REGULAR Maximising your training
Nigel Howe, Course Developer and Technical Writer at the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), reveals how you can get the best out of BICSc’s Virtual Training Suite.
I don’t think anybody would disagree that online training has certainly grown beyond all expectations in the last couple of years across a number of industries – not just cleaning and hygiene.
Until March 2020, it was very much considered to be a niche market limited to technology buffs, but as
people were forced to work from home, they
had to embrace the available technology to continue with ‘business as usual’ where possible.
Distance learning has been around for a long time – think Open University – but long gone are the days of having to watch grainy black-and-white programmes broadcast in the middle of the night on BBC2. For a lot of online training, especially BICSc’s online offering through the Virtual Training Suite, you can do it where and when you want.
However, as with any learning situation, the outcome is only as good as the input the students give it. Like a conventional classroom, there will always be students who don’t pay attention.
When we first dipped our toes into the world of online training, the technology at the time meant that courses were a virtual classroom with a live presenter and the classroom ‘desks’ were the students’ devices and they had to be online at a specified time. The technology we used also meant that courses were limited to a maximum of 30 attendees per course, but even then, there were rules that they needed to adhere to.
I think we’ve all seen an instance of a prominent person being interviewed on the TV and a stray cat or inquisitive child has photobombed the scene, much to the embarrassment of the interviewee (and our amusement).
Here are some things to consider if you attend a live online course:
• Test your equipment set-up – camera, microphone, and speakers – prior to joining. Most software gives you the option to ensure it’s set up correctly without being in an actual meeting.
• Make sure the area you’re sat in is well lit. There’s no point having a camera on if all anyone can see is a silhouette – or even worse, not turning your camera on at all. I know a lot of us are self-conscious in front of a camera, but you wouldn’t sit in a classroom with your face obscured, so why do it online?
• Some presenters will request you mute your microphone until a certain point in the course ¬– if you’re asked to do so, ensure that you do. Having been
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a presenter for some of our initial online training, there’s nothing more off-putting for the presenter (and other students) than having to battle with the sound of a washing machine going into the spin cycle, or the sound of the council digging up a road outside.
As time went on, we discovered we could deliver our training without live presenters. We didn’t need resources the size of the BBC behind us, so the BICSc Virtual Training Suite was launched. How can you ensure you get the best out of the Virtual Training Suite experience?
Don’t skim the lessons
The way the courses are structured in our online environment, we have set the software to not let you pick and choose which lessons you want to do, and it won’t let you do them out of sequence. The running order of the lessons has been planned so that the information flows in a logical order.
There’s very often information you need from an earlier lesson in order to complete a later lesson, so make sure you complete each lesson in full. If you don’t understand something in a lesson, you can always replay or review it so that it eventually makes sense. If you still don’t understand something, you can pause the lesson/course, send us an email with your query, and then continue when you have your answer.
Watch the videos
When a video forms part, or all, of a lesson, ensure you watch it in full – don’t start it playing and leave it running in the background to do something else. If you’re taking a skills course, the video will show and explain to you exactly what you’ll need to demonstrate to the assessor during your live assessment.
Listen to the narrative
Regardless of the type of lesson (a narrated presentation, an animated presentation with narration, or a live-action video) listen closely to the narration. Whilst most of the information you need will be presented in both audio and visual formats, there may be the odd occasion when it’s one or the other.
Follow the instructions
With some courses, you’ll be required to submit an assignment to be marked before you’re deemed to have passed the course and are eligible to download your certificate. With these types of courses, there are always detailed instructions on what we’re expecting from you – what you should include in the assignment, the format you need to use, and the minimum size, for example 1000 words.
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