Why become a course instructor with the Ecology Academy?

  • Use of an intuitive and user-friendly online learning platform which offers a multitude of tools for effective training delivery. 
  • We offer full support to ensure that all courses are planned and delivered to the highest professional standard. 
  • All bookings and payments fully managed by us, so minimal admin for you.
  • We will actively market your course(s) across multiple social media platforms, our blog, and via direct emails to our extensive networks. 
  • Your course(s) can be made bookable by students year-round, so a constant income stream is possible.
  • Training delivery counts towards your CPD, including evidencing an authoritative level of competence which can be used to support applications for Chartership.
  • Opportunities to work collaboratively with other practitioners interested in your specialism.
  • Contribution to improving the knowledge and skills of practitioners across the profession.

 

What does being a trainer with the Ecology Academy involve?

You agree to:

  • Provide copies of course materials in advance. 
  • Respond promptly to enquiries from prospective students (forwarded by the Ecology Academy if we are unable to answer them ourselves).
  • Refer any booking enquiries to the Ecology Academy.
  • Deliver a well-planned course using appropriate delivery methods and imparting information in accordance with the advertised course curriculum.
  • Provide a copy of your professional indemnity insurance certificate.

 

How do I submit a course proposal?

  1. Contact the Ecology Academy by emailing [email protected] to discuss the scope of your proposal, your experience, and the fit with our Training and Development Strategy.
  2. Complete and return a New Course Proposal Form (we also have a completed Example for reference).
  3. We will review your proposal and only those that are deemed to be relevant, fit with our Training and Development Strategy, and are planned to be delivered to a high standard will be approved.
  4. If approved, the final course outline and content will be agreed. 
  5. A contract will be issued by the Ecology Academy for signature and return.
  6. Course materials are to be submitted by the agreed deadline so that the course can be built in our learning platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who are our courses aimed at?

    At present, our courses are largely aimed at career changers, soon-to-be graduates, recent graduates, and early career ecologists with 1-3 years’ experience that intend to work, or are working, within ecology or environmental management in the UK. In time, we will expand our remit to cover all career stages and we also hope to expand our reach across Europe, North America, and Asia.

  • How are our courses delivered?

    Our courses are delivered using an online learning platform hosted by Thinkific. Courses can be delivered through use of recorded videos, narrated presentations, audio recordings, text, multimedia (external website or HTML5 content), downloadable files, or live as meetings/webinars. You can use quizzes, surveys, assignments, and exams to assess student learning. This is not intended to be exhaustive list, so if there is something you are looking to add to a course, then we can probably give it a try! We also plan to begin offering hybrid and in-person training courses soon!

  • Can I create private or hidden courses rather than open to all?

    Yes. You can set a course to ‘private’ and therefore you have control over enrolments e.g. students may have to meet certain criteria to enrol, or they can be hidden off the platform completely - this may be useful if you are providing a bespoke course for a team/university group rather than to the public.

  • How many students are currently enrolled?

    As of December 2022, we have over 1000 students enrolled on one or more of our courses.

  • How do students access courses?

    This depends on how the course is set up. For most courses, a student purchases the course, sets up an account, and can access the course content via their dashboard immediately so that they can work through the materials at their own pace. Some courses are delivered as ‘cohorts’ of students whereby material is released on a set date, or dates (‘drip fed’) so that a group of students work through the course at the same time and can be offered support as a group (via a discussion forum or live Q&A session/s, for example). Where a free preview is provided, a prospective student can enrol and view the free elements of the course before they decide whether they wish to purchase the full course.

  • Can I see how students are progressing?

    Yes. We can provide you with student progress reports to give insights into student activity on your course(s) and to measure completion rates. We can provide reports in three different ways: 1. Progress Reports provide an overview of student activity on your course. You can see when each student started the course, completed the course, last signed in, as well as their view and completion rate. 2. Cohort Reports allow you to compare student completion rate by groups of students with a common start date. For example, all students enrolled in January would be part of the January cohort and you can compare completion percentage between cohorts. If you have made any changes to your course between cohorts, this helps to illustrate whether your changes have affected completion rates. 3. Group Reports are like Progress Reports but can be run for a specific Group. You will be able to see details for all students in a Group including name, email, and completion rates for every course they are enrolled in.

  • How can I keep in touch with my students?

    You can engage with your students by creating quizzes or interacting with them through discussion forums. You can create posts as well as share images, videos, and other files. These are easy to set up and manage. You can also email your students directly and set up reminders so they continue with their learning or hand in assignments.

  • Who is responsible for marketing the course?

    We will actively promote your course across our social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) as well via our blog and direct emails to subscribers. Your assistance in marketing the course, either by sharing our social media posts or by signposting potential students to your course page on our training platform, would be appreciated and mutually beneficial in bringing in more students. We will also work with you to maximise SEO for your course, as well as design an attractive and informative course landing page with a description of your course, a biography about yourself, and reviews as social proof from past students.

  • What price should I charge for my course?

    This will depend on the length and value of the course, though we do have a pricing structure for guidance. We will work with you to get the right price point though this can be adjusted at any time (higher or lower).

Any other questions?

If the answer to your question cannot be found here, please email [email protected].