Higher education is in a strange place. Tuition costs are soaring, student debt is crippling, and debates rage about the value of traditional university degrees. Enter Peterson Academy, a new online learning platform spearheaded by Dr. Jordan Peterson. Designed as an alternative to mainstream universities, the Academy offers a low-cost, lecture-based education model, aiming to provide high-quality learning without the bureaucratic constraints of traditional academia.

But does it deliver? After several weeks of exploring the platform, I’m diving into the pros, cons, and key takeaways from my experience.

What is the Peterson Academy?

The Peterson Academy exists entirely online and is not currently accredited. The annual subscription currently costs $599, and enrolment is open to anyone—no applications, no prerequisites. The Academy launched with 18 courses and has since expanded, with new courses being launched every month.

The courses currently available cover philosophy, history, theology, psychology, leadership, and self-improvement.  The courses I have completed and taken detailed lecture notes on—available on my sister site, Questions for Learners—are:

📖 Introduction to Nietzsche – Jordan Peterson
📖 The Sermon on the Mount – Jordan Peterson
📖 The Greatest Leaders in History – Lord Andrew Roberts
📖 On Narcissism – Keith Campbell

Each course consists of 6-9 pre-recorded lectures, totaling 5 to 10 hours, with quizzes at the end of each lecture. Unlike traditional universities, there are no mandatory readings, essays, or formal assignments—though final exams and written assessments are gradually being introduced, with plans to expand these across more courses in the future.

The Learning Experience: Strengths & Areas for Development

1. Engaging Presentation & High Production Value

One of the Academy’s biggest strengths is its high-quality production. Lectures are filmed in visually striking settings—a step up from the traditional classroom or PowerPoint-heavy university lectures. The use of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) backgrounds, interactive visuals, and cinematic filming makes the content more engaging and easier to absorb.

2. Accessibility & Cost

At $599 per year, Peterson Academy is far cheaper than traditional universities, making it an affordable alternative for lifelong learners. This model will also appeal to those who feel priced out of higher education but still want structured learning from respected instructors.

3. Course Quality

The breadth of content at Peterson Academy is impressive. Among the courses I’ve completed—The Sermon on the Mount, Introduction to Nietzsche, On Narcissism and Greatest Leaders in History—each has been thought-provoking and well-structured.

Critics may argue that some courses, like Introduction to Nietzsche, rely heavily on the instructor’s personal interpretations. However, as with all subjects in the Humanities and Social Sciences, interpretation is inherent to the discipline. There is no single “correct” way to teach Nietzsche, for instance—scholars throughout history have analysed his works from diverse and often conflicting perspectives. This applies to all courses in the Academy, which are taught by credentialed academics with expertise in their respective fields.

For example, Jordan Peterson, who teaches Introduction to Nietzsche, has a strong academic background in psychology and its intersections with philosophy. Having lectured on thinkers like Nietzsche for decades, his interpretations are rooted in extensive study and engagement with Nietzschean thought. Additionally, each course includes recommended reading lists, allowing students to explore other scholarly perspectives and further develop a well-rounded understanding.

That said, while students gain exposure to big ideas, some critics will rightly point out that the learning experience lacks the structured rigour of traditional academia. Without the requirement for critical writing, structured discussions, or peer feedback, deeper engagement can sometimes be limited. However, assessments on the platform are evolving, with final exams being introduced for each course to enhance academic rigour.

I would also personally appreciate a more explicit integration of Bloom’s Taxonomy within the courses, particularly in the quizzes and instructional design. For example, incorporating reflection questions—either within the lectures or as separate videos—would provide a structured way to assess and deepen my knowledge and understanding across different cognitive levels. This approach would further enhance engagement and ensure a more comprehensive learning experience.

One feature I’ve particularly appreciated is the ability to pause lectures at any time and participate in forum discussions—whether to share insights or ask questions. This interactive element helps bridge the gap between passive consumption and active learning, making the experience more engaging and dynamic.

