MASTERY-BASED LEARNING

It’s Not Where You Start—It’s Where You End Up

In real life, there is no “E for effort.” People are evaluated, and progress, based on how well they do. At Foundry College, we think education should be the same way.

Mastery-based education means that you'll master every skill before moving on. It’s motivating to see your progress, and it’s attractive to employers because it provides solid evidence that you have what it takes to succeed on the job.

A More Efficient Path to Mastery

Foundry College courses meet twice per week for 90 minutes each, and there's no prework or homework assigned. Hands-on activities and focused, engaging lectures help you master new skills and knowledge efficiently so you can fit learning into your busy life.

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No Pre-Class Preparation

Research shows that many students don’t complete pre-class reading—so our instructors share all essential material during live lectures.

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Put Learning Into Practice

After each lecture, you'll break out into small groups to put learning into immediate practice—ensuring that you master new skills and knowledge efficiently.

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No Homework Assignments

Each class ends with a quiz to confirm that you understand the material and can apply it in workplace situations.

Mastering Three Levels of Capabilities

Foundry College characterizes skills and knowledge at three different levels—nano, mini and macro. Each group of nano capabilities builds into a mini capability, and each group of mini capabilities builds into a macro capability. You'll acquire capabilities in steady, intentional sequences, making progress in every class session.

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Nano Capabilities

Specific capabilities, such as finding the source of a claim

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Mini Capabilities

More general capabilities, such as evaluating source quality in news reports

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Macro Capabilities

General capabilities, such as detecting fake news (a type of critical thinking)

Evaluating Mastery

Foundry College doesn’t give grades—you'll have either “mastered” a course or are “in progress.” Although this approach is similar to the traditional concept of pass/fail, a “pass” at Foundry College means more than just getting by: you'll demonstrate a deep understanding of the material and ability to consistently apply skills and knowledge into practice.

Mastered

To master a course, you must have either passed or completed six attempts on each of the end-of-class quizzes, taken the Mid-term Assessment, and received a 100% on the end-of-course Mastery Assessment; and/or passed all required assessments specific to credential courses.

In Progress

You'll complete a quiz at the end of every class. If the quiz is not passed after two attempts, you'll need to do work outside of class in order to review and master the material.

Supporting Student Success

Foundry College courses are designed so that all required material can be learned in class, with no pre-work or homework. However, we understand that you may occasionally need extra time and support to master certain skills or knowledge. We inlcude one-on-one personal coaching and one-on-one academic mentoring to help you succeed.

Get the Most from Your Education