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many CAP members were already familiar with AFIADL through the Observer and Scanner correspondence courses (also very out of date and in need of on-lining (to coin a word).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