12:02:24 PM Amy Sebring:On behalf of the EIIP, I am pleased to welcome you to a special event in our Classroom. 12:02:36 PM Amy Sebring:For those of you who were not with us last Wednesday, please ... PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFO. 12:02:45 PM Amy Sebring:Because of unexpected changes made to our software, we are having an UNMODERATED session today. 12:02:54 PM Amy Sebring:That means, whatever you type in the message area can be seen by EVERYBODY, so we ask for your cooperation. 12:03:03 PM Amy Sebring:Please hold all questions and comments until we get to the Q&A portion of the program. 12:03:14 PM Amy Sebring:Your questions and comments will go directly to the chat window, NOT through the moderator... 12:03:24 PM Amy Sebring:so you can see the problem we could have with several questions being submitted at once. We ask that you indicate that you have a question by typing just a question mark (?). 12:03:35 PM Amy Sebring:Then you can prepare your question, but PLEASE HOLD your question until you are recognized. With your cooperation, we can have an orderly session. 12:03:47 PM Amy Sebring:One other warning ... if you are logged in using Full Java Option, do not touch the load page! Minimizing or changing pages will close your chat window. 12:03:57 PM Amy Sebring:Now ... before I introduce our special guests, I would like to review how to use links to display Web pages in another browser window for the benefit of our newcomers. 12:04:06 PM Amy Sebring:When a full URL is typed in the message area, it becomes a hot link, so you can just click on it, and a webpage will display in another browser window. 12:04:15 PM Amy Sebring:I will put up an opening screen URL so you may take a moment to size and arrange your windows so that you can swap easily between windows. 12:04:24 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.missouri.edu/%7Efrtiwww/ 12:04:40 PM Amy Sebring:One more reminder --- please do not send direct messages to the speaker or the moderator. We are very busy trying to keep things running smoothly. 12:04:52 PM Amy Sebring:If your question does not get answered during the session, you will have a chance in the Virtual Forum afterward. 12:05:02 PM Amy Sebring:And now, it is my pleasure to introduce Bruce Piringer, Director, and Gary Wilson, Associate Director of the Fire and Rescue Training Institute ... 12:05:12 PM Amy Sebring:University of Missouri at Columbia. Gentlemen, welcome and thank you for being here today. 12:05:24 PM Gary Wilson:Good Morning- At least for those of us in the Midwest and West 12:06:00 PM Bruce Piringer:Gary's computer is beeping at him, so I will try to start 12:06:29 PM Bruce Piringer:The Univ of Mo Fire and Rescue Training institute has been doing distance educ... 12:06:45 PM Gary Wilson:University of Missouri ExtensionOs Fire and Rescue Training InstituteUniversity of Missouri ExtensionOs Fire and Rescue Training Institute has been involved in several distance learning initiatives 12:06:55 PM Bruce Piringer:since the late 1980s. We started with traditional cotsnence courses 12:07:09 PM Gary Wilson:1). Early 1980's correspondence study courses through the University's Center for Independent Study;Hazardous Materials and Urban Wildland Interface. 2). 1990 Training in Context;Satellite Video Teleconference 12:07:31 PM Gary Wilson:3). Instructional Television Network to over 8 sites statewide with the Carbon Monoxide and Terrorism courses 12:08:00 PM Bruce Piringer:progressed to video teleconferences, and have more recently been using instructional television 12:08:02 PM Gary Wilson:Amy if you would go to the Course Home Page 12:08:06 PM Amy Sebring:http://frti.missouri.edu/courses/hazmat/index.htm 12:08:10 PM Gary Wilson:Purpose for the Internet Course 12:08:23 PM Gary Wilson:Two-Fold-Was determined by the Missouri Emergency Response Commission (MERC) that Hazardous Materials Awareness training was needed by many LEPC's and emergency responders. 