The common question is that can we actually learn anything via the internet? Well, let’s look around. We have people taking college course online and receiving degrees. More and more things are being offered online to make it convenient for the individual to learn at their own pace. Don’t get me wrong, I took online courses years ago at Capelle University, and it’s not easy as you think. Many times you have to work harder than being in a regular college classroom because a lot more is being asked of you.
MIFAL has just did it’s trial pilot of our DLS (DISTANCE LEARNING STUDIO) where our instructors may be in another city or state, and our students can interact with them via SKYPE. As I said we did a trial run last week with a new Strings Instructor Mr. Christopher Watson who lives in Suitland, MD. He was supposed to come down and meet Rachel Harris our Jr. Strings Instructor. Well, he couldn’t make it, so I said, we have to make this work. I asked him to meet us on Skype, I’ll introduce him to Rachel and let them two work it out.
Guess what? those two worked it out and proved to me right there and then that with the proper tools, the internet and motivation, MIFAL’s Distance Learning Studio does work. I truly loved watching them as they developed student-instructor relationship in such a short time.
He worked with her not just one playing the violin, but on technique, how a scale is built (theory), and made sure that she took notes. He held her attention throughout the whole instruction time. That there proved that ONLINE INSTRUCTION DOES WORK!!!!!!