Online Course FAQs

1. Course Timeline and Structure

PZ online courses are divided into learning sessions that open on Mondays and close on Sundays. Session schedules are unique to each course and are listed on that course's page.

Mini courses are divided into 4 one-week sessions.
In-depth courses are divided into 6 two-week sessions, with one-week orientation.

All PZ courses start with a self-guided orientation session so you can individually familiarize yourself with the course site and policies:

Mini courses: a brief, 3-to-4-day orientation period
In-depth courses: a one-week orientation period

The course syllabus becomes available once you are registered and onboarded to the course platform at launch.

2. Weekly Assignment Structure

Each session includes:

Individual readings
Individual assignment
Team meeting (required, live, and scheduled by team members)
Team assignment (completed at the team meeting)

Assignments have due dates each session, toward the end of the week. Because PZ's online courses engage participants from all around the world in widely differing time zones, we do not schedule meetings for specific days and times. You decide when to do your individual work, and your team decides when to meet for 60 to 90 minutes each session. Team meeting agendas are provided.

3. Will I Be Able to Manage This Course?

PZ online courses are designed for busy educators. For all PZ online courses, the total weekly time commitment is about 3 hours:

About 2 hours for independent work (readings and the individual assignment), done on your own schedule
About 1 hour for the team meeting, typically done outside your workday (though if you enroll with a school team, you might choose to meet during lunch or a midday professional development hour)

4. Instructional Model

Teams. Whether you join as an individual or as part of a pre-formed team of 2 to 6 educators from your school or organization, the course is designed for teams, with individual learning and reflection done in preparation for team learning.
Study groups. A set of roughly 6 to 10 teams who most often share general learning characteristics, such as age of learners, discipline, or educator role.

Instructors:

Have developed exceptional expertise in the PZ ideas in the course
Review participant work throughout the course each session
Develop and deliver Instructor Reflection Videos with feedback from assignment submissions on common themes, suggestions for addressing challenges, and highlights of participant work
Engage with participants through questions and comments in the Instructor Reflection Video discussion areas

Facilitators:

Have implemented PZ ideas in their own classrooms and educational settings and developed expertise supporting other educators
Lead a study group
Give feedback on assignments by team and across the study group

5. How Do Teams Work?

All PZ online courses are team-based, consisting of 3 to 6 educators. You can register as:

A team of 3 or more from the same organization (school, district, museum, community, etc.)
A pair of 2 educators from the same organization
An individual educator, who will then be added to a virtual team

While approximately half of your assignments are individual and can be done on your own time, PZ online courses require some collaboration and teamwork. Each session has one required team meeting with a team assignment that requires all members to participate.

How do Virtual Teams work?

If you register as an individual, you'll be placed on a virtual team with educators from nearby time zones, to make scheduling the once-per-session meetings easier. You'll be introduced to your teammates by email the week before the course starts, so you can connect and agree on the best time to meet each session (via Zoom, Google Meet, etc.), preferably outside the work or school day. By registering as an individual on a virtual team, you're committing to help find times everyone can meet, which may take some flexibility, and to attend the meetings.

How many teams can we enter in a course?

PZ courses are designed for school- or organization-wide professional development, so there's no limit to the number of teams you can register. Groups registering multiple educators tend to arrange teams by grade, subject, or building, with shared lunch breaks and daily schedules also a consideration, so all members are available for the once-per-session meetings. That said, all PZ courses have a maximum capacity, and some courses will fill if you register too close to the deadline.

6. Delivery: Synchronous and Asynchronous

PZ online courses do not host live lectures, talks, or workshop sessions.

Synchronous

Team meetings: required, team-based, live meetings every week with your team

Asynchronous

Instructor Session Reflection videos connected to the learning shared after each session
The opportunity to engage with instructors on the course platform through discussion groups
Facilitator feedback on select assignments, focused on suggestions for furthering learning, responses to questions, and reflections on common themes across teams

7. Course Completion & Professional Development Hours

Participants must complete all assignments and team meetings to receive a Certificate of Completion for the total hours available:

30 professional development hours for in-depth courses
12 professional development hours for mini courses

Participants who complete some, but not all, course requirements can still earn a Certificate of Participation for the number of hours completed.

Certifications for Visible Thinking and Cultures of Thinking

PZ also offers certification programs to confirm your proficiency in Visible Thinking and Cultures of Thinking. Certification programs offer the opportunity to earn a certificate demonstrating depth of proficiency in a specific track. Read more and learn how to apply for a certification program.

8. Are PZ Courses IB-Accredited?

Yes. PZ has a relationship with the International Baccalaureate (IB), and all PZ courses are IB Category 3-approved. All PZ online course completion certificates carry the Harvard, Project Zero, and IB Category 3 seals.

9. Tuition & Financial Aid

PZ courses offer three price points for tuition, largely based on the behind-the-scenes administration involved. Rates are lowest if you register a team of 3 to 6. We do not offer large-group discounts; the fee for 6 educators is the same as the fee for 16 (or more).

PZ offers financial awards to educators around the world teaching in schools where more than 25% of students are considered low-income by their area's standards. You must complete the financial aid form before registering, and we will reply within 2 to 3 business days with a potential discount code to use when you register. Please note that we cannot administer retroactive financial aid discounts after you've registered.

10. Required Materials

Required texts are listed on every PZ online course page, and you won't need to purchase more than one text per course. Most required texts can be purchased in either hard-copy or digital formats. All registrants should obtain required materials before the course launches.

11. Registration Process & Policies

The registration deadline is listed on each course page. However, space is limited, and a course may fill prior to its deadline, so it's best to register early.

If a deadline has recently passed: Registration deadlines have some flexibility if you're inquiring within 3 to 5 business days after a deadline and spots remain. Payment must be received within 24 hours to secure your spot. Please email pzlearn@gse.harvard.edu if you're interested in a course and the registration deadline has recently passed.

Confirmation: Once registration is complete, a confirmation email is sent to each participant individually. It includes a brief information form required of every participant, along with a registration confirmation number. If tuition payment is deferred, this number can be used to make payment, and the bottom of the confirmation email can be used as a forwardable payment invoice.

Payment: PZ accepts credit card (during initial checkout only), check, or electronic transfer. Payment, or written documentation that payment is in process, must be provided by the registration deadline to participate in the course and get access to the course site. Unpaid registrants are placed on a waitlist and added to the course once payment is received; course spaces are not held for waitlisted participants.

Refunds and substitutions: Requests must be made at least 10 days prior to the course start date. To request a refund or substitution, please email pzlearn@gse.harvard.edu.

12. What to Expect Before, During, and After the Course

About 4 to 5 days before a course launches, you'll receive a welcome email from pzlearn@gse.harvard.edu with instructions on how to log into the course site and other important details. Please check your spam filters.

If you enrolled as an individual to be placed on a virtual team, you'll receive an additional email 3 to 4 days before the course launches, introducing you to your fellow virtual teammates.

PZ online course certificates are emailed from pzlearn@gse.harvard.edu 4 to 6 weeks after a course closes. Please check your spam filters, and email us if more than six weeks have passed and you believe you should have received a certificate.