Lorrie [00:00:00]:
How do you feel about online learning? Online learning is becoming increasingly popular, but not all students get the same value or success out of an online course. In my experience as an online learning provider for dog sports, most people fall into one of five categories. Are you a Kathy, Wilma, Patty, Susan, or Louise? How can each of these learning types get the most out of their online training? Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility Podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. In this episode, we'll take a look at the different types of online learners and how each of them can make the most of their online training courses so they can put the learning to use. Even though there are a lot of online classes, memberships and resources out there, people have mixed feelings about how useful they are and whether they're worth using. I speak specifically about online dog training in this podcast, but the same principles apply to any kind of learning you do online.
Lorrie [00:01:10]:
For people who don't have an instructor nearby, online learning can be a lifesaver. Having a place to get information in a structured way, ask questions and get feedback is essential to continuing to learn. Another situation where online learning is critical is when you can't find an instructor that matches your philosophy or goals. If you want to play in your backyard or dabble in local trials, an instructor who pushes her students to get to world team probably isn't the best fit. On the other hand, if you have lofty goals, the instructor who has never actually competed probably won't suit your needs. And if you have a more uncommon breed, the instructor who has always only taught herding dogs may not understand how to train your dog in the most effective way. Even if you have a great instructor, when most of us get the agility bug,, we tend to want more information and learning opportunities than we can get in a weekly class. One or two practice exercises per week doesn't scratch the itch we have to make forward progress.
Lorrie [00:02:15]:
Each of these situations show how online learning can help you go further faster, but you have to actually take advantage of that information and not just let it sit there unused. There are a couple of different types of instruction available online. Online courses are great for focusing on one topic, but probably not as helpful for people who have multiple issues they want to work on. Online memberships can feel confusing and overwhelming unless they have a clear onboarding process that helps you figure out where to start and what to focus on first. No matter how well structured things are or how good the information is within the course or membership, it isn't going to help you if you don't use it. Let's take a look at some of the learner types when it comes to online learning. If you recognize yourself in the following descriptions, I've got some tips for you so that you can actually make progress with that Course or Membership. The first online learning type is Cathy the Collector. Cathy loves to buy online courses or join memberships and explore new material.
Lorrie [00:03:22]:
There are so many things to learn! She's enamored by the content descriptions and is drawn to the value and convenience of learning from the comfort of her own home. There's just one problem. She never starts to implement any of the courses or membership materials she buys. She thinks she'll get to it later, but later never comes. She gets distracted by the next shiny object and might log in once or twice, but never does any of the work. She feels guilty that she has spent the money to learn and her dog still isn't trained. Even though she has the best intentions, she decides that online learning just isn't for her because she wastes so much money and never gets anything out of it.
Lorrie [00:04:06]:
Before she gives up, here are some ideas to make use of what she's bought. How can Cathy get cracking? Most people probably have a little Cathy in them. I know I have a few business courses on my hard drive that I haven't touched, at least not yet. So if you are a Cathy the Collector, how can you go from a collector to a completer? Revisit the course or membership description to remind yourself of how it can help you, what your goals are and envision your dream outcome when you've finished. Stop beating yourself up. A big percentage of the people who purchase online courses or join memberships across all different subjects never finish them or use them consistently. Schedule time every week to work through the material just like you would an in person class and block it out on your calendar. Avoid overwhelming yourself by trying to do all of it at once.
Lorrie [00:05:03]:
Set a specific amount of time for both learning and implementing what you've learned. You don't have to do it all in one day. Join the community if there is one, and get involved. Be the one who posts and participates. Even if engagement isn't high at first, the journey will be easier if you feel connected to other learners. Some online spaces even have accountability groups set up to help fuel your progress. The hardest part of any journey is taking the very first step. Set a date, set your timer, and start learning and doing.
Lorrie [00:05:36]:
Our next character is Wilma the Watcher. Wilma watches all the videos, downloads and or reads all the materials but never participates in the discussions, asks questions, or implements what she's learned in the course or membership. She's purchased several different courses and is enrolled in a number of memberships. She's learned a lot but hasn't made progress with her dog because she has a hard time doing anything with what she's learned. She feels frustrated by her lack of progress but can't seem to get it done. And she knows she's all alone in her journey. So how can Wilma win? When Wilma enrolls in a course or joins a membership, she should take advantage of all of the resources offered in the course that help people implement the material. Good instructors provide lots of different options for motivation, different learning styles, and accountability.
Lorrie [00:06:30]:
Here's how Wilma can set goals for herself so she has target dates for implementing each lesson or section. Participate in the group so she feels like she has more support from the community. Find an accountability buddy. Not only will it give her motivation to do the work, but it will make her feel less alone. She can find someone in the group or invite a friend to take the class or join the membership with her. Envision how she will feel when she gets each step or even just the next step completed. Decide on a small reward to give herself when each goal is met. Let's look at Susan the Stopper next.
