Get the best out of the VTS

Get the best out of the BICSc Virtual Training Suite
I don’t think anybody would disagree that online training has certainly grown beyond all
expectations in the last couple of years throughout a number of industries – not only cleaning and
hygiene.
Until March 2020, it was very much considered to be a niche market limited to ‘technology buffs’,
but as people were forced to work from home, they had to embrace the available technology to
continue with ‘business as usual’ where possible.
Distance learning has been around for a long time (think Open University!), but long gone are the
days of having to watch some grainy black-and-white programme being broadcast in the middle of
the night on BBC2. For a lot of online training, and especially BICSc online offering through the
Virtual Training Suite, you can do it where and when you want.
But, as with any learning situation, the outcome is only as good as the input the students give it. Like
a conventional classroom, there will always be students who don’t pay attention.
So, how do you ensure you get the best out of the BICSc Virtual Training Suite?
• Don’t skim the lessons – The way the courses are structured in our online environment, the
software won’t let you pick and choose which lessons you want to do, and it won’t let you
do them out of sequence.
The running order of the lessons has been planned so that the information flows in a logical
order. There is very often information you need from an earlier lesson to be able to
complete a later lesson, so make sure you complete each lesson in full. If you don’t
understand something in a lesson, you can always replay or review it so that it does
eventually make sense. And if you still don’t understand something, remember you can
pause the lesson/course, send us an email with your query, and then continue when you
have your answer.
• Watch the videos – When a video forms part, or all, of a lesson, ensure you watch it in full –
don’t start it playing and leave it running in the background to go and do something else. If
you are taking a skills course, the video will show and explain to you exactly what you will
need to demonstrate to the assessor during your live assessment.
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• Listen to the narrative – Regardless of the type of lesson (a narrated presentation, an
animated presentation with narration, or a live-action video) listen closely to the narration.
Whilst most of the information you need will be presented in both audio and visual formats,
there may be the odd occasion when it is one or the other.
• Follow the instructions – With some of the courses, you will be required to submit an
assignment to be marked before you are deemed to have passed the course and are eligible
to download your certificate.
With these types of courses, there are always detailed instructions on what we are expecting
from you – what you should include in the assignment, the format you need to use, and the
minimum size, for example, 1,000 words.
Just because you submit the assignment electronically through the Virtual Training Suite
doesn’t mean that it automatically triggers a ‘course complete’ button and you can
download your certificate.
All assignments are reviewed internally by one of the senior members of the technical team
and marked accordingly so that we are confident that you have fully understood the content
of the course – it’s no different to submitting an assignment in a face-to-face classroom
environment. Until that assignment has been reviewed, you will not be deemed to have
completed the course.
Of course, if we feel that your assignment doesn’t quite hit the requirements, we will always
give you feedback on what needs to be improved and you can have another attempt. It’s not
one strike and you’re out!
• Complete pre-requisite training – With some of the courses, there are separate training
modules within the course that you will need to complete before applying to BICSc for the
next stage (be that a live assessment, training practice day, etc).
For example, in the assessor course, there is a lesson on how to use the CPSS app, and
further on in the course, we give you details of a training account you can use with the app
to assess a candidate in the test assessment lesson. We are aware that some establishments
don’t permit the use of electronic devices on-site, but if you do have access to a device you
are expected to use the app to mark the assessment presented in the course.
When you attend the practice day, you will be expected to be comfortable with the app and
be prepared to use it throughout the day.
• Download and read the resource documents – At the end of each course, we have included
as much back-up documentation as we can to go with the course. Sometimes the
information you need is contained within the documents, so it is recommended you always
download and read the documents.
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As tutors, we may not be in the ‘classroom’ with you, but also you can’t try it on with ‘the dog ate
my homework’ type excuse if you want to progress to the next stage or download your certificate if
you haven’t completed all lessons in a course, as we can tell from your account how far you have
progressed through the course and whether you are eligible to progress to the next step.
Like all good teachers should be, we are here to help you. Happy learning!
Now, where did I put those gold stars – I have more assignments to mark.
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