4. No Accreditation—Yet

One of the biggest concerns for many students is the lack of accreditation. While Peterson has stated that discussions are underway with institutions, for now, the courses do not count toward a recognised degree. However, Peterson has also suggested a possible direct-to-employer model, where companies may recognise Peterson Academy coursework as legitimate training.

For learners looking to gain knowledge rather than a credential, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. It certainly wasn’t something that concerned me, for example. But for those hoping to use their education for career advancement, accreditation will be a crucial factor in the Academy’s long-term success.

Social Features & Community

One of the more unique aspects of the Academy is its built-in social platform, which allows students to:

✅ Engage in course-specific discussions
✅ Participate in a global learning community
✅ Share their learning experiences

Upcoming features include:

📱 A mobile app
📩 Direct messaging & study groups
🔗 Tagging & social post recommendations

So far, community engagement has been overwhelmingly positive, with many thoughtful, well-articulated discussions rather than social media-style debates. I’ve personally appreciated the opportunity to connect with other students online, and I believe that as the student body grows, the discussions will become an increasingly valuable aspect of the Academy’s learning experience.

Peterson Academy vs. Traditional Universities

Peterson Academy offers an alternative model that trades traditional university structure for affordability, flexibility, and accessibility. However, without accreditation or rigorous assignments, it’s difficult to compare directly with a degree-granting institution.

Final Verdict: Is Peterson Academy Worth It?

So, after a month, who is Peterson Academy best for?

✅ Great for:
✔️ Lifelong learners seeking affordable, engaging courses
✔️ Those interested in philosophy, history, psychology, and self-improvement
✔️ People who prefer lecture-based learning over written assignments

❌ Not ideal for:
❌ Those looking for accredited degrees or career-focused credentials
❌ Learners who thrive on structured coursework, exams, and feedback
❌ Students seeking a STEM-heavy curriculum (though STEM courses are coming soon)

The Peterson Academy is a bold experiment in rethinking education. While it may not replace traditional universities, it offers a compelling supplement for self-directed learners. If accreditation materialises and more structured assessments are introduced, it could become a serious contender in the alternative education space.

For now, it’s an engaging, cost-effective way to explore intellectual topics—but not a replacement for a full degree.

The rise of online platforms and the growing popularity of remote work have fundamentally changed the way businesses operate. This trend is particularly evident in the realm of software development, where small businesses are increasingly leveraging contractor developers to access specialized skills and scale their development teams. 

However, managing geographically dispersed developer teams can present communication challenges.  While real-time communication tools have their place, asynchronous communication tools are emerging as powerful solutions for fostering efficient collaboration with contractor developers, especially when working across time zones or with individuals who have varying work schedules.

The Challenges of Traditional Real-Time Communication

Traditional real-time communication methods like phone calls and video conferencing can be effective for immediate discussions and brainstorming sessions. However, they can also present limitations when working with contractor developers:

• Time Zone Disparity: Developers might be located in different time zones, making it difficult to schedule regular meetings that accommodate everyone’s work hours. This can lead to disruptions in workflow and delays in project progress.
• Context Switching Costs: Frequent real-time communication can disrupt developer focus and productivity. The constant back-and-forth can lead to context switching, where developers have to repeatedly shift their attention between communication and development tasks.
• Limited Asynchronous Documentation: Relying solely on real-time communication can lead to a lack of clear and documented project history. Important decisions or discussions might not be adequately captured, leading to confusion or rework later in development.

These challenges highlight the need for effective asynchronous communication strategies when collaborating with contractor developers.

The Rise of Asynchronous Communication Tools

Asynchronous communication tools allow information exchange to occur at each participant’s convenience, eliminating the need for immediate back-and-forth interaction. This approach offers several advantages for small businesses working with contractor developers:

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

• Flexible Work Schedules: Developers can work on tasks according to their preferred schedule and time zone without being constrained by the need to attend meetings or participate in real-time discussions. This allows them to focus on deep work during their most productive hours.
• Reduced Context Switching: Asynchronous communication allows developers to complete tasks without constant interruptions. They can review instructions, ask questions, and provide updates on their own time, minimizing context switching and improving overall productivity.
• Clear Record of Communication: Asynchronous communication tools typically provide a central repository for project discussions, decisions, and documentation. This creates a clear record of communication history, allowing everyone involved to easily refer back to previous discussions or instructions as needed.

