My most recent venture has been the development of online guitar and ukulele courses. This was inspired/instigated by an adult student who had moved away several years ago but wanted to continue lessons with me. I secretly harbored some skepticism about its effectiveness but sallied forth regardless. After mucking about for a while I finally figured out a good way to do it and have been fairly successful since. But I have discovered some interesting things along the way.
First - The most common criticism I hear is that it's not as good as being there in person. I'm not convinced that's true. It is, however, different and must be treated as such. After all, private lessons and group lessons are treated differently. This is simply a third category. Online lessons address issues like geography, mobility, health, and schedule. Simply put, guitar lessons are now available to some people who wouldn't otherwise be able to learn.
Second - The majority of my online students are mature adults. These students don't want to play in a band nor do they want to sing in front of others, if at all. They admire their friends who sit at the piano and play songs that are familiar and would like to do the same on the guitar. They have a dreadful time finding a teacher willing to help.
Third - Aging baby-boomers will acknowledge that technology baffles them, but are generally willing to give it a try and surprised that it's not as difficult as it first seems. Their children, as a group, tend to be more intimidated and more reluctant to give it a whirl. Honestly this really surprised me. I just assumed they would dive in enthusiastically. (I've just got to stop making assumptions.)
Fourth - Many of the online teachers I've spoken with are still trying to use traditional methods and are disappointed in their results. Too often they blame the student. It seems to me that if you are going to use a new delivery system, it's prime time to question everything about the process to see what can be improved. But change is hard and radical change is harder.
Online education is still in its infancy. There are alternative ed. classes for high school, college classes and even degree programs, as well as classes in nearly every other subject. There are companies trying consolidate programs and teachers under one corporate umbrella and individuals like me trying to go it alone. It's like the wild west out here, but it's exciting in its own way.
I enjoy playing for people and I love teaching. Driving to and from the various locations? Not so much. So being active online allows me to continue to teach. I can still be useful. More importantly, I'm still having fun. It's always been fun, but now that I'm starting to get the hang of it, it's more fun than ever.