The General Angst Over the PADI eLearning Program

[in_cavediver]

I have no problem witht he learning side I don't see it any different then learning at home with a video and book, or with a cd or dvd. My problem with it is according to our PADI update, prospective students that are interested in learning to dive and pursue it as the PADI website will be assigned to a shop for their in person portion of teh class, pool and dives. I can pretty well gaurantee you, they will be assigned to the 5 star shops over the independent instructors, kinda shafts us.

Yeah - so much for the customer choosing right...

 

[rakkis]

I can pretty well gaurantee you, they will be assigned to the 5 star shops over the independent instructors, kinda shafts us.

Not quite - the students will choose a shop themselves, after a list of nearby shops is displayed. A shop will not be assigned.

Independent instructors will not be listed as choices. So you're right about the end result.

 

[Ladymac]

I think it is a good thing. I live about 2.5 hours drive from my nearest dive shop and having something like this would be really handy for the diver to either start to learn to dive or continue in their education.

It should never replace the actual lessons in the classroom. They were a really good reinfocement, for me, of the knowledge from the literature, and if I had questions I was able to ask them of a qualified person. I could have used the phone to call the instructor but I don't think the answer to the question would have been as readily taken in as it was in the classroom environment.

In short I don't think it will hurt, but if PADI take away the classromm stuff it would be a disaster.

 

[GA Under Water]

An Instructor can be videoed and played back and give the same Classroom information. Questions aren't answered, but alas, you have to see an instructor for your In water parts save your questions for them. Personally, I think this will allow More time in the water, which everyone agrees is what is needed for todays new divers. It will give the instructor more time in the water to help those that aren't catching on quickly and therefore maybe even turn out more practiced OWDs. instead of having 4 hours a day ( 2 in the water and 2 in the classroom) you have 4 hours in the pool.

Excelent, this will make new divers know their material before getting in the water. And it doesn't allow for the "do it for me" students that ask the instructor to help them on every single question of the Knowledge Reviews as they "Keep up" with the class by doing the reading the night before.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Not quite - the students will choose a shop themselves, after a list of nearby shops is displayed. A shop will not be assigned.

Independent instructors will not be listed as choices. So you're right about the end result.

yep its a shame

 

[Thalassamania]

I think it is a good thing. I live about 2.5 hours drive from my nearest dive shop and having something like this would be really handy for the diver to either start to learn to dive or continue in their education.

But there may be an independent living right next door.

 

[Steve50]

Why not have everything taught online (i.e. knowledge reviews and reading) and then have the student take the tests under the supervision of an instructor? Seems to easy for someone to cheat at this point...

Who would someone be cheating ?

 

[fire_diver]

Personally, I think this will allow More time in the water, which everyone agrees is what is needed for todays new divers. It will give the instructor more time in the water to help those that aren't catching on quickly and therefore maybe even turn out more practiced OWDs. instead of having 4 hours a day ( 2 in the water and 2 in the classroom) you have 4 hours in the pool.

This all fine and good in theory, but the reality is, it won't happen. This will mean more money for less work for the instructors. They won't keep the class length the same.

Person is interested in SCUBA. Person goes online, see's PADI "get your card online program" and makes an impulse buy. Student then half-asses thier way through, over about a 3 month period then prints out the knowledge reviews. Now, student goes to the recommended PADI 5 star shop, instructor says "take this test. I'll help you if you get stuck." Then they go spend one day in the pool and first 2 open waters, then 2 open water and a C-card on day 2.

That's the reality I see coming out of all this. Now if they really would take all that lost classroom time and apply it to bettering student skills, that would be great. But we all know that WON'T happen

Comrade Stroke

 

[fire_diver]

Who would someone be cheating ?

Themselves.

 

[GA Under Water]

If the student half-*****es it through eLearning or the book, then it is the student's fault, not PADI's. MAYBE they will use the extra time, I am betting that some will. Honestly, we spent very little time in the classroom in my class. Then again we only had one student that wasn't up to par on the Knowledge.

The Online test, , , hmmmm Cheating , , , Personally I find that I learn something even better when I have to "look up the answer" so "open book" tests have always helped me retain the knowledge longer. Much longer than guessing then just being told, "You missed that one."

There are students that simply slime their way through this stuff, "Enough to pass" and that isn't PADI's problem. There will always be those people in everything you do no matter how high you set the standards. That is a Psychology problem not a training issue.



:::EDIT:::
You can do a google search for Instructors. Some have Websites for their independent classes. They are out there, if you just search google.