As an educator with a strong interest in online learning I’m often bemused by the advice given to newcomers who ask for advice on how to learn programming/game design/Unity. The following article might be of interest.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/measuring-the-success-of-online-education
Interesting article, Christine! I have signed up for several online classes, either free or really inexpensive and have finished none of them. My adult son, on the other hand, has finished all of them and the programming classes actually led to a change in his college major. So I think it all depends on the person, as most things do.
Online learning ignores the social dimension of learning - a person is more likely to hang in there if they’re part of a group that’s hanging in there. And the discussion and peer mentoring/support of course. My university is moving into the ‘online learning space’ and programs that work tend to have strong and cohesive social groupings eg a particular intake of students for a course forms a Facebook group and engages with it extensively. This is not so easily done with individuals starting whenever and progressing at their own pace of course. Actual class groups usually have consolidation tasks such as projects and exercises to complete, which individual online learning (e.g. YouTube videos) don’t provide.
Flexibility is all very well, but what in a more structured context might seem like constraints are actually supports.