online training? Is it worthwhile or a waste?

[ghbucky]

There is an online course offering for "Home Defense Online" that I received an email about.
I'm NOT trying to plug this, I would just like some feedback on this idea.
link

I've always been dubious about this type of thing, but then again I haven't found much in the way of local training that covers these topics, and at this point even if I do I'm not sure I could pull together the round count to attend.

Opinions?

[T. O'Heir]

It'd be about as useful as watching a video for pretty much anything. OK for the book learning of the legal aspects but nothing else.

[shafter]

To me, online training isn't training, it's information. If the information is good then you can get some value from it, i.e principles, concepts, drills etc. It is not however, a substitute for training under the eye of a qualified instructor.

[Aguila Blanca]

Some people respond better to on-line training than others. Only you can know if you are one of those for whom on-line is good. For me, it is not.

One problem with on-line training, even if you are among those who generally learn well from it, is that there is no coach when you get to the actual doing. I'm sure you know that practicing bad habits ingrains them and makes them more difficult to break. If you take the lessons from on-line training and start practicing them incorrectly, without a live coach/trainer there to spot it and correct it on the spot, you run the risk of training yourself into bad habits.

[Shadow9mm]

Ok. I'm gonna bite the bullet and take this course, hopefully it is good. I suspect it will be a lot of things I already know, but I am looking at it as a refresher to keep my skills sharp.

Keep in mind, online courses tend to be a LOT like reading books and some are better than others. Its no substitute to in person training, but it can help prepare you for in person training.

Final assessment of this course, or, is it worth the money.
Final answer, for me no, for my Wife and kids, maybe.

My broad personal opinion on the course
Who it it for, a brand new inexperienced shooter

Pros
very basic, easy to understand
good information
well organized
presented in a cohesive order
You get a certificate of completion

Cons
Website did not load properly after purchasing
only get the course for 1 years
some videos do not load
some bad info (trees, cars, refrigerators are NOT cover. There is NO GOOD WAY TO CLEAR STAIRS)
You cannot download the PDF's (but you can take screen shots...)

Final thoughts
My personal opinions on the course. Being an experienced shooter with law enforcement and other training, this course was extremely boring and tedious. It went over way too much basic firearms safety and use and did not go deep into home defense, just covering the basics of home security and tactics. Granted there is nothing wrong with the basics, but this courses focus should have been home defense applications, not firearms 101.

As near as I can tell this seems to be like part of a 1 day training school. This would be the classroom portion, prior to the practical portion/actual training. Judging by the sales pitch at the end of the course I think that is exactly what this is....

Going to have my Wife and 12yr old son take this course as well. They have both had minimal training and I may be a touch jaded from one too many boring in-services....

[ghbucky]

Thank you Shadow9mm!

[Shadow9mm]

Not a problem.

Ok, my 12yr old son took the course here was his summary.

"informative but sorta long. It gave good explinations of stances, how to hold the gun, how to hold a flashlight. How so secure your house. Techniques to clear your house. That's pretty much it."

After talking with him he enjoyed the flashlight and room clearing techniques a lot, they were new to him. He felt he knew the rest and it was just a refresher.

8yr old is taking the course now. He decided he wanted to, apparently big brother made it look cool... He made it a little over half way and ran out of time today before bed time and will be finishing it up tomorrow. Will report in when he is done.

[Shadow9mm]

So my 8yr old finished the course

He said "I Learned a few things. How to slice the pie, how to protect your home, motion sensors, window block, door alarms. you need to have a defense plan and a safe place in your house for everyone to meet."

[Aguila Blanca]

Excellent!

Every eight-year-old should be "slicing the pie" when there's a suspected intruder. [/sarcasm mode]

Actually, it sounds like your younger son picked up some general ifo about home security, but I thought this was a course about firearms training.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

Excellent!

Every eight-year-old should be "slicing the pie" when there's a suspected intruder. [/sarcasm mode]

Actually, it sounds like your younger son picked up some general ifo about home security, but I thought this was a course about firearms training.

technically its titled "home defense", although IMHO it was very light on home defense and heavy on firearms basics related to general shooting.

Yes him and his brother will now dominate at nerf, slicing the pie, cleaning the stairs, and using the FBI flashlight technique like pros....