bye bye ECI-13

[RiverAux]

From the April issue of the Ex's Open Cockpit:

Replacement Course Being Planned for Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning Course 13, "The CAP Senior Officer Course." The new course will be entitled, "The CAP Officer Basic Course" and will be online 24/7 when developed. The CAP NHQ staff and CAP Professional Development Team of volunteers will begin work soon. If you would like to volunteer to work on the course, please contact Mark Schultz at mschultz@cap.gov. 

Time to put your money where your mouth is folks.  If you think we lack leadership training, this is the course that you will want to improve since it will probably impact the most CAP members. 

[Eclipse]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

[DNall]

that a challenge? I'm willing to do what I can from flight school.

[SamFranklin]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

[DNall]

The course is not all that bad. It's military writing/communications, real basic leadership, CAP/AF history... that's all pretty good. I think the key issue is all that training needs to be delivered in Lvl I, not in order to promote to Capt. SOS is closer to what a Capt needs to be doing. Now, the hassle of going thru AFIADL to do the course, sure that needs to be fixed up. I don't mind moving it to a CAP course, but one of the good things about offering that thru AFIADL was it taught people the ropes about how to do that so they could then take some other courses.

[RiverAux]

Well, I think many CAP members were already familiar with AFIADL through the Observer and Scanner correspondence courses (also very out of date and in need of on-lining (to coin a word). 

[mikeylikey]

Officer Basic Course sounds very military.  Brings back memories of my own Army experiences.  HOWEVER.....I predict this will be some type of "color inside the lines"
and have your Commander sit you behind a computer and give you the answerers to the test questions. 

We shall see.......I sent my email, anyone else??

[DNall]

I sent mine. We'll see.

[Eclipse]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

I have no issue with the idea, and I agree the course needs to be updated, if for no other reason than its like a 15th generation photocopy at this point.

My problem, really, is that once word gets out that they are re-doing it, many members will use it as an excuse to not take the existing course, and will delay their own progression needlessly.

I also have an issue with it being an online test - this will likely be another Yeager situation - taking something which was considered a milestone for a senior member, and one of the few, objective ones that the average Senior will need, turn it into a a diluted exercise in using Google.

Yes, my cynicism is showing, sorry.

[afgeo4]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

I have no issue with the idea, and I agree the course needs to be updated, if for no other reason than its like a 15th generation photocopy at this point.

My problem, really, is that once word gets out that they are re-doing it, many members will use it as an excuse to not take the existing course, and will delay their own progression needlessly.

I also have an issue with it being an online test - this will likely be another Yeager situation - taking something which was considered a milestone for a senior member, and one of the few, objective ones that the average Senior will need, turn it into a a diluted exercise in using Google.

Yes, my cynicism is showing, sorry.

Take it online, fine, but take it online at a military testing facility! That way it's a credible venture.

[MattPHS2002]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

I have no issue with the idea, and I agree the course needs to be updated, if for no other reason than its like a 15th generation photocopy at this point.

My problem, really, is that once word gets out that they are re-doing it, many members will use it as an excuse to not take the existing course, and will delay their own progression needlessly.

I also have an issue with it being an online test - this will likely be another Yeager situation - taking something which was considered a milestone for a senior member, and one of the few, objective ones that the average Senior will need, turn it into a a diluted exercise in using Google.

Yes, my cynicism is showing, sorry.

Take it online, fine, but take it online at a military testing facility! That way it's a credible venture.

Thats all well and good, if you are near a testing facility.....

[DNall]

Well, I think many CAP members were already familiar with AFIADL through the Observer and Scanner correspondence courses (also very out of date and in need of on-lining (to coin a word). 

Most people don't do that course. Personally, I did an in-res version by CAP-USAF back in 12/13 years ago. Only ever looked over that material years later as a refresher. Certainly it does need serious updating.

I have an issue with flat out online testing as well. We've talked about that with Yeager, cadet testing, and a few other items. If I get involved with this I'll do my best to check/balance that issue.

