I do not disagree with the value of hands on learning in technical and
scientific subjects such as photography and physics. However, often an
assumption is made that if a subject requires hands-on instruction it is a
poor candidate for distance learning. This is not always true. When you are
serving adult learners in a distance learning program you may be serving
students whose work provides the hands on environment. For example, at Mott
we are producing a series of distance learning courses for a quality
assurance technician program (Quality Control, Charts and Graphs, Blueprint
Reading, Technical Writing, etc.) We market the course to employees of
manufacturing companies. All of the students are working in manufacturing
environments where they have access to various quality control insturments
and processes. Working adults who want to further their education in their
field, or a related field, offer many opportunities for hands-on education
at a distance.
Bill Angus
bangus@edtech.mcc.edu
>I believe that hands-on learning is very beneficial. Imagine learning
>photography without taking a picture.