Continuing ed grows online, but it’s not for everyone

Troy Mysak, an agent and broker associate at Coldwell Banker Hedges Realty in Cedar Rapids, is on the fence.

He's considering whether to take courses online as he enters another license renewal cycle. He may take some online courses to help manage time and expenses, but he's inclined to stick to classroom education for the courses of vital interest.

“The in-class stuff seems to be a lot richer in information,” Mysak said. “You're dealing with experienced people who've lived it.

“Some of the online stuff is getting to be more interactive, but most of it is not.”

Continuing education offerings online for real estate agents and other professions are growing and improving - but they're still not everybody's first pick.

For the Internet-savvy, such courses are convenient, inexpensive and comparatively quick because they do not involve travel time.

Real estate licensure in Iowa, for example, requires agents to take 36 hours of continuing education every three years, including 12 hours of mandatory ethics and law training. They can take 24 hours of continuing education online.

The Iowa Association of Realtors offers more than 24 hours of electives online through an affiliation with RE Campus, an online learning company, and is creating more on its own.

Judy Steven is coordinator of the Skogman Real Estate School at Skogman Realty and is an accredited instructor for the Iowa Association of Realtors. Continuing education online has a place, she said, but she's not a big fan.

“They do them online for time constraints - so they can take them at midnight,” Stevens said of her fellow real estate agents.

Stevens teaches the pre-license classes that aspiring real estate agents need to take for licensure.

“I have people who will start them online and finish them in class. They don't feel they have time to ask the questions,” she said.

One reason real estate agents may avoid online continuing ed is the tests.

The online real estate classes require the participants to pass a test to prove that they covered the material. Stevens said the in-person tests don't require a test, although she gives an unscored review test at the end.

The limited embrace of online continuing ed isn't limited to the real estate profession. Lawyers in Iowa must obtain 15 hours of continuing education credits every two years to remain in good standing.

Those who practice in the federal courts, such as Emily Ellingson of the Lynch Dallas law firm in Cedar Rapids, must also obtain six hours of federal continuing education credits every two years.

Ellingson has participated in teaching online classes for a statewide education association and has also taken online classes in topics that weren't taught locally.

“It is ease of use and time management,” Ellingson said. “A lot of people wait until the end to get the credits, and this enables them to make the deadline.”

Ellingson said she appreciated a recent online course she took on a specialized topic in family law for her federal credits because it was an important topic and wasn't offered nearby.

But, still, she has mixed feelings about teaching online.

“When I present, it's just me talking into a headset. You just feel like you're talking to yourself,” Ellingson said.

“Other presenters chime in occasionally. You still feel there's a huge divide between you and the audience.”

Power Point slides provided the visuals for her presentation, so Ellingson herself didn't appear on-screen. Although participants had an opportunity to ask questions, she could not observe their reactions as she spoke.

“You can judge the audience by the tilt of their head or the angle of their brow (in a classroom) if they're losing interest or when you need to spend more time on a topic,” she noted.

In some occupations very little continuing education is conducted online. The Cosmetologists and Barbers of Iowa offers only a couple online courses, including classes on mandatory bloodborne pathogens and first aid. That's partly because most cosmetologists and barbers get their credits during the industry's frequent shows that feature in-person classes and competitions.

Local trade organizations have accepted that there is a demand and need for online continuing education.

“Some are asking for it,” said Iowa City Area Association of Realtors Education Director Katie Anthony. “We like to provide the best technology we can to our agents.”

Anthony said the association partners with the Quad Cities Area Association of Realtors to offer prelicense courses online and within six months also will be offering online continuing ed.

Mysak said continuing ed courses he's seen online have sometimes cost half as much as taking the courses in a classroom. There's a value to the ability to meet new people and interact with them unencumbered by technology, however.

“Some in-person courses are $100 to $250,” Mysak said. “Some of it, you get what you pay for.”

During the recent housing downturn, Mysak said he went to Des Moines for a continuing ed class featuring national lecturers who had met with Realtors in some of the worst and best markets in the United States.

“You're getting a cross-pollination of information,” Mysak said. “That's good for us.”