My Experience
| Internet Learning My Experience |
by Steve Pretti Steve Pretti is a contract technical writer currently on assignment at Unisys.
Originally published in News & Views November 1998 issue. Copyright 1998 STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter. For permission to reprint this article, contact the Managing Editor. | Technical writing is a challenging occupation that requires the writer to have a fairly deep understanding of the subject matter. The task becomes more formidable as our companies and clients try to be first to market with cutting edge products and solutions. It often seems as though once you become comfortable with or even master some subject matter, the latest technology makes that subject matter obsolete. On top of this, we are often asked to publish our writing in a variety of media besides paper. For example, we may have to develop anything from Windows help files to full HTML web sites in order to properly document a product.
Most of us embrace this challenge and learn the new technology as it is being developed. Sometimes, however, we need a more structured learning regimen than on-the-fly learning offers. How can we manage to attend structured classes with our busy professional and personal schedules? Even night school at local colleges and universities requires regular attendance at set times. Books and compact disks (CDs) are available that offer great curriculum and are a good choice for many, but they lack the personal interaction of the classroom. Are there any other choices?
Learning alternatives In order to take full advantage of VBA though, I knew it would be necessary for me to get some Visual Basic training. Because VBA technology comes from Visual Basic 5 (VB5), I began looking for a VB5 course that suited my schedule and lifestyle. I found several books in the library that could teach me VB5, but skimming these left no doubt in my mind that I would have unanswered questions. Interactive tutorials exist on CD, but these don't supply the motivation you gain when trying to keep up with a class. I knew I wanted a classroom learning environment, but I did not have time to attend night school in a traditional classroom. Where was the answer? It was under my fingertips the whole time -- on the Internet. As luck would have it, I read a spam (unsolicited advertisement) email that I would normally delete without reading. This particular email was from the reputable Ziff-Davis publishing group. It advertised Ziff-Davis University (ZDU) -- an online classroom environment that seemed to offer exactly what I wanted. It offered a classroom that I could log into whenever convenient, instructor-led training, classmate interaction, and Continuing Education Units (CEUs). I decided to enroll. The membership fee for ZDU is $7.95 a month. This fee entitles you to enroll in any course ZDU is offering. To receive CEUs for a course, you select that option when you enroll and pay an additional $15 when you complete the course. The American Council on Education issues the CEUs. After enrollment, I was able to buy the class software (VB5 Professional) at Microsoft's deeply discounted academic price. Buying the software at the academic price easily defrayed the cost of enrollment.
Going online The class took nine weeks to complete and was a positive experience for me. For many people who wish to continue their technological education ZDU may be the answer. ZDU offers many courses applicable to technical writing disciplines, such as HTML authoring, database programming, windows programming in various languages, and much more -- take a look for yourself at www.zdu.com.
Other points of view What do training professionals, such as college professors, think of Internet based training? John Smiley, a professor at Penn State, and an instructor at ZDU says "If you are lucky, and live near a big university, you can take these courses face to face, which is great for some people, not for others. I teach these courses, and I can tell you that teaching them during the evenings is murder on the students. They're tired, worn out, usually after a full day of work. "You can also take one of these 5 day courses somewhere, usually at an Authorized Education Center--- but I really hate those courses. I've taught those as well, and I just don't think you get the payback for your money in these. I still think the best way to learn is to spend 8 to 10 weeks or so immersed in a new technology ---in other words, it can't be poured in. But that's not to say those 8 to 10 weeks have to be spent in a classroom. "I think in today's world, where people are incredibly busy, online or distance learning is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and is an area of education that is going to take off and zoom. And I'm not saying that because I teach in that forum---after all, I still do traditional teaching. But I can honestly say I see it all falling into place. And so do the traditional colleges and universities, as they all seem to be fighting for a piece of this pie. "In terms of high tech computer learning, because standard certifications exist for many of the disciplines I am recommending, you're in great shape whether you take these courses traditionally or through distance learning. In fact, except for some progressive institutions, you're able to find the cutting edge courses easier via distance learning than you are in traditional venues. With distance learning institutes offering these courses affordably, take the certification test and you're right where you should be." Check Professor Smiley's web page at www.johnsmiley.com/visualbasic/vb.htm. Professor Smiley's web page is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn Visual Basic programming.
Resources New Promise Incorporated www.caso.com The New Promise web page links to hundreds of Internet courses offered by accredited providers. Quote from New Promise Web Page: "... a few words about the coming revolution in education. It really is a revolution, and it's already happening. Today you can find more courses under more topics on the Internet than on any one campus anywhere. And the new methods of teaching Internet courses are improving semester by semester. "Already, perfect audio, real-time and 3-D images, as well as course assignments especially written for Internet courses are available for some courses. Soon course texts will include frequent updates from the author of the text as well as the professor who is teaching the course. Also you'll be able to key in questions that come to mind as you're reading the assignment. The new software will immediately answer your questions as well as search the entire course reading assignment in search of possible themes according to your instructions. "Furthermore, while the quality of Internet education is skyrocketing, the costs of computers and ISPs are rapidly declining. So stay at home in your pajamas, or take a break at work, save big on the cost of an on-campus education, and join in and enjoy the revolution in education!" McGraw-Hill www.mhonlinelearning.com/ McGraw-Hill offers certification, computer, computer programming, business/management and Internet courses. Quote from McGraw-Hill web page: "McGraw-Hill OnLine Learning offers you quality courseware and expert instruction using state-of-the-art technology on the World Wide Web." Digital Think www.digitalthink.com/ Digital think offers courses for Microsoft certification, C++ programming, design and publishing and much more. Quote From Digital Think web page: "Founded in January, 1996, DigitalThink has two missions: to assist companies in training their customers and employees, and to enable consumers to conveniently learn what they want, when they want."
If you feel that you need training, and you are not sure how you should go about getting it, I encourage you to give the Internet a shot. In my opinion, Internet learning will not replace traditional classroom learning, but it can offer a quality alternative when time and logistics prevent you from attending a traditional classroom.
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Last updated: November 5, 1998 (mvh)