[RiverAux]

Simple -- have a local CAP person proctor the online test.  CG Aux uses this method for some of its courses and it seems to work well and if I recall is how we handle the tests for the correspondence courses anyway. 

[Eclipse]

Simple -- have a local CAP person proctor the online test.  CG Aux uses this method for some of its courses and it seems to work well and if I recall is how we handle the tests for the correspondence courses anyway. 

All you need is a system which requires the TCO to log in as well as the tester.

We beat this up good in the cadet online testing discussion.

As to the "I'm not near a testing center, can't connect with a proctor, don't have internet", exceptions are already accommodated in the updated PME rules today, but the system should not be created based on exceptions that need to be spoon-fed everything.

There are plenty of members of other services who have to travel to a PME's to take their tests, doesn't need to be any different for us.  We could also make use of professional testing centers all over the country.

[O-Rex]

The testing part is a simple detail that can be worked out...

What's important is that we have course content that is relevant to our organization today.

Last I checked, the course materials were copies (and bad ones, at that) of something that was published in the early 1980's.

[dwb]

I also have an issue with it being an online test - this will likely be another Yeager situation - taking something which was considered a milestone for a senior member, and one of the few, objective ones that the average Senior will need, turn it into a a diluted exercise in using Google.

Bah!  A member can cram for a couple-three hours before a meeting and pass the ADL-13 exam as it exists today.  I would hardly call the current solution a milestone and objective exercise.

That said, I certainly don't disagree with administering a written test locally, and just making the content online.

[RiverAux]

I see no need at all to try to use AF or other military testing facilities.  It can easily be done using any computer and a proctor as indicated.

It could be trickly to do this course online.  However, the AF has found a way to do it for their Squadron Officer School.  I'm not a big fan of reading a lot of text on the computer, so would miss having actual textbooks. 

They should keep use of video to a minimum since there are plenty of places still without high-speed internet. 

[Eclipse]

Bah!  A member can cram for a couple-three hours before a meeting and pass the ADL-13 exam as it exists today.  I would hardly call the current solution a milestone and objective exercise.

No one said it was quantum mechanics, but its all we have today, and certainly enough to hold back a number of "seasoned" members from their progression.

[davedove]

Bah!  A member can cram for a couple-three hours before a meeting and pass the ADL-13 exam as it exists today.  I would hardly call the current solution a milestone and objective exercise.

No one said it was quantum mechanics, but its all we have today, and certainly enough to hold back a number of "seasoned" members from their progression.

That's true.  A lot of members never finish Level II, and for those who do not, the biggest reason is this course.

[RiverAux]

It does seem to have been a fairly effective barrier.  However, no matter what we do with this new version, it can't possible turn out to written any more poorly or with worse test questions.  Though not a professional educator, I thought the text and test questions were absolutely horrible. 

[dwb]

For a lot of people, AFIADL is the barrier.  We haven't gotten good, as an organization, of helping people navigate the registration procedure, ordering the course exam, and getting in to the same room as a TCO to administer the exam.

The ACSC enrollment in e-Services is a great start, I hope they do the same thing for SOS and other ADL courses.

The other big reason is that it's done by correspondence, and some people can't seem to budget their time to do a correspondence course.

Will it help to put the CAP Officer Course online?  It'll help people with basic computer skills and 24/7 access to high speed Internet, which is only a fraction of our membership.

Regardless, there shouldn't be a barrier that stops so many people before they get to Level II.

[Eclipse]

Will it help to put the CAP Officer Course online?  It'll help people with basic computer skills and 24/7 access to high speed Internet, which is only a fraction of our membership.

Considering that internet penetration is over 70% in the US, we need to treat those without access as the anomaly, not the rule:



Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats2.htm

Like it or not it is nearly impossible to be a CAP asset anymore without basic connectivity and computer ability.

[dwb]

Like it or not it is nearly impossible to be a CAP asset anymore without basic connectivity and computer ability.

