Learning on your own, through private lessons, might be the way to get the full attention of an inline skating instructor but the way to experience the fun and community spirit of skating is to take a group lesson. Imagine: 5-10 other skaters, all at a similar skill level to you, laughing and joking as they learn new skills. Many of the friendships amongst skaters started life on a group course.
Focussed on teaching you how to practice, group courses move through one or more skills at a pace comfortable for the entire group. Whilst this can be a problem if you're struggling, you do get exposed to more inline skating skills and get to meet other skaters. Private lessons can sometimes get a bit intense; group lessons often allow you to stand back and watch others doing what you are trying to accomplish. Everyone struggles with something, and usually they struggle with the same thing, so learning with similarly skilled people, in a group environment, helps you to realise you are not alone.
A group course might be a single lesson or they can run over multiple days or weeks; they run with a goal in mind, like the Sunday Stroll or Street Skater courses; and they are typically cheaper than private lessons because the instructor can't give everyone their full attention.
If a group course runs over multiple days or weeks I typically say you do not have to attend every lesson, or you can attend but I won't charge you if you get nothing from it. It's not uncommon for people to be able to do one-or-two of the skating skills found on a group course, so why attend a lesson if you already know how to do it?
