New Learning Cohorts in Communities
This July 2026 release introduces Learning Cohorts: private, invitation-only groups nested within topic-based communities for structured, time-bound learning. Cohorts replace the legacy Connect module, delivering guided group journeys with dedicated authors, peer collaboration, and real-time progress tracking. The feature drives higher program completion rates and consistent knowledge acquisition for initiatives like onboarding and certifications.
What's New
- Create private, invitation-only cohorts nested within topic-based communities for structured, time-bound learning.
- Build cohorts from scratch with basic details, custom thumbnails and banners, co-authors, start/end dates, and time zone settings.
- Configure visibility and mandatory toggles to mark cohorts as required programs.
- Assemble curricula by adding sections and pulling in existing platform content.
- Invite members via the organization's searchable directory, with instant learner notifications and accept flow.
- Manage multiple cohorts at scale using Status and Mandatory filters plus name search.
- Track learner progress in real time with a progress widget, completion tags, and progress based on actual training completions.
- View completed cohorts in a dedicated Cohort view, separate from the main user transcript.
Details
Description
New Learning Cohorts are private, invitation-only groups nested within topic-based communities, designed specifically for structured and time-bound learning experiences. Participants engage in a shared curriculum, collaborate with peers, and progress together under the guidance of dedicated cohort authors. Unlike general communities, cohorts emphasize a defined progression and completion within a specific time frame.
The feature is the direct successor to the existing Connect module, rebuilt from the ground up with modernized learner and admin interfaces. Authors can build a cohort from a community homepage, define basic details, time frames and time zones, add co-authors, assemble curricula from existing platform content, and toggle visibility and mandatory status. Learners receive invitations through notifications, accept to add the program to their dashboard, and track progress in real time via a progress widget.
Business Need
Organizations running self-paced onboarding and training programs frequently struggle with inconsistent completion rates, low peer interaction, and learners feeling isolated or unsure of the required pace. Self-paced learning offers no shared timeline, limited collaboration, an inconsistent foundational experience across participants, and no clear mechanism to track group progress or provide real-time guidance.
Cohorts directly address these gaps by transforming passive content consumption into active, collaborative, and guided learning. The result is significantly better knowledge retention and skill application, making cohorts ideal for critical structured initiatives such as onboarding, leadership development, and compliance certifications.
Key Features
- Administrators and authors can create private, invitation-only cohorts nested within topic-based communities for structured, time-bound learning.
- Authors can build cohorts from scratch, setting basic details, custom thumbnail and banner images, co-authors, start and end dates, and the correct time zone.
- Authors can configure a visibility toggle and a mandatory toggle to mark a cohort as a required program.
- Authors can assemble curricula by adding sections and pulling in existing resources from across the platform.
- Authors can invite members through the organization's searchable directory, triggering instant learner notifications and a simple accept flow.
- Authors can manage multiple cohorts at scale using Status and Mandatory filters together with name search.
- The system tracks learner progress in real time with a progress widget and completion tags, calculating progress based on actual training completions.
- Completed cohorts are visible in a dedicated Cohort view, kept separate from the main user transcript.
Deployment & Considerations
Learning Cohorts are available with the July 2026 release, exclusively in the single architecture. The feature is on by default for customers using single architecture, and no new permissions are required. Availability begins in the stage/preview environment with the start of UAT, followed by production at general release.
This is the first step in a phased rollout intended to fully replace the legacy Connect module by the end of 2027. Phase 2, planned for November 2026, will achieve full feature parity with Connect and open the path for new customer migration. An automatic migration for current Connect clients is targeted to begin in November 2026; migration to single architecture can be done independently of Connect module migration. Existing Connect users migrating to single architecture can temporarily disable the Cohorts module by submitting a request to the implementation team to ease the transition. Note: cohort progress and completion are separate from the main user transcript, and cohort reporting is planned for the November 2026 release.