Everyone knows that the Internet is changing the way the world works, plays, and connects. Yet its most powerful applications only seem obvious after some entrepreneur has brought them to life. Of course the web is a great way to distribute books, but it took Amazon to make this clear. Of course the Internet is a smart way to distribute movies, but it took Netflix to make it happen.
So it is with adult learning. Most professionals would rather develop their skills online, on their own schedule, at their own pace, than sit in daylong, mind-numbing “workshops” that bring a lot of boredom and frustration but little intellectual stimulation. So it’s not surprising that as long ago as 2006 (eons in Internet time) the American Society for Training and Development reported that across all sectors almost 40 percent of professional development (PD) was delivered via technology (See figure 1). (Surely the numbers are even higher now.)
2 thoughts on “Arrested Development: Online training is the norm in other professions. Why not in K-12 education?”
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I don’t necessarily agree.
In the IT industry it’s helpful to be able to get away from the distractions of the everyday job in order to learn new skills in a laboratory environment where everything is set up so you can learn, and the instructor is available for guided instruction and to answer questions. Even the synergy within class members can be valuable.
Online instruction in my 15 years experience is an affordable but inferior method to provide a learning opportunity.
I’d imagine that the only reason classroom/lab instruction has dropped off so much is that industry is loathe to spend the money and time on employees as they eke out every dime and every minute that they can. Compare the expenses of travel, hotel, and a class which might costs thousands for several days against a Internet-delivered WBT or CBT course which can be done while the employee is still responding to everyday work responsibilities.
The problem is that the dime saved today on training costs a dollar tomorrow in rework, a flawed implementation, or offshoring as skills are lost or never learned.
There are literally dozens of on-line classes each year offered by the MMSD. 100’s are offered by various universities. 100’s by PBS teacherline.