Can I really learn that skill online?

I am on technology overload. Before all this global change I mused about using too much technology in my daily work. Now I feel like I am spending more time talking to a screen than I spend chatting with a touchable human. The thought of learning a fresh skill using technology leaves me with concerns.  
 
As wonderful as it sounds learning online in my pajamas sipping tea, I am left with more questions than answers. Whether an individual is looking to acquire new skills, or an employer needs to ensure their teams are skilled-up, I believe that most are also left wondering how to navigate this new world. Thirty-nine other countries are wondering the same thing. 1
 
Making this even more difficult is the fact that we educators love to make up clever names for stuff. We realize that our bad habit likely makes it harder to understand what the different online learning options actually mean, but we just can’t seem to stop making up new terms.
 
As an amends I will attempt to offer you a first step in understanding this new world by getting a grasp of the newly minted lingo.
 
A quick summary is as follows:

• Face to face
  • Old school classroom with instructor in students in same physical place
• Virtual Face to Face
  • New school classroom with instructor and students gathered using technology in the same virtual space.
• Online self-directed
  • All material is online, and very little interaction, if any, from an instructor. You learn material found in the online learning platform at your own pace.
• Online hybrid approach
  • This bridges the virtual face to face with online materials. You would meet perhaps weekly for lessons, lectures and discussions in the virtual space. Then go back to the online learning using the materials, quizzes and other tools.
• Add On services
  • In general, you can take any of these types of learning environments and add on special supports. Such as more virtual face to face or more instructor engagement and/or extended virtual office hours.

 
The hybrid and add on approach allow the instructor to build an environment where students can engage with each other and create a sense of community, as compared to self-paced. The hybrid and/or add on becomes even more important in intense learning or fast paced courses. Hybrid or add on also allows the instructor to provide remedial support, address challenges or disengagement as soon as the concern arises, increasing learning success. Self-paced online learning is not able to support all students across all learning, it really is topic and student dependent. 2
 
I could talk for hours about this topic, so I will leave it here sharing with you that I am always open to a phone call or a video chat if you have questions.
 
Finally, the NLC Continuing Education department has the ability to support all types of learning.  You can add on custom support for you or your employees learning at any interval and price point you desire. We are dedicated to supporting everyone in their pursuit of successful training and we believe having flexible options are the key to making that happen.  Explore our build and price course matrix.
 
1. Rhine, Charles. “Remote Education: How ELearning Is Helping.” eLearning Industry, May 17, 2020. https://elearningindustry.com/how-elearning-has-improved-remote-education-covid-19.

2. Roddy, Chantal, Danielle Lalaine, Chung, Jennifer, Holt, Christopher, et al. “Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review.” Frontiers. Frontiers, October 26, 2017. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2017.00059/full.