As more and more people jump online to complete an associate’s degree, bachelors degrees, or certification program online, it’s hard to imagine that a Culinary Arts degree can also be completed via the web. Culinary Arts programs are a combination of hands-on training and textbook study, but many schools are now offering online-exclusive programs, offering distance education degrees for students around the globe. How is it possible to get quality hands-on training and experience from the Internet? Here’s an overview of how online culinary arts schools and degree programs actually work:
Online Culinary Degrees: The Basics
Online Culinary Arts degrees are designed to provide extensive hours of training for chefs, pastry chefs, and even cooking school instructors. These programs may specialize in a particular type of cuisine or skill, and may also include wine tastings, dessert training, and practical culinary management skills such as cost management and nutrition calculation. The online culinary degree programs mimic conventional training at a trade school or culinary arts school, and the distance obstacle is easily overcome with innovative learning platforms and unique delivery modules for training.
How Online Culinary Arts Schools Deliver Training
Each Culinary Arts school delivers training with a variety of web-based platforms such as:
-Live web-based lectures
-Web-based demonstrations
-Live webcam instruction
-Blogs with step-by-step instructions and tutorials
-Video conferencing for group projects
-Chat and IMs for group sessions and training
-CD-ROM and DVD materials for additional training
-Discussion groups and forums
-E-mail correspondence with instructors
-Individual blogs and websites to submit assignments and share work completed
The key difference between completing assignments and projects in a formal classroom and online is simply the location. Instructors may coordinate a specific time for live chat and demonstrations, lectures, and other online events where all students are expected to participate. Web cams make the entire experience much more ‘real’ , and gives all students a chance to see different techniques and projects in motion firsthand.
What to Expect with an Online Culinary Arts Program
If you’re considering competing an online culinary arts degree or related program, it will take some time to adjust to the overall workflow, expectations, and format. You may need to download or install special software, purchase a web cam, and setup your ‘kitchen studio’ to record your work and assignments. Still, it’s an innovative and progressive way to keep up with today’s evolving educational opportunities. You can still receive quality training and expert guidance from professional instructors every step of the way.
An online culinary arts school is a great way to take advantage of the power of web training, teleconferencing, and video training from the comfort of your own kitchen. As more students need flexible schedules and the freedom to work and study from any location in the world, an online degree program is becoming an increasingly attractive opportunity.
