The internet has affected every industry since its inception, including the revered sector of education. Although some people are looking to gain skills toward their career, most people sign up for a class to, get this, learn. From engineering, to creative writing, to how to teach an online class, no academic stone is left unturned. According to Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria), author of “In Defense of a Liberal Education” many people are signing up for online classes, but the types of classes they are taking may surprise you.
Having never taken an online class before, wanting to get a feel for it, I enrolled in a free creative writing class on Udemy. I already have a degree in creative writing, so the introductory class was a bit basic, but I could see how valuable it would be for somebody starting out. The rate for classes range from free to around $250.00 and are very simple to use.
Could online learning ever replace a real-life university experience? I asked a few of my colleagues, in the millennial age range, what they think and they reacted quite passionately. They said you can’t replicate the added learning benefits you get from being in a classroom and interacting with others. Personally, I couldn’t agree more. Getting a college education, and being part of a campus community, was the highlight of my education. From a teacher’s perspective, however, I do see advantages to creating an online class on a site like Udemy.
If you’ve ever dreamed of teaching, but have been turned down by the elite universities who only hire PhD graduates from Ivy League schools, or you want to share your expertise in a particular field, Udemy might be the right fit for you. The freedom to build your own curriculum, attract a following, and engage students from around the world is very appealing. Of course, this takes a lot of time and planning on your part, but the freedom to build a course and have it be your own attracts instructor’s far and wide. Also, in this new technological era, it takes more than just public speaking skills and a killer syllabus to get your message across; it takes a savvy business mind and marketing know how. In this respect, Udemy helps teachers become entrepreneurs too.
So, what does it take to teach an online class? For starters, passion for your subject. Whether you’re teaching in a packed classroom of 200 students, or to a group of online learners, it helps to actually be interested in the content. Jerry Banfield conveys that passion and is sharing his expertise on teaching for Udemy with his class, “How I teach full-time on Udemy and created 20 + Udemy courses” which is one of many online resources. Banfield started back in 2014 and was making around a hundred dollars a month. After adding more than 20 classes, and acquiring 50,000 students, his monthly income skyrocketed to $28,836.76 in June 2015.
It’s important to realize that he is on the higher side of the salary spectrum, having invested a lot of time and energy into creating his lectures and driving traffic to his classes. You get what you put into it. Teaching is something you dedicate yourself to, wanting to provide the best for your students because you get to know them and your purpose becomes their success. So I get how Jerry became dedicated to his role. In his lectures, he addresses the key questions many beginning instructor’s have: how to promote your class to get more students, are you willing to work for free at the beginning? What technology do you need?
Nothing beats university life, but for the many graduates with hopes of finding a job as a professor, the prospects are slim -- yes, it’s that competitive. Why let go of your dream to mentor wide-eyed students ready to absorb all of your knowledge? Udemy provides the technology for teachers to build a course and become entrepreneurs along the way. I say entrepreneur because the class won’t happen overnight, just like a business won’t. And like a good business with happy customers, word will spread through reviews of how great a teacher is, attracting more subscribers over time. The possibilities are endless, but the commitment needed is high. Online educational platforms don’t provide the motivation, but they do provide the digital tools to make it happen. It’s an exciting prospect for anyone who loves to teach.