12:08:39 PM Gary Wilson:1. FRTI was developing curriculum to meet the 1997 edition of NFPA 472. 2. Wanted to provide as many opportunities for individuals to receive training ..... 12:08:55 PM Gary Wilson:We already decided to provide hazardous materials training available for hand off by part-time instructors via the train-the-trainer method. 12:09:12 PM Gary Wilson:Special initiative from the Vice Provosts office for Distance Learning 12:09:27 PM Gary Wilson:1. Allowed some of the costs to the absorbed 2. Provided access to the University's Distance Learning Design Center to develop the Internet course. 12:09:39 PM Gary Wilson:3. Outside contractor for programming was hired to develop a general template for Extension Internet courses. 12:09:55 PM Gary Wilson:Recognition of training by the Missouri Emergency Response Commission and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety (DFS) was critical in going through with the development. 12:10:12 PM Gary Wilson:Missouri Division of Fire Safety is the nationally accredited entity in Missouri for Fire Fighter certification. 12:10:29 PM Gary Wilson:Internet course would accepted by Missouri Division of Fire Safety as an approved course for Awareness prerequisite for Fire Fighter I certification 12:10:46 PM Gary Wilson:Development 12:11:01 PM Gary Wilson:Preplanning 1. System requirements to not eliminate individuals with older and slower computers. 2. Delivery format. In non credit programs we needed open enrollment year round, not traditional semesters. 12:11:18 PM Gary Wilson:3. We wanted student access to be activated as soon as they enrolled and paid the fee. For immediate enrollment using a credit card required a secure server and a variety of security protocols. 12:11:44 PM Gary Wilson:4. Lesson had to be totally rewritten for this format . Instructor outlines for live courses need to be rewritten for televised delivery as well. All lessons used the second person pronoun ;you; 12:12:10 PM Gary Wilson:5. Examination questions and assignments were written before the lessons. This seemed awkward, but ensured that all the materials within the lesson and examination were integrated. 12:12:34 PM Gary Wilson:Amy could you please go to the graphic slides 12:12:36 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vclass/umfrti/lesson3.htm 12:12:51 PM Amy Sebring:(This is a reproduction, so not all links are working) 12:13:03 PM Gary Wilson:6. Graphics were added to reinforce learning but also to break up long runs of text.7. Size of graphics affected speed. We had to remember that many of the users are paying for their time while using slow modems/connections. 12:13:29 PM Gary Wilson:8. Questions regarding how the student receives the print material.Do we mail materials, download PDF files or print straight from the course? 12:13:50 PM Gary Wilson:7. Size of graphics affected speed. We had to remember that many of the users are paying for their time while using slow modems/connections. 12:14:01 PM Gary Wilson:Sorry for getting off track folks 12:14:49 PM Gary Wilson:When appropriate Amy please go to the exam site 12:15:00 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.emforum.org/vclass/umfrti/images/3link69.jpg 12:15:10 PM Amy Sebring:Gary, this is the placard slide. 12:15:20 PM Gary Wilson:No problem 12:15:44 PM Gary Wilson:8. Questions regarding how the student receives the print material.Do we mail materials, download PDF files or print straight from the course? 12:16:05 PM Gary Wilson:9. Test on-line with a grading key was important to provide immediate feedback to the student. A powerful test generator software was used that allows randomly generated on- line exams. 12:16:30 PM Gary Wilson:These exams are generated from a test bank of over 100 questions. 12:16:52 PM Gary Wilson:10. Eight months in production. Not continuous time, but became more of a time consuming project than a regular delivery program. Contributing factors were more people involved than in traditional course design projects. 