Do online garden design courses really work?

Have you ever undertaken a garden design course (or other distance learning horticulture course)?

What are your thoughts; was it worth the effort and the expense?

My question is prompted by a question on the Guardian website 'Online university courses: godsend or gimmick?'

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/13/online-university-courses-education-moocs

From the Guardian piece:

"When American universities began offering Moocs – free online courses, open to all – people signed up in their droves. From lessons on artificial intelligence to classes on vegetarianism, millions of people across the world began learning. As the New York Times declared 2012 the year of the Mooc, the Open University announced a partnership with 11 (now 29) British universities.
But fast-forward one year and doubts about the courses are lingering.

In Britain only 8% of people surveyed had even heard of Moocs, according to a Guardian and Open University study.

While a quarter of people reported feeling under pressure to get additional skills and qualifications, almost half said they would only do an online course if they received an accredited certificate at the end."

So adapting the question slightly to fit our industry, do online garden design courses work? Does/did the accreditation suit you and fulfil your requirements...most of all, is/will your qualification (be) recognised?

This is an interesting discussion. I wonder what percentage of people working in this industry have any accredited, formal qualifications? I don't think on-line courses are viable for us as so much of our work is of a practical nature. I tried one once, cost me a lot of money and guess what! I didn't complete it.. Since then I have completed an RHS L3 diploma which I did as a part time course and I'm about to start the RHS Master of Horticulture course which involves a one day a month meeting the rest done by correspondence. Interaction with real people helps with the course and you can network with like mined people! It was a difficult thing to do financially but I found that it was quite refreshing to getaway from the work face and do something different. Since doing it I feel as though I give added value to my customers and it's led me on to do an assessors course which provides another income stream.Interestingly that course was mainly done on-line but having got into the learning habit I found it easier to complete. I think that Alex is right about the difficulty of doing any type of training when the pressure of earning a living is on you. Maybe this is why we get a lot of second career people in the industry who have done some sort of course, have a bit of money to set themselves up but lack practical experience. I think this whole subject of qualification and education within landscaping and horticulture should be discussed a lot further. I hope there are more replys on this subject.

Replies

Trish Reynolds January 19, 2014 at 4:19am

I have just enrolled in NZ at Auckland Unitech for a 2 year Diploma in Landscape Design, I did try a distance learning version in the UK but personally struggled without the interaction and face to face feedback and gave up on it (it was a few years ago before Skype and social media) I like bouncing ideas around in person for some aspects - maybe old fashioned now - but it is a creative course and I personally like interaction and learning directly from others. I successfully completed a business management course by distance - so I think it just depends on the type of course, how good the tutor and course material is presented, and your own learning preferences.
Sam Selby January 19, 2014 at 10:53am

I signed up to a courses direct course for garden design and landscaping so i could expand my knowledge without having to take time out of work. Trouble is - I haven't had the time to do it yet! I signed up in July but the business has been flat out. Good in that I'm successfully trading anyway but need to put some time aside before it runs out this July!
Alex Brenton January 29, 2014 at 10:17pm

I feel there is a gap in the market, courses I have investigated either are aimed at the amateur and have be very simple and do not assume a practical background and are based around your personal garden size and type. Or they are high level and assume virtually full time effort which is tricky if you are already working in the trade, but need more theory and drawing practice. There are not that many horticultural colleges and the travel is prohibitive to fit into a working week, so there is a need for an online/distance alternative which understands the situation for people already in the trade. As ever training is easy if you are young or have no ties/dependants or semi-retired wanting a 'hobby' job. For those of us in the middle of working life very difficult to make that jump up..
Mulberry February 1, 2014 at 9:28pm

This is an interesting discussion. I wonder what percentage of people working in this industry have any accredited, formal qualifications? I don't think on-line courses are viable for us as so much of our work is of a practical nature. I tried one once, cost me a lot of money and guess what! I didn't complete it.. Since then I have completed an RHS L3 diploma which I did as a part time course and I'm about to start the RHS Master of Horticulture course which involves a one day a month meeting the rest done by correspondence. Interaction with real people helps with the course and you can network with like mined people! It was a difficult thing to do financially but I found that it was quite refreshing to getaway from the work face and do something different. Since doing it I feel as though I give added value to my customers and it's led me on to do an assessors course which provides another income stream.Interestingly that course was mainly done on-line but having got into the learning habit I found it easier to complete. I think that Alex is right about the difficulty of doing any type of training when the pressure of earning a living is on you. Maybe this is why we get a lot of second career people in the industry who have done some sort of course, have a bit of money to set themselves up but lack practical experience. I think this whole subject of qualification and education within landscaping and horticulture should be discussed a lot further. I hope there are more replys on this subject.
Ian Street February 2, 2014 at 8:25am

I would consider a distance learning course, purely as an insight. By that, I mean, I trained for three years and have worked in the industry nearly twenty, so I would consider it to see if I could learn things from it, that I don't already know. I know plants, design principles, design history and the practicalities of building a garden in real life, so this sort of course wouldn't need to teach me from scratch. Therefore, I could cherry pick the bits I felt would help me, and as I wouldn't be after the formal qualification I could do the studying in my free time. For a complete beginner, no, I don't think they are a good way to educate, but as a tool to aid and better what you already know, yes, they could be useful.
Greg Bedson February 2, 2014 at 6:48pm

I have enrolled on the KLC open learning garden design course and I think for the theory side it has been fantastic. I am working for a landscaping firm at the same time and I believe this has been great for helping me with my studies as my boss is able to
Greg Bedson February 2, 2014 at 6:54pm

I have enrolled on the KLC open learning garden design course and I think for the theory side it has been fantastic. I am working for a landscaping firm at the same time and I believe this has been great for helping me with my studies as my boss is able to answer any questions and, working with plants all day I have gained a solid practical understanding.

I get the impression from people on the course forums that many of the students are not working in the trade and I think they are finding it harder to get motivated.

The one problem I do sometimes have is fitting the time in to do the work and I think this is because i do not have set deadlines. For the price of the course compared to similar part time courses, it is definitely worth while.