Aviation Regulatory Training Standards Association (ARTSA) considers best practices related to the potential for Hybrid Delivery of Aviation Regulatory Training (Classroom – Webinar)
ARTSA does not support and does not recommend Ad Hoc Hybrid Courses which are part attended in person and part attended virtually.
Rational for NOT Recommending Hybrid Delivery
The Aviation Regulatory Training Standards Association (ARTSA) advocates the importance of effectively managing the learner experience, and in such situations, the only viable option is to propose the following:
a) Where there are budgetary constraints to focus solely on a web-only option which is discounted compared to a classroom course
b) Run 2 separate courses – first classroom and follow up with an optimised delivery via a webinar
The following summary identifies the key issues with hybrid delivery and whilst solutions exist for every issue it should be noted in the case of Sofema EASA-compliant regulatory short courses the mitigation is not cost-effective due to the short ad hoc nature of course delivery.
- Engagement Disparity caused by In-person participants having more opportunities to engage directly with the instructor and peers, potentially isolating virtual attendees who typically have far less involvement.
- Communication Barriers due to virtual attendees experiencing delays in communication due to technology issues as well as the inability of virtual attendees to communicate with the instructor, leading to questions going unasked or unanswered.
- Instructor’s Split Attention where it is simply not possible for the instructor to equally divide their attention between in-person and virtual attendees, potentially overlooking questions or cues from either group.
- Checking for Understanding (CFU) Monitoring participation and engagement levels becomes more complex in a hybrid setting. It’s harder to assess if virtual attendees are actively following the session or to catch non-verbal cues indicating confusion or the desire to ask questions.
- Conducting activities that require interaction or real-time collaboration cannot be effectively supported because the virtual participants do not have the same access to materials or the ability to engage as seamlessly as those in the classroom.
- Ensuring that assessments are fair and inclusive for all participants is challenging. Additionally, providing timely and personalized feedback might be more difficult due to the divided format.
- Building a cohesive class dynamic is harder when part of the class is not physically present.
– Virtual attendees miss out on spontaneous discussions, group work, and the social aspects of learning.
When the client insists on hybrid delivery – consider the following as recommended best practice:
- Whilst ARTSA does not recommend virtual attendance – it is accepted as a client option for in-company training.
- ARTSA proposes that such attendance should not qualify for an attendance certificate and virtual delegates are not required to provide feedback.
– Note – Feedback for classroom attendees is expected for each classroom attendee as an integral part of the training and course content management improvement process.
Next Steps
Please visit www.artsa.aero to view membership options and conditions for comments and questions please contact office@artsa.aero