12:17:12 PM Gary Wilson:Computer programmers and network administrators were some of the individuals who had to be consulted with. 12:17:35 PM Gary Wilson:Pro's for Internet delivery (From our evaluations) 12:17:56 PM Gary Wilson:1. Interactive 2. Individualized 3. Ability to study anytime 4. Organizations needing to qualify only a few members, made this method cost effective for them. 12:18:11 PM Gary Wilson:5. Pushing this type of technology in the fire service ;If we don't begin to use it, we'll never learn it 12:18:30 PM Gary Wilson:6. Easy maintenance and revision by the developer (FRTI), can adapt to new changes in laws, regulations or standards. Instead of having instructor guides, student materials ... 12:18:47 PM Gary Wilson:and slides throughout the state which needs to be revised, we simply have one site 12:19:02 PM Gary Wilson:Con's 12:19:18 PM Gary Wilson:1. Up front capital. Not only the up front, but in many cases cost per student is higher than if we would have sent an instructor to the field. 12:19:35 PM Gary Wilson:2. Finding the right people to do the work. Experience in graphics, html editing, web design and distance learning concepts. 12:19:50 PM Gary Wilson:3. Currently we have a program for a limited audience. Based that not everyone has internet capability. However, we believe we are today with internet capability as we were ten years ago or.... better with VCR's in fire department training rooms. 12:20:05 PM Gary Wilson:4. Technology is constantly changing. To do the ;cool stuff; requires fast, powerful and expensive computers. Most employers do not have what it takes, but their employees may. 12:20:26 PM Gary Wilson:Results to date 12:20:44 PM Gary Wilson:Around 35 people have enrolled since 11/1/98. This represents individuals from Kansas, Missouri, New York, South Dakota and Canada. 12:21:06 PM Gary Wilson:10 have passed the exam. It should be noted that we have had individuals who failed the exam on their first try. Thus, a message is being sent that people are taking the exam seriously. 12:21:31 PM Gary Wilson:At this time Amy I think Bruce and I are available to take questions. 12:21:39 PM Amy Sebring:Thank you Gary. 12:21:50 PM Amy Sebring:Reminder to audience, please type a ? 12:22:00 PM Amy Sebring:get your question ready, and wait to be recognized. 12:22:13 PM Kevin Farrell:? 12:22:19 PM Amy Sebring:Kevin 12:22:23 PM Mark Wood:Thanks very very well done. I particularly like the idea of agreeing on the exam questions first. Who decided when they were right 12:22:45 PM Bruce Piringer:Clarify 12:23:14 PM Amy Sebring:Kevin is first, we can follow up with Mark in a moment 12:23:22 PM Kevin Farrell:Have you advertised your distance learning program, and what has the reaction been? How has the concept been received? 12:23:45 PM Bryan Zak:It sound like the program works very well, about how much administrative work (manpower) is required to keep the virtual classroom alive? 12:23:52 PM Mark Wood:? 12:24:04 PM Amy Sebring:Let's take Kevin's question. 12:24:11 PM Bruce Piringer:WE have done a little advertising. It on our web page. We advertised in the ... 12:24:22 PM Amy Sebring:Reminder to please wait to be recognized before asking your question. 12:24:46 PM Bruce Piringer:fire fighters assn newsletter and snclosed info in regular course announcements 12:25:25 PM Bruce Piringer:Kevin, we have not done a LOT of advertising. This is a test bed course for the design and concept 12:25:41 PM Amy Sebring:Reaction, reception? 12:25:55 PM Kevin Farrell:35 enrolees since Nov is pretty good then. 12:26:04 PM Amy Sebring:Mark Wood 12:26:39 PM Amy Sebring:You were asking about the exam questions Mark? 12:26:53 PM Mark Wood:I like the idea of agreeing on the exam questions first. Did the course developers suggest them or was an expert pannel consulted? 12:27:38 PM Gary Wilson:Mark, we had several people invovled. First, myself along with the Institue's Haz mat Specialist... 