NRA Blended training, Affects of training in OHIO

[JediSkipdogg]

Interestingly enough, I (and probably most of you) got an email recently from NRA just raving about how good the blended learning course is and how it's bringing in people in droves. Of course they don't mention the number of instructors jumping ship (ie. USCCA, etc).

I've already seen lots of postings of 4 hour classes to finish co-incide with the 6 hour online for $40. I think some instructors are going to love it. $40 for 4 hours? That's $10 per hour and probably requires less supplies. When I taught, I was doing $100 for 12 hours (prior to time dropping) so I made $8.33 per hour per student. I think some instructors will love it for higher profits and less time for them.

Unfortunately, until a good few years pass they won't have a great idea of how many instructors jump ship.

[JustaShooter]

I just took the online basic pistol course this evening in about four hours as a prereq for my instructor class.

Curious how you took it in 4 hours, I didn't see any way to shortcut the amount of time it would take, which came in at around 7 hours total.

[sd790]

You can click on the right edge of the progress bar on each 'normal' page and can immediately click next. It doesn't work for video pages, though. With those, just fast forward to the end of the video and wait. The 'next' button will be disabled for about 80% of the length of the video. There were also quite a few pages that required you to click-click-click-click on various things like buttons or tabs. Most of those can let you through really quickly if you don't want to wait for the response.

The four hours was spent waiting for those stupid video pages to let me continue and the middle-school style exercises/questions.

[DontTreadOnMe]

^ Interesting. How would an instructor guarantee the course meets the minimum hr requirement if a person can skip through the content like that?

[sd790]

I also considered asking my daughter take it for me because I was so pressed for time. I would have had to pay her well but my score would've been higher.

[JustaShooter]

I also considered asking my daughter take it for me because I was so pressed for time. I would have had to pay her well but my score would've been higher.

That for sure is one of my concerns - but it is equally troubling that there is a way to shortcut the time required. Further underscores my decision not to use the new NRA class for my Ohio CHL classes.

[NavyChief]

Unfortunately, until a good few years pass they won't have a great idea of how many instructors jump ship.

They have to have an idea already. A friend of mine nearby is a TC. He's also kind of a hard core "metrics guy." He did a comparison "last year : this year." Last year Basic Pistol courses listed in the NRA portal for Ohio - 416. This year - 40.

[Mustang380gal]

It's looking more and more that the NRA is more concerned with getting their slice of the training pie than helping instructors train more effectively. That's going to be regrettable for them. Greed certainly motivates people (and organizations) to make interesting decisions that impact their own long-term success.

I am not sure what the motives are at the NRA, but I can tell you that it is not just them going to the blended courses.

I have to take certifications from American Heart Association for work. All of their certification classes from Basic Life Support on up are all blended. We do the required number of class hours on the computer, then pound on the dummy's chest at the hospital.

I think that it is a matter of efficient use of instructor time, as well as to ensure standardization. Instructors may or may not stay on the required topic, or may interject (unwanted by the AHA) opinion. This eliminates that.

At work, we do have access to computers, and people can usually get the modules done in between patient care, or they may be able to stay after to do it. I wonder about the blended learning courses for CHLs affecting senior citizens who may not want to or know how to use computers. I think there is a place for a live class.

[racer265]

Any of the NRA instructors here had any students interested in the Phase 2 portion of the new blended learning?.. I was able to post a couple of the phase 2 classes on the NRA site and have had Zero interest from students

[JustaShooter]

Any of the NRA instructors here had any students interested in the Phase 2 portion of the new blended learning?.. I was able to post a couple of the phase 2 classes on the NRA site and have had Zero interest from students

I haven't posted any Phase 2 courses, but I have had zero inquiries. To be honest, I don't expect any. The primary reason people take the NRA class in Ohio is to get their CHL, and those people find a class by searching for "Ohio CCW" or similar which locates an instructor teaching a class that may or may not be an NRA class. Any NRA instructors that want to do the new class will tell prospective students "first go take the online class for $60, then we can do the rest" or something like that.