Parent FAQs - About the courses

In our online courses:

• Most, if not all, students will attend different schools (and will  probably live in different countries) than your own son/daughter.
• The main communication channel between teacher and students is via the Internet.
• Lessons are "asynchronous". In other words, students and their teachers are not necessarily online at the same time. (Given differences in time zones, some students may just be going to bed when others are getting up!) Through the use of Web 2.0 collaboration tools, students will nonetheless be able to carry on a lively dialogue, and collaborate actively, with their teachers as well as their classmates. And even though the courses are designed to be asynchronous, teachers generally make themselves available for office hours via an online conferencing platform. If students do find that they are online at the same time as their classmates, they can Skype or use the chat functions integrated in the course to communicate in real time. Students will have weekly assignments, but the school timetable and their personal initiative determine when they log on to the course, access the course material, complete assignments, and communicate with their online teacher and classmates.
• A Site-based Coordinator ("SBC") at each student´s school monitors his/her progress and is there to provide support and guidance where needed. That said, a student's primary working relationship will be with his/her online teacher, who he or she will get to know well during the course.
• Students will always know where they stand in the course. They (and their SBC) will receive a short report on their performance every two week. Parents can access this report, through their son/daughter's account, or via the SBC.

• Pamoja Education online teachers are experienced IB teachers and experts in their subject areas. All of our teachers have been specially trained in online teaching methods, and, in many cases, they have already been using online tools in their classroom teaching. They know how to take full advantage of the online environment.
• We recruit our teachers worldwide. In most cases, they are currently teaching at an IB World School. In a few cases, they have decided to devote their full teaching capacity to online teaching with Pamoja Education. In all cases, they are fully dedicated to making this a great learning experience for all of their students!

• Online class sizes range from 8-25 students. This is a size that allows for both a diversity of backgrounds and optimal working relationships.
• Students come from IB World Schools around the globe. Our current classes have students from more than 55 countries, on all continents except Antarctica (we're working on that). We expect to have even more countries represented in our classes beginning September 2012.

• The "asynchronous" nature of the courses (see the first FAQ about differences between traditional and online courses) means that students (and teachers) don't need to be online at the same time. The use of Web 2.0 tools, and the design of our courses, ensures that there is still a very high level of communication and collaboration - a bit different, but every bit as intense (sometimes even more so) as they would experience in a traditional classroom. That said, students find it fun to Skype with classmates on the other side of the world if they discover that they are online at the same time.

• Students enrol in Pamoja Education online IB courses through their IB World School and schools are required to provide a "Site-based Coordinator" to support them during their studies. Therefore, by the time they enrol, you can be sure of their school's support.
• Because we are relatively new, your son/daughter's school may not yet have heard about Pamoja Education or our online courses, or may not have had time to learn more about our offerings. Please contact the school's Diploma Coordinator and refer him/her to our website, or let us know if you would like us to contact him/her on your behalf. Diploma Coordinators can reach us by phone, email, or using one of the "Expression of Interest" forms found in the "Contact Us" section of this website.

• Pamoja Education online IB courses are developed in close cooperation with, and approved by, the International Baccalaureate. In the eyes of the IB they are the full equivalent of courses taken in a traditional face-to-face environment. Accordingly, the IB certificate or Diploma does not distinguish between online and face-to face courses.
• Students taking online IB Courses develop additional skills which will help them in their university careers. Therefore, they may wish to mention that they have taken a Pamoja Education online course on their university applications.

• Neither the IB nor Pamoja Education limit the number of courses an individual student can take online. At present, most of our students take one course online; some take two.

• At present, enrolment is limited to Diploma Programme or Certificate students attending IB World Schools. Parents of students not attending an IB World school should please go to the last point in this section.
• If your son/daughter will be beginning Diploma Programme or Certificate studies in September 2012 or thereafter: please approach your school's IB Diploma Programme Coordinator ("DPC") to discuss enrolment. If he/she is unfamiliar with our offerings, please ask him/her to contact us, using the contact information on the "Contact Us" page of this website. We are also happy to contact the DPC on your behalf, if you send us an email with the necessary contact and background information.
• For classes beginning in September 2012, we hope to launch a pilot programme, with the support of the IB, to offer enrolment to a limited number of students who do not attend IB World Schools. These students would be supported by an "Open World School", which is an IB World School specially authorised by the IB to support "external" students. This programme is still being developed in cooperation with the IB. We will announce further details on our website, as soon as they are available.

For students at IB World Schools, the cost of enrolment in Pamoja Education online IB courses is paid by the school. The per-student cost depends on the number of students enrolled from that school. For details, please refer to our "Enrolment Information" page on this website.

Some schools may seek reimbursement from parents for some or all of the enrolments costs. This decision is made by the school, and typically depends on the way in which, and the level at which, the school receives its own funding. Please contact your son/daughter's school for further details.

• At present, all of our courses are two years in duration, and prepare students for the May IB external assessments.  Students in classes starting in September 2011 will therefore sit their external assessments in May 2013. In January 2013 we plan to start additional course sections to target the November 2014 assessments.

• SL (Standard Level) courses typically require 6-8 hours of work per week. HL (Higher Level) courses typically require 8-10 hours. For the sake of comparison, please remember that, although the distinction is blurred in an online setting, these estimates cover both "class time" and "homework".
• We ask schools to make time available at school for students to work on their online courses. Usually, schools will allocate the same amount of time as for a traditional course at the same level. The remainder of a student´s work can be completed at home, or any other place where he/she is able to use a computer. While web access is required for research and interaction, students can also work on many assignments offline.

• Our approach is similar to that in any school, with planned absences handled on an individual basis. Especially in light of the diverse nature of our student body, teachers will make every effort to be flexible if there are valid reasons for the absence. However, just like in a traditional class, the teacher needs to balance the individual student's needs with requirements for group work, etc. If a student expects to be absent, it is essential that he/she contact his/her online teacher as early as possible in advance, in order to discuss appropriate arrangements.
• In case of illness, students should try to let their teachers and Site-based Coordinators (SBC) know as soon as possible. If they are unable to do this, their parents or guardians can contact their SBC, who will contact us.
• As with a traditional IB course, online students are of course responsible for making up any work missed during their absence.

• The requirements for, and scope of, internal assessments are the same as for a traditional course.
• External assessments (IB May exams) are handled in the traditional way (i.e. not online), and are taken at the student's IB World School. Students in online courses take the exact same exams as students in traditional courses.

• The Site-based Coordinator (SBC) is a teacher, counsellor or administrator at your son/daughter's school who has been selected by the school and specially trained to support students taking Pamoja Education online IB courses. The SBC would usually be your first point of contact if you have any concerns during the course. However, you are also welcome to contact your son/daughter's online teacher by email, and/or to arrange a phone or video conference with the teacher (directly or via the SBC).