Lorrie [00:07:14]:
Susan starts the course or joins the membership, implements the training, but then she hits an obstacle and her progress stops. She decides that rather than spend time working through it or asking for help, she'll try to find the answer elsewhere. And so she searches for the next miracle cure and never returns to what she originally enrolled in. She only gets a fraction of the improvement she could have achieved if she kept going. She is looking for a silver bullet that will fix the current roadblock. How can Susan score? Susan's situation isn't unusual for people in online courses or memberships. Some people are too embarrassed to admit that they're stuck, don't want to ask "dumb questions" of the instructor, or think it's just easier to find an answer somewhere else online. However, experienced instructors have probably seen the same issue with other students and have proven solutions that would fix her problem.
Lorrie [00:08:11]:
If Susan wants to succeed, here's what she should do. Review the progress she has made so far to give her motivation to keep going. Think about her end goal and how the material will help her reach it. Take another look at the course or membership materials to see if the instructor has included any troubleshooting hints. Look over the group comments. Someone else may have asked about the same roadblock Ask the Instructor. Most people who teach really want their students to succeed and are happy to answer questions, whether in a group setting or through email or private messages, depending on what they have set up for the course or the membership. Make a mental plan for the next time she gets stuck so she can immediately implement it when she gets to the next obstacle rather than falling into the same cycle over over and over again. Another learning type is Patty the participant.
Lorrie [00:09:08]:
Patti the participant watches the material, participates in the group, and starts implementing it when the course is new. She gets through most of the material and even though she knows it's something that will help her if she keeps using it, when she gets through most of the instruction material, she slowly fades away, stops participating, and never gets the full value from it. How can Patty Progress? Most online instruction is designed to teach the what, why, and how so that students can learn the material and continue using it and improving their skills long after they review all the material. If Patty quits as soon as she gets through most of the available lessons, she's not gaining everything from the course or membership that she could. How can Patti continue to make progress after she's made it through the majority of the lessons? Review the material and determine what lessons or exercises need to be done regularly to continue progressing and which ones can be revisited as her dog's skill level increases. Use a weekly training planner and schedule training tasks from the lessons on an ongoing basis. Create a set of training cards with an exercise from the course or membership on each one. When Patty is planning to train, she can grab a few cards to help her decide what to work on. Get back into the group or community and participate.
Lorrie [00:10:30]:
Sharing ongoing improvements and wins with a group of like-minded learners can help her maintain her motivation. Track her progress in a training planner or journal. Seeing how far she has come since the beginning of her journey can help propel her into continuing to improve. The last learning type on our list is Louise the Lifelong Learner. Louise reviews the materials, participates in the group, implements what she has started and makes it part of her daily life. She continues to work with her dog to strengthen the skills they learned and successfully uses her new skills in competition. She builds on the skills she learned and asks questions when she gets to a roadblock so she doesn't stall out. She becomes the cheerleader for other people in the group and participates in the community, encouraging others.
Lorrie [00:11:20]:
How can we be like Louise? Louise is the student we all wish we could be. When she joins a membership or buys a course, she gets every last cent of her money's worth out of it by learning the skills, continuing to practice them, participating in the community, and applying them to her sport. How can we lean in like Louise? First, make a plan. Set aside time not only for going through the lessons, but also for implementing what was learned and and add the time to your calendar. Set goals. Decide on larger goals related to finishing all of the materials and implementing them in competition, and then smaller goals for finishing individual modules, training skills, and achieving milestones toward the finished product. Review your progress. When you're wrapped up in doing the work, sometimes it's hard to remember where you started. Make a conscious effort to look back and give yourself credit for how far you've come.
Lorrie [00:12:17]:
Keep your end goal in sight. Write down your vision of where you want the materials to take you and put your vision somewhere you see it frequently. Participate in the group. Groups are valuable places to get accountability, answers to your questions and celebrate your accomplishments. Being active in the community can help keep you motivated and remind you that you aren't alone on your journey. Reward yourself. While gaining skills can be its own reward, sometimes a little extra motivation helps drive us to success. Positive reinforcement works on people too!
Lorrie [00:12:54]:
Watch that movie you've been wanting to see when you're halfway through. Buy that pretty collar you've been eyeing for your dog when you finish the course materials. So let's review how you can get the most from your online dog training. The five types of online students all have different approaches to learning and therefore a varying degree of success. While being a lifelong learner like Louise takes effort, there are strategies that can help students stay focused, motivated, and on track. With the right planning and support, any student joining a membership or taking an online class can be successful in their journey to lifelong learning. The biggest pieces that will move your training forward are planning and scheduling time for your training and treating it just as you would treat an in person class. Setting goals so you have a vision for where you want to be at the end of an exercise, module, section or course.
Lorrie [00:13:48]:
Participating in the community to keep yourself motivated and connected to people who have the same goals. Asking questions when you get stuck. Reviewing your progress and rewarding yourself for meeting milestones. Do you have lessons just waiting to be finished? If you recognized yourself in any of the learner types, use some of the strategies to help you get more out of the instruction online and get closer to your goals. You've made it through another episode of the Maximum Fun Agility Podcast. If you're ready to explore your online learning style, join us in The Agility Playground. The Agility Playground is a budget friendly membership that meets you where you are on your dog agility journey and and helps you propel your team to new heights. You can check out The Agility Playground and join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. See you next time.
