APICS Interactive Learning Webinar

Transcription

1 APICS Interactive Learning Webinar Question and answer document Exclusively available to APICS channel partners: APICS will soon launch the APICS Interactive Learning Program. The new program enables APICS channel partners to set up their own distance-learning courses where qualified local instructors can use the APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) certification review courses, offered in an online format by Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), with their own additional content and context. APICS channel partners were invited to attend an APICS webinar that provided an overview of the program. Below is a list of questions and answers from that webinar. Please feel free to contact pdadmin@apics.org with additional questions. Note: All the webinars are available at no-cost, and they will be recorded and archived on the APICS Instructor Center. If you access an archived webinar, you must participate in a postwebinar online quiz. This enables APICS to confirm your participation in the webinar. All partner instructors who want to teach in the APICS Interactive Learning program must participate in this series of training webinars. APICS also will offer this education during the 2010 Volunteer Leadership Workshop at the 2010 APICS International Conference & Expo. Price and time questions Q: We have received several payments from Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) for the rebates based on attendees from our chapter area. How do we find out the names of those students to get them involved in the chapter? A: Student names are private data and will not be shared. Once we get more detail from FVTC, APICS can send the student information about local contacts. Q: Is the FVTC price fixed?

2 Q: Is the APICS Interactive Learning a combination of synchronous and asynchronous content? If it is asynchronous, does FVTC have discussions in which the instructor responds to each student? Is this part of the 30 hours? A: The 30 hours shown on the Sample Revenue/Expense Model slide was a sample time frame. The amount of time the instructor spends on the course can vary considerably. The FVTC content is asynchronous, meaning students can work on the material at any time. The partner webinar or face-to-face class is synchronous, meaning students must attend at a particular time. Any work the instructor requires of students outside the class time and any time that the instructor needs to review, grade, and comment on students work would part of the instructor s time for that course. Q: Why is the cost $948 per participant when we normally charge $500 for live courses? How do you justify the difference? A: The partner will identify the actual cost of the APICS Interactive Learning, which probably will be greater than the $500 you currently are charging. First, understand that you will be drawing from a wider market than your geographic area, so many of the students won t know what you are charging for face-to-face classes. Second, emphasize the convenience of APICS Interactive Learning (there is no travel involved, they can study anytime). Third, try focusing the class on a particular industry (such as the process, health care, or utilities industries) or to a particular type of student (e.g., young professionals). Finally, you should consider whether you are asking enough for your current face-to-face course. Q: Is the 30 hours instructor time fixed? A: It is not fixed. The amount of time the instructor spends on the course can vary considerably. Q: In the model, the instructor is working for 30 hours at $75 per hour. On what is the 30 hours based? Can you suggest examples of instructor activities in the new model? A: The 30 hours shown on the Sample Revenue/Expense Model slide was a sample time frame. The amount of time the instructor spends on the course can vary considerably. Instructors will spend time outside of class preparing, answering questions, reviewing, grading, commenting on assignments, reviewing progress on Blackboard, and so on. Q: How long will a student have access to the online FVTC resources? One year? The duration of the course? A: For the duration of the course. Q: What would the price of the course be if I have just one student? A: Whatever you want it to be. This is a partner decision.

3 Q: The pricing model did not include a participant guide. Does this mean FVTC provides it for the price listed on the slide? A: The pricing model does include a participant guide. Please see the Materials row. Q: Is it correct that the channel partner can price the courses as the market allows, thereby increasing revenue to both the channel partner and the instructor? A: That is correct. The partner sets the price. Q: Can you explain how an instructor might earn more than the $75 hour? A : That would need to be negotiated with the partner. The $75 in the Sample Revenue/Expense Model slide was a sample time amount. It is not meant as a recommendation. Blackboard and materials questions Q: Will participant guides have unique identification numbers for tracking purposes? A: Not unless they purchase the APICS e-download Participant Guides. (More information on this to follow in early September.) Q: Are materials the same as they are for APICS CPIM? A: The materials are the same as they are for APICS CPIM. Q: The FVTC Blackboard system will be similar to that used at universities such as Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts A: Yes, the Blackboard system is a very popular learning management system (LMS) and is used by many institutions. It is similar to other LMS software. Q: You refer to communicating via . With FVTC process, the blackboard discussion board is used. Wouldn't this be a more common method of online communication? And will this be part of the four webinars? A: No, the blackboard discussion board is not part of the web-based self-study tool. You will want to use s for your assignments and so on. You may also want to consider a service such as Google Groups for your class in order to have a more robust repository for communication. Q: Is there a provision for the webinar quizzes when there is a group of people listening to the webinar together? And is there a way to collect information about everyone who participated? (Or should it be specified that each participant must log in to the webinars individually in order to receive credit for participating?)

