Remote training advice for BSAC Clubs and Centres

In the current climate, it's more important than ever for us to embrace technology and find new ways of providing training to our members. We anticipate you have some questions, so here are some answers...

Offering remote training

Are we able to offer remote training for students of BSAC courses? 

Theory training can be delivered quite effectively using a wide variety of resources available for online delivery.

Does BSAC allow this? 

Yes as long as the training can be delivered effectively.

What delivery options are available? 

There are a variety of online tools available that will allow a presenter to deliver PowerPoint and similar presentation methods. Some platforms are available integrated into operating systems or as standalone web platforms or separate software.

Some examples include Microsoft Teams (recently used to deliver Dive Leader sessions by Reading University), Cisco Webex (BSAC's go-to) and others are using a wide variety of options such as Zoom, Skype etc.

Note: there are a number of free versions of software available, although they usually have limits on the number of participants and may have limited functionality so we recommend doing some homework to ensure it meets your needs.

Can all theory modules be delivered online?

Some classroom-based lessons are heavily oriented to practical activities (eg. CPR and RB skills, chartwork, gas analysis for Nitrox use) that are not suited to the most common forms of remote learning. It may be possible for some lessons to cover the theory and perhaps formal demonstrations using online resources in preparation for subsequent student practice. Please ensure that you keep track of what gaps need to be covered later.

Can we use video content?

The only limits to how you deliver training content are your available resources, computer infrastructure, student access and your imagination. Video content integrated with instructor interaction can be a valuable medium for training if carefully planned and utilised.

Hint: video clips are best kept brief to illustrate one key point at a time rather than a continuous stream.

Will BSAC be offering online training?

We are investigating the delivery of some theory modules. This would be intended to support club training rather than replace it but could prove valuable for those who had missed individual modules.

Checking effective training

How do we check the effectiveness of online training?

Effectiveness can be checked in a number of ways when delivering a formal presentation. The primary means of checking for effectiveness is in the final assessment/exam for a particular module or diver grade. Asking questions during a lesson online and checks for transfer at the end are less easy to achieve (though not impossible if group size is kept small) with online delivery but there are some suggestions below.

Can we utilise the questions at the end of the Ocean Diver theory presentations?

Most online presentation tools have some form of chat tool within them. An effective method of monitoring student answers to mid-module questions can be to ask students to type their answers into the chat function and send either to the presenter only or a designated assistant. Once all students have responded the answers can then be analysed and any misunderstanding clarified. 

Any hints and tips?

• Try having more than one presenter! A change of voice helps with student attention and provides some variety. It also allows for one instructor to deal with chat messages and in-module questioning.
• It can be more difficult to keep a student's attention with remote delivery, so consider breaking a lesson up across multiple sessions.
• Be familiar with the delivery platform you are using and practice before presenting to real students.
• Plan how you will check for transfer of knowledge. This might be through questions or simple exercises that you’ve pre-prepared or could be scenarios that your students undertake as “homework” for more advanced courses.
• It’s easier to make it interactive if you keep the group small.
• Prepare clear guidance for students on how to join or sign in to a presentation.
• Take a roll call to keep a record (a second presenter can be helpful here) – it is also worth confirming that all students are still present at the end of the session.
• Use any facility to record the presentation to allow you to review and consider improvements for the future.
• Recorded presentations can be reviewed by students for revision purposes but are less effective for new students as they will lack any interaction possibilities.
  
  

Check out Reading Uni BSAC's first-hand advice on delivering online learning