The Peterson Academy: Details Galore and First Impressions, From a Cognitive Psychologist
Education
Introduction
One of my regrets from grad school was not being able to afford to fly back internationally and walk in graduation. I am but a simple little creature who really wanted to participate in the whole hooding ceremony. However, now that I've enrolled in the prestigious Peterson Academy, I found an excuse to deck myself out in academic regalia. College core? Get on my level!
Join me as we take a deep dive into Jordan Bernt Peterson's latest anti-establishment educational endeavor. This exploration is made possible thanks to the continued support of viewers, patrons, and PayPal PALS like you. Thank you!
We interrupt the regularly scheduled Beyond Order video to talk about Peterson's online educational platform, which saw its early access launch in late August and had its full launch on September 9th. If you're new here, hi! I'm Cass, Dr. Eris if you're nasty, and I hold a cognitive psychology PhD. Now, life can have an interesting sense of humor, and I make edutainment here on YouTube. A significant portion of that has transformed into offering working examples of how to analyze someone’s arguments, checking their reasoning and sources. We’ve predominantly worked with Peterson's life advice books.
Although it has not been a quick process, we are now disrupting that to bring forth this video. We’ll talk about the history of the Peterson Academy, go through the sales pitch, evaluate the courses, and discuss the content creators behind them before I provide my first impressions of the website. For full disclosure, I have not yet watched the entirety of a single course; however, I skimmed through a few videos from various courses and completed the introduction quizzes. If you're curious about any of those course contents, hit that like button and subscribe so I know to do more of this! You can also sprinkle in some fun likes and comments about which content creator or course you'd like to see from Peterson.
You can further support me in this admittedly bizarre endeavor through Patreon or by checking out some new merchandise. Yes, there’s a new citation design—though Max isn’t going to let you see it right now—with a chaos dragon overseeing everything, available on all your favorite items like hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and stickers. Don't worry, the old designs aren't going anywhere; I simply wanted something new, fresh, and a bit metal, you know?
What the Peterson Academy Isn't
Let’s start with what the Peterson Academy actually is to clarify a few things. The Peterson Academy is not the physical college Peterson promoted a couple of years ago—Ralston College located in Atlanta, Georgia. He serves as chancellor there, although his involvement seems limited since 2022. According to the course catalog for 2024 to 2025, Ralston College is authorized to operate and grant a Master of Arts in Humanities but is still working on undergoing proper accreditation. This distinction is vital for students when they weigh their educational options and make investment decisions.
Interestingly, the Ralston College course catalog also includes cautionary notes for potential students. The warning states that their MA in Humanities is "not vocational in nature," meaning it's not designed to prepare students for a specific career, although it will develop useful life skills.
Back in 2018, Peterson was already discussing his plans for an online learning platform that would focus on the humanities and the great books of Western Civilization. Peterson once believed this project could save millions from the perceived degeneracy of modern universities, which he thought were tainted by discussions of women's studies and diversity.
The Peterson Academy project is indeed older than many assume and has been in development since 2018. Given how long it has been in development, one might expect they would have hired video editors, UX/UI designers, and full-stack developers long before the Early Access launch—a little more than three weeks before entering Early Access is hardly a sufficient timeline.
Pre-Launch Website Experience
Upon the pre-launch website's unveiling, the promised Early Access for the Peterson Academy was initially scheduled for August 21st. However, it did not go as planned, rolling in an 18-hour delay. In the end, communication about this issue was poorly handled, leading to frustration among potential users. The only email I received was not from the Peterson Academy but from their payment vendor.
Once signed up and paid, the offering for early access at $ 499 annually promised current and future courses, social media profile access, AI testing, and community DMs—with a group of eight-hour courses taught by professors from various prestigious institutions. Each course was supposedly designed to "enrich your life and encourage meaningful conversations," providing a transformative educational experience. However, the courses included a mix of different instructors—some of whom boast impressive credentials and others who have earned various controversies.
The initial offerings include “Intro to Nutrition,” “Intro to Psychology,” “Plato,” and more. Unfortunately, while some instructors carry credible backgrounds, others, such as authors of dubious reputation, cast a shadow on the intended depth and quality of the educational offerings.
The setup of the platform appears to lean into the style of traditional education in a new digital format, yet it lacks many of the foundations required for meaningful learning experiences.
Content Quality and Engagement
Regarding the course content delivery, many of the videos are filmed in a white void where students are seated around instructors, lending a theatrical quality to many of the recordings. Comments from initial viewers highlight the necessity of having actual diagrams and figures when discussing complex material, as these aspects are essential for learning topics like neuroscience or cosmology.
Unsurprisingly, issues surface regarding the quizzes associated with the course materials. Reports indicate that many quizzes present duplicated questions or fail to provide a comprehensive review of the course. This slight, coupled with slow-loading pages and bugs, often interferes with the user experience. Moreover, the suggested paradigm of learning through videos without supplementary readings or testing trends toward passive absorption rather than active engagement.
In conclusion, the Peterson Academy presents itself with promises of revolutionizing education while functioning significantly differently from established online educational institutions. The bathwater is murky, and the promise of “community” and engagement is underdeveloped and needs further specification.
Key Takeaway
As a cognitive psychologist diving into the Peterson Academy for insights, I can say that potential applicants need to consider what they truly want from educational endeavors. Will this platform meet its lofty promises or leave participants swimming in confusion? The expectation of innovation while presenting minimal structural foundation raises questions on the overall efficacy of the educational model proposed.
Keywords
Peterson Academy, online learning, cognitive psychology, courses, education, Jordan Peterson, accreditation, content quality, user experience, community engagement.
FAQ
Q: What is the Peterson Academy?
A: The Peterson Academy is an online educational platform founded by Jordan Peterson focused on providing courses mainly in the humanities.
Q: Is the Peterson Academy accredited?
A: Currently, the Peterson Academy is not accredited. It is working on getting accreditation but has stated they do not want to compromise their educational standards.
Q: What types of courses are offered?
A: The Academy offers a variety of courses, including disciplines in psychology, nutrition, philosophy, and economics, among others.
Q: How much does enrollment cost?
A: Enrollment in the Peterson Academy costs $ 499 annually.
Q: Who are the instructors for the courses?
A: Instructors include a mix of professors with credible backgrounds as well as those who have been involved in controversies; the quality of teaching varies significantly.
Q: What are the main criticisms of the Academy?
A: Reviews and critiques point towards an unclear structure, questionable quiz quality, lack of proper pedagogical methods, and insufficient course content depth.