Thread by @rroudt

I wonder what the future holds for freelance/online teachers.

Platforms like @teachable and @podia make it easy to launch an online course, but this does not mean online courses are good.

A rant about the state of online education.

1/ As teachers, we've spent years researching different learning styles.

Some students need visuals, a few better absorb knowledge when listening, while others need hands-on practice before an idea clicks.

A good curriculum hits all of these areas.

2/ Many online courses are expensive for what you get (recycled materials).

Course creators admit this. They'll tell you it's possible to learn their stuff for free online, but that they packaged everything on one platform and set out a roadmap.

That's not teaching.

3/ We all look at reality through colored glasses. What's logical for you could be absurd in my eyes.

As an online teacher, it's difficult to gauge if your students get your explanations. Text-based feedback is too slow and takes away from the learning experience.

4/ People like @fortelabs and @david_perell do a good job of making their courses interactive with live sessions and group discussions.

The issue is that it's not directly scalable. Having 500 students, you'd need 50-25 teachers for personal guidance.

5/ As an online school, you still need to surround yourself with teachers.

Not everyone can become a teacher. Being an expert in your field does not make you a good teacher; refining your explanation methods and then practice deliberately does.

6/ I believe the online teachers at the top of the food chain will abandon their self-paced courses and switch to a more coach-centric approach.

1-on-1 guidance and methods that will help students for life are worth big bucks.

7/ When budget cuts hit Dutch schools, many switched to a coaching model.

When you coach someone, you give them the tools and models to find their own answers.

As a teacher, you still need to be a subject-matter expert, but the main goal is to help people help themselves.

8/ There will be a place for self-paced courses, but not at top-dollar.

There's value in self-paced courses for those who know how to study and to apply what they learn. Online communities can help them when they have a question.

9/ The top teachers of the future will change people's lives and create a community that's worth coming back to.

Small communities and deep 1-on-1 conversations are needed for epiphanies.

I have no exact answer on how to achieve this, but it's an exciting area to research.