Interface Session: Online or Face-to-Face?

I have always been a three-pronged learner, in this order: hands-one, visual, and verbal. When I set out to learn more about the web publishing platform WordPress, I first did so via Lynda.com and the “WordPress Essential Training” video with Morten Rand-Hendriksen, a celebrated web designer and developer who has written several publications on the subject. My next encounter with WordPress was in a face-to-face consultation at the Computer Sciences Lab.

Overall, I felt both provided me with the right amount of information required to start and post my first blog. In terms of convenience I preferred the online training to the face-to-face session. There is something to be said with not having to be on a set schedule (e.g. up at 7:00 a.m. to be in class on-time) and learning on your own time. I also preferred the online course to the face-to-face because I could proceed at my own pace. When I didn’t understand something Morten was talking about, or I wanted to do what he was going on the video, I could just pause it or rewind it. In class, there was a point early on when I was starting to fall behind but the instructor couldn’t stop for me with other students present. Thankfully, there was someone else assisting the instructor who floated around helping the stranded or lost get back on course. In this respect, I did prefer the face-to-face over the online course because if there was anything that I didn’t understand and couldn’t figure out on my own, at least there was a physical human being present who could help me figure it out.

But for me accountability is everything; and as much as I enjoyed the asynchronous learning environment provided by Lynda.com, without other people gathered in a physical classroom to whom I am accountable, I am afraid I would fail every time.