Online classes can be convenient. Whether you’re dealing with a busy schedule or geographic constraints, online education can provide you with the convenience you might need to accomplish your goals. However, if you’re considering a technical medical assistant program or HVAC training, online classes might seem unusual or perhaps even impossible. Not true.
Many trade schools offer a wide range of programs delivered in a variety of formats without sacrificing the hands-on training you might want as part of your education.
Combine online education and hybrid classes
If you’re interested in training tobecome an HVAC technician, attending medical assistant school, earning a culinary degree or taking music production classes, you might not think you have options outside of in-person, traditional classes.1 But, you might be able to gain some of the benefits of online classes while still enjoying hands-on elements through a hybrid program. At Remington College, for instance, we offer all of those programs in a hybrid format, meaning students complete some elements online but also meet with peers and instructors in a lab setting periodically to apply those concepts. This means students can have the flexibility of an online course while still having the opportunity to train with the real processes, tools and technology professionals use in the field.1
Hands-on learning online
If you are interested in a hands-on field, such as pursuing medical assistant certification or pharmacy technician training, however, it doesn’t mean your program has to include in-person classes.1 There are many hands-on programs that can be completed online. At Remington College, for instance, our medical assisting diploma and pharmacy technician diploma can be completed through Remington College Online. In these classes, lessons are designed to illustrate concepts for students so they have a sense of what tasks will be like in real life, even without in-person labs.
Students also have the opportunity to see what day-to-day life is like in these fields with an externship, where they have a chance to apply their skills in-person in a real-life setting.2
All of these experiences can help prepare students for entry-level positions in their fields.1
What format works for you?
As technology progresses, it’s not surprising that students have more resources to help them gain hands-on experience in their chosen field—regardless of if they are pursuing an online education or want support for traditional classes while at a vocational school.1 The question is less about if students can get hands-on experience with online class elements; it’s more about what format works best for the student.
Ready to learn more about earning a degree online? Give us a call at 1-800-208-1950 or visitknowledge-gate.com.
1 Employment not guaranteed for students or graduates.
2 Must meet minimum GPA requirements to qualify for externship program. Certain restrictions may apply.
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