Every now and again my worlds collide. Not in an obliteration-of-celestial-bodies kinda way, more like a big bang theory which creates something new and exciting. My worlds that have collided are those in which I read, write, review and do, and those which house my passions: funeral service, technology, health and education. The new thing created is an opportunity to be involved in the development of the new Diploma in Funeral Directing.

And what an exciting new thing it is. I admit to having reservations about just how online learning would work in the funeral sector. I thoroughly enjoyed, and got so much out of, the course when I completed it in 2009. The value was not just in the learning and the promotion of industry standards, it was in the connections formed with other funeral directors across the country. Shared experiences and non-judgemental sounding boards were high up on the value list. I can’t even begin to put a value on the enduring friendships that I did not expect to form.

How on earth could these things play out in an online forum? Well, I’m fond of saying that one of the biggest assets a funeral director can take into an arrangement is an open mind. So, with an open mind, I’ve had a peek behind the scenes of the new course. Come and join me in twitching the curtains.

It’s easy to connect with others

The first thing I noticed is how easy it is to connect with others. Not just with colleagues doing the course, but with academic staff and student mentors. There is a real sense of teamwork and collaboration, along with opportunities to share and seek clarification. The old way was good for those six or so weeks of the year when you met in the classroom. Back at the coalface though, there were limited and briefly snatched conversations when everyone’s schedules allowed. With online learning, you don’t have to be in the same time and place to share experiences and ask questions.

Online’s everywhere

You can study anywhere, anytime, and in the way you learn best. Most people learn by seeing and doing, not by sitting, and listening. No more lugging around textbooks, and folders full of notes. All your learning stuff is wherever you are. Like Tina from Turners says, “You can do it from your house. It doesn’t have to be here. Online’s everywhere.”

Learn at your own pace

The online classroom is less intimidating than classroom learning can be, especially when you’ve been out of the classroom for years. You can learn at your own pace. Go back and re-read without holding the class up. Seek out the experience and knowledge of others, then complete the activities. Learn a bit. Talk about it. Do it. Come back to it. Apply your learning as you are learning it.

Content and standard

“But wait, there’s more!” she shouted like the advertorial playing in the background as she wrote. The content of this course embraces a commitment to high standards and best practice in the sector. It is being developed with the assistance of more professional funeral directors and educational specialists than previous courses. It reflects today’s needs, and today’s thinking.

Embracing change can be hard. But in the words of the Louisville Lip, the late, great Muhammed Ali: “The man who views the world at 50 the same way he did at 20 had wasted 30 years of his life.” My friend Michael Wolffram observes, as astutely as ever, “…the course I did, the course you did, and the course they did three years ago were all different.” The thing they all have in common is that they were developed to meet the needs of our sector at the time.

Needs change over time. So too, to delivery methods. Learning online is not a new and unproven concept. Degree courses have been delivered successfully via correspondence and e-learning platforms for decades now. In our sector, classroom learning has always been complemented by practical experience. In the same way, online learning, supported by practical experience, works.