Programmes
The Forward College pedagogy takes inspiration from the most contemporary and research-proven teaching & learning practices across the fields of education, pedagogy, cognitive sciences and neurosciences.
Academic learning… and beyond
Forward students are expected to grow not only their academic knowledge and cognitive reasoning but also their social, emotional and practical skills.
We have designed a pedagogy and curriculum to ensure these skills are systematically included in each activity or class aim (see below).
Going beyond developing academic learning skills only, our pedagogy aims to engage students in discovering the specificities of their unique profiles, to reflect on themselves, to evaluate how they align (or not!) with their values and mindset, and to strategise on their individual development priorities.
With an average of 15 students per class, Forward College ensures that academic tutors genuinely know their students and care about their success. As part of a close-knit cohort of 150 students, classes are structured in a way that allows students to study with different groups, fostering collaboration and diverse perspectives. They are supported and encouraged to develop not only academically but also socially, emotionally, and practically.
Exploring first individually a topic, then exchanging on knowledge-building through formal and informal discussions (seminars, tutorials, student-led workshops) enhances actual knowledge acquisition and autonomy.
One-on-one tutoring allows for individualised support, feedback, and guidance. It also helps develop students’ self-confidence and ability to self-evaluate and take control of their learning journey.
Learning via group or teamwork in a multicultural environment enhances communication skills and confidence building; it alleviates stress, anxiety, peer-pressure and builds self-evaluation abilities.
Largely validated by educational and pedagogical experts worldwide, the active learning approach aims to grow students’ autonomy. They become better experts in their field, but also better learners and more able people, for the future.
Our classes (seminars and workshops) are not designed to deliver content but to help students answer difficult questions, solve problems in teams, debate or simulate real-life situations after they have explored the course material – individually and in teams. To achieve this, our students are only taught in small groups of 15 students on average during seminars and workshops.
Individual tutorials (and team debriefings) take place weekly to exchange with students on their performance and support them in their progress. Psychology students have a unique annual schedule with less frequent individual tutorials than the other LSE programmes.
Forward students are supported by leading academics who have been affiliated with world-class universities as well as seasoned experts and professionals. Our Fellows – members of the faculty – passionately believe in the power of education to change attitudes, lives and ultimately shape a better future. Read more about our Faculty.
Teaching mostly takes place during seminars with one Forward Fellow (Member of faculty) and 15 students on average. Seminars are flipped: they are not designed to deliver content but to help students answer difficult questions, solve problems in teams, debate or simulate real-life situations after having been through the content. Students are expected to be highly engaged and come to class fully prepared which requires 4-8 hours of work before each academic seminar to:
– study their course independently (readings) and apply it and/or answer questions depending on the subject
– meet in small study groups (2-4 students) to share difficulties and support each other.
– escalate most aspects of the learning material to their Fellow so that he/she can ensure the maximum impact of their class.
Inspired by the “Oxbridge” tutorial system, these weekly sessions (in year 1) aim to ensure students have a deep understanding of their performance in their last formative assessment and identify training activities to improve specific aspects of their performance. Students are progressively expected to come to the tutorial with their own analysis of their performance. In year 2 and 3, depending on students autonomy, tutorials may take place with 2 students and the Fellow to foster emulation.
Tutored revisions Groups are meant to help you in your preparations before the weekly formative assessment. They cover both methodological techniques and most challenging aspects of the courses to review.
As part of forward flipped classroom approach, you are expected to go through the learning material (readings, videos…) independently before each seminar. Your Fellow often expects you to complete an individual (or team) assignment to apply the new knowledge. You are also expected to share the most challenging part of the course with your Fellow before the seminar.
Regroup with your team (two to four students) to share what you’ve learnt in that week. This is the opportunity for mutual aid and going one step further completing the assignment sent by your Academic Fellow before the seminar.
Each week, you will complete an Academic Assessment task in exam conditions. These tasks last between 60 and 90 minutes, and you will get weekly individual feedback in the follow-up Academic Tutorial.
These Seminars are similar to academic seminars as students are required to attend fully prepared. The seminars bring together the Fellow and 15 students on average to clarify difficult aspects of the course and apply its methodologies or techniques to case studies. they take place at the start of the week.
Workshops take place right after seminars also early in the week. They have the same format and aim to guide project teams in applying the new techniques and methodologies of the week to their specific project. The Fellow also supports teams in planning their fieldwork activities. Debriefing: These weekly sessions take place at the end of the week in very small groups (the Fellow with 1 or 2 projet teams). This is the moment to review your progress and team dynamics, solve problems you may have encountered, and envisage what the next steps should be.
Field work takes place between the workshop and the debriefing. This is when teams work to progress concretely on their project according to their team plan defined at the end of the workshop. This is the moment to take action!
These sessions take place weekly in small groups of two to five teams with your Leadership Fellow. This is the moment to review your progress, unlock problems you may have encountered, and envisage what the next steps will be.
After a short quiz or Q&A session to test the group understanding of the topic of the week, students engage with their Fellow in a range of learning activities to better understand the reasons behind your decisions and behaviours, and consider ways in which you can act upon them. Each week, at the end of the seminar, you will commit to an assignment in small teams of students who share the same ambitions on the topic.
Each year, you will self-assess your progress in a range of cognitive (intellectual), social, emotional, and practical skills. You will also receive feedback from your Teaching Fellows and peers. You will debrief the results of this holistic assessment with your personal coach to reflect on your progress and set your goals and aspirations for the coming year (2 sessions of 45 min.).
Each week, you will prepare for the seminar thanks to readings, videos and/or taking a test to discover where you stand on the topic of the seminar.
As changing our behaviours requires constant practice, you will train with your peers on the assignment given by your Personal Development Coach. You can expect to be engaging with a range of training practices for about 1 to 3 hours each week.
We understand student well-being to be a sustainable state characterised by positive feelings and relationships, tied to high level of satisfaction with their learning experiences.
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Whether in Lisbon, Paris, or Berlin, your week will be a busy one, as you will be studying for your University of London Bachelor’s and for your Leadership training together.
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