All aboard the Safety Train(ing)!
Would you like to influence CERN’s safety courses? Do you want to help build better training courses? If your answer is yes to one or both of these questions: now is the time! The Safety Training section is looking for volunteers from the whole CERN community to test new courses before they go online for all members of the personnel.
The Safety Training section is redesigning the CERN e-learning package in order to adopt a more educational approach and to make the courses a more enjoyable experience. The section is now calling for volunteers. “We know we can do much more with testers’ help and feedback,” explains Christoph Balle, Safety Training section leader. “By having the end users actively involved in the process, we’ll achieve our goal of communicating safety in the best possible way. As the volunteers will play an active role in the development of the courses, they will be providing a service to the whole community.”
Content is king, particularly in the learning process. This is why content quality should be the guiding principle when designing a new course. “To ensure accuracy, all the safety e-learning courses have so far been tested by people directly involved with the subjects. But this is not enough anymore,” continues Christoph. Good and accurate content in addition to a more pleasant look are not the sole factors that make a successful course. He adds: “Since the testers will look at the courses with fresh eyes, they will help us notice potential flaws and improve the courses in general.”
A diverse and large group of volunteers can broaden the range of opinions and ideas, enriching the courses by bringing new perspectives and a variety of backgrounds. “The more people involved in our project, the easier it will be for us to create better work,” says Christoph. Despite their differences in terms of knowledge or background, all of these volunteers will have one thing in common: the time, energy and resources they will bring will be vital to the courses’ success.
“We want to build different groups of testers and make them as heterogeneous as possible,” concludes Christoph. “We will then assign each course being tested to a different group. After having followed the course, they will have to provide us with feedback. It won’t take more than half an hour of their time, approximately two or three times a year.”
What are you waiting for? Take part! Click here and sign up to become a virtual member of the Safety Training team.
