Moving Learning Online

I will admit, the title of this blog is a little misleading. New education sites like Udemy, Edufire and Myngle that are popping up are not attempting to move education from the classroom. Instead, they are attempting to expand the ability of willing learners to connect with willing teachers.

Video instruction is not a new idea. I remember being 14 years old and purchasing a video about how to skateboard. I was overjoyed knowing that after 45 minutes of sitting on the couch and maybe 15 minutes of practice (all told probably about an hour), I would emerge from my young and clumsy cocoon as a professional skateboarder. As you can imagine, I didn’t make the cut.

My analogy isn’t meant to put down these education sites, instead, I am attempting to highlight the fact that it is very hard to learn something by watching a video. Even if the task isn’t physical, repetition and practice builds the best results.

Another point that is worth mentioning is the fact that so much innovation is being directed towards online learning and expanding learning outside of the classroom. At the same time, teachers are being laid off and the standard’s of learning in public schools seem to be crumbling. There is a reason that the majority of a student’s learning occurs in the classroom, with a trained professional, and I would like to see more effort placed on maximizing the learning potential of schools before free and potentially not as benefical outlets are pursued.

Do you see this learning platform as a great idea? Why does it deserve more, or less, attention?