This man is taking online classes and participating in real time from the comfort and convenience of his home as if he was there in person but does not need to be present except at his computer with his coffee.
The switch to online classes
March 12, 2020, five years ago, was the last time we taught an in-person Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) class. That was when Covid-19 began affecting our public gatherings. So we pivoted to an online format.
We had taught the CAPS classes successfully in-person at various venues around the country for more than a dozen years, but all of that changed. To continue teaching the classes, there was little choice but to offer it in a live, real-time, online, interactive format. That turned out to be a fantastic decision for the education we offer and for the people who attend the classes.
Adjusting to the online format
The adjustment to the online format was minimal. As with many new ventures, there were a few adjustments, but they were minor and worth it. As it turned out, the online format offered several advantages over the in-person classes. Logistics was the big one. We didn’t need to secure a physical location to host the classes and get a commitment from the organizer for three consecutive days. We didn’t need to make travel arrangements – flights, hotels, and rental cars primarily – but neither did the participants.
People had the freedom to make last minute changes to their schedule and to adjust to unanticipated issues such as a sudden illness (themselves or a family member), a scheduling conflict, or other timing concerns. Without needing to drive to the location or purchase an airline ticket, this simplified the process of attending the classes tremendously.
Additionally, there were no concerns about arranging for childcare, pets, or dependant older adults. The stress of driving to the airport or to the meeting, and allowing enough time for local traffic, were all eliminated. Then, when the classes were finished for the day, there was no driving to the hotel or airport.
Learning has been enhanced
The online format, while a large question mark when we began, turned out to be a great way to provide the education. Attendees are more at ease and able to be themselves more. Connecting to the office (can you really ever get away?) was simplified by being closer. When the classes are completed each day, normal activities at the home or office can be resumed.
By not travelling to a remote location, even if it was local, there was the getting ready that no longer needed to happen, there was no assembly of items that likely might need to be reviewed or referenced during the day to continue working with office issues, making and paying for travel arrangements was eliminated, making sure that children and pets were accommodated could be taken off our worry list, and so many other concerns were simplified or became non-issues.
Courses have expanded
With the online format, we are able to offer classes nearly every week – some 48 weeks out of the year. We have also expanded the content to include other subjects and have created several AOTA-approved continuing education classes to supplement the CAPS curriculum and convey real-world experiences for professionals.
We currently have six additional classes offered roughly once a month, and four others will be added by the end of the summer.