I've been doing quite a bit of online training lately.

It with the TrySwift World mini-classes. Thanks to Natasha, I gave it a try and ended up with a Zoom account that I could use to host training.

Then folks began to ask if I could do some of the classes I had been scheduled to teach at conferences.

The next thing I knew, I was offering private training for companies again.

So here's what I've learned...

First, it's an exhausting and intense experience for student and teacher.

We need to stand up more often.

I did a quick calculation that in an in-person class we usually meet for eight hours (usually a little less because people are tired by the end of the day). We take an hour break for lunch and probably a fifteen-twenty minute break or so in the middle of the morning and afternoon and probably a five minute stretch break at the end of each hour.

So we're probably at somewhere between 6 and 6 1/2 hours of instruction.

For the online course I'm breaking into two 2 - 2 hour fifteen minute sections with a five minute break around the hour mark. That's 4 to 4 1/2 hours a day and that's plenty.

Second, I provide a lot of material.

There are pdfs of everything we do. There are starting and ending versions of every project and playground.

People can learn along with me or they can watch and code later. Or both.

Also, I draw diagrams - the diagrams seldom mean much later but they help capture a moment in time and answer questions in that moment.

Third, students are encouraged to cut in with questions.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the courses and will try to capture some of them on video for people who would rather learn at their own pace.

The topics are Swift, SwiftUI, Combine, Functional Programming, and iOS and are available on my Training page.