I have been playing with SketchUp for over 5 years (back to when it was owned by Google). I have learned enough to do a few very simple projects. With the grandkids (all 6 of them) doing online schooling or limited face-to-face, I crave that experience with SketchUp !
I have taken most of the online tutorials, but they are just not fulfilling. I am sure my technique are poor nor do I even know the “best practices” of drawings (where do you put dimensions so that they do not obscure the drawing itself ?)
Does your area have a continuing or adult ed program and do that have anyone teaching SketchUp? I used to do that in our local adult ed program but decided I prefer one on one instruction because I can tailor it to the student. Most of my instruction is done online with screen sharing. These days, what with social distancing and all that, it’s nearly all online for me.
What version of SketchUp are you using? Please complete your forum profile.
This is something I’ve been thinking about lately - tutorials on YouTube are great for people with a certain learning style, but I think a lot of people are looking for more of a weekly lesson with homework type of learning, rather than just some guy talking to them on YouTube.
I’m working on a solution for this where people can actually get real feedback and interact online in addition to watching tutorials, but I haven’t 100% dialed in the format yet.
Do you think that what you’re really struggling with with existing resources is the lack of interaction with an instructor, lack of interaction with a class of people, or lack of a structured learning format? Or maybe all of the above?
I am one of those who learn better alone when the need arises to acquire specific knowledge. For me, online help, manuals, and video tutorials are just what I need. If I want to do a homework, I either literally repeat what is described or told there, or check what result is obtained, combine it with what I need.
I do not deny that there are other forms of training, but my teacher’s experience shows that the majority do not even carelessly read the help topics of the programs, do not use reference literature, do not know how to use video tutorials creatively, but want to teach everything at once. Any kind of teaching will be bad for such students. As I tell them, you are missing one command in all programs - Do an ingenious job for me!
Your SketchUp video tutorials are one of my favorites, much like Deke McClelland’s Adobe product tutorial series. Clear, precise, structured and understandable. It would be a great pity if you did not continue them.
In my opinion, it is not so much a question of the form of teaching as of its quality. It is very tiring to watch a narrator mutter something incomprehensible, unable to find the file or command he needs, meaninglessly zooming or scrolling the screen, undoing actions until the listener can no longer keep track of what has really been done, and so on. The efficiency of such training is very low.
You definitely know other good authors, and you can show others where to look for their tutorials. In any case, the necessary assistance can also be requested in this forum.
That sounds like me. I have figured out how to get most things done, but I am certain there are better ways of doing things (I would love to model a house, one you can actually walk through. I know it would take weeks to complete. I can’t GROK stairs and second floors with open hallways and dormers !) Some of it is just general “best practices”.
General lack of interaction. There is always more than one way to accomplish a task, but clearly some are better than others.
Assignments are a good idea for someone like me who will remain a “light” user.