Aquatics industry opens arms to e-learning

A new wave of education is materializing

As a result of the many benefits online learning has to offer, this training platform is emerging in many ways. There is a spectrum of courses available today covering facility management, pool operations and service, and workplace safety training. The added bonus of online courses is they afford the student the ability to go back and review course content repeatedly to enhance retention of the information.

Thanks to advancements in technology and course delivery methods, other online learning tools have emerged. Informal seminars are becoming more readily available. For example, webinars are becoming more popular to obtain short, topic-specific training. Live-streaming is also becoming more mainstream, allowing educators to broadcast training sessions around the world. Such advances bring the most cutting-edge information immediately to the pool and spa trade, reducing the need for industry professionals to have to travel to acquire knowledge.

Although e-learning opportunities have many benefits, it will not replace all instructor-led education and training programs. The use of technology for learning is becoming ubiquitous. People no longer see it as separate from traditional learning. Online education is most ideal when combined with instructor interactions to create a blended learning program. The online training allows busy professionals to set their own pace, while the instructor time allows the student to reinforce what he/she has learned, have questions answered, and participate in hands-on skills training. This method of training and education can also be a powerful tool for managers, company owners, trainers, instructional designers, and others to impact skills and performance. That said, good teachers should help create context and interact with students to customize the learning environment.

The potential for e-learning is huge

In the last 10 years, aquatic organizations have been realizing the power of incorporating online learning for their employees. The days of trying to find a day and time when all staff members are available to attend an in-person session are gone. Now, organizations just have to give workers access to courses online. Today, the only obstacle remains to be how eager one is for more education. Industry professionals need to continue to differentiate themselves from their competition and furthering ones education and training is one way to do this. It can be the difference maker needed to grow a business.

References

For more information about e-learning opportunities for aquatic industry professionals, visit the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) website www.nspf.org, or the Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada (PHTCC) website www.poolcouncil.ca.

Alex Antoniou, Ph.D., is the chief marketing and information officer of the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®), a non-profit organization focused on creating healthy pools and healthy bodies by attracting more people to safer aquatic environments. NSPF instructors and online courses have reached more than 400,000 pool and spa/hot tub industry professionals worldwide. He can be reached via e-mail at alex.antoniou@nspf.org.