You may be debating whether you should attend a real estate course in class or online. Which mode of learning is right for you? I just passed my state exam with ease after experiencing both – class first, then online.
Let’s start with student performance. Nothing is more revealing than the differences in performance between the two modes of instruction. News Flash! The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) recently issued a report for the 2014 pass rate on the Sales Associate licensing exam. First time test takers who took their pre-license education online have a 20-point higher pass rate than those who took the course in class. Online students pass rate: 63.4%. Classroom students: 44.4%.
The role of the instructor also differs. Classroom is a purely instructor-centered methodology. Although you are face to face, interaction with the instructor is limited. The instructor will highlight the topics you must know for your state exam. There is actually very little explanation of the topics. You must go home, read and study them on your own. My class instructor spent an inordinate amount of time flirting with a girl in the front row. Online with Bert Rodgers has instructors available for one-on-one discussions/questions, as often as you need.
Convenience. Learning online is, of course, not the same as learning face to face, and that is likely good news for anyone who can recall an hour lost listening to an interminable lecture in an overheated classroom. Online has no travel time, you can study any time of the day or night, and you manage the pace of your learning experience.
You will have questions. One of the biggest hurdles in getting your license is understanding new and complicated concepts. Most people are more comfortable emailing or calling an instructor. It’s especially helpful for those people who are concerned about learning something completely new and complicated. Ask as many questions as you like. Online instructors are there for you.
In the best real estate online courses, learners connect, collaborate, inspire, discover and create through myriad technologies.
Bert Rodgers Schools, just one example of online learning opportunities in real estate, touts active learning as one of its pedagogical foundations. I’ve enrolled in my 45-hour post license course because amid their online experience, I actually found the pure intellectual joy of a vital learning community via their instructors!
Some scholars suggest that interaction in an online environment promotes student-centered learning, encourages wider student participation, and produces more in-depth and reasoned discussions than a traditional classroom setting. Interaction in an online environment is less intimidating.
Struggling to focus? Online you can take a break anytime you please, and return when you are refreshed. Students who struggle to focus often find classrooms and cohorts distracting to their learning experience.
Real estate lives online. Online learners get to develop their Internet, technology and virtual skills by participating in online discussions, tests and other virtual learning activities.
With the explosion of the technology industry in the past two decades, online education has really helped people from all walks of life capitalize on furthering their education, while still being able to work, pay their bills and have families.
Learn more about Bert Rodgers Online Pre-License Sales Associate and Broker courses.