LEARNER HANDBOOK

FOR

ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENTS

‘Online Learning’ is not the next big thing, it’s the now big thing

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Press Ctrl + Click …….. to go directly to the Sections indicated below)

1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 3

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT ................................................. 3

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDYING ONLINE .............................................................. 4

4. INTRODCTION TO EPT AVIATION PERSONNEL ........................................................................ 6

5. FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT ................................................... 6

6. HONESTY POLICY ................................................................................................................... 8

7. LEARNER DECLARATION ......................................................................................................... 9

8. CODE OF CONDUCT ................................................................................................................ 9

9. ABSENCE FROM THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM .......................................................................... 10

10. EXPRESSION OF DISSATISFACTION ..................................................................................... 10

11. LEARNER SUPPORT ............................................................................................................ 11

12. COMPLETION OF WORK SET IN THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM ................................................. 11

13. USERNAME AND PASSWORD ............................................................................................. 12

14. COPYRIGHT OF THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT ......................................................... 12

15. TIPS FOR ONLINE LEARNING ............................................................................................... 12

1. INTRODUCTION

In order to remain innovative and relevant with the current times, technological improvements

and increased customer demands, it is critically essential that Training Organisations continuously

strive to improve and enhance the manner in which they conduct their training. EPT Aviation

Training places great importance to quality, innovation and continuous improvement in online

teaching and learning. As such, EPT Aviation Training offers numerous Programmes using the

blended learning approach in order to keep up with the rapid changes and advancements

occurring in the learning and development environment. These Blended Learning Programmes

encompass the advantages of the online learning and “face to face” learning methodologies.

These Programmes comprise of the following two essential components:

a) Online Learning Component – This is the e-learning section of the Programme and

primarily focuses on the presentation and study of the theoretical aspects of the syllabus.

b) Mandatory Residency Component – This is the “face to face” section of the Programme

and focuses on both theoretical and practical aspects of the syllabus. It is in this

component that all examinations and practical assessments are undertaken to determine

the level of competency of the Learner.

The purpose of this Learner Handbook is to provide essential information to all Learners enrolled

for any Blended Learning Programme offered by EPT Aviation Training. The important information

in this Learner Handbook relates specifically to the Online Learning Component of these

Programmes. Some of the information will be of immediate use, whilst other parts will be useful

for future reference. It is essential that Learners carefully go through ALL information presented in

this Learner Handbook prior to the commencement of the Online Learning Component.

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT

The Online Learning Component is the e-learning section of the Blended Learning Programme and

primarily focuses on the presentation and study of the theoretical aspects of the syllabus. This

Component of the Programme is taught by experienced, highly qualified, and where required,

accredited Instructors. The Online Learning Component is aligned to and guided by the prescribed

syllabus that is required for the successful completion of a specific qualification/course/certificate.

The Online Learning Component is divided into various Courses and each Course is further broken

down into Modules so that the Programme can be presented effectively. The learning objectives

and assessment criteria are clearly stipulated for each Course.

Since this Component is conducted online, it does not include any practical training, however,

various practical scenarios are often discussed in the Virtual Classroom. The Online Learning

Component uses the asynchronous format. Asynchronous classes are internet-based and are

delivered by an Instructor. However, the students and the Instructor do not have to be logged in at

the same time in order to interact with each other or fellow classmates. Classes are completed

when the learner logs in and submits his/her contributions, which are read by others when they

log in at a later stage. Interaction with instructors and fellow students takes place via Classroom

Discussion Forums. Asynchronous courses have the advantage of more flexibility whereby

students start when they are ready and proceed at their own pace (within some set parameters –

refer to point 11). They do not have to wait for a “class” to start nor do they have to wait for other

students to move along, or try to keep up with faster students.

It is critically important to note that Learners are required to complete all aspects of the Online

Learning Component. Any aspect that is not undertaken satisfactorily, must be completed prior to

the Learner proceeding to the next aspect of the Online Learning Component. In addition, should

the Learner not meet all requirements of the Online Learning Component, they may not

commence with the mandatory Residency Component, should this form part of your Programme.

