I don't think any instructor is going to verbally hit all the important points, but I could be wrong. On the other hand, the classroom involves reading a book also, and that would be comprehensive, wouldn't it?
I cover way more than what's in the book ... particularly when discussing a subject about which you have no prior experience to put it into context. Scuba diving, to someone who has never done it, is such a subject.
eLearning is fine for people who have the aptitude for that sort of learning, but without the ability to ask questions or to have the topic under discussion ... particularly the decompression and diving physicis parts ... explained in a bit more detail, many people will be able to pass the test just fine by parroting what they read without really comprehending why it matters.
That's not my idea of learning ... and it can lead to poor decision-making, even in benign tropical locations.
There's a big difference between reading something and understanding it ...
On the other hand, learning the in-water portion over several weekends allowed me to absorb the teaching, and allowed my body to get used to the idea of breathing underwater. If I'd been in the open water on day 2, it probably would not have been as good.
There is no "one size fits all" approach that would work best for everyone. Some people learn best by reading, asking lots of questions, and mentally processing the information before doing anything physical. Others learn best by grasping just the fundamental concepts and then doing ... allowing their mind to process the information as their body places it into context through physically doing what it is they're trying to learn. And there are endless variations in between. A good instructor has the ability to gauge what and how well their students learn through a given approach, and modify their curriculum to best serve the needs of that student. It is often the case that I will modify my approach to a given part of the curriculum ... whether it is how to describe a particular topic in the classroom or how to present the mechanics of a skill I'm trying to teach in the pool ... based on how well I perceive the student is receiving the information and applying it to what it is I'm trying to get them to do.
I guess what would be best is a resort (read "nice") instructor back in the states.
While it is important to make sure your students are having fun while learning, it's also important to make sure that they achieve the objectives of the class in a way that develops both their skills and confidence. I can be a drill sargeant or a kindergarten teacher ... or many things in between. Which approach I take for a given student depends as much on their goals and learning style as it does the curriculum and objectives of the class.
It really depends on the student, Matt ... for example, based on reading your posts I would probably need to take a very different approach to teaching you than I would someone like TSandM, who is a very analytical and self-critical person.
This is also why some instructors can be completely right for some students, and completely wrong for others ... because there needs to be a compatibility between teaching style and learning style, and that's going to be different for each of us.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
---------- Post added at 05:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 AM ----------
Ask your instructors questions on how and what you will learn before signing up for the class and then compare it to other instructors.....that's right...interview them!
I highly recommend this. Up in the New Diver's forum there's a sticky from Walter on how to select a good instructor. I highly recommend it for anyone considering a diving class.
The other thing is that I encourage my students to ask a lot of questions during class. I particularly like questions that start with the word "why" ... because it indicates to me that the student is thinking about the topic and trying to place it into a context that helps them really understand why it matters. Everything you learn in scuba diving should be explained in a way that makes sense to you. If you don't understand why it matters, then you didn't truly learn it.
Then dive as much as possible and network with as many divers as you can.....You can never learn enough and no one way is the "right way". Everyone has to find the way that is right for THEM.
Very true. I will add that any scuba diving class ... even the best ones ... don't really teach you the skills you went there to learn. They teach you how to learn those skills. The real learning comes in the water ... by applying them over and over. A skill isn't really learned until you can do it with little to no conscious thought. This won't happen in four dives ... or six ... or ten. The more you practice them ... the more they become ingrained into automatic responses that your body just "knows" how to do ... the better you've learned them.
The real value of a class is to train you how to learn them properly ... so you don't have to go back later and undo bad habits that may serve you now but will inhibit you from progressing ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)