Layer 1 · How It Works

Cohort Delivery & Assessment

The eight-week cohort model, the four live video-conference forums, the workplace application project, and the rubric against which every learner is assessed. Full dates are on the Q3 2026 Timetable.

AfriversalAI is delivered in structured cohorts — self-paced online modules anchored by live, faculty-led video-conference forums. In a four-year HarvardX/MITx study of 2.4 million learners, roughly 10% earned certificates in open self-paced courses — though among those who engaged with at least half the course content, the rate was substantially higher. Structured cohort models are designed to produce the accountability, feedback, and social pressure that drive that deeper engagement. The accountability, peer discussion, and scheduled touchpoints are not optional extras — they are the mechanism by which learning actually happens.

The Eight-Week Cohort

All seven online modules (0–6), the four live forums, and the workplace application project are completed within the cohort window. Learners begin together on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and graduate together at the Certification Ceremony on Thursday 29 October 2026.

Week 1 — Cohort Launch & Foundations
Modules 0 & 1  + Future Forum™
📹 Video Conference
AfriversalAI Future Forum™ — Cohort Launch & Future of Work Masterclass (Mon 3 Aug, 18:00–19:30 SAST, 90 min): welcome, meet the cohort and faculty, the AI landscape in Africa, and an introduction to the Funda Five™.
Online modules this week: Module 0 · FundamentalsModule 1 · The Confidence Problem
Deliverable: “My AI Learning Goals”
Week 2 — How AI Learns, Fails & Discriminates
Modules 2 & 3  + ThinkLab™
Online modules: Module 2 · How AI Learns & FailsModule 3 · Bias & Discrimination
📹 Video Conference
AfriversalAI ThinkLab™: “Can AI Be Trusted?” (Thu 13 Aug, 18:00–19:30 SAST) — AI failures, bias, human oversight, and real-world African case studies. Learners defend decisions and challenge assumptions.
Deliverable: ThinkLab Reflection Paper
Week 3 — Verification, Judgment & Accountability
Modules 4 & 5
Self-paced online modules: Module 4 · Verification & JudgmentModule 5 · Accountability & Governance
No live forum this week — focus on the modules.
Week 4 — When AI Works, and When It Doesn’t
Module 6  + Governance Forum™  + Workplace Assignment opens
Online module: Module 6 · When AI Works & When It Doesn’t
Workplace Assignment opens — learners select a real workplace AI use case or process for assessment.
📹 Video Conference
AfriversalAI Governance Forum™: “Who Is Responsible When AI Gets It Wrong?” (Thu 27 Aug, 18:00–19:30 SAST) — AI governance, ethics, policy, accountability, and regulation.
Deliverable: Professional AI Position Statement
Week 5 — Workplace Application Project
Apply the Funda Five™
Apply the Funda Five™ Framework to assess either a workplace process or an AI use case from your own professional context.
Week 6 — Project Development
Build the assessment  + Strategy Lab™
Develop your four assessments: RiskGovernanceOpportunityHuman Oversight Plan
📹 Video Conference
AfriversalAI Strategy Lab™: “From AI User to AI Leader” (Thu 10 Sep, 18:00–20:00 SAST) — learners present risks, opportunities, recommendations, and governance controls. Outcome: practical implementation planning.
Week 7 — Final Project Refinement
Faculty feedback, peer review & revision
Refine the project against faculty feedback and peer review before final submission.
Week 8 — Final Submission & Certification Review
Submit the portfolio
Submit the four-part portfolio: Workplace AI AssessmentFunda Five™ AnalysisProfessional AI Position StatementWorkplace AI Action Plan
Certification Review: Assessment Panel review → certification approval.
Certification
🏆 AfriversalAI Certification Ceremony™
📹 Video Conference
Thursday 29 October 2026, 18:00–19:00 SAST.
Credential awarded: AfriversalAI Certified AI Professional Practitioner™

The four live video-conference forums

All forums are live, faculty-led video conferences hosted on Zoom — interactive, not recorded lectures. Online modules in between are self-paced. Q&A is handled asynchronously via the cohort discussion space, with faculty responding within 24 hours.

Assessment — The Workplace Application Project

Assessment is not a multiple-choice exam. Over Weeks 5–8, every learner applies the Funda Five™ to a real AI use case or process from their own workplace and produces a four-part professional portfolio.

The final submission (Week 8) — four parts:
  1. Workplace AI Assessment — what the AI system does, how it is used, and at least two specific ways it could produce biased, incorrect, or unaccountable outputs.
  2. Funda Five™ Analysis — the five-step framework applied in full to decide whether the output should be acted on.
  3. Professional AI Position Statement — your reasoned position on responsible use, governance, and accountability (first drafted at the Governance Forum™).
  4. Workplace AI Action Plan — risks, opportunities, recommendations, governance controls, and a human-oversight plan.

Learners must meet or exceed standard on at least 4 of 5 criteria. All assessment is conducted by the Certification Review panel — trained human assessors, not automated scoring. One revision opportunity is offered to any learner below standard.

Criterion Below Standard Meets Standard Exceeds Standard
Describes AI accurately Vague or incorrect description Clear, jargon-free description of the system's function Shows understanding of how the system learns and fails
Identifies failure modes Generic ("AI can be biased") Two specific mechanisms explained with reasoning Mechanisms tied to SA context and evidence
Applies Funda Five™ Does not apply the framework Applies all five steps with reasoning Extends framework to context-specific considerations
Makes a judgment No clear position taken Clear judgment with stated reasoning Judgment addresses competing considerations
Accountability "The company is responsible" (generic) Named accountability chain with specific role Identifies gaps and suggests what should be in place
MICT SETA accreditation: AfriversalAI is pursuing MICT SETA accreditation for the Layer 1 Core Certification. Upon accreditation, employers can recover 40–60% of training costs through the Skills Development Levy discretionary grant system.
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