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Electricians need to live in the real world

lyledunn

“Electricians need to live in the real world”. That was the response by a chief examiner from City and Guilds to a question posed by the IET’s own doyen of sartorial elegance, Mr Mark Coles when he asked the chief examiner if electronic copies of BS7671 could be used in future exams. “Oh no” said the chief examiner, “electricians need to understand how to source information from the book.” Perhaps what he meant to say was that City and Guilds are very protective of a well-embedded revenue stream and that any attempt to facilitate online exams using the electronic book would require a complete and expensive engine change. Anyway, moving forward, its the paper version of the 7671 for those sparks living in the real world!

It wasn’t apparent if Mr Coles agreed with the chief examiner, but in his effort not to be contrary, but without being deferential, Mr Coles had the last word, “ah well, maybe some time in the future”. At least that will offer a tiny glimmer of hope for us sparks who do not live in the real world!

Parents

  • 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.

  • in reply to Andy Millar
    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.

Reply
  • in reply to Andy Millar
    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.

Children
  • in reply to Chris Pearson
    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.

  • in reply to Chris Pearson
    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.

  • in reply to Chris Pearson
    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 ...

  • in reply to gkenyon

    Next time you are at Savoy Place walk to The Strand, turn left and pop into Albion/Istore Strand

    https://www.istore.co.uk/istore-strand/

    ask them about using an Ipad 11 or 13" with a folio keyboard and possibly an Apple Pencil

    The solution is compact, lightweight and very practical.  Far less bulky than a tablet

  • in reply to gkenyon
    gkenyon said:
    or a hard pencil (H or 2H)

    I use 2B pencils for jotting, marking out timber, etc. Now that I have retired, I have taken to carrying a short length in my pocket.

    I think that we might have been a bit extreme in using 9H pencils for technical drawing lessons, but at least 6H.

  • in reply to gkenyon
    gkenyon said:
    but when walking round a muddy solar farm

    Well yes, if you drop your BOB in the mud, you have a problem; whereas with your Android you can wipe (or even wash?) it off.

    What staggers me is the amount of storage which is available - up to 2 TB in the top-of-the-range iPhone.

  • in reply to Sergio Fernandez
    Sergio Fernandez said:

    Next time you are at Savoy Place walk to The Strand, turn left and pop into Albion/Istore Strand

    https://www.istore.co.uk/istore-strand/

    ask them about using an Ipad 11 or 13" with a folio keyboard and possibly an Apple Pencil

    The solution is compact, lightweight and very practical.  Far less bulky than a tablet

    I'm happy with the phone in my pocket. Camera is good for general purposes too. But I can see that if I wanted to start taking notes electronically, that would be good. Handwriting recognition isn't quite there for my cursive handwriting ... 

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