These factors contribute to a more streamlined workflow and faster project completion times.

Improved Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

• Detailed Instructions and Explanations: Tools like screen recording with audio annotation allow developers to document complex tasks or bug reports in detail. This ensures clear communication of requirements and eliminates the need for repetitive explanations, especially when onboarding new developers to the project.
• Task Management with Detailed Comments: Many project management platforms offer task management features with comment sections and document-sharing functionalities. This allows businesses to provide detailed instructions, ask clarifying questions, and offer feedback on completed work asynchronously without requiring immediate responses from developers.
• Project Wikis and Knowledge Bases: Centralized knowledge repositories like wikis and project documentation platforms can store important project information, FAQs, and tutorials. This allows developers to access relevant information on their own time, reducing the need for direct communication with the internal team for basic questions.

Businesses can empower their contractor developers and foster a more collaborative work environment by facilitating knowledge sharing through asynchronous communication tools.

Enhanced Transparency and Accountability

• Clear Task Ownership and Deadlines: Many asynchronous communication tools allow for clear task assignments with defined deadlines. This promotes transparency and accountability, ensuring everyone on the project team is aware of their responsibilities and expected deliverables.
• Time Tracking Tools: Some platforms offer time tracking features that provide businesses with visibility into the time developers invest in specific tasks. This fosters trust and transparency by demonstrating the effort invested by developers and helps businesses manage project budgets effectively.
• Improved Version Control: Integration with popular version control systems like Git allows developers to work on code independently and track changes efficiently. This ensures all team members, internal and contractor alike, are always working on the latest version of the codebase.

These features within asynchronous communication tools contribute to a more transparent and accountable development process for small businesses working with contractor developers.

Choosing the Right Asynchronous Communication Tools

With a wide range of asynchronous communication tools available, choosing the right ones for your specific needs is crucial. Here are some factors to consider:

• Project Requirements: The complexity of your project will influence the types of tools needed. For simpler projects, task management platforms with comment sections might suffice. More complex projects might benefit from additional features like screen recording or integrated wikis. 
• Team Size and Location: Your team’s size and geographic distribution will influence your tool selection. Project management platforms with chat functionalities might be adequate for smaller teams with limited time zone differences. Larger teams with geographically dispersed members might require video conferencing capabilities alongside asynchronous communication tools.
• Security and Data Privacy: Asynchronous communication often involves sharing sensitive project information. Choose tools that offer robust security features like data encryption and access controls to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your project data.
• Integration with Existing Workflows: Ideally, your chosen asynchronous communication tools should integrate seamlessly with your existing project management platforms and development tools. This minimizes workflow disruption and allows for a centralized location for all project-related information.

By carefully considering these factors, small businesses can select the most appropriate asynchronous communication tools to optimize collaboration with contractor developers.

Collaboration Expansion for Contractors

The landscape of software development is evolving, and modern asynchronous communication tools are playing a crucial role in enabling efficient collaboration with contractor developers. These tools offer numerous benefits, from increased developer productivity and improved knowledge sharing to enhanced transparency and accountability throughout development. 

By embracing asynchronous communication strategies, small businesses can unlock the full potential of their geographically dispersed development teams and achieve their project goals more effectively. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative asynchronous communication tools to emerge, further simplifying collaboration and fostering a more productive and efficient development environment for all stakeholders involved.

The pandemic has got the whole world actively engaged in online learning to one degree or another.  

Online learning can be challenging for both learners and educators alike, as it demands more attention and self-discipline on the part of the learner than traditional in-person classes.  That being said, the ability to work remotely does provide greater flexibility for learners and educators.