4 A: The quizzes are for those who have to view the webinars on the Instructor Center. The quizzes will be our method of collecting information about those who view the webinars there. The registration process for the online webinars will give us the names of the attendees. We advise you to sign up and attend individually (rather than as groups) so that we can capture your attendance. Q: The online part includes the APICS Exam Content Manual and APICS Dictionary online? A: No. They will not be available in the online content. Students will have to purchase them separately. Q: As this is distance learning, can the chapter arrange to have the Participant Guides shipped to the students? Instructor development program and chapter questions Q: Must you be an APICS-qualified instructor to serve an instructor for blended learning? A: To answer this question, the term qualified instructor must be defined as it is used for the Interactive Learning Program. A qualified instructor for this program needs to be sponsored by a partner and must have viewed all of the instructor training webinars. The instructor does not have to belong to the Instructor Development Program (IDP), though it is encouraged. Q: Will instructors for the Interactive Learning also be required to attend the Train the Trainer (TTT) and Learning Dynamics for Instructors classes? A. No, although it is encouraged. Again, the instructor must be sponsored by a partner and must have viewed all of the instructor training webinars. The instructor does not have to belong to the Instructor Development Program (IDP), although it is encouraged. However, TTT is a requirement for the IDP, at all levels. Q: If I am a qualified FVTC instructor and have used their systems for several previous classes, will I still have to do the four Webinars? Q: How will ownership of a student be determined for purposes of the rebate? A: The way we currently are handling FVTC and Weber State public classes is by zip code in North America and by country outside North America. Q: Is there a fixed cost for the International Associate (IA) for this system?

5 A: The FVTC fee and the partner costs for materials are the only fixed costs. Q: Do the partners need to authorize instructors, and how is that done? A: A qualified instructor for this program needs to be sponsored by a partner and must have viewed all of the instructor training webinars. APICS Corporate will require chapters to notify us which instructor they choose to use when they register a class. Q: What will the process be for chapters approving instructors? A: The chapters must develop their own process for approving instructors. APICS Corporate will require chapters to notify us which instructor they choose to use when they register a class. Q: Can instructors be registered with more than one channel partner? Q: Will a long term contract be available? A: No. Contracts for FVTC content are signed on a class-by-class basis. Q: Are the channel partners restricted by geography? A: No. That s why there are partner rebates. Q: If an Instructor attends the live session, does the instructor also need to take the online quiz following the session? A: No, the quizzes are only for instructors who must view the training on the Instructor Center. Q: How do you track who takes the instructor training? A: Through receipt of the quizzes. Q: Will there be any make-up dates for the instructor training? A: The training will be available all day and every day on the Instructor Center. Q: Can instructors choose to work with a specific channel partner? A: Instructors may work with any partner.

6 Other questions Q: How do you convince the international students that they will get the results from the online course? A: Many people already understand the value of online courses. You will have to market convenience, the expertise of your instructor, and the value you bring the student. Q: When developing marketing materials, will references be made to contact a local chapter or will all leads go through APICS Corporate? A: Both. We expect our partners to market their own classes and we will send leads as available. Q: How will APICS Corporate work with a local channel partner when a possible distancelearning opportunity becomes available in that location? A: By contacting chapters when there are opportunities in their area. Q: What can APICS or FVTC do if there are issues with lost audio or if technical support is required during class? A: The partner is responsible for setting up the class webinar, and therefore will have to work with their service provider if there are any difficulties with the service. APICS and FVTC will not be involved in that process. Q: What can be done to protect the educational material? A: The APICS Board of Directors determined that, to best protect our intellectual property, APICS copyrighted materials could only be housed in one server, which is being done through FVTC. As a partner in Interactive Learning, you may not show APICS slides during your webinars or anywhere else online. You may only use them in face-to-face classes.