It depends on the capacity in which you serve.  If you're not in to ES, and you just help out at the local squadron, you can get by with irregular access to the Internet.

I'm trying to think of some imaginary users of basic officer course.  If we're going to come up with a back-of-the-envelope approach to redesigning the course, it helps to think of the target audience.

Just for kicks, let's invent some fake people.

Joe is a retired engineer.  He was in the Navy for 20 years, then put in his 20 years at GE.  He joined CAP because his kids are grown up and he wants to help out with the young folks.  He's the squadron safety officer.  He has AOL, and can send E-mail, but has to call his son every time he gets a new picture of the grandkids, because he can't figure out how to print it.

Anna is a former cadet.  She is a recent college graduate and works as an accounting specialist for a local business.  She's on the computer all day long, although she always complains that she can't get it to do what she wants.  She reboots several times a day, because that's the only consistent advice she can ever get from IT.

Ted is a software engineer and a private pilot.  He spends all day at a computer, and writes code in his spare time.  He maintains his squadron's web site, has an iPhone, and complains when the old pilots in his unit can't figure out how to get in to WMIRS.

All three imaginary people want to complete Level II.

Merely having Internet access isn't any sort of guarantee that people will be able to, or want to, complete online courses.  Joe probably wouldn't want to, and it's inevitable that Anna will reboot in the middle of a quiz and have to start over.

Now, can all of them complete the online training?  Probably, but it's not going to be easy in all cases.

There is a strong desire to assume that "most" CAP members check their E-mail regularly and can handle anything e-Services throws at them.  I'm just not convinced this is the case.  I think there are pockets of Internet-savvy members (maybe in more affluent areas?), and there are people like you and I that check CAP Talk and CadetStuff 20 times a day at work.

But I also think we are in the minority.

BTW, I have the same concern about online testing for cadets.  I don't think having an E-mail address in e-Services is a reliable indicator that an individual has the access, time, and knowledge to sit at a computer and take a test online.

We want to assume are young folks are computer savvy, but ask someone like Darin Ninness, who has to deal with college-age kids' personal computers: most of the kids are digital wrecking balls.

Anyway, where was I going with this?  Oh yeah: Making something only available online will leave some people out in the dark.  Maybe not a lot, but some, and that needs to be considered when developing the course.

Who is the target audience?
What percentage of our membership will take this?
How many senior members that join today complete Level II within, say, five years?
What other technical solutions are available?  Can we offer an online version and a CD/DVD version?

Not that my rambling matters, I'm not involved in the rewrite.

[jimmydeanno]

Nothing a set of instructions with screenshots won't fix.  It's exactly what I do with members in my squadron that don't know how to enter their stuff for ES.

1) Open your internet browser, the icon looks like this.
2) In the address bar (the box that says www.whatever.com) type this:
3) The webpage should look like this: (picture of webpage)
4) In this (red arrow pointing) box enter your CAPID number.
5) etc.

[Timothy]

Well I'm sure not going to wait for the new course! I got ECI-13 about a month ago; I want to be mailing my card in a week or two. I'm a new guy, only been in CAP 2 months. I didnt have any problems getting the course... in fact I want to see if I can take the Historian Journeyman AFIADL course as part of my sqdn historian training.

I was surprised and a little disappointed with the Yeager test. I had studied as if I was taking a 100+ question closed book test; the 50 question open book one seemed a little weak, considering it is supposed to be an education milestone with a ribbon. Its so easy to pass as it is now I dont know why every senior doesnt have a Yeager ribbon.

Have any of you guys looked at the other courses that FEMA offers? The IS-100, 200, 700, and 800 courses are a cakewalk, but the leadership, communication, decisionmaking, and volunteer management courses are ~180+ pages of text each! (IS-240, 241, 242, 244) I have plans to try and tackle on of those in the future.

ECI 13 does definitely need to be updated though. The copy is terrible, the pictures are so fuzzy they cannot be recognized, and the slew of errors you have to correct before you begin reading could have been fixed years ago, I'm sure.