Here are some excellent tips to excel in your academics through an online learning system:  

1. Put an end to distraction 

During online learning, every learner must pay full attention to the teacher. Due to social media and household chores, people may feel less able to concentrate and more inclined to get themselves distracted. This distraction must be confronted directly, which requires active communication with parents and students, to ensure students are working in a quiet environment free from as many distractions as possible. 

2. Effective online communication

Given that in-person interaction is minimal, there should be an established relationship between students and teachers. Communication is a two-way street though, so both parties should work to develop their social presence. Communicating with instructors leads to effective learning, as it provides an opportunity to ask for help and engage with the content of the course.  It is particularly important to give thought to how much of the online communication should be asynchronous versus how much should be synchronous.  For more information on this topic, take a look at this post in which I discuss The Best Combination of Asynchronous & Synchronous Communication. 

3. Actively participate in class 

More opportunities for active participation and discussion leads to greater levels of student satisfaction and better learning outcomes. Students will experience deeper learning and feel more satisfied by their learning experience.  

When the teacher asks a question or fellow students share content, for example, it can help to have a discussion board where students can post questions and engage with their classmates after the lesson.  This discussion board can be found on the assignment window or stream of Google Classroom or a dedicated space on Padlet could be created, for example.  The idea is simply to get students posting their questions about the assignments they are working on.  Evidence-based learning shows that a peer-to-peer learning environment leads to more profound and memorable learning experiences. 

4. Goal Setting & Schedules 

It is imperative that students have a clear schedule for their studies. This can be simply be a spreadsheet timetable with hyperlinks to all the students’ Zoom lessons, for example.  This helps students to manage their study time to remain more focused. 

5. Avoid tiredness and fatigue

Attending continuous classes via Zoom screen can make anyone feel tired. It is important that both teachers and students take regular breaks away from their screens to avoid “Zoom fatigue”!   Rest and physical exercise form a crucial part of the learning process. 

6. Stay Motivated

The world has changed significantly over the the past year and a half.  Self-isolation, social distancing and mask-wearing has naturally left many people feeling down.  Students can need help to keep themselves motivated, so rewards and praise for excellent progress or for completing assignments can go a long way. 

This was a guest post by Abroo Murtaza.

Abroo recommends See TEFL for online courses to teach English as a foreign language.

Google Docs is an online word processor and one of Google’s free suite of tools, which many students and teachers all over the world now use.  My experience with Google Docs is that it makes a very significant contribution to social constructivist learning.  Social constructivism is the idea that learners construct their own mental models, and these models develop through collaboration with others.

The concept of social constructivism began from the work of psychologists, namely Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner.  Vygotsky came up with the idea he referred to as the ‘zone of proximal development’ – the notion that there is an area of activity just a little bit beyond what a child can already do – it is what they can do with help.  Bruner gave educators the analogy of ‘scaffolding’ the new skills that the child was learning, by providing support and guidance to get to the next point.

Google Docs not only makes these elements of social constructivism possible, but it actively promotes this type of pedagogy.  One of the most important benefits of Google Docs is that documents can be shared, which means several users can work on the same document from different computers – synchronously or asynchronously.  In my experience, this gives a feeling of shared ownership and collaborative effort, helping to increase student motivation.  The document below is an example of a 4th grade group project in which groups of three students work as a team to research and answer the following questions about oil.

It’s easy to see what each individual student contributes to a document like this because Google Docs assigns every contributor a unique colour. My advice though, would be to keep the groups working on the same document small.  You don’t really want too many students working on the same document because it does become difficult to disentangle who has made which changes, and as with any online collaborative tool, it simply becomes more of a challenge to coordinate who should be doing what.

