| Author |
Message |
Brian E. Trimble, CDT
Senior Member
Username: brian_e_trimble_cdt
Post Number: 69
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 10:58 am: |    |
So I have reviewed the archive for people's comments regarding continuing education and didn't find the answer I was looking for, so I'll ask it here. For today's work environment, is it more desirable to have a live webinar to do continuing education or presentations that are available at any time?
We (BIA) are trying to decide which way to go with continuing education programs in an online environment. We still plan on doing lunch and learns and sessions at CSI meetings, but want to join the modern world with online learning. I am somewhat aware of the many "education providers" out there, but wanted to get a feel from "real" people which was a good way to start. |
John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1556
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 11:38 am: | |
In-person presentations are far likelier to be attended, in my experience. However, if there is a motivated group that want to learn about a topic, they may join a live webinar. In person are more tactile (if samples and such are brought), questions are more likely to be asked, and firm- or project-specific questions are more likely to arise. |
ken hercenberg
Senior Member
Username: khercenberg
Post Number: 708
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 12:19 pm: | |
Do you have to be limited? Many organizations seem to conduct live sessions, including chat screens during the presentation to allow questions from the audience. This allows them to embed videos of installations, testing, and other means of instruction instead of just dry PowerPoint. Many make these sessions available on their websites afterwards. Some even include a test which, when completed, still allows participants to get AIA LUs by viewing the recorded sessions.
Looking forward to seeing what you put together. |
Alan Mays, AIA
Senior Member
Username: amays
Post Number: 159
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 12:33 pm: | |
States all have different requirements for their CEUs. An example is Texas. They require that you have 12 hours of HSW courses. Only 4 hours may be self-directed. All others must be in a structured classroom setting. Self-directed course study is equivalent to self-study (4 CEPH maximum). Reading from on-line resources, books, and professional journals or magazines may be used as self-directed study. Structured course study (8 CEPH minimum) refers to activity that is in a classroom or classroom equivalent setting. An online or monograph course may be considered classroom equivalent activity if the course contains an independently graded exam.
The thing is I like on-line study since I am busy during the day and resort to late-night study to meet these items. The important thing that any course be HSW. Again, different organizations have different requirements for qualifying as HSW. What CSI, AIA or the states define as HSW can be different.
This is where we are so far behind the rest of the world! I have a friend that works for a large multinational company (not in the AEC industry at all) and their training is done totally on-line. You want that raise or promotion, you take the training classes. They may have additional classroom training, but it is not the mandatory training. Whether it is within a company or outside training via associations like BIA, we need to get with the times. Shoot, I can get a full degree via on-line study from many universities. University of Phoenix just being one of them.
Of course, I do like a nice lunch... |
Alan Mays, AIA
Senior Member
Username: amays
Post Number: 160
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 12:46 pm: | |
One other thing, one of the best training courses I have ever gotten was through Firestone's BPU. Building Products University. They have a 3 day training seminar (20 HSWs) covering roofing and wall systems. They are totally separate courses so it is 3 days for metal walls and steep slope metal roofing. The other is 3 days on roofing. They do it at various cities throughout the year and all you have to do is sign up and get there. They took care of room and board. It is an excellent program that is totally AIA accredited and not centered around their products. They also do show their products, but the course is based totally on the industry standards. |
Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski
Post Number: 1756
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 12:58 pm: | |
Alan, I agree about BPU. I attended when it was held at IUPUI and it was excellent. At that time it was only for roofs, and they were charging $50 (and you had to get yourself there). Definitely an amazing bargain!
There were attendees from all areas of roofing: contractors, inspectors, architects, and specifiers, just to name the ones I remember, so the conversation and discussion was quite lively. |
Alan Mays, AIA
Senior Member
Username: amays
Post Number: 161
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 01:41 pm: | |
Lynn, I have attended both BPUs. I did them both in Las Vegas. They put us up in the Cosmopolitan and dinner was always in the best restaurants there. Breakfast was served at the classroom (at their facility there) So was lunch. The classes were extremely good. The wall systems also had us actually hands on install and/or remove Wall panel systems. Lynn is correct. It is a very mixed group that attends. Owners, architects, contractors, and sub contractors. I also was able to connect with the top people within the Firestone organization and have discussed product options that they were thinking about for the future with them. They really are a great organization with how they support their product and how they listen to your requests. An example, I was shown what they were providing for the iPad and then went to the site to notice it wasn't available to architects. I said that is exactly what was an architect needed, but was told that it was really for subcontractors. Guess what, it is now available to all. They listen and act. |
Alan Mays, AIA
Senior Member
Username: amays
Post Number: 162
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 - 01:42 pm: | |
Oh yeah, you can get that $50 dollar fee waved if you take their on-line test. |
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