For many years I have asked candidates in my 17th and 18th Edition classes if they would consider studying the subject online. The response was generally negative as they preferred the personal aspect to tutorial support and, no doubt, quite enjoyed the banter with their peers. Things have changed and the choice is no longer available. The problem seems to be that the accreditation bodies dont appear to have any facility in place that would allow candidates to sit the exam from an online station other than in an approved centre. If the industry continues to demand that operatives are up to speed with the latest regulations then things are going to have to be done smarter!
Good points you make F but we are talking 18th edition where lads are rammed in to a classroom and subjected to bucket loads of information after which they have to sit a multiple choice exam that determines nothing other than the candidates ability to track down information in a book. Whether they understand it or not is irrelevant, hit 60% and hey presto they have passed yet the industry seems to consider this course as an almost safety-critical requirement. Perhaps the importance of the course is more to do with just making sure operatives understand that there is a set of regulations that governs their industry and it is expected that they should all adhere to them.
Going online could offer an opportunity to stretch the time available so that course questions could fall into that area of problem based learning that I concur is infinitely better than the current format.
One consultant I used to work for quipped that we don’t need clever sparks, they only need to be smart enough to follow instruction. There might be an element of truth in that for some but I hold the guys in much higher regard and would like to see electricians increase the esteem in which they are held. That naturally flows when operatives are well-schooled in the technical matters that form the foundation of their profession.
Good points you make F but we are talking 18th edition where lads are rammed in to a classroom and subjected to bucket loads of information after which they have to sit a multiple choice exam that determines nothing other than the candidates ability to track down information in a book. Whether they understand it or not is irrelevant, hit 60% and hey presto they have passed yet the industry seems to consider this course as an almost safety-critical requirement. Perhaps the importance of the course is more to do with just making sure operatives understand that there is a set of regulations that governs their industry and it is expected that they should all adhere to them.
Going online could offer an opportunity to stretch the time available so that course questions could fall into that area of problem based learning that I concur is infinitely better than the current format.
One consultant I used to work for quipped that we don’t need clever sparks, they only need to be smart enough to follow instruction. There might be an element of truth in that for some but I hold the guys in much higher regard and would like to see electricians increase the esteem in which they are held. That naturally flows when operatives are well-schooled in the technical matters that form the foundation of their profession.
