).
I can just imagine a future where I can learn any language I want from Praxis, without having to fumble around with canceling and resubscribing to other random sites…
(PS: even though I know this is completely unrealistic, it would make my life perfect if you made a plan covering Japanesepod101.com as well)
[I'm tired, so please excuse any bad grammar, awkward wording or any other faults in this comment]
=)