Offbeat Cyber Classes Extend Beyond the Norm

Interested in predicting the weather? How about becoming a top merchant on eBay? What about breaking the ice by channeling your inner Jay Leno? With the popularity of online classes, it was only a matter of time before offbeat e-courses like Weather Forecasting, eBay 101 and How to Be Funny emerged.

According to the Sloan Consortium, a group of institutions and organizations committed to quality online learning, approximately 3.2 million students were enrolled in an online college or university course this past fall. Due to enormous demand and success of traditional online programs, hobby and interest courses are growing in popularity as well. The notion of lifelong learning -- be it for professional advancement or personal edification -- is becoming mainstream, and for inquiring minds interested in learning for the sake of learning, offbeat courses are the answer.

Lee Grenci, senior lecturer and senior forecaster in the department of meteorology at Penn State University, explains, "For our weather certificate particularly, most students are not interested in seeking it as a professional goal. They are farmers, nurses, sailors, business people, emergency volunteers, etc. Not motivated by career aspirations, these students want to learn for learning's sake." Grenci notes this separates them from the majority of students whose academic goals are to earn a degree. For those enrolling in such degree programs online, a professional payoff is likely the motivation; quirky classes, on the other hand, typically cater to curious minds inquisitive about learning about a topic of interest.

The following courses are but a sample of online offerings you can explore if you just want to start a new hobby, seek a mental distraction from your usual brain fare or learn for learning's sake.

Weather Forecasting -- Cumulus, cumulonimbus or stratus -- oh my! At Penn State's World Campus, this program encompasses more than 50 online degrees and certificate programs. Grenci, a professor for over 35 years, explains the attraction: "Weather and forecasting permeate our society. Conversations between strangers begin with discourse about the weather. It comes as no surprise that there is a demographic of 'weather weenies' sprinkled throughout society." Students enrolled in the certificate of achievement in weather forecasting typically possess a passion for snowstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes. Note: Certificate programs typically charge by credit hour; this particular program costs $250 per credit hour.

How to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant -- At the Learning Annex, a producer of seminars, lectures, classes and workshops, students can learn about required skills to become a successful celebrity personal assistant (think getting the state police to provide an escort for a celebrity stuck in traffic), how to land a job in this field, along with common pitfalls to avoid. Also offered by The Learning Annex: How to Marry a Millionaire, Accounting for Non-Accountants and Real Estate Loopholes. Such courses are downloaded via computer for approximately $9.99 to $12.99 for 2-2½ hour sessions, and although they don't include an interactive component, are taught by top professionals in each field.

Popular Music -- An examination of the roots, development and significance of popular music in our culture, taught via Penn State's World Campus, introduces the major genres of the art: blues, jazz, country, mainstream pop and rock and roll. Forget about being a musical genius -- this course focuses on the impact sociological and cultural events have made on American music throughout the years. Think Elvis, the Beatles, and rock stars ranging from Michael Jackson to Madonna.

Get Funny! -- At the University of North Texas, minicourses such as this comedic e-class offer up methods for injecting humor, whether it's punching up presentations or becoming the life of any party. In this six-week course, students learn how to write a one-liner, use physical humor and find humor in everyday events. According to Dave Downing, minicourse program manager overseeing 100+ online courses, the informal noncredit class continually enhances its curriculum. "We were competing with our best courses and our on-campus courses were losing," says Downing. "People who register for an online course almost always register for another."

eBay 101 -- This e-course, dedicated to learning to buy and sell on eBay, covers the basics on pricing, shipping, digital photography, post-sale management and discussion boards. The six-week class, sponsored by ed2go, a network of online courses with more than 1,500 institutions in America, Canada and Australia, is offered through a variety of schools including York College (CUNY, New York), and costs $119.

How to Start Your Own T-Shirt Line -- According to Merry Miller, head of programming at The Learning Annex, this online course is one of the most popular offered within its Learning Annex to Go. It's taught by Gerard Murray, founder and CEO of School of Hard Knocks Clothing Line. His now multi-million-dollar business, which markets T-shirts with inner-city slogans like "Five Borough" and "SOHK Wild Style," began in the early '90s. The $12.99 class encompasses how to sell T-shirts on the 'net, in trade shows and ways to approach stores; information on pricing; and how to market a brand.

Theme Park Engineering -- If you've ever gone to a theme park and dreamt of designing one, this imagineering class is the thrill of a lifetime. Taught by Steve Alcorn, president of Alcorn McBride Inc., a company that provides equipment to theme parks all over the world, lessons in show design, story structure, art direction, architecture, acoustics, lighting, ride control and more are shared. During the self-paced course students typically take six weeks to complete 12 lessons. Although no college credit is awarded, it's known in the recreation industry as an important credential to earn.

Medical Terminology: A Word Association Approach -- Whether you're watching Dr. McDreamy on 'Grey's Anatomy' or deciphering your own doc's lingo in the examining room, this course teaches medical terminology in layman's terms from an anatomical approach. Root terms are divided by each body system; the origin, a combined form, and an example of non-medical everyday use is provided. For instance, since "derm" represents skin and "osis" translates to abnormal condition, "dermatosis" is the word for an abnormal skin condition. Root terms are combined with prefixes and suffixes to culminate in the six-week course's end result: interpretation of several paragraphs or medical notes.