Can Online Learning Be Even Better Than In-person?
What one course taught me about how to get online learning right
Emotions were running high. It was the last session of a five-week writing course called Write of Passage. Participants were sharing personal testimonials about how they had changed through the course. One of my writing group buddies burst into tears as she described how much her confidence had grown. I was getting misty-eyed thinking about my break-throughs. Listening to his students, our inspiring teacher, David Perell, was visibly moved.
It was one of the best courses I had ever taken. And it was 100% online.
I have worked in experiential training and facilitation for over 10 years. I believed that there was no substitute for learning in-person. I had signed up for many online courses before this one. And like 80-90% of online learners, I didn’t finish. I saw how my teenage daughter suffered through months of online classes during COVID-19. She called it “computer jail”.
But Write of Passage taught me that online learning can be better than in-person learning. Far from being computer jail, the course was engaging, social, and (yes, here comes the "t" word) transformational.
So what is the secret? Course creator David Perell and manager Will Mannon make no mystery about how they design and run the course. They even posted a 1.5 hr podcast on how they do it. They talk about everything from curriculum to course management. As a participant, there were three aspects of the course that showed me just how powerful online learning can be.
1) The course is designed for virtual learning
Write of Passage is not an in-person course adapted for online. It is intentionally designed for virtual learning.
In a video with Write of Passage alumni and teacher Ana Lorena Fabrega, David Perell reveals some of the techniques. He records video content that students can watch between sessions. Students bring questions and challenges to the live sessions. Because everything is recorded, David can pitch the classes for the fastest learners. Slower learners (like me) can re-watch the live session video as many times as needed. Everyone can go through the material in their own time and at their own pace. Even before the live sessions start, the chat is buzzing with discussion and questions. Every 15 minutes students are put into breakout groups with reflection questions. Students can also share their reflections with the big group or keep sharing in the chat. Write of Passage is designed to respond to the way we learn.
2) The teaching is personal and engaging
As an online teacher, David Perell knows how to engage his audience. During Write of Passage, David Perell shared his writing challenges and fears. He spoke to the concerns and worries of his students. He spoke right to the camera, candidly and honestly. He made an effort to get to know his students (all 300 of us). He recognized student successes. His passion for online writing became an engine of inspiration for the students in the course.
The way he delivered content was engaging. He didn’t use any text-heavy PowerPoint slides. There were no attention-grabbing gifs. Instead, he told personal stories that brought the content to life. He explained concepts with simple slides. He used metaphors, analogies, and photos to illustrate his points. Write of Passage was taught to build human connection, and to inspire students to want to learn.
3) It is intensely social
We often assume that in-person learning is by its nature social and that online learning is not. Online learning can feel lonely. Online forums are dull. I hear you. But Write of Passage showed me that online learning can be even more social than in-person learning. Participants meet during the live sessions in break-out sessions. They connect again during weekly writing groups led by alumni mentors. The Write of Passage community platform reminded me of the Starbucks in front of my university campus, only without the line ups, and the expensive coffee. It’s where you get to know other students. It's where you get and give feedback on writing assignments. It's where you find motivation and where you become accountable to other community members. When the course ended I couldn't believe that I hadn't met my classmates in person.
Don’t throw the baby out
COVID-19 has sparked an intense amount of experimentation with online content delivery. There have been many bumps in the road that have made us wary of moving even further in this direction. More investment is needed so that everyone has access. And online learning platforms can be improved. But there is an opportunity to learn from courses like Write of Passage, to understand what online learning is getting right and do more of it. As David says, “I am working to make online education unbelievably better than what used to exist.” Let that be our call to action.
How do you make your virtual training sessions or meetings better than your in-person sessions? I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email at gwyn@gwynwansbrough.com.
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Gwyn Wansbrough is a Creative Facilitator based in Barcelona, Spain. She works with people and organizations globally to create dynamic and empowering learning experiences. She writes about facilitation, creativity, learning, and change-making. Visit www.gwynwansbrough.com.
Thanks to Michaele Robertson, Barry Wansbrough, Khari McClelland, Lux Narayan, Jen Vermet, Andre Oliveira, Sylvain Reiter, Abhishek Verma, Matthew Barram, and David Vargas for their feedback on parts of this article.