12:28:04 PM Gary Wilson:developed questions. Second, an educational specialist in Distance Learning assisted as well 12:28:44 PM Bruce Piringer:One of the reasons a haz mat course was selected for the test was good objectives, which also made 12:29:05 PM Bruce Piringer:writing the questions much earier 12:29:32 PM Amy Sebring:Bryan Zak had asked about how much maintenance is required once the course is set up. 12:29:49 PM Avagene Moore:? 12:29:53 PM Bryan Zak:How much administrative work goes on to keep the virtual classroom alive in all respects, enrollment, testing, curriculum, etc.? 12:29:56 PM Mark Wood:? 12:30:22 PM Gary Wilson:There are two sides regarding maintenance 12:30:53 PM Gary Wilson:First, from the curriuclum we will make a few minor changes in the next week because of some 12:31:14 PM Gary Wilson:changes in regulations and some formatting errors we caught. 12:31:32 PM Gary Wilson:Second, and probably the most time consuming to date is the registration admin. 12:32:03 PM Gary Wilson:Currently there are two of each maintaining a Filemaker Pro database along with the passsword security issues 12:32:36 PM Gary Wilson: This has taken a little more time than we had hoped. Sometimes technology does not cooperate. 12:32:45 PM Bruce Piringer:Bryan, I think that admin is fairly easy. Thepgs well designed... 12:33:26 PM Bruce Piringer:Program is well designed, it sends us email whenever someone registers, takes ann exam etc... 12:33:54 PM Bruce Piringer:It works slick. However getting to that point was not easy. 12:34:06 PM Bryan Zak:Thank you 12:34:08 PM Amy Sebring:Avagene 12:34:11 PM Avagene Moore:I am intrigued with your comment, Gary (I believe), about the costs of setting the online capability up. Do you think there will be a cost savings with online instruction over time vs. field instruction? Why or why not? 12:35:03 PM Gary Wilson:No! Currently we can send an instructor to any site in Missouri. This eliminates travel 12:35:30 PM Gary Wilson:and other expenses. Distance learning savings comes from the unreachable areas. 12:35:41 PM Bruce Piringer:Avagene, on-line instruction is just ONE of the tools we can use to reach students 12:36:05 PM Gary Wilson:Most universities do not like to leave their kingdom. This type of course can accomplish this 12:36:41 PM Gary Wilson:We do believe, however, that there is a future and we will continue to pursue new ways for distance learning 12:37:33 PM Bruce Piringer:OK? 12:37:43 PM Avagene Moore:Thanks. 12:38:44 PM Avagene Moore:Amy is having problems. Who had the next question? 12:38:47 PM Amy Sebring:(got dumped) 12:38:53 PM Amy Sebring:am back, Mark Wood I believe 12:38:56 PM Mark Wood:I can see how excellent this method is for testing knowlege, but have you done any research into how to test 'skills' by internet? 12:39:03 PM Isabel McCurdy:? 12:39:45 PM Bruce Piringer:The 'skill' for the awareness course, gathering info from the ERG, etc, could be tested... 12:40:10 PM Bruce Piringer:But Internet courses cannot be used to test many hands on skills 12:40:42 PM Bruce Piringer:the Internet course is just one tool for learning. Good instructors select the best tool for the job. 12:40:53 PM Amy Sebring:Isabel 12:41:47 PM Isabel McCurdy:What are the program differences ? Canadian vs. American? Does your program truly fit "one-size-fits - all? 12:41:55 PM Gary Wilson:It should be added that this type of testing would not be accepted by an accredited body.. 12:42:14 PM Gary Wilson:since we can not proctor or have security in the student taking the exam. 12:42:49 PM Gary Wilson:The course is written to NFPA 472 as well OSHA. There are several difference I believe between the US.. 12:43:18 PM Gary Wilson:and Canada. However, the NAERG is to handle all North American chemicals. 