Training news from SSI - interview with Krzysztof Wnorowski

For tonight we have for you part of an interesting conversation we had with Krzysztof Wnorowski at the Wind and Water Fair. The interview covered various issues related to the diving organisation Scuba Schools International, and below we have included questions about the changes to training and course formats that will be in place at SSI in 2015. The whole thing is an interesting complement to the earlier material presenting SSI’s Everything Diving App.

-- Advertisement --

TA: What new things has SSI prepared for 2015?

KW: The first thing that has changed is a different approach to theoretical teaching. We are moving away from the paper version, where the textbook was the main element the student received, and replacing it with a digital version. All this is due to the fact that in today’s world the proliferation of devices such as smartphones and tablets is so widespread that it allows us to seamlessly exploit the much greater potential that lies in the digital version. In addition to the text, we receive a whole range of multimedia aids such as films, demonstrations and presentations.

TA: So is this the end of traditional training materials at SSI?

KW: No. We realise that some instructors will want to stay with traditional course materials and they will still be available. The customer, when deciding on a course, will be able to choose the version that interests them and that they feel is more convenient.

TA: What is behind these changes?

KW: One of the interesting things that will certainly improve the training process is that the student, using their profile on the SSI website or app, allows the instructor to monitor the material they have already learned. By testing the level of knowledge after each section, the instructor can identify those issues that cause the most problems and devote more space to them during the course.

TA: What about when someone who has done a course before the changes are introduced wants to use the new materials?

KW: Those who are certified for particular courses and specializations have access to all the materials used during these trainings. Just use the SSI application, select the courses tab and there we can find the materials we are interested in. An interesting option is the ability to edit the training materials. There are a number of people associated with SSI who have a separate password to make changes and correct errors. We have all had to deal with printing errors. With online editing, the problem of awkward questions and embarrassing situations where the instructor has to explain to students that there is an error on some page of the manual, or something has been misspelled, will disappear.

TA: So what about the certificates? Will they also be available digitally?

KW: The certification process is as follows: We can receive a standard certificate in the form of a plastic or a digital version. In addition, the digital version of the certificate includes a QR code which allows us to verify the student and confirm his/her eligibility very quickly. Therefore, the digital version of the certificate displayed on our smartphone has the same credibility as its physical counterpart.

And now watch out… with rising prices of competitors, we as SSI thanks to these changes, were able to lower the price of OWD course by about 100 PLN. This is the situation when a student decides to get the new digital version of the course. Then you do not receive a physical manual, but access to the application, you do not get a certificate in the form of plastic, but in electronic version. All the costs of these materials go away, so we can further reduce course prices. This is the future of diving.

TA: What’s new in technical courses?

KW: The technical courses have experienced a bit of a change. We were already at the stage where we were supposed to start publishing new textbooks, but with the digital version coming out, we had to put the whole process on hold and start moving to the electronic version. As for the courses themselves and the changes, everything was already put in place last year, now we just have to transfer everything to the virtual version.

TA: To conclude on the subject of leisure courses, are they all now available through the app?

KW: No, there are new specialisations coming in all the time. The whole thing is relatively fresh and it’s normal that we need some time. The basic OWD course is already finished, and some of the most popular specialisations.

CDN

We will soon publish a further part of the conversation, during which we discussed other issues related to SSI’s plans and activities