Academic model

KLS 2.0 – Kroton Learning System

Aimed at meeting the new challenges arising in the post-secondary education, Kroton developed an innovative teaching system that enables it to plan and disseminate a unique academic model, the KLS 2.0, underpinned by three major pillars: promoting student employability, a focus on quality and innovation and large-scale supply.

To ensure the delivery and implantation of the system throughout the Kroton academic community, the planning tool denominated Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) was adopted, with some adaptations for the academic area.

Plan

This is the stage of selecting and organizing the contents for each of the curricular matrices of the Kroton undergraduate courses. To systematize the construction of the matrices, another administrative tool adapted for the academic area is employed – the Balanced Scorecard (BSC).

The first stage of the BSC is the definition of the desired profile for graduates, taking into account the diverse areas in which this professional will perform. After, the essential competencies necessary for this individual to work in a responsible and competent fashion are determined for each one of these areas. These competencies are defined in function of the effective demands of the labor market and regulatory requirements. The objective is to increase student employability rates, integrating the academic model with the professional universe.

To do this, Kroton constantly consults private and public companies and entrepreneurs in order to identify the kind of profile the market demands of students. To ensure this information is updated, we have the Canal Conecta (Conecta Channel), an employability platform for our students and ex-students. Companies may include the qualifications they require and look for, enabling the academic model to be updated constantly.

As such, a discipline is defined as a set of competencies. To meet and ensure the development of these requirements, the model employs techniques that determine the choice of contents and guide the delivery of products and services.

Do

This stage is divided into two processes: the elaboration and production of educational materials based on the Academic BSC.

All the teaching materials in the KLS 2.0 are based on the concept of the model-class, supported by the use of active teaching-learning methodologies and the concept of the flipped classroom. This is divided into three educational moments (pre-class, class and post-class), organized to promote interaction, collective learning and the use of knowledge (knowing, doing, being and experiencing) through the resolution of problems and immersion in concrete situations taken from the professional reality.

The teaching materials – web classes, digital educational books, videos and lesson plans – are planned meticulously and prepared in a manner that ensures interest, interaction and effective learning, creating an environment in which the student assumes responsibility for the teaching-learning process, rupturing the paradigm of the expository class and positioning the teacher as a guide and facilitator of the student's development.

Check

This is aimed at ensuring the proper delivery for all the different formats for higher education. Be it in on-campus, semi distance learning, 100% online or blended distance learning, the KLS 2.0 delivers the same academic BSC, aimed at the same competencies, with the same quality requirements and the same focus on employability, respecting the characteristics, the role of the teacher and the use of the technologies associated with each format.

Adjust

This encompasses not only assessment of learning, but monitoring of the teaching-learning process with a view to adjusting and enhancing it. It is conceived as an ongoing inclusive diagnosis of the process. The proposal is to enable the student to evaluate his progress. It also permits the teacher to identify individual difficulties and the level of development of each student in relation to the content.

In the KLS 2.0, student performance is an instrument for valuing learning. The goal is to give students the opportunity to carry out diagnoses and assessments and to further develop the contents related to the competencies to be developed, always in the light of professional practice.

In addition to continually assessing student performance, Kroton analyzes the results of the annual self-assessments and external evaluations (course evaluations, Enade (national student performance examination) and CPC (preliminary course rating)), as a means of reviewing its Academic BSCs and the entire elaboration, production, distribution and assessment chain, aimed at enhancing the students' education and guaranteeing adequate academic and regulatory results.

Kroton is committed to offering a rich educational experience that enables its students to achieve high levels of employability. It is part of the company's mission to improve people's lives by means of responsible quality education, preparing professionals for the market. And the KLS 2.0 integrates the premises which orientate our educational goal:

• focus on learning and on developing the student for employability;
• choice and organization of contents aimed at applied knowledge;
• preparing the student for different fields and professional sectors;
• rupture with the traditional fragmented teaching model, through the construction of academic projects emphasizing competencies and skills;
• developing the teaching-learning process using leading edge information and communication technologies;
• focus on teaching, fomenting quality and high student performance.