Review:🧑‍🎓Message-Based Learning Platform: Arist

Another platform I’ve been experimenting with is Arist, which lets you design and offer delivery courses via a text messaging platform (SMS, WhatsApp, or even Facebook Messenger).

Arist was initially targeted as a service for corporations to use in onboarding new employees. Instead of having two days of employee training, you might have one day, and then over the next 20 days, you would receive a text message each day telling you more about your new employer or job function. Arist allows for two-way interactions, so as a course designer, you can see your students’ responses or ask them a question at the end of each text message.

There are several free courses that you can sign up for and try out for yourself.

I think this is a very intriguing idea, especially when it comes to executive education. Imagine having a workshop for a day or two to bring together people around one particular topic or strategy and then continue that education after leaving the classroom via Arist. And perhaps end with another follow-up live session after that. These platforms will help bridge the gap between synchronous and asynchronous education and offer new hybrid ways to deliver Just In Time (JIT) training.

I have been in touch with the founders, and they are willing to let instructors play around with the platform without getting charged. So if you sign up and are intimidated by the fees (designed for their corporate clients), don’t worry. Write to them and explain your goals, and they will work with you (or let me know, and I will get you in contact with them.) They have several webinars to help you get started: https://www.arist.co/webinar

Web Link: https://arist.co/

J. Scott Christianson is a technologist and an Associate Teaching Professor of management at the Trulaske College of Business, where his interests are focused on the impact of technology on society. You can connect with him on his website, LinkedIn, Twitter, or by following his newsletter, The Free-Range Technologist.