PADI e-learning...how good is it?

[Slonda828]

you paid more???

My dive shop took off $100 cause I took the course online, no classroom stuff was needed, no books, etc..

My dive shop took between 75 and 100 dollars off as well. The cumulative cost is slightly more though, as the online training costs around 125-150 IIRC, and your dive shop doesn't discount your fees that much. Plus you still have to pay for tanks, PIC, etc. so it may be about 75-100 bucks more overall, but still well worth it in my opinion.

S

 

[kmitch]

As an instructor, I see better trained students from e-learning than those who sit in a lecture format, across the board. e-learning makes the information more fun and enjoyable to learn, which always results in better information retention and ultimately a better diver. Don't let price determine what class you take-- your training is, in essence, how to swim underwater for a long time and not die. Don't skimp on not-dying-training! lol

 

[handreana]

I used e-learning and enjoyed it very much. With the e-leaning you skip the group distractions that go along with lectures. Not to sound anti-social but for me it was easier to focus more on the important things. I think all other certifications should be online. Instead of the boring books.

 

[Puffer Fish]

As an instructor, I see better trained students from e-learning than those who sit in a lecture format, across the board. e-learning makes the information more fun and enjoyable to learn, which always results in better information retention and ultimately a better diver. Don't let price determine what class you take-- your training is, in essence, how to swim underwater for a long time and not die. Don't skimp on not-dying-training! lol

Interesting view point... I would suspect that well done interactive would always beat standard classroom training, as the person is actively involved. It would also offer the chance to do much more involved training, if one wanted to.

The only problem is that of how to pay for it, without taking money out of the dive shops (which are not doing that well as it is).

It seems a terrible shame that this is being done in a way the puts the instructor against the e-learning...when it should be possible to help..

 

[Thalassamania]

As an instructor, I see better trained students from e-learning than those who sit in a lecture format, across the board.

That could just as easily be the result of rather poor teaching skills on the part of the instructors who gave those lectures.

 

[Slonda828]

That could just as easily be the result of rather poor teaching skills on the part of the instructors who gave those lectures.

Thalassamania,

I would agree. I'm no expert, but I was the first E-learning guy at my LDS, and I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express that weekend. I think my instructor definitely improved my knowledge once he had an accurate assessment on what I knew and didn't know from the online course. He go that because I didn't try to be a war hero and I told him exactly what I knew and didn't know how to do IAW the PADI OW standards for confined and open water. I think the E-learning is better than the book, but a good instructor is a critical component of the overall success. All the E-learning in the world didn't teach me to actually be able to control my buoyancy. Time in the water AND my instructor did that. One good thing about the E-learning courseware is that is tells you explicitly what standards you have to meet to be up to par (as in straight off of the instructor slates and in the same order).

FWIW

 

[Thalassamania]

Which, of course, begs the questions, is the order an optimum one for your (or anyone else to learn from) and is the list of topics, depth and breath what you really need to be be a good diver?

 

[Guba]

The only contribution I can make in this discussion is in the area of my expertise, which is NOT diving. However, I AM a education professional (teacher). I am "old school" and cling to the idea that the best learning environment is a log...on one end sits a teacher who wants to teach, on the other is a student who wants to learn (the Socratic approach).

However, we in the education field are discovering that there is a new generation out there that is growing up in a completely different environment. They are much more used to getting their input electronically, and they are completely comfortable (and proficient) getting it from interactive DVD, the internet, blogs, wiki's, and other media. They are the first generation to be classified as 'electronic natives', while the previous ones are more like 'electronic immigrants'--not born into this new world, but challenged to adapt to it. (Some, like me, are even 'electronic aliens'--we're from a different world entirely and were dropped into this new one kicking and scraming!) This might, though, explain the disparate observations from some of the posters. It is entirely possible--and probable--that many new divers do, indeed, absorb the information better from electronic media. We see it all the time in our schools with these "e-natives". Good instructors will do well to adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of these students, as well as continue to work through traditional lecture strategies that are open and engaging in order to reach the rest.




(and if a sophomore senator and "community organizer" is qualified to be PRESIDENT, then sign me up for Lord Imminence of the Western Hemisphere!)

 

[Slonda828]

Which, of course, begs the questions, is the order an optimum one for your (or anyone else to learn from) and is the list of topics, depth and breath what you really need to be be a good diver?

Well put. I think that as long as one goes with the idea that open water + advanced open water + rescue = a basic diver then it is what you need. I personally subscribe to this belief, and I know many others on here do as well. I think if a person thinks that they are ready to go out on the open ocean with just one other person who has also just received their open water qualification, then they took a WAY more in depth one than I took and mine was awesome. YMMV

S

 

[Slonda828]

The only contribution I can make in this discussion is in the area of my expertise, which is NOT diving. However, I AM a education professional (teacher). I am "old school" and cling to the idea that the best learning environment is a log...on one end sits a teacher who wants to teach, on the other is a student who wants to learn (the Socratic approach).

However, we in the education field are discovering that there is a new generation out there that is growing up in a completely different environment. They are much more used to getting their input electronically, and they are completely comfortable (and proficient) getting it from interactive DVD, the internet, blogs, wiki's, and other media. They are the first generation to be classified as 'electronic natives', while the previous ones are more like 'electronic immigrants'--not born into this new world, but challenged to adapt to it. (Some, like me, are even 'electronic aliens'--we're from a different world entirely and were dropped into this new one kicking and scraming!) This might, though, explain the disparate observations from some of the posters. It is entirely possible--and probable--that many new divers do, indeed, absorb the information better from electronic media. We see it all the time in our schools with these "e-natives". Good instructors will do well to adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of these students, as well as continue to work through traditional lecture strategies that are open and engaging in order to reach the rest.




(and if a sophomore senator and "community organizer" is qualified to be PRESIDENT, then sign me up for Lord Imminence of the Western Hemisphere!)

I think this is a good point. I think that people who learn better at their own pace would do well with E-learning. I also think that people who may need extra attention would do better with the classroom. Consider the E-learning differentiated instruction for divers.

BTW if a moose burger eating woman whom leverages her power against a relative's soon-to-be ex-husband is qualified to be Vice President, then I am qualified to at least be Governor of Georgia...