[DNall]

Its so easy to pass as it is now I dont know why every senior doesnt have a Yeager ribbon.

1. Most people think you pass the online test & you got a yeager. It actually has to be submitted thru Wing to award.

2. Wing AE has to process it & they suck at doing admin work or anything to do with membership. It'll sit min six months to a year, and then maybe get lost.

3. most members don't have any motivation to do it, and don't realize how easy it is to do.

Have any of you guys looked at the other courses that FEMA offers? The IS-100, 200, 700, and 800 courses are a cakewalk, but the leadership, communication, decisionmaking, and volunteer management courses are ~180+ pages of text each! (IS-240, 241, 242, 244) I have plans to try and tackle on of those in the future.

Yeah, I haven't taken any, but some are supposed to be real good.

I t would be nice if NHQ developed a page they kept updated with a catalog of courses avail to membership. Which of course covers AFIADL, FEMA, and maybe some other stuff.

[DNall]

got an email back from the guy saying they'd be in touch, looking forward to working together toward this important goal, yada yada. Hopefully that works out to actual involvement. We'll see.

[SarDragon]

Its so easy to pass as it is now I dont know why every senior doesnt have a Yeager ribbon.

1. Most people think you pass the online test & you got a yeager. It actually has to be submitted thru Wing to award.

2. Wing AE has to process it & they suck at doing admin work or anything to do with membership. It'll sit min six months to a year, and then maybe get lost.

3. most members don't have any motivation to do it, and don't realize how easy it is to do.

#2 is a bad generalization. Not all wings are like that. If yours is, I'm sorry to hear that, but let's not try to give the idea that all wings perform in a similar manner.

[Short Field]

1. Most people think you pass the online test & you got a yeager. It actually has to be submitted thru Wing to award.

Actually, that is the way you get the Yeager now.  You take the test, it automatically updates your record on e-services, and you can print out your certificate.  Seems like it changed late last year.

[DNall]

You can pass the test, and print a certificate showing that. BUT, you need to send that certificate to Wg so an actual yeager award certificate can be printed (much nicer). They also send it forward to NHQ, which is when it's supposed to get posted. The logic is actually so the Wg AE can track yeager completion, not to be a hinderence to members. However, wgAEOs don't have a whole lot of duties. They tend to just do these things in batches a couple times a year, which assumes they sit there in a pile waiting on them.

While I'm sure there are a few Wg AEOs that hang around the place waiting for stuff to show up, that's not the norm. There's a thread around here somewhere from a while back documenting people's experiences from around the country on the issue.

[Short Field]

Sorry, but I can't find the source for the following but that is how it works now.  You take the Yeager on-line and it automatically updates on e-services.  If you want a certificate, you print out the on-line version.   National does not send out Yeager Certificates anymore.  Your wing may have some old certificates left over they are still using.

I print out the certficates on parchment paper for the people getting them.  We were back-log over a year before they made the change.

Yes, I know this is not how the regs spell it out but there was a notice sent out last year - I just can't find it.

[Short Field]

Bugs the heck out of me that I can't find documentation for the AEPSM change.  Of course, they still talk about the PDR.  However, I did check back on some records.

  I completed the Yeager on-line in Sept 2006.  The entry in my eServices record says  "Open Book" in the "how completed" column.  It took months and months and multiple e-mails and faxes to get it finally through wing to national and updated.  I never got the "big" certificate.  I was working about six Yeagers as one package - most older than mine.  I created all the certifcates using the web site.

Another member completed the AEPSM in Aug 2007.  The "how completed" column says "On-Line" .  I monitored the test and it was updated in eServices within minutes.

[DNall]

okay, my mistake, that's good to know. Thanks for the correction. 

[mikeylikey]

Back to ECI-13 disappearing........

could this spell the beginning of the end of Cap's access to AFIADL??

[dwb]

Considering they just rolled out a special ACSC enrollment application in e-Services... I would have to say no.

