FAQ


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What are the benefits of having an LMS and online training?
  • Lower development and delivery costs
  • Learning gains
  • Presentation consistency
  • Faster training completion
  • Improved content retention
  • Better utilization of instructors

Cost

The cost of development and delivery of CBT (computer based training) programs is less than that of classroom training. While it may be expensive to develop a CBT courses, delivery of the course is significantly less expensive. An e-training course developed by TheAcademy.com is normally even less expensive to develop than a CBT course.

Learning Gains

Studies have shown that interactive versions of training programs increase the learner's understanding of the course material by as much as 56% over classroom versions. Instantaneous review opportunities in TheAcademy.com productions can increase that figure even more.

Presentation Consistency

Course material is presented exactly the same way every time. Classroom programs depend upon the consistency, mood, and interests of the instructor. Consistency of material presentation is no longer a concern for instructional designers. E-training programs are an extension of this benefit.

Faster Training Completion

Learners complete training faster with CBT because the course is self-paced. A classroom program is tied to the pace of the instructor and the slowest student in the class. Studies have shown a training compression of 38% to 70% of CBT delivered courses. Because of the convenience of access to the Internet, t-training courses can be compressed even more.

Improved Course Content Retention

Because of the interactive nature of the presentation, a student's retention of the course material is higher than with classroom versions. Studies have shown a 25% to 50% higher retention factor for CBT programs. Review opportunities after course completion provided in TheAcademy.com productions increase the retention factor even more.

Better Utilization of Instructors

If you are like most organizations, you often use your best people to conduct training. With e-training, you can reassign those people to jobs that are more productive or they can be used to update a course at any time, keeping the material constantly up-to-date.

Additional advantages to partnering with TheAcademy.com:

  • Course content control
  • Less expensive course material delivery
  • Enrollment control
  • Convenient training for students

Course Content Control

Your organization will have total control over course content, even if it resides on TheAcademy.com servers. Your staff can change and update material instantly.

Less Expensive Course Material Delivery

With TheAcademy.com's e-training courses, your course content is entirely online. All your learner needs is a computer with a browser and access to the Internet. You'll be able to save on costs from printing course materials, distribution of the materials, and the cost of lost time from an inefficient learning delivery system.

Enrollment Control

You may limit or extend training opportunities to any small or large group of individuals. TheAcademy.com courses allow as many security codes and authorization codes as necessary to ensure that you have absolute control over the access to the program. Limit a course to very few employees, or extend a course to as many individuals as you want.

Convenient Training for Students

No classroom schedules. No instructor assignments. No travel, hotels or out-of-town expenses. No having an employee away from the job for hours or days. Just schedule a few hours (or minutes) a day for the employee to take the course.

What are the differences between a hosted LMS solution verses an installed solution?

 An installed LMS solution is like purchasing a piece of software and you will install the LMS on your own computers. Some vendors just sell their LMS software and you are responsible for installation, set-up, and maintenance. Other installed LMS solution vendors will come to your offices to install and set-up the system for you. Once they are finished, you will be responsible for the maintenance. Your organization may have strict security regulations where the LMS must be hosted within your organization and behind your own firewall. In this case, you will need an installed LMS solution.

The vendor hosts a hosted LMS solution for you on its own server. The vendor is usually responsible for the installation, set-up, and maintenance. The benefits of a hosted solution are that you don't need to have the technical expertise to set-up the LMS and you don’t need a team to keep up with the LMS maintenance. Even though a third part hosts the LMS, you will still have full control of and access to the system.

How much will an LMS cost me?

 The cost of learning management systems varies. Regardless of what your budget is, you should be able to find a solution that will work for you.

Can the Athena LMS support my existing courses?

 If those courses are SCORM 1.2 compliant, we can support them. However, there are different levels of SCORM compliance, thus some courses that claim to be SCORM conformant are not truly SCORM conformant. If your courses fall into this category, you may need to "tweak" the courses so they will work. If your courses are not SCORM compliant, the Athena LMS cannot support them. The courses will have to be re-built to use with the Athena LMS.

Should I build my own course content or outsource it to a third party vendor?

 The first question to ask is, "Do you have the technical staff and knowledge to build your own courses?" If you don’t, then outsourcing the building of your courseware is an excellent option.

Why should I offer my E-training course via TheAcademy.com instead of just putting it up on a proprietary web site?

 TheAcademy.com has been producing and delivering training courses for over 15 years. We use instructional design, interactivity, cognitive strategies, reinforcement techniques and other long-established and proven computer based teaching techniques that ensure that your students actually learn the instructional material. We are proud of the professionalism with which we produce courses. In short, we're both highly experienced and very good at creating online training programs. The effectiveness of our programs plus the financial advantages you gain is a powerful incentive to use us.

What are the financial advantages for me to use TheAcademy.com services?

 Our customers' training costs typically go down when they use our services. Classroom costs, personnel costs, and training material costs are all reduced. Some of our customers continue classroom training in addition to online training, but some have eliminated their classroom program altogether because of the lower costs and increased effectiveness of our programs.

Why will students take courses through TheAcademy.com via the Internet rather than go to a classroom environment?

 Time. Convenience. Enjoyment of the experience.

Time is precious. Our courses take less time to complete than the typical classroom courses. Our techniques also result in better comprehension and longer retention of the course material.

Online training also allows students to set their own time to take the course. In addition, our proven training techniques provide an enjoyable and instructive experience for your students. They really enjoy their learning experience!

Why should I worry about certifying my students’ accomplishments?

 Online e-training programs are your first step in preparing a workforce to do a job. To conclude the process, you must verify that they have the knowledge and skills to do the job. Here's what we do to help you certify that your agents, members, franchisees, or employees are capable of doing the job.

First,

our online testing and assessment systems give a thorough and fair evaluation of the knowledge gained in the course. They monitor your students' progress, test their knowledge, and record their test scores in our powerful and flexible Athena learning management system, which maintains records of all your students' accomplishments. We can tailor it to your exact needs.

Second,

using your own standards, we issue attractive and professional certificates of achievement when your students accomplish the specific requirements. You set the rules. We monitor and reward your students. You can be confident that your students have learned the skills or knowledge required.

Third,

the system maintains accomplishments, such as total CEU's earned over a certain period. These accomplishments are available to you online, at anytime. You have total information about who's doing what and when.

Earning a certificate of accomplishment, especially for academic achievement, can be a strong motivation for people. Official recognition is generally very self-satisfying, and careers are usually enhanced with this type of recognition.

Here's a quote from a student to whom we awarded Cruise Lines International Association's prestigious "Elite Cruise Counsellor Scholar" award:

"It feels good to have the ECC designation on your business card. People have much more confidence in a professional travel agent who specializes in cruises and has taken the time to become certified in their specialty." -- P. J., Palos Verdes Estates, CA.

And remember: certification of academic achievements issued by a third party such as TheAcademy.com will eliminate any questions about any possible improper or preferential awards.

If you expect your students to have the skills to do a given job, we will ensure that they learn and maintain those skills.

There is no saturation point in education.