CD-ROM courses are nothing like you may have experienced before, yet they are designed using the same instructional techniques proven in all good classroom courses. What is different is that the course is on a CD-ROM, and multimedia techniques such as text, graphics, sound and video replace the instructor.
Click on the following headings to see how our courses will work for you:
Supplied on CD-ROM Structured like a book Movies that present and demonstrate Tutor explains what is happening Exercises to give you practice Quizzes that test your understanding Hotwords linked to the glossary Business examples used Everthing contained on one CD
Our courses are supplied on a CD-ROM, and everything the course needs is on that CD-ROM. There are no manuals, files, or other clutter to carry with you. Anyone with a PC that is fitted with a CD-ROM drive can take the course.
When you insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive, the course launches automatically. Thereafter just follow the on-screen instructions. If you need help the online User Guide explains how the course is structured and how to use it.
Our courses work independently of the application you are learning, so it is not necessary for that application to be installed on the PC on which the course is running. But it helps if it is for when you come to do the exercises.
Courses are structured similar to a book. The contents page lets you interactively select chapters, lessons, exercises and quizzes. Each chapter comprises lessons that are preceded by objectives and followed by a summary of what you have learned. Most chapters also include an exercise and a quiz.
You can work sequentially through the course from start to finish. Just like reading a book, you can do as much as you want, put it down, and return to it at any time. Or you can dip into the course at any point you like. Perhaps you have an interest in a particular topic, or maybe you want to refresh your knowledge of a topic at some later date. The structure allows complete flexibility for initial training and on-going revision and reference. Great if you have an hour to spare.
Each lesson provides some text narration of the topic it covers, but the bulk of the instruction comes from movies. Some movies explain concepts with a presentation. Most show you how to use the software application; you see it working in full screen mode, exactly as it would appear when you use the application. The mouse pointer moves, dialog boxes open and close, and data is entered. These are not graphics simulations of the software, but actual video that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
You can control the movies as they play; pause, rewind, fast forward, or stop. If, at the end of the movie you're uncertain about anything, simply run the movie again. There's no chance you'll feel embarrassed by asking the tutor to repeat everything he's just said and done.
All movies are narrated in high quality audio that is played back through your PC's speakers or through headphones (if you prefer not to disturb your co-workers). You hear clear and concise explanation of every action the tutor takes. At any time pause the movie to digest what has just been said, or rewind and replay the entire movie if you didn't quite absorb the explanation the first time around.
Most chapters include an exercise, which gives you the opportunity to practice the techniques covered by the chapter. Exercises are an essential element of all training courses, and are included to reinforce what you have read, seen and heard in the lessons.
Each exercise script is on the CD. All you need to do is click a button and the script is printed. Then follow the steps provided. Do the exercises, because they are proven to increase the quantity and quality of knowledge you retain long after putting the course down.
All instruction is based around model jobs or case studies. And because you may wish to dip into the course at any point, we've included the model jobs on the CD. Simply restore the state of the model job at the end of the previous chapter and off you go.
Most chapters include a multiple-choice quiz after the lessons and the exercise. The object of the quiz is to help you assess how well you have absorbed the material covered by the chapter.
Your quiz scores are accumulated as you complete the questions, and at the end of the course, or just the part you are taking, you can display your overall score. This can be very useful if you are being assessed by your manager or by the HR function.
Each software application has its own terminology and jargon, so we provide a glossary of terms with each of our courses.
To access the glossary we include hotwords throughout the lessons. They're easily distinguished because they're highlighted in red; simply click on a hotword to display its glossary entry.
The model jobs and case study examples we use are real-life business examples. Each one assumes you are an accountant or financial manager, yet none is too complicated that it could not be followed by all staff in your department or organisation.
The fact that our examples are relevant to your job is another point that sets us apart from other training organisations. Many of the examples can easily be adapted for use within your own business.
The entire course is contained on the CD-ROM we provide to you. It makes the course so compact, portable and accessible, yet also completely shareable with your office colleagues.
One small file is written to the hard drive of your PC. This records the lessons you have completed, thus reminding you the next time you start up the course.