More Value for Money Because… Time is Money!
Learning support tools for teaching create huge opportunities for effective learning and collaboration outside the classroom.
The factors that increase the motivation of trainees are: building a learning environment and atmosphere that supports learning by using activating training methods, and creating genuine assignments.
These are the challenges to which we provide tools: ChemProX.
Create the Corner Stones for Learning
Let’s first take a look at the learning requirements and supporting tools, before diving into the technology itself, after all, it is a commonly known fact that the focus should be on pedagogy and learning, rather than technology.
More and more organisations and teams aim for achieving certain performance levels, on certain topics such as detection, identification and monitoring (DIM) capabilities. In order to enable that, there are fundamental skills that need to be created, developed, and maintained, to reach for the optimal performance indicators.
Chemical detection training principles pyramid.
First, we need to understand what that capability is, and what it takes to gain it.
Next, right and suitable material needs to be available. In this case, that calls for a chemical detector for CWA’s and TIC’s detection.
Third, basic technical training is needed, explaining how to use the detector properly. This includes basic procedures like start-up, sniffing chemicals, and shutdown, as well as user maintenance tasks, etc.
This basic technical training can be delivered utilizing remote learning tools, like online e-learning courses, and it will give the user an overview and basic understanding of the chemical mesuring instrument.
Nevertheless, nothing beats the real hands-on training.
Accomplishing a certification on basic skills for using a detector, doesn’t make the user an expert, unless they are also familiar with operating procedures for tactical and operational levels.
Knowing the SOP – Standard Operation Procedures – on how to use the detector in accidents, search, survey, and monitoring missions, will ensure the user gets the best benefit of the detector.
However, SOPs alone still don’t accomplish the objectives, unless they are tested in practical training sessions of various scales and difficulty levels, ensuring the operator has the right attitude to operate in real-life incidents.
The objectives – the tools – the trainings – the SOPs – the practicing.
Use Learning Support Tools
Normally, the way to teach new skills is by owning and utilizing a few detectors.
However, also usually there are more students than training devices available, compromising the earning environment and experience, which won’t support the real learning.
We all have taken a giant digital leap on the previous year. Currently we rarely can host a “mask-to-mask” hands-on training, and that’s why remote online teaching and e-learning courses represent great opportunities take the learning experience to the next level, instead of wasting it.
Back then, if the students were lucky, they may have gotten a simulator or even simulation systems, with special system operators.
These items were very warmly welcomed for trainings in late 90’s and early 2000’s, because they indeed provided new tools for training. It was great to give alarms and faults to operators, instead of yelling with a red face:
“ALARM!!” “Now you got Nerve Low level alarm!”
At that time, these separate gadgets represented the next step for a more realistic training.
Back in those old days, when I was a field level trainer, I wondered about this issue… which I kept wondering until very recently:
“Why there has to be separate simulant chemicals for sniffing and pluming, a separate simulation system for each detector and software? In real-life I use real detectors. Why? How much these cost? Do they suit for the purpose?”
And last but not the least:
“Do these add value worth of the financial investment?
Select Either One Unit with All Performance Assets or Two Separate Systems?
ChemProX encompasses all these previous components in one single device, and that’s why it represents the next generation performance detector.
It features an in-built real chemical detection performance, simulator, and simulation capability in one unit. In a ChemProX device, the user can find manuals, step-by-step procedure guidance and also chemical databases. Organizations can even upload their own SOPs type of content into device! Furthermore, ChemProX supports the users’ learning and skill refreshing by having free specially tailored online eLearning courses available.
The same ChemProX device can be used for real detection of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents detection, but it can also serve for training against these chemical agents, when using its in-built training features. This double usage feature makes it possible to use it for both real and simulated situations, discarding the need for extra training devices or expensive simulators.
This new flagship product is, of course, “expensive” when compared to matured “old faithful” one… or is it? ChemProX features a big colour screen with a simple and intuitive interface.
The detector has in-built communication features which allow, for example, screen sharing to trainer and/or incident commander tablet. When using the detctor, the operator can also “see” all team members real-time status and location, on the detector’s map view.
Each ChemProX has two in-built softwares.
- ChemProXIP, for individual detectors monitoring, training, maintenance, and software / content updates.
- ChemProX Mobile Command & Control & Training User Interface, a great feature for radio data groups, both for maintaining situational awareness or simulating training scenarios.
It also has the training mode with “Bluetooth technology” based chemical sources, and lots of other performance possibilities in one unit.
When users have all the state-of-art requirements and capabilities in one unit, they really save money and time, by getting new opportunities to increase their team’s efficiency.
Be aware that in many cases, the basic “standard” tool is enough, and usually one detector is enough. However, selecting and purchasing a detector is an investment for the future.
Can the mature “old faithful” devices be updated later to respond to certain requirements? How can those detectors be connected and share the information? How about the need for those extra training and simulators?
The customer purchases four detectors. ChemProX initial purchasing cost is slightly higher than “old type” of chemical detectors. Therefore, the customer saves when purchasing only the detection capability.
However, when we want to elevate the “old type” detector’s performance to a level similar to ChemProX, everything turns upside down.
For the same money value that the customer acquired four old type chemical detectors plus four simulation sets, in reality they paid almost eight ChemProX chemical detectors with in-built simulation capability! And still all they got was only four chemical detectors! The same logic applies if the customer wants two detectors and two detectors simulation sets: with the same amount spent, they could have gotten over 5 ChemProX units. What is the overall saving vs capability and performance?
Enhance Your Performance
ChemProX users get future performance today.
ChemProX users can conduct realistic training scenarios without endangering operator or the environment.
They can use Bluetooth based chemical sources to simulate from point source screening, to large hazard areas. The trainer can use ChemProX training software to trigger alarms directly or to create GPS mapping contaminated areas.
As you can see, there is absolutely no need for external training devices, nor expensive simulation systems.
Save money and time recourses by using a real detector for training, instead of practicing using an external simulator.
This was the first part of ChemProX Training blog posts series. This series will open more about ChemProX training features, and how to use them to get the best benefits for training objectives, and value for the money.
The next post will focus on how to use the detector’s features on basic user hands-on training.
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