(AmmoLand.com) In efforts to bring additional training opportunities into the homes of responsibly armed Americans across the country, the USCCA has developed The Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Online Training Module.
The USCCA’s online training module makes concealed carry and home defense training available to the millions of Americans who can’t fit a traditional concealed carry class into their busy schedules.
USCCA Education and Training Program Director Steve Fischer said, “Unlike other online courses we’ve seen, our eLearning system is more than just an online set of PowerPoint slides or a couple hours of video. Instead, our course was built from the ground up with interactivity in mind. With a course introduction and seven lessons, our course covers a multitude of topics and includes dozens of interactive widgets, embedded videos, and more than 150 interactive questions. It even contains a video narration on every single slide, with our Chief Instructor, Michael Martin, effectively acting as the online student’s very own personal instructor.”
While online training has seen significant growth in recent years in higher education, public safety, and military training applications, its use in the concealed carry market has been neglected, until now.
USCCA Chief Instructor Michael Martin spoke to this disparity: “When I discuss the idea of eLearning with other concealed carry instructors, one of the most common objections raised is the fact that online students obviously don’t get any instructor-led trigger time. While that’s true, the vast majority of concealed carry classes that I’ve attended and have taught spend far more time educating students on topics such as conflict avoidance, the law, and even the theory behind defensive shooting fundamentals before the students ever make the trip to the range.”
Martin added, “I’ve often commented to my students that if they remember just one set of topics after leaving class, it should be the topics centered around developing a personal and home protection plan and the incredible seriousness of carrying a concealed firearm, rather than remembering the five steps involved in drawing from the holster. Now that’s not to say that I see no value in time on the range; it’s just that I place a greater emphasis on the other important topics that need to be covered in a concealed carry class, and our online training is the perfect medium to cover those subjects.”
Since the initial release of the USCCA’s online training in late March, more than one thousand students have already completed the course and are actively reaching out to the USCCA to be connected with a certified USCCA Instructor to continue their training.
Martin added, “The online training is opening up this education to an entire world of people who haven’t yet taken a concealed carry class because they fear their inexperience will lead to embarrassment in a large classroom setting. Our online training gives that student the confidence to take the next big step and attend a live class. Blended learning of classroom training and eLearning may just be the wave of the future, and the USCCA has just taken a mighty big step in the right direction.”
USCCA member Ken R. shared his thoughts, “My complements to the USCCA for assembling a great educational tool. Combining subject matter experts (SME) to introduce topics with graphic illustrators who assemble high-resolution, interactive pictorials is no easy task. As an FAA Certified Flight Instructor of 38 years, I believe the USCCA is on the best pathway for adult, on demand, interactive learning which will serve all CCW permit holders. I’ve done police work and continuing education is a must to not only maintain subject matter awareness, but also weapon decision use proficiency…I could have used a team like yours when we made Instructor Led and Student Paced Computer Based Training modules.”
The online training course was released to the public on March 24th, and can be purchased online in the USCCA store or at the USCCA booth (#3207) at the NRA 2015 Annual Meetings & Exhibits this weekend in Nashville, TN.
To learn more, visit www.USCCA.com.
About the USCCA:
The U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) is the first and largest, member-owned association designed to educate, train, and insure responsibly armed Americans. USCCA members receive access to a wealth of industry information and insurance protection through its Self-Defense SHIELD program. The USCCA also provides expert advice, product information, and the latest news centered around the concealed carry lifestyle via email, social media, Concealed Carry Magazine, and their nationally syndicated radio program Armed American Radio.
I still think the NRA’s Blended Learning Program platform (when it come out) is going to be better and way cheaper. The most important reason for me to feel that way is part of the program still requires you to have hands on training in front of a NRA Instructor.