Are you suggesting that books or electronic devices with copies of the text of them are not both equally 'unreal' in some way ?

They are both after all, just a convenient way to condense thoughts to get them out of one head and into another, in in absentia.
In any given language the original transfer method for a 'real' thought is surely spoken ?
I can see reading from stationary paper that needs manually turning going the same way as the  wind-up gramophone or the shadow mask CRT in a few years, and agree,  the idea is quaintly out of step. (quick show of hands, when did you last go to a public library ? In my case something that used to be weekly is now probably less than annual.)

M.

One of my real world life experiences was sitting and drinking a cup of coffee at an Elex Show with Mark Coles  and the former IET Wiring Regulations Discussion Forum member who was known to most of you as Perspicacious or Bod.

Magic moments to treasure.

Regards the question, paper books get my vote, rather than a searchable online document.

mapj1 said:

I can see reading from stationary paper that needs manually turning going the same way as the  wind-up gramophone or the shadow mask CRT in a few years, and agree,  the idea is quaintly out of step. (quick show of hands, when did you last go to a public library ?

In my day, you could have taken a transistor radio with you in your punt, but a gramophone was better.

I am keeping my CRT tellies until they die (or I do).

Yesterday, but admittedly only to use computer access to ancestry.co.uk. In fact the library's subscription is so low level as to be useless.

I was sorting out some office stuff today and put a few envelopes in my stationary cupboard, but I doubt that I shall ever use them. I still have some of QEII's golden jubilee stamps.

Back to the OP, if some candidates need to know the general layout of BOB, and how to use the index; they may be at a disadvantage compared with those who just type and search.

This makes me think about my experiences of only being allowed to use fountain pens at primary school (and hence getting ink splodges everywhere) as ball points were "bad for learning handwriting". Or being taught log tables at secondary school because calculators would never become practical and "you need to know how to look these up". Or having to handwrite my post grad management exams because computers weren't secure. In all cases the actual real world has a habit of catching up with and overtaking the educators "real world" (i.e. "I did it that way when I was learning 30 years ago, so you should too.")

I can see the point that it would be really annoying to a supervisor of a team that uses the book if one of their team is slow at finding things in a paper copy because they're not used to it, but saying that they should be unqualified for that reason seems ridiculous.

Surely in the 'real world'

1. The use of electronic devices is, for most if not all, now firmly embedded in the work environment. Many certs are completed using software (good job, as it's starting to be increasingly difficult to hand-write in the Appendix 6 forms), and it's common-place to take 'before', 'during' and 'after' photos alongside a site log/diary for evidential and tracking purposes.
   
   
2. being able to check your facts with an electronic version of standards and guidance on an app on your phone or work tablet provides better opportunities for conformity to the latest standards and guidance?
   
   
3. having the ability to use electronic media can make examinations more accessible (or, on occasion, possible) for those who need increased accessibility and/or have processing issues? 
   (From a couple of years into high school, one of my children never did any examinations on paper ... all were completed on a 'controlled laptop', including GCSE and A-Level ... and similarly at University the same applied, although for the particular degree most of the syllabus was continuous assessment via assignments and projects right through.)

So, I would say because of the above, we should be encouraging use of electronic versions of standards and guidance, and the possibility of electronic examinations., not just for multi-choice (of which I'm not a fan) but also for written assignments.

I believe it's still retrograde to rely on paper, and this must change going forward.

Andy Millar said:

fountain pens

I have managed to keep the same one for at least 40 years.

Andy Millar said:

log tables

Or a slide rule. No portable calculators when I started secondary school. 

gkenyon said:

having the ability to use electronic media can make examinations more accessible

Good point, although I would want to read from something a bit bigger than a 'phone.

Chris Pearson said:

Or a slide rule.

Yep, still got one of mine (sadly someone stole my beautiful circular one). Same for me, portable calculators only came in when I was in the sixth form.

But I hardly ever even use my calculator now - it's either the phone or Excel. I doubt if my children (in their 20s / 30s) own calculators. And I know they hardly ever read anything on paper...despite the fact that one of them's a teacher and the other's a university lecturer.

I do have to say that, although probably 99% of what I read is on screens these days, personally I'd prefer to use 7671 from paper - for anything where I'm having to flip backwards and forward between sections I personally find it easier. (For work I tend to fill up my three computer monitors with different views of documents trying to achieve the same thing.) But I'm well aware that this is only because it's what I'm used to - my younger colleagues are really good at working with standards like this online.

Maybe the chief examiner from City and Guilds could get in the 'real world' and explore adding relevant criteria to courses like 2391 for 

1 Modern Safety Devices
    •    AFDDs (Arc Fault Detection Devices): Understanding their function, correct circuit placement, and how to evaluate and code the absence of AFDDs on an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
    •    SPDs (Surge Protection Devices): Checking surge protection coordination, inspecting for type 1, 2, and 3 SPDs, and validating their operational status. 

2. Smart Home and Modern Load Requirements
    •    Smart and Bi-directional Devices: Testing considerations for microgeneration and distributed energy resources.
    •    Electric Underfloor Heating & Heat Pumps: Inspection of localized supplementary bonding and specialized control circuits.

I am sure many people on this forum know of C & G courses / Books that are in need of an update.  

Interestingly enough my web search engin brought this up 

Does the humble C&G-2391 syllabus need to be updated?

engx.theiet.org/.../does-the-humble-c-g-2391-syllabus-need-to-be-updated

That was something I wrote almost a year ago.  

Chris Pearson said:

Andy Millar said:

fountain pens

I have managed to keep the same one for at least 40 years.

I not only keep fountain pens, but also use them regularly. It's my preferred writing implement; I can't write neatly at all, but with a fountain pen or a hard pencil (H or 2H) at least I can read my own writing.

Chris Pearson said:

although I would want to read from something a bit bigger than a 'phone.

Agreed, but I can say from personal experience on-site, having the ability to access standards and documents on a phone in your pocket is absolutely brilliant. It does work, and you can zoom in on things that are difficult. Would absolutely prefer my laptop if that's there, but when walking round a muddy solar farm carrying other gear, the (android in my case) phone works really well ...