However, I could understand if they wanted to shift away from managing the CAP-specific courses through AFIADL.  There are benefits to using or not using AFIADL for those courses.

[Short Field]

Any correspondence course can be converted into a on-line course.  Testing can be done anyway you desire - on-line proctored test to on-line open book.  The only question is how well it is converted.  Do you get a nice re-write that takes advantage of new muli-media capabiites or is it just a black and white scan of the old test book?

However you decide to put it on-line is a plus over sending it via snail mail.

[DNall]

Considering they just rolled out a special ACSC enrollment application in e-Services... I would have to say no.

However, I could understand if they wanted to shift away from managing the CAP-specific courses through AFIADL.  There are benefits to using or not using AFIADL for those courses.

SOS, ACSC, & AWC are the ones we're actually worried about. We've already seen access to those tighten up recently. With the new proctoring reqs it seems likely not as many people will take advantage of these.

If you add to that that there will no longer be a mandatory course (ECI13) offered through AFIADL, then it does become a possibility that we'd lose access to AFIADL at some future point, and that would really be unfortunate when we should be taking further advantage of them. It's a legitimate concern.

[RiverAux]

I don't think I'm too worried about losing access entirely and its our own fault that access to the other courses have tightened up.  But, given the current rules, I don't think they'll get any more difficult. 

[mikeylikey]

^Not my fault.  Is it your fault.....are you taking blame?  We know very well where the blame lies here. 

[DNall]

^ 

I don't think I'm too worried about losing access entirely and its our own fault that access to the other courses have tightened up.  But, given the current rules, I don't think they'll get any more difficult. 

It's not that they'd get more difficult. It's that if we don't HAVE to use AFIADL for anything, AND it's a hassle, AND we're putting stuff online... then it becomes an issue that maybe we can just do away with it, or they can do away with our access either way. It's more of a fade away issue than major policy shift.

AFIADL is in the middle of an extremely long process of bring their DL courses up to the 21st century. Anyone that's done SOS of late can attest that while far from perfect, that online module format is a LOT better than paper in the mail. I'm all for making our courses better & more accessible, but I'd hate to lose that link to AFIADL. I'm in favor of moving our OBC to our own website, but I'd like to get the instructor course along with the PAO, ES, & other items updated to an online program overseen by AFIADL. We can host the bandwidth on the CAP side, even do the enrollment, etc, but it would be nice if AFIADL could be the registrar for that stuff. It still gives the possibility of college credit, and it shows up when I pull those transcripts to my Army side. That's nice to have.

[RiverAux]

I'm not sure any of the CAP-specific courses at AFIADL have ever qualified for college credit and can't imagine that they ever would.  I'm of the view that the CAP specific stuff probably should be handled by CAP just to make everything work more smoothly (hopefully).

[DesertFlyer]

Bugs the heck out of me that I can't find documentation for the AEPSM change.  Of course, they still talk about the PDR.  However, I did check back on some records.

  I completed the Yeager on-line in Sept 2006.  The entry in my eServices record says  "Open Book" in the "how completed" column.  It took months and months and multiple e-mails and faxes to get it finally through wing to national and updated.  I never got the "big" certificate.  I was working about six Yeagers as one package - most older than mine.  I created all the certifcates using the web site.

Another member completed the AEPSM in Aug 2007.  The "how completed" column says "On-Line" .  I monitored the test and it was updated in eServices within minutes.

I completed the online test in April of 2007, got the big certificate on parchment from the Wing AEO, but then it never got onto e-Services.  I can go online in the ProfDevelopment area and print out another certificate any time I want, but it still doesn't show up on e-Services. 

If the reg changed, is there any way to point NHQ to your online certificate and get that info input into e-Services?

[SarDragon]

Bugs the heck out of me that I can't find documentation for the AEPSM change.  Of course, they still talk about the PDR.  However, I did check back on some records.

