Purposeful Live Sessions and Flexible Learning

At Tomorrow University, flexibility is one of the core principles of how we support your learning. But with this freedom comes an important balance: flexibility works best when it's paired with intention, structure, and community. In this article, we explain what flexible learning looks like at ToU, how it helps you succeed, and why live participation is an essential part of your experience.

🚀 What Flexibility Looks Like

Flexibility at ToU means you have control over when, where, and how you learn:

• During challenges/after challenge completion, you can access asynchronous materials on your own schedule.

• You can revisit content from previously completed challenges as often as needed 

• After completing orientation, you choose the challenges that align with your mission and career goals.

• You can learn from anywhere in the world, integrating education into your personal and professional life.

This empowers you to tailor your journey based on your availability, interests, and life circumstances. It supports autonomy, allowing you to take ownership of your development.

🧭 Why Structure Still Matters

Even with flexibility, certain parts of your journey are intentionally structured to help you succeed. We at ToU believe learning isn’t only about consuming content, but about applying it, reflecting on it, and growing through connection.

That’s where live sessions come in:

• They provide real-time opportunities to collaborate, ask questions, and co-create with others.

• They turn theory into practice through dialogue, feedback, and interactive challenges.

• They foster a sense of belonging and shared momentum with your peers.

These sessions are part of our project-based, competency-based, and social learning model, meaning learning is active, not passive; applied, not theoretical.

Live sessions are predominately timed from 17:00-20:00 during the week. Occasionally, live sessions take place outside of these core times (eg during lunchtime or in the mornings). Should this be the case for one of your challenges, you will be informed of this ahead of time. 

💡 How Participation Supports Your Growth

Studies show that learners in active environments are significantly more successful than those in passive, lecture-only formats. Your presence in live sessions helps you:

• Deepen understanding by hearing diverse perspectives

• Strengthen your communication, teamwork, and reflection skills

• Stay motivated and connected to your purpose

• Build relationships that enhance your personal and professional growth

📌 Key Takeaways for Your Journey

✅ Asynchronous learning gives you freedom- learn at your own pace, on your schedule.

✅ Challenge selection empowers you to follow your mission and curiosity.

📌 Live sessions are where active learning happens-  don’t miss the chance to engage.

💜 Showing up matters and your presence and participation create a richer experience for you and your peers.

Live Sessions

What to do when you cannot attend a live session

👉 Why are live sessions mandatory at Tomorrow University?

Tomorrow University is committed to designing a learning experience that enables mastery of skills and competencies. Every decision we make about our learning experience stems from this commitment: We use fully active learning to engage learners and achieve mastery of practical knowledge to solve our world's biggest problems.

We are inspired by the following quote:

“Students no longer want to sit in classrooms for four years and be lectured to over and over again. Instead, today’s college students want to engage in the world around them, from day one.” [Dr. Michael J. Sorrell‍, President Paul Quinn College]

In practice, this means that:

• Our live sessions leverage community interaction to promote individual motivation and accountability
• We incorporate teamwork, peer instruction, and frequent discussion within live sessions to enable fully active learning
• Live sessions provide a space for debate and critique, enabling everyone to bring their full attention to the learning content

🌟 How does this process align with ToU’s commitment to flexibility for learners?

We act as a community. Challenge Owners and peers thoroughly prepare for the sessions. They expect others to do the same. Live sessions are a core part of our learning model; they are currently limited to 3.5 hours per challenge. They are essential to foster learning and engage in meaningful debates. Flexible learning is equally important as showing up to live discussions, participating actively, and contributing meaningfully to your peers’ learning experience.

The science of active learning demonstrates that learners benefit the most from the learning experience when they are actively engaged with their peers, and dedicated Challenge Owners, in conversations that bring the learning content on the app to life while being present.

A 2019 internal study at Minerva University reported that active learning produces learning gains of at least 8% after three years, compared to a 92% loss with traditional lectures after just six months. These results are also backed by a meta-analysis of 225 studies comparing active learning versus lecture-centered course designs that found students in traditional lectures were 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in courses with active learning [Freeman et al., 2014].

Only through this exchange and connection can learners truly master the competencies ToU’s challenges have been designed to develop.

💪 What does this mean for me?

Attend the live sessions. Be present. Participate. Make the most of them, and see your presence at these sessions as a non-negotiable aspect of your learning experience.

🎯 What do I do when I cannot attend a live session?

➡️ Catch up through a cohort buddy to review key takeaways.

➡️ Access shared resources (slides, documents, and references) from your Challenge Owner in your Slack channel.

➡️ Join office hours to get additional support from Tutors.

❌ Please note that recordings are not available for live sessions.

🎓 Final Thought

Flexible learning means you are in charge of your journey but you are never walking it alone. At ToU, your growth is supported by a learning community designed to help you succeed in every way. Every time you show up, contribute, and collaborate, you make this journey more meaningful for yourself and for everyone around you.

Thank you for being here. Let’s keep building something impactful together.