There are quite a few different delivery methods when it comes to continuing education for professional massage therapists and bodyworkers. From online courses and classes that are held in person to destination seminars and other forms of more condensed classes, these diverse delivery methods allow massage therapists and bodyworkers to select what will work best for them when it comes to earning continuing education credits.
However, before the individual practitioner can make the best selection regarding the delivery method for his or her next continuing education class, that practitioner needs to assess a few things. For starters, massage therapists and bodyworkers need to consider their preferred method of learning.
For instance, certain people seem to learn quite well by listening to the instructor provide information, by reading the information in a book and by looking at pictures or videos. These people might do just fine in a continuing education class that takes place online.
For others, the ability to learn successfully through an online continuing education course could depend on the subject matter. Taking an online continuing education class might be just fine if the course is dealing with a more academic topic, such as ethics, marketing or accounting for massage therapists and bodyworkers, but online learning might fall short for some practitioners if the course is dealing with hands-on techniques.
If you are not too far out of massage school, or if you have a keen memory, you may be able to think back and remember whether you were best able to grasp certain concepts through in-person instruction, and if there were other topics that you mastered just fine through textbooks and lectures.
Those practitioners who are unsure about their preferred method of learning and whether or not it depends on the subject matter may need to undergo a bit of trial and error. Take a few continuing education courses online and a few in person, with different types of topics for each class, and stay observant about where and when you did your best learning.
Of course, other factors besides your preferred learning method can play a role in the delivery method you select for your next continuing education class. Two of the more common of these factors are scheduling and financial constraints. In most cases, online continuing education courses, as well as local classes held in person, are going to require less of an investment of both time and money.
This is because the travel costs will either be lower or nonexistent in comparison to destination seminars for continuing education. The shorter travel time for local in-person continuing education and the flexible class schedule offered by many online continuing education providers also can help practitioners fit continuing education into a packed schedule.
For those massage therapists and bodyworkers who have the time and money to attend destination continuing education seminars, or other forms of more condensed continuing education classes, the experience can be well worth the investment. In many cases, practitioners not only make huge leaps in learning but also have a chance to take a break from the daily practice and interact with peers.