Love this informative site. However, would appreciate normal type, not reversed, which makes it dificult to read.

But seriously, I have taken online courses that were effective, and I have taken some that were yawn fests. I always wanted to add an online component to my EMT and paramedic classes but never had the budget or resources. I can tell you that I only wanted it to be a component. I always wanted the online portion to serve two purposes:

1. Cover stuff that was intensely boring and easy to learn but had to be covered.

2. Cover stuff that was intensely difficult. This material would be done in class but there would also be an online version. Other instructors could view that class to learn how the organization wanted it presented, and so that students could revisit difficult material. I never wanted to make it the basis of the class.

I am concerned that many programs in the future will use this as something more than it is though. It looks attractive to put things online because it can reduce your instructor budget, so we may see a lot of programs run to this. That would be a mistake though. online learning is but a tool in the tool chest, not a replacement for good old fashioned lecture.

All 10 points are great and true. A few specific thoughts for the sake of discussion.

1. patterns, depends on patterns trying to learn. How about looking at 1000s of ECG tracings.

8. As a lifelong windows user and a long time dial-up user I think I have learned a lot of patience.

10. Successful use of social media is strongly based on authenticity. I recently met Chris Montera, Jamie Davis, Ted Setla, and Carissa Obrien in person after a long social media connection. They were exactly the people I expected them to be because they have an authentic social media presence.