March 18, 2020 Delivery WG Call Notes

Action Items

• All: identify how-to guide for APTI-Learn if it already exists
• Come up with best practices guide for repackaging in-class delivery to instructor led online
• Zac: Schedule call with instructors: MJOs and instructors (not NOWCC until EPA can weigh in)
  • Seeking ideas from training coordinators on the list of instructors to bring to the table
• Compile list of courses that have been recently cancelled (see APTI-Learn calendar), and survey air programs for courses most in demand for staff working from home
• After the previous two bullets: Identify a course and instructor or two to pilot this effort in the next month
• All: Send us where you can help in the following areas:
  • Funding for contractors to repackage content
  • Compile list of priority courses
  • Engage with instructors (contracting?)
  • Produce the live training webinars
  • Develop guidance on live instructor led training, and transitioning classroom content

Attendees

Zac, Jeff, Chris, Brian, Sarah, Mary Ann Warner, John Hornback, Michael Vince, Ron Hensley, Marc Cone

Agenda

• COVID-19 Training Opportunities

Call Notes

• Looking for opportunities to deliver content to our states as their staff are working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak
• Need a best-practices guide for introducing people into APTI-Learn, does this already exist?
• What are the SI courses that people need to be using?
• The LMS creates accountability for people working from home, by tracking progress on courses
• Can't let perfect be the enemy of the good in our situation; can deliver live training content using $200-300 of equipment, don't need fancy production at this point
• Basic sketch of transitioning a classroom course to instructor lead online :
  • Work with instructor to break up slides/lecture into 2-3 hour chunks
  • Include mid-lecture questions via the webinar software to keep students engaged
  • Finish each sessions with a few questions for students to work through between sessions
  • Review questions at the beginning of each session
  • Dress rehearsal 1-2 times parts of the course to get the instructor and producer on the same page, and instructor initiated to the format
  • Need for a producer (webinar software operator) to work along side the trainer to run the session
• MJOs have resources to contribute to re-packaging training for online delivery; need to find out if trainers are willing to deliver their classes in this format
• Mary Ann - does anyone have this experience?
  • Zac has done it with Sakai
  • MARAMA is doing it effectively with GoToMeeting, they have a lot of recent experience in this area
• Zac talked to a few trainers about their willingness to try this; questions about where the training would broadcast from, one trainer didn't want to do it from his house; LADCO could broadcast Bill Franek from our offices
  • SESARM doesn’t have a central location for broadcasting trainings
  • Technically broadcasting from a home office is feasible
  • Need to convey to instructors that they don’t need to have the most sophisticated set up to make this work
• Focus on introductory courses? It’s hard for the intro course because we need student interaction with each other
• If we can find an instructor, can we open the class to a few more people that the classroom format, it could result in more training reaching students
• A concern is that the online training tool doesn't really allow monitoring student participation
  • Webinar software has ways to track participation;
  • Instructors can also see participant video streams
• For NOWCC courses the need to repackaging the content may be too much to get training out ASAP; amount of effort to updating slides was going to be a big effort, based on that level of effort, the timeline may be not feasible (EPA’s thought), need to review this on the JTC Steering Committee call next week
• Remember this is going to be a stop gap delivery method: the way we deliver the courses is not going to be perfect, just need to push out trainings; we can do it as a webinar, or just a person talking on the phone over slides
• Need to find out quickly if instructors are willing to offer instructor led distance learning
• Organize a call with instructors to gauge willingness to do online training, include Mary Boyer, Justin Hall and other trainers; need to understand how the broadcast may work and whether it can be improved with time
• How many people can we accommodate in an instructor led live web course?
  • MARAMA is doing online courses with their webinar system, looking for critique of these courses; can open up to 500 people
• Zac suggests starting slow, 20-30 people and then open to more later
• Would this approach be easily transferrable to the courses that are being cancelled? Or will the tech requirements be too high a hurdle to translate; comments that it's reallyu not a high tech hurdle
• MJOs can lead the process of engaging with instructors to repackage their content, and produce the live, on line courses
  • LADCO and MARAMA experience and willingness to do this
  • SESARM can provide some funding, but may not be able to do the production
  • What's the capacity at WESTAR, NESCAUM, and CenSARA?
  • Where can EPA help
  • Need help with production? content transition? best-practices guidance?

• Priorities:
  • Schedule call with instructors: MJO and instructors (not NOWCC until EPA can weigh in)
  • Come up with best practices guide for repackaging in-class delivery to instructor led online
  • Compile list of courses that have been recently cancelled, and survey air programs for courses most in demand for staff working from home
  • Identify a course and instructor or two to pilot this effort in the next month

Next Call

• Wednesday April 15, 2020 @ 11:00 Central (May need to meet sooner)