In small online working groups, it’s also easier to keep track of different comments made on the work by others.  This brings another benefit of Google docs documents, which is the ability to add comments on the side of the work.  To insert a comment, highlight the text, then choose Insert a Comment under the Insert Menu.  You just highlight some text in the body of the document and the comment will appear on the right side of the page. It’s basically a digital post-it note on the side of your document.  Click on any comment and watch the highlighted text in the document change colour to quickly pinpoint the suggested revision. Comments are clever and they disappear after the issue has been addressed by the author so students feel a sense of accomplishment as they work their way through the suggestions of their peers.  I would also say that students are more likely to revisit their work if they know someone else will be commenting on it.

This feature of comments can be particularly good for documents shared just between a teacher and student – the teacher can use the comments to bring the student’s attention to mistakes, and to facilitate a form of scaffold questions to improve the student’s writing.

The comments also remove barriers between writers and further creates a sense of class community.  In addition, Docs provide support for collaboration in real time so students and teachers can have a virtual mini-conference about the work in front of them from any location if the timing is right.  This can be done by instant messaging chat, in which users shared into the document can chat synchronously about their project.  By adding this synchronous communication medium into the tool, it also gives a feeling of social presence, which adds to student engagement.

These features of Google Docs gives rise to what I consider to be the most valuable of all pedagogical benefits – small group work.  By producing the conditions of small group work, concepts, skills and attitudes such as cooperation, collaboration and rational argument can be developed. Exploring and valuing the contributions of others is excellent preparation for life in a culturually diverse society.  According to the ideas of Brown, Barnfield & Stone (1990), small group work can lead to:

– a secure environment that some less confident students need in order to express their ideas;

– some children accepting responsibility to help others;

– full involvement of all the children in the task;

– children recognising the contributions of others as important as their own; and,

– children being able to recognise the individuality of others.

Small group work that is faciliated through the use of Google Docs naturally leads students to pool their ideas, listen to each other and to have respect for each person’s contributions to the work of the group.

When students are at the planning stage of an assignment, they can use the Word Art feature (as shown below) to make mind maps and do collaborative brainstorming.  The asynchronous nature of digital brainstorming sessions provides all students with an opportunity to contribute, unlike traditional brainstorming sessions which encourage contributions from the “quick thinkers” in the room. Students can use shapes, arrows, text, and imported images to build a visual map for any task. Again, the revision history uses colours to highlight and track changes to the Google Doc, making it easy to see what each student has contributed to the big picture.

Another big advantage for students and teachers is the use of templates.  You can provide students with a starting point for digital writing by creating templates. This saves time and guides the learning by giving students a consistent page format which can include links, images and directions, all helping to jump start the learning. All you have to do is just create a Google Doc and then save it as a template. Students can pick up a copy of a template and instantly store it in their own list of Google Docs.  The Google Sheet below is a brilliant example of a template for a maths project in which students need to complete the information about regular polygons.

As you would expect for a word processing tool, there is a built in smart spell-checking system that identifies spelling errors as you type. There is also a context-sensitive grammar checker, which can make appropriate suggestions for corrections. While Word uses color coding to make distinctions between spelling and grammar errors, Google sticks with one colour (a red wiggly line), but the suggestion box offers smart and appropriate suggestions.  There is also a built-in dictionary and thesaurus, allowing learners to look up words without leaving the document.

This is a video I made to summarise some of the benefits of Google Docs:

Google Docs at a Glance:

• Google Docs enables the creating, uploading and storing of documents
• It facilitates collaboration with others in real-time or asynchronously
• It is a free tool available anytime anywhere
• There is no worry of losing your work because it is continually and automatically saved
• There are many useful features for teachers and students, for example:
• Word Art facilitates collaborative brainstorming
• Templates save teachers time and help guide students’ learning
• There is a Smart Spell Checker with Grammar Support
• And, there are Integrated Reference Tools, which are ideal for research

Remember though, to get the best out of Google docs, you and your students need to:

• Have a google account and reliable high speed Internet access
• Use folders to keep documents organised and easily accessible
• Keep student online working groups small – especially important for the editing of documents and discussions
• Finally, think carefully through the levels of sharing – what roles do you want your students to have for specific documents and folders? When should your students be editors, viewers, or commenters?

