How much time should I expect to spend on the course per week?
2-4 hours per week for best results, including lessons, Q&A sessions, forum participation, and further reading.
What does it mean that the beta course is 'live'?
The course materials will be delivered week-by-week, rather than all at once. Most can be consumed on your own schedule once they are delivered, but the Q&A sessions will be live webcasts. All of the content, including Q&A sessions, will be recorded and available for consumption later.
When will the Q&A sessions take place?
Unless otherwise announced, The Q&A sessions will be Thursdays at 12 noon EST.
Are there any prerequisite materials I should study before the course?
As mentioned on the sales page, this course assumes some familiarity with Ruby, Rails, and basic OO ideas. Beyond that, reading Practical Object-Oriented Development in Ruby is probably my #1 recommendation.