  I completed the Yeager on-line in Sept 2006.  The entry in my eServices record says  "Open Book" in the "how completed" column.  It took months and months and multiple e-mails and faxes to get it finally through wing to national and updated.  I never got the "big" certificate.  I was working about six Yeagers as one package - most older than mine.  I created all the certifcates using the web site.

Another member completed the AEPSM in Aug 2007.  The "how completed" column says "On-Line" .  I monitored the test and it was updated in eServices within minutes.

I completed the online test in April of 2007, got the big certificate on parchment from the Wing AEO, but then it never got onto e-Services.  I can go online in the ProfDevelopment area and print out another certificate any time I want, but it still doesn't show up on e-Services. 

If the reg changed, is there any way to point NHQ to your online certificate and get that info input into e-Services?

First get in touch with your Wing AE folks. They are supposed to process that printout you sent them. You did send them a printout, didn't you?

If that's been processed by Wing, then call NHQ PD, and they should be able to take care of it.

[DNall]

^see that's that i said.

[Capt Rivera]

Nothing a set of instructions with screenshots won't fix.  It's exactly what I do with members in my squadron that don't know how to enter their stuff for ES.

1) Open your internet browser, the icon looks like this.
2) In the address bar (the box that says www.whatever.com) type this:
3) The webpage should look like this: (picture of webpage)
4) In this (red arrow pointing) box enter your CAPID number.
5) etc.

would you like to share those [ANY you have] so we don't reproduce work already done?

[DeputyDog]

I'm not sure any of the CAP-specific courses at AFIADL have ever qualified for college credit and can't imagine that they ever would.

Two of them do. I received one general elective college credit (Navigation, junior level) for the Mission Observer course and one general elective college credit (Journalism, sophomore level) for the Public Affairs Officer course. ACE recommends that the credit be awarded for those courses.

[RiverAux]

Having taken both of those courses I would have to strongly question that they they are worth any college credit.  Neither rises to the level of college level difficulty in my book, however if each of them were signficantly strengthened I could buy it. 

[arajca]

One of the problems with AFIADL 13, or for any of the AFIADL CAP specific courses, is they aren't reviewed or updated on a regular schedule. Therefore, they become grossly out of date (typing squadron newsletters using carbon paper?!). In the FEMA Master Trainer Program, we spent a couple hours discussing the importance of a maintenance program for courses - annual for minor updates, 3-4 years for major updates, ~5 years for system audits (is the course still relevent?).

If we are going to continue using these, CAP needs to get it together and start reviewing/rewriting these courses. I'm sure that if asked, there are a number (probably a good sized number) of members who would be willing to take on rewriting any of these.

[DeputyDog]

If we are going to continue using these, CAP needs to get it together and start reviewing/rewriting these courses.

Who is the person that is responsible for doing that at NHQ?

[RiverAux]

This goes back to what seems to me a long-standing issue at NHQ of not effectively meshing the paid staff with CAP volunteers in various subject areas.  Hopefully the recent changes in this area will make it more likely that someone will keep track of these things.  However, perhaps what we need is an Education section which is tasked with keeping all internal education courses (ES, AE, cadet, PD, etc) updated and developing a plan for working with the appropriate staff members to do these updates.  This would have the added benefit of perhaps adding a little consistency in the relative difficulties of different courses in different fields.

[mikeylikey]

If we are going to continue using these, CAP needs to get it together and start reviewing/rewriting these courses.

Who is the person that is responsible for doing that at NHQ?

ha...because he or she has really let it slip for sometime.  I hope they were not getting paid all this time............

[RiverAux]

To be fair, I think I've heard that part of the problem in updating the AFIADL courses was the extensive process required to do so through the AF.  I don't think it was as easy as submitting an updated textbook to them.  Moving the CAP courses out may make it easier to keep them up to date.

[DeputyDog]

To be fair, I think I've heard that part of the problem in updating the AFIADL courses was the extensive process required to do so through the AF.  I don't think it was as easy as submitting an updated textbook to them.  Moving the CAP courses out may make it easier to keep them up to date.