12:43:26 PM Amy Sebring:http://www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/english/guide/menug_e.htm 12:43:38 PM Amy Sebring:(Had to get that in!) 12:44:03 PM Gary Wilson:You would have to check which differences exist between the Canada's Dangerous Goods and the OSHA regulation 12:44:24 PM Bruce Piringer:One of the sites we hot link to is the Canadian dept of transportation 12:44:27 PM Gary Wilson:If you use NFPA 472, it's applicable. 12:45:03 PM Amy Sebring:I have a question ... 12:45:18 PM Isabel McCurdy:Thank you. 12:45:21 PM Amy Sebring:can you tell us a little bit more about the support provided by the university design center? 12:45:25 PM Bruce Piringer:go 12:46:02 PM Bruce Piringer:Our Distance Learning Design Center has a link from the Internet course page... 12:46:15 PM Avagene Moore:? 12:46:36 PM Bruce Piringer:they help Univ depts do all kinds of distance stuff. Train instrs how to use instr TV... 12:47:16 PM Bruce Piringer:They also "broker" for us with the advanced technology center folks, who do the programming... 12:47:57 PM Bruce Piringer:DLDC has educational specialists, editors, technology specialists quite a good resource. 12:48:13 PM Amy Sebring:Avagene 12:48:16 PM Avagene Moore:From your experience in distance learning, what types of courses are best suited for the Internet? Not only fire service related but other disciplines? 12:49:03 PM Gary Wilson:Duke University is offering a degree program. Many nursing schools are offering graduate credit courses... 12:49:19 PM Bruce Piringer:Gosh! Anything more knowledge based rather than psychomotor... 12:49:28 PM Gary Wilson:If it has knowlege skills associated with it, I think it will work. The fire service.. 12:50:02 PM Gary Wilson:still has to learn which programs fit well. Instructor I in my mind would not. 12:50:11 PM Bruce Piringer:Anything with high visyual content. Internet is more suioted too for nonlinear learning... 12:50:33 PM Gary Wilson:We could however, do IMS training. If the money is available, the cool stuff could enhance these programs greatly. 12:50:57 PM Avagene Moore:IMS? 12:51:06 PM Bruce Piringer:It is just another tool. 12:51:12 PM Gary Wilson:Incident Management System 12:51:16 PM Avagene Moore:Thanks. 12:51:33 PM Amy Sebring:How much does it cost to take the HazMat course? 12:51:42 PM Gary Wilson:$30.00 12:51:54 PM Bruce Piringer:we take credit cards! 12:52:00 PM Amy Sebring:I think we have time for one more question. Anyone else? 12:52:04 PM Gary Wilson:This also includes a personalpy of the NAERG and some supplemental materials. 12:52:29 PM Bryan Zak:? 12:52:33 PM Amy Sebring:Bryan 12:52:48 PM Bryan Zak:Do you have to be a government employee to take the class? 12:52:56 PM Bruce Piringer:No 12:53:10 PM Bruce Piringer:The course is open to anyone 12:53:12 PM Gary Wilson:No. This course is open to anyone who feels the course would benefit them 12:53:19 PM Tim Murphy:? 12:53:25 PM Amy Sebring:Tim 12:53:26 PM Tim Murphy:Are the fire fighter associations in favor of this type training? 12:54:04 PM Gary Wilson:SO far the reaction from our evaluations have been VERY positive. We advertise in our associations newsletter as well... 12:54:04 PM Bruce Piringer:We have had good support for this initiative. It makes training more available 12:54:27 PM Tim Murphy:Thanks, great idea. 12:54:29 PM Gary Wilson:What's also encouraging is that many people outside the fire service have complimented us.. 12:54:57 PM Gary Wilson:on going outside the box. The fire service in Missouri I feel realize taht FRTI is not afraid .. 12:54:58 PM Bruce Piringer:This course can be taken 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 12:55:16 PM Gary Wilson:to be a pioneer in any type of training activity. 12:55:28 PM Amy Sebring:Thank you very much gentleman for what looks like a very thorough course! We will have the transcript of today's session posted in a few days with the background material. 12:55:47 PM Amy Sebring:Thank you audience, and since our time is up, we will close down the Classroom for today, but we will be in the Virtual Forum room for a few minutes longer, and you are welcome to join us there for open discussion. Thank you for your cooperation.