Last December, my son took a Driver’s Education course. The course included two parts: classroom time and driving time. He loved the classroom time so much that he had plenty of funny stories to share with us around the family dinner table. So, when my daughter decided to take Driver’s Ed, she contacted the same Driving School to enroll. Unfortunately for her, much has changed in the past year as the school has since replaced its classroom time with an online version. Rather than signing up, she’s now looking elsewhere.
This morning, while driving her to school I asked, “Why do you prefer a classroom to an online course.”
Her answer is a lesson to us all.
“Because of the discipline and a better learning environment,” she said.
I’m an advocate for the online world. I’m a believer that companies need to rethink their content strategies to find better ways of connecting with their customers through the use of online tools. At the same time, we can’t do so at the risk of losing the benefits of physical world, such as the power of the human touch, the camaraderie of gathering together, and the side benefits of interacting through air as opposed to the ether.
There is a balance. We just haven’t found it yet.
Photo Credit: Oliver Beige