According to the AFIADL website, the Public Affairs Officer course was last revised in April of 1988. Even if it is difficult to update, they've had twenty years to update a course in an area that we consistently suck at.

[DeputyDog]

ha...because he or she has really let it slip for sometime.  I hope they were not getting paid all this time............

I have to call NHQ in the morning anyways. I'll ask who is in charge of it and try to talk to them. I'm getting tired of having to train new PAOs with the stuff not covered in the course that should be there. The same goes for new ES officers that have to study outdated information (in units 1 and 2) in order to pass the exam. It is a real waste of time for them, and is a bad introduction for that new member to CAP.

[RiverAux]

Incidentally, they have several frequently asked questions on the AFIADL site regarding pages in ECI-13 and the Safety Officer text that are unreadable.  If you can't even get those sorts of things fixed, you've got problems. 

I bet there aren't editable electronic versions of the existing CAP courses which has made it even more of a challenge to update them since you'd have to start typing them from scratch -- which would have been a job with -13.

[Tubacap]

^ Scan it into word as an editable document..

[RiverAux]

Available now, but not easily done until somewhat recently, but that would be one way of doing it. 

[arajca]

^ Scan it into word as an editable document..

I tried that. The text was so degraded that I could only get about 50-60% accuracy. Not counting having to rotate some pages because somewhere along the line, the master? was put in crooked. Plus the pictures came out really bad.

[DeputyDog]

If we are going to continue using these, CAP needs to get it together and start reviewing/rewriting these courses. I'm sure that if asked, there are a number (probably a good sized number) of members who would be willing to take on rewriting any of these.

I spoke with the person responsible for it this morning. The Public Affairs Officer course is in the process of being revised (he said that one was the priority and should be released soon), and the Emergency Services course was also in the process of being revised as well.

[LittleIronPilot]

I was VERY pleased to hear this. I will be waiting until this happens before I take the ECI-13 course.

[mikeylikey]

I was VERY pleased to hear this. I will be waiting until this happens before I take the ECI-13 course.

Might be some time before the new course actually becomes operational. I would suggest that you just take the AFIADL 13 and get it over with.  One less thing to "have to do later", if you get my drift........

[Ricochet13]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

Just emailed CAP-NHQ and volunteered. 

[Ricochet13]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

Just emailed CAP-NHQ and volunteered. 

Got a prompt response that I'd be included in the process.  So far so good.  Looking forward to helping.  Anyone else volunteer? 

[DNall]

They're going to give a positive response to everyone that contacts them, that doesn't mean you'll be involved in the process.

It legitimately may be two years before it's live, and that isn't criticism, it's reality. That's how long it takes to revise content, then get it placed online with all the technical issues worked out on a interactive program.

[arajca]

2+ years before its live, anyone else care to place a friendly wager?

Well, sir, you could be part of the solution and volunteer to help. Why do so many on this board immediately criticize every idea? Updating the AFIADL 13 course is a good thing if you ask me.

Just emailed CAP-NHQ and volunteered. 

Got a prompt response that I'd be included in the process.  So far so good.  Looking forward to helping.  Anyone else volunteer? 

I did. Got a quick response. We'll see what happens next.

[Ricochet13]

They're going to give a positive response to everyone that contacts them, that doesn't mean you'll be involved in the process.

It legitimately may be two years before it's live, and that isn't criticism, it's reality. That's how long it takes to revise content, then get it placed online with all the technical issues worked out on a interactive program.

You may end up being correct DNall, but for the time being I'm going to view the glass as "half full".   

[DNall]

It's not an issue of optimism. It's an issue of you need to not have members waiting around for the new course. At min it's going to be several months just working content, followed by delivery, followed by tech issues, followed by test group, followed by revisions, & then stand up. I'm certain the working group will do the best they can, but this is not going to be a fast process. And, it's not first in line either. I realize we'd all like immediate gratification, but that's not reality. You need members to proceed with the existing course. People that have yet to join CAP will be on schedule to take this course.