E-Learning: the way forward or maybe not?

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Interceptor121

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Since the launch of e-learning classes from PADI there has been a lot of discussion and different opinion on the effectivness of this method as opposed to Instructor led knowledge session or independent study with manual and/or video.

I would like to hear from instructors or students that have actually done a class using e-learning their impression and comparison with the traditional methods and possible pro and cons of the method.

Please if you have an opinion but you have not actually ever done an e-learning based or course or , as instructor, don't have direct experience as instructor his system, feel free to give your opinion but don't issue statements or statistics that relate to e-learning in general. We want to hear from the people that have actually experienced it, thank you.
 
I watched over my Cousin's shoulder as he did it, quite literally.

It fit his shopping style as he decided on it through an internet search, it suited his learning style as he is of the iPod generation, and it got him into a PADI dive shop. He did his confined water with them and went off to paradise to complete his OW through PADI. He's quite happy.


It is a brilliant marketing tool to solidify vertical integration marketing. PADI's research department is the Nostradamus of the industry. Money well spent to see the future.

It is obvious that LDS are going away at an alarming rate. Incoming new divers want to get certified and go diving in paradise. This will get them going on down the PADI road.

PADI sees that there will remain a limited (by PADI numbers) market for "next step" certifications, AOW, Specialties, Tech or whatever... they know there will be small niche operations in fresh water enclaves to handle that, and maybe even fill a few tanks. They know that some Florida and a few other US coastline ops will hang on. On their scale, these few are irrelevant. My Cousin, again- all on his own, did research for buying recommendations on the net and purchased everything on the internet.

PADI knows that the future lies in the people who want to be a diver when they get to paradise. No-one dreams of, nor is content with- classroom and pool work at the High School. This generation is well accustomed to absorbing information off of a screen and doing it on their own schedule. they do not want to listen to an instructor read to them what they can read themselves.

As LDS become more sparse, that process further streamlines as an "internet referral" for the confined water portion itself upon arrival in paradise~ that's better than losing a student because there is no LDS to serve them. Maybe a few OWSI's will hang-on doing training out of their garage. It doesn't really figure into the long term view.

It works for the style of the next generation of students, it works for the marketing experts. Whether you agree~ or wish to debate PADI training~ is irrelevant, it is the tail wagging the dog as it has for some time.

It is the future, if there is to be one.
 
There was a recent thread in the Instructor to Instructor forum that asked a similar question. Every single instructor who responded said that students came to the academic portion of the class completely prepared.

At that time, I had not had an eLearning students myself, but several other instructors in our shop had. They were all enthused about the level of understanding the students demonstrated.

Since then, I have had a number of eLearning students. They came to me with a certificate indicating that they had completed all the activities and assessments successfully. I asked probing questions about the key parts of all the 5 knowledge review areas, and they all seemed competent. I gave them additional materials and talked about key concepts that I always stress in my classes. I then administered the final exam. I have yet to have an eLearning student miss a single question on the final exam.

Then we start the pool work and everything else is exactly the same.

I don't see a problem.
 
It is indeed a brilliant marketing tool, but it's one that does a huge disservice to both students and dive shops.

The beauty of attending classes at the dive shop is that it gives students a chance to interact with staff at the LDS. In this day and age of dive shops struggling to compete with internet merchants, the importance of this can't be overstated. If the LDS is just a 'place' where folk go to do their pool skills - especially since it's entirely possible they'll do their open-water dives someplace else, such as a tropical dive destination - then it doesn't give LDS instructors and staff much of a chance to form a relationship with their students/future customers.

Attending lectures at the LDS also gives students a chance to socialize together which is (lets face it) one of the best things about diving. It's pretty hard to socialize in the privacy of one's own home, doing an online e-learning course. More fellow divers as friends = stronger likelihood of staying with the sport = more $ for the LDS.
 
It is indeed a brilliant marketing tool, but it's one that does a huge disservice to both students and dive shops.

The beauty of attending classes at the dive shop is that it gives students a chance to interact with staff at the LDS. In this day and age of dive shops struggling to compete with internet merchants, the importance of this can't be overstated. If the LDS is just a 'place' where folk go to do their pool skills - especially since it's entirely possible they'll do their open-water dives someplace else, such as a tropical dive destination - then it doesn't give LDS instructors and staff much of a chance to form a relationship with their students/future customers.

Attending lectures at the LDS also gives students a chance to socialize together which is (lets face it) one of the best things about diving. It's pretty hard to socialize in the privacy of one's own home, doing an online e-learning course. More fellow divers as friends = stronger likelihood of staying with the sport = more $ for the LDS.

Students must register with a shop for their eLearning, and they must go there for their confined water instruction. There is almost no difference in shop interaction.
 
I think E Learning is a great idea..Cause you can learn in your own time rather than set times!
 
Students must register with a shop for their eLearning, and they must go there for their confined water instruction. There is almost no difference in shop interaction.

I can't agree with you there. We're all aware that dive courses are getting shorter and shorter due to the 'instant gratification' demanded by consumers...the e-learning option is testimony to that. The increasing popularity of the two-day Fast Track program (which relies heavily on the e-learning program) is yet further evidence- such is the case at the dive shop where my fiance works as an instructor. Classroom time is almost eliminated through the use of home study materials. There is precious little shop interaction, because there's no time - everyone is racing against the clock to adhere to a very tight schedule. A typical weekend course is as follows:

- Student divers meet with the instructor in the morning and go through a quick review of the five chapters in the textbook provided. (If a student has not completed their homework, which does happen sometimes, then it makes things very tough on the instructor.) Students and instructor then proceed to the pool where they practice skills from the first few modules of the course. After a break for lunch, students head out to the ocean to complete one or two ocean dives.

- On the second day students complete the multiple choice final exam and the final couple of pool diving modules. After lunch, they complete their final ocean dives, and voila, they are certified divers.

That's a very different picture to the classroom sessions I had, which were held over two weeks. They afforded the instructor a bit more time with the students - both in terms of teaching and answering questions - and the luxury of a laugh or two during class, tea-breaks, and so on. Comparing my own training to what I see going down at the LDS with their e-learning-based Fast Track program, I see a lot of difference in the extent and quality of shop interaction.
 
Are you only interested in answers from people who have done PADI e-learning, or in people who have done e-learning with any agency?
 
I see very little difference. When I got certified I read the text at home and took the practice exams at home. The classwork at the LDS was just a rehash and was mainly to get us to walk around the LDS in the hopes that we would buy something before we headed to the pool.

A great classroom session at a LDS would be better than eLearning perhaps but that's rarely happening either.

To me eLearning is really just about doing it on the internet while at home rather than reading the text book while at home.
 
I did the SSI e-learning (free) then realised how expensive the checkout dives were. i thought it was very simple and straight common sence stuff. I did padi in the class room (because of price and e-learning was more expensive after checkout dives) and the instructor focused on certain things like our regional hazzards, and went through things that arnt obvious safety things like if health risk possible (air embolisim or bends lay on left side so bubbles would be more likely to go to right and avoid the heart). I was overly happy with my course though because it was 6 sessions about 1hr + in the pool then the checkout dives so felt it allowed students to be fairly comfortable with the gear. I think Padi should drop their elearning to about 60-100 bucks then pay for checkout dives
 
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