The students that attend our skilled trade programs are generally non-traditional or are recently unemployed seeking a new career in the skilled trades. They are multi-generational with students that reside in my generation of Baby Boomers to the newest onset of Generation Z students. Together with the Millennials and Generation Y, these non-traditional students seek our skilled trade programs to work in the construction and industrial sectors.
The shift from face-to-face teaching at our campus to online delivery has seen recent interest and progress. The younger Generational Y and Z students do have eLearning and online expectations, however, the 2020 COVID pandemic has also accelerated some of this interest for application of online delivery. Additionally, the benefits of online asynchronous training for skilled trade workers who put in long hours and are employed at remote locations such as the Kitimat LNG plant has been part of this recent shift.
With a gradual and inevitable shift towards online educational delivery, skilled trade educators must be cognizant of which learning theories apply to their lessons and of who their students are. This article will explore some of the learning theories and online learning applications that I am considering for my future skilled trade online delivery.
Support your reasoning with references.
Mark McGregor MA (Leadership), RSE, PID 