Learning with Experts

What Learning with Experts is

Learning with Experts is an online course provider built around well-known teachers. Its footer sums up the idea: "We connect organisations and people with experts to spark curiosity, inspire transformation, and deliver learning that leads to real-world change across individuals, communities, and industries." For a learner, that means a catalog of practical and creative courses, each led by a named expert, with the option of personal feedback from a tutor on your assignments. For an organization, the same company offers a learning platform and a content studio.

The business therefore has two sides. Individuals get courses, an expert directory, gift cards and a membership. Educators and institutions get a Platform and a Studio product, with named customers. The individual catalog is the larger and better documented of the two, and it is where most readers of this directory will start.

The course catalog

Courses are grouped into eight subject areas: Gardening, Food & Drink, Health & Wellbeing, Photography, Floristry, Art & Design, Jewelry and Antiques. Gardening is the deepest, and the company's gardening article describes a range "From beginner online gardening courses covering gardening tips for beginners to advanced online gardening courses, including garden planning ideas and sustainable gardening practices." It also mentions dedicated courses on vegetable growing and on container gardening, so a learner with only a balcony has a starting point as well as someone planning a large garden.

The teachers are the draw. The gardening article promises that you will "Learn directly from globally renowned garden designers, horticulturists, and plant specialists," naming "Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury" among "other RHS award-winners." The recommended courses on that page show who teaches what:

• Planting the Piet Oudolf Way, with Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury
• Piet Oudolf Gardens, a set of 3 courses with the same two teachers
• Design & Create your Dream Country Garden, with Tom Stuart-Smith and Guy Petheram
• Planting Design with Perennials, with Dr Noel Kingsbury
• Professional Planting Design, with Neill Ludmon

An Experts section of the site introduces "the experts who bring knowledge, experience and inspiration to every course," so a learner can choose a course by the teacher as much as by the topic.

How the courses work

Courses are online and self-paced. The article says "You can access course materials 24/7 from anywhere in the world, allowing you to learn at a pace that suits you, whether you prefer to binge-learn, dedicate your weekends to study, or take your time."

The distinctive feature is tutor feedback. The company says it "gives you the option of receiving personal feedback on your assignments directly from your individual course tutors," and that "Our expert tutors review your work, providing constructive criticism, guidance, and encouragement to help you succeed." It is presented as an option rather than a default, so a learner chooses whether to take it when buying a course.

Learners also study alongside each other. The article describes "dedicated online classrooms" where you can "Share ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other's experiences," and calls the result a global community of fellow gardening enthusiasts.

The RHS Level 2 Certificate

For learners who want a formal qualification, the site offers the RHS Level 2 Certificate, which the menu describes as "one of the world's most respected horticultural qualifications." The listing shown on the gardening article, RHS Level 2 Certificate: Principles of Plant Growth & Development, is made up of 8 courses. The article pitches RHS study at people "serious about formal qualifications," saying the courses "can lead to recognised gardening qualifications" and suit "individuals seeking to pursue a career in gardening and acquire an accredited understanding of horticultural principles." The blog also carries a post titled "Why the RHS Level 2 Certificate is Your Gateway to a Thriving Horticulture Career."

Career-minded courses

Not every learner is a hobbyist, and the site addresses career changers directly. It says its garden design courses "provide the foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary to establish a successful career in the industry," and gives one concrete example: "Our Designing Small Gardens course is a great way to start a niche gardening service for urban clients with limited outdoor space." Professional Planting Design, taught by Neill Ludmon, is aimed the same way.

Prices, membership and gifts

The recommended-course strip on the gardening article shows prices in Swiss francs, with tax included:

• RHS Level 2 Certificate: Principles of Plant Growth & Development, CHF 1,129.00
• Planting the Piet Oudolf Way, CHF 108.00 to CHF 210.00
• Piet Oudolf Gardens, CHF 170.00 to CHF 419.00
• Design & Create your Dream Country Garden, CHF 108.00
• Planting Design with Perennials, CHF 108.00 to CHF 210.00
• Professional Planting Design, CHF 108.00 to CHF 413.00

Courses are bought one at a time through a basket and checkout. There is also a subscription option: a site banner advertises a Learning for Life Membership, currently offered with 20% off. Gift cards are sold for people who want to give a course without choosing it ("Let your friends and family choose with a Learning with Experts gift voucher"), and the footer links to a refund policy, FAQs and an affiliate program.

For organizations

The Educators side of the business offers a Learning Platform and a Content Studio, with customer stories and a "Book a Demo" link. The customers named in the menu are the NHS, the RHS, Mayo Clinic and Alasdair Cant & Associates. That makes Learning with Experts both a consumer catalog and a supplier of learning technology and content to institutions.

Who it suits

Learning with Experts suits serious amateurs who want to learn from a specific, respected teacher, above all in garden and planting design, where the Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith courses have no obvious substitute. It suits career changers heading into horticulture who want the RHS Level 2 Certificate online, and anyone who values written feedback from a tutor over a forum alone. Gift vouchers make it an easy present for a keen gardener or cook.

It suits less a learner who wants a large, low-cost subscription library across every subject. The catalog is focused on eight practical and creative areas, prices are set per course, and the tutor feedback that sets it apart comes as an option you choose when you buy.