Tennessee recently approved the USCCA Online Concealed Carry Class. I think it’s a great option for those who learn better by video or at their own pace. But there’s a lot to learn from others in an in-person class as well.
If you’re in TN, here’s the link for the class:
https://go.usconcealedcarry.com/training-student-course/online-ccw-permit-tennessee?tID=5dfa5c67f0d8e&_ga=2.187203936.912003252.1578318844-1207605033.1542042974
Maybe if it’s split up into book portion and practical session. Online would be fine for text book/academic stuff, but there (IMO) should definitely be an on hands practical portion where there is perhaps a brief overview of the online segment and then moved into the hands on portion (referring frequently back to what was taught on line).
I love online courses… but not these related to firearm…
I know that each State has different requirements but learning for CCW license in IL comes with dozen questions which can be answered by Instructor only (I don’t rely on web searches only).
So face-to-face class is much better option.
Once I have my State CCW license, I feel comfortable with online courses.
Wisconsin doesn’t require any hands on in our CCW class, @JamesR. But I get what you’re saying.
I highly encourage everyone to train, train, train some more. However, I’m against it being required to exercise our Second Amendment rights. As a parent, I don’t understand how another parent can have a firearm in their home without having training.
Criminals don’t have requirements to carry for their protection, why should law abiding citizens have requirements before they carry for their protection? (That’s more of a point to think about than my 100% opinion - I firmly believe everyone should be trained in one manner or another.)
That’s true !!!
However: If somebody feels like “law abiding citizen” he/she goes for training… otherwise is going to be another “criminal”.
Don’t get me wrong with “criminal” term here… but in my opinion having a firearm without proper training gets you into troubles only.
My Parents used to say: " You cannot run if you don’t know how to walk" 
I learn better in person than via online methods. That having been said, I completed an academic degree entirely online.
If a state is going to require training to carry, the more streamlined the better.
@Dawn - as you said, criminals don’t need a license to carry, why should law-abiding citizens?
Speaking from my personal educational experience. I, vastly, prefer live in class interaction over online. For a number of reasons
Faster feedback.
Someone else may ask a question, or voice a concern, that I never considered, and I gain valuable learning from their question.
While I understand today’s generation enjoy the accessibility of online learning, I prefer classroom learning. As when I am at home, I have to many distractions, pets, honey do lists, phones, neighbors, TV, friends, and/or any combination of the above. But when I am in a classroom I can focus completely on what is at hand.
YMMV.
I’m totally playing devil’s advocate here…
Why does it have to be a government mandated or formal training? What about those who have grown up with firearms or have trained themselves from videos, reading books, and hands on at the range?
Still the devil’s advocate…
Does a 4 or 8 hour lecture type of class really prepare you to carry or are they meeting the government required training? 
Please don’t get me wrong! I 10000000% think people should get training. But like passing a mandatory class in high school, it doesn’t mean you really learned anything. It just means you can regurgitation the information short term. 
My concern here in Tennessee is that some may do this online course, since the firing range portion isn’t required for this permit, that some will start carrying never even training with their firearm. The enhanced permit you still have to do the 8 hour class and show some proficiency with a firearm. Plus with the enhanced there are more places you can carry. Plus you have the option of open carry. I’m not sure the online class is the best option because it puts more restrictions on an individual.
That’s how it is in Wisconsin and all of the Constitutional Carry states. 
Why I dont like it is there were some people in my class that had never even shot a gun. This was just a compromise to not pass constitutional carry. Part of even constitutional carry is the hope that people train with their firearm. It is after all the responsible thing to do.
When it comes to firearms training, I am only concerned with two things –
I cannot concern myself with any other aspects of firearms training.
Does others’ potential lack of training bother me? Yes, it does. Sort of. I don’t concern myself with that because there is nothing I can do about it. I can only take care of what I can take care of.
I agree, you read this law and you find it places more restrictions on the holder of this particular permit. Kind of like fine print. It’s cheaper, however, with this cheaper permit you can’t carry at a state park, freeways and other places.
Further training should be up to the individual. Because laws always change, its up to each of us to keep up with them. Since I like to shoot, I’m saving up for a training session. I want to find a place I can practice or train on firing from cover and movement to cover.
I’m far away from MANDATORY…
I’m just afraid of untrained people with firearms. 
I think there is every good reason to have on line “didactic” portions of a CCW class but in general I feel there should be a “practical” portion of instruction. The whole safe gun handling and proficiency thing. I have met way too many people who can conceptualize what they have read and pass a test but cannot get what is in their head to work with their fingers. While I want more CCW’s on the street I want them to be safe and at least mildly functional.
The carry of a firearm for self defense is an awesome responsibility and should be accorded due consideration of that responsibility.
Cheers,
Craig6
I love the idea of constitutional carry like we have here in MO. If a citizen has a right by definition that right doesn’t come with “qualifiers” like any course or statute tends to add. That said: you could literally drive to an FFL and buy a gun and a box of ammo. Load it up and walk out the door as a concealed carry person, AND have never fired a gun in your life. Now that scares the crap out of me! Still a right is just that for citizens.
When I helped out with CC classes we had people come in that had never had a hand gun in their hands before they got to class. These were also the ones that we had the most problems with on the safety of handling a hand gun. Because we have a public gun range and I was there every day I ended up instructing a lot of people one on one. Three women that I remember had never shot a hand gun before I helped them out, but when they went to the class I promise you that you did not want to be in front of them when they started shooting. It just takes time and a person willing to help you out. Safety was the first thing we went thru each day, like a broken record
My best first time shooters/first time students have been women. Period. Dot.
IN MY OPINION…want to qualify this response…
I am not a fan of on-line classes for many reasons (I say this as an ex-educator who taught in public elementary schools for over 7 years and worked in a university setting for over 20 years in The Universities College of Education - Including grant programs such as “The Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior”, Counseling Psychology and Behavioral Research and a Global Education foundation that was a total disaster). I am by no means an expert, BUT, have been exposed to enough classes, teaching styles, dealing with the students subjected to these classes to have a strong insight and opinion.
I have friends who teach College Level on-Line classes, and, in fact, the University I worked at offered them long ago across the world (and with covid have become at least temporarily mandatory). I also have friends who have taken on-line classes and say they were grueling. I guess it depends on the person. More importantly, I believe it depends on the actual TOPIC and Curriculum. My friend who taught on-line Literature classes found a decent niche. I think on-line classes have a better sense of success depending on the nature of the content.
I believe, in my opinion, on-line classes are like studying for the test. To truly “learn” you need to be able to engage and debate the topic in real time from different perspectives and backgrounds. I remember taking classes where I didnt grasp the subject until someone brought it up in a different context, was able to piece components of different topics together so the idea finally made the synapse. And, the only reason I remembered the answers was because of the discussion or bits and pieces thereof. Often it is the material NOT covered in “The Book” that is most significant and beneficial to actual learning.
I also believe it leads to arbitrary grading. A topic all in itself beyond the scope of this post.
PERSONALLY, I dont have the attention span, eyes, learning methodology to suffer through an on line class. I have signed up for a couple and dropped out of all of them just due to shear boredom and inability to stay focused.
Sorry for the rant. Hopefully it brings up some things to consider if you should offer an on-line class. Please dont kick me off the forum! ; )
John