A Learner Declaration, which indicates that the Learner has read, understood and accepts the

contents of this Learner Handbook, is required for each Learner prior to the commencement of

the Online Learning Component.

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDYING ONLINE

To study online you must be able to access and use e-learning portal of EPT Aviation Training. The

e-learning portal provides you with access to the Virtual Classroom, Course content, Forums etc.

The e-learning portal is accessed through a compatible Internet browser. You will also need

software to read any documentation, watch videos and view pictures that are provided for you in

the Virtual Classroom.

TO BE ABLE TO USE THE E-LEARNING PORTAL, YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

An Internet connection at home – You must have a reliable Internet connection at home.

It is not realistic to study online if you only have access at work or in Internet cafes.

Although broadband (cable/ASDL) will enhance the experience of using the e-learning

portal, it is still possible to study if you only have a dial-up connection.

A personal email address – A personal email address is required to facilitate

communications related to your studies. Furthermore, this email will also serve as your

personal Username. This should ideally be a WebMail service (like Gmail or Yahoo!) rather

than a work email address, as you may be unable to access your work email when you are

outside of the office.

A suitable computer – Generally speaking, if you have a computer running either a

Microsoft Windows or an Apple OS X operating system that is less than five years old, it will

normally be fast enough and have sufficient memory to use the e-learning portal.

Supporting software – In addition to having a supported Internet browser installed, you

must be able to read Adobe Acrobat documents (also called PDFs), view videos and

pictures. Please note that you must have the ability to install and update software on any

computer you intend to use for your studies in case the software on the computer needs

updating in order to use the e-learning portal. This means that you might not be able to

reply upon a computer belonging to your employer (for example, a laptop you are provided

with), as many IT departments do not allow employees to update or install software on

company owned computers.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a good internet connection and a suitable

computer with the relevant supporting software. You can find detailed technical requirements

below. You may contact your Learner Support Manager should you require further guidance on

these issues.

USEFUL LINKS FOR SOFTWARE:

You can download the latest version of Apple Safari, or get details of the latest version of

Apple OS X here: http://www.apple.com

Details about obtaining Microsoft Office or updating to the latest version of Windows can

be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/

To update your computer to the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer or to get

other free Microsoft updates visit: http://www.update.microsoft.com (for computers

running Windows operating systems only)

You can download Mozilla Firefox here: http://www.mozilla.com

You can download Google Chrome here: http://www.google.com/chrome

You can download Adobe Flash Player here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

You can download Java here: http://www.java.com/download

4. INTRODCTION TO EPT AVIATION PERSONNEL

The following EPT Aviation Personnel will be appointed to each Module in the Online Learning

Component:

Programme Director – This person will be part of EPT Management Team. They have

access to learning content and are responsible for the overall quality assurance and quality

control of the Programme. They do not actively participate in the Virtual Classroom, except

making Programme Announcements. However, they will be responsible for signing off the

Programme on behalf of EPT Aviation Training. This person is the highest authority in the

internal Appeals Process of EPT Aviation Training.

Learner Support Manager – This person provides support to the Learners for any non-

academic issues. They have access to learning content and they do not actively participate

in the Virtual Classroom, except making general Programme Announcements, enrolment of

learners, setting up of training logistics etc. Their main duty is to provide learning support

to all learners to ensure that the learning programme proceeds smoothly. The Learner

Support Manager will conduct all Support Courses for the Programme.

Course Instructor – A qualified Instructor will be allocated to each Core Course. They have

access to Course content and they participate actively in the Virtual Classroom. They also

teach the Courses, grade students work, make Course announcements and are responsible

for the delivery of Course content as per the prescribed syllabus and EPT Aviation Training

operational requirements. They are the first point of contact for all academic related

issues.

Depending on the type of Programme, other EPT Aviation Personnel may also be appointed as

required.

5. FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT

The Online Learning Component offers the following functionalities:

Course Announcements – This is where general announcements are made by the

Instructor to the whole class. All learners are required to read all announcements and the

Online Learning System is designed to monitor and track all learner activities with regards

to Course Announcements.