References:

Brown, Barnfield & Stone, 1990, ‘Working toward social justice’ in A Spanner in the Works

Last year I completed my MA in Digital Technologies, Communication & Education with the University of Manchester.  Living in El Salvador had made it necessary to study this course by distance, and I was very satisfied with the guidance, course materials and teaching that I received online.  As a result, I enjoyed the whole course from start to finish, as it was challenging and kept me engaged all the way through.  I credit much of the success of this course to be down to the right combination of asynchronous communication, in which students are separated by time and space, and also synchronous communication, in which students can participate simultaneously.

Using Google Docs and Google Hangout, I discussed with two of my fellow students, Susan Johnson and Nick Kiley, who were based in Ireland and Latvia respectively, what is the best approach to delivering a distance learning course.  Together we wrote a Paper titled, The Best Combination of Asynchronous & Synchronous Communication.  I include an abridged version of our Paper below:   

The primary purpose of any online communication tool for education is to provide a means of discussion and collaboration between participants, thereby enabling the sharing of knowledge. For Vygotsky (1962), discussion and collaboration are fundamental to learning because the act of articulating an idea is itself a contribution to what it means to know that idea – this has formed the basis of an approach that is now referred to as “social constructivism” (Laurillard, 2012, p. 49). Swan (2005) summarises the importance of social constructivism for online practices by making the suggestion that “learning is essentially a social activity, [and] that meaning is constructed through communication, collaborative activity, and interactions with others” (p. 5).

Both synchronous and asynchronous tools can serve to promote an exchange of ideas between participants.  However, the nature of the ideas exchanged varies according to the communication tool used.  Synchronous communication brings a much greater level of social presence onto an online course, which helps to maintain student motivation and engagement.  Asynchronous communication on the other hand, by having a time lag between responses and thus allowing thinking time, can facilitate deeper understanding of the subject matter.  By combining the two modes of communication in the right way therefore the benefits of both modes can be maximised, and the potential pitfalls minimised.

In order to strike the best balance in the complementation of these two distinct modes of communication, my peers and I came up with a sequence to follow for when to use the different modes of communication.  This is because we believe that the best way to combine synchronous and asynchronous communication tools to maximise student learning should be determined according to the stage in which learners find themselves on an online programme.

[embeddoc url=”https://technologyforlearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Best-Way-to-Combine-Asynchronous-Synchronous-Communication.docx”]

Without conducting research to test our hypothesis, it can be argued that, although rooted in a review of relevant literature, the effectiveness of the above outline is based on conjecture. However, the outline attempts to establish a sequence that most effectively balances the positive and negative features of synchronous and asynchronous communication, to determine the best way to combine these modes.

At the beginning of an online learning programme, the first type of interaction between participants should be synchronous in the form of a video chat in order that faces can be put to names and to enable a learning community to be created.  After this stage, we suggest that the subsequent progressive stages should alternate from asynchronous to synchronous communication and then back again.  The asynchronous communication, be it in the form of discussion boards, emails, or wikis all serve to afford the learner time to process information in which to plan, coordinate and share ideas with others.  Intermittently, synchronous communication should be used, which by this stage can be video chat again or an instant messaging tool.  This type of communication then offers the benefits of immediacy for the learner, enabling the learner to collaborate in real-time and therefore receive instant feedback from the instructor and peers.  When used in this way, synchronous communication also helps to maintain learner engagement and motivation by maintaining a sense of social presence, which can be particularly important for many learners.

We acknowledge that flexibility needs to be afforded to online learners, due to the diverse range of personality types that come onto a course, ranging on a spectrum of extroverts to introverts. Given the myriad of different factors then that can affect a learner’s preference for either synchronous or asynchronous communication, as well as the apparent benefits of combining both, it is our conclusion that following the sequencing pattern presented in this paper is the best way to combine asynchronous and synchronous tools, in order to encourage collaboration, cognitive processing, and engagement – and therefore maximise student learning.