The Virtual Classroom - This is where the actual theoretical content will be presented to

the learner. The presentation will utilise appropriate font size and spacing, effective use of

colour and display features, reasonable amount of information per page for effective

learning, and use supporting aids such as pictures, videos, power point presentations,

relevant www links etc. In addition, PDF attachments of relevant training manuals are also

provided in the Virtual Classroom. The Online Learning System is designed to monitor and

track all learner activities with regards to work completed in the Virtual Classroom.

Classroom Discussion Forums – this is where intensive active discussions take place

between learners and the instructor, as well as amongst learners. All participants are able

to read each other’s contributions, and in doing so, provide greater opportunities for the

sharing of information and experiences. This enhances the learning process and

contributes positively to the development of Learners. The Online Learning System is

designed to monitor and track all learner activities with regards to work completed in the

Discussion Forums. The Instructor will monitor the contributions made by each Learner in

the Discussion Forums and establish whether the learner has achieved an acceptable

understanding of the theory.

Self-Test Quiz – Self-Test Quizzes are provided at the end of each Module and the

questions are in multiple choice format. This allows the learner to evaluate his/her

understanding and knowledge of the module. In addition, a Self-Test Quizz for the full

Course is offered at the end of the Course for knowledge consolidation purposes. The

Online Learning System is designed to monitor and track all learner activities with regards

to the completion of Self-Test Quizzes. All Self-Test Quizzes are electronically marked and

immediate feedback is provided to the learner with adequate explanations for remedial

purposes.

Feedback from Instructor – The Instructor is able to provide detailed personal feedback to

each learner on the progress of their studies. Detailed feedback is provided on completion

of each Module, however, more frequent feedback will be provided should it be deemed

necessary to ensure that the learning progresses as desired.

Contact the Course Instructor – This is where learners can pose questions to the Instructor

on areas that they require further clarification or additional information. All questions to

the Instructor will be answered within 24 hrs, however, in most cases it is envisaged that

this will be accomplished in a much shorter time frame.

Contact the Student Support Manager – This is where learners can pose questions to the

Student Support Manager on any non-academic issues whereby learners require further

clarification or additional information. All questions to the Learner Support Manager will

be answered within 24 hrs, however, in most cases it is envisaged that this will be

accomplished in a much shorter time frame.

6. HONESTY POLICY

All learners enrolled for any Online Learning Component at EPT Aviation Training are subjected to

the Training Organisation’s Honesty Policy outlined herein.

Learners are required to complete the Online Learning Component on their own and NOT enlist

the help of anyone else except the Course Instructor. All essential readings and studies, Virtual

Classroom discussions, and the completion of Self Study Tests etc that form part of the Online

Learning Component, must be completed by the enrolled learner, and not by any unauthorised

third party. Although each Core Course in the Online Learning Component is supervised

“indirectly” by the Course Instructor, it is not always possible to oversee that the work is in fact

completed by the enrolled learner. Since learners are required to complete the Online Learning

Component in the absence of the “direct” supervision of the Course Instructor, this Honesty Policy

outlines the standards required when undertaking an Online Learning Component with EPT

Aviation Training. All learners are expected to comply with the requirements set down in the

Honesty Policy for the duration of their studies in the Online Learning Component of this

Programme.

THE HONESTY POLICY OF EPT AVIATION TRAINING STATES THAT:

All readings, studies, Virtual Classroom discussions, completion of Self Study Tests, or any

specific tasks set by the Course Instructor will be completed only by the enrolled learner.

No assistance from any third parties (except from the assigned Course Instructor) will be

utilised in completing any work required by the Online Learning Component.

All aspects of the Online Component will be solely completed by the enrolled learner.

Any aspect of the Online Learning Component that is not completed according to the

requirements set above, will be deemed null and void and will not be accepted by the

Course Instructor.

In the event that dishonesty by the learner is proven, EPT Aviation Training reserves the

right to terminate the learner’s enrolment and prevent the learner from proceeding any

further with his/her studies.

In the event of such dishonesty, EPT Aviation Training reserves the right not to make any

refunds with regards to tuition fees charged.

Please note that in any learning environment, dishonesty in the completion of academic work is

regarded as a major offence, and as such, Training Organisations award severe penalties to such

behaviours. Therefore, EPT Aviation Training encourages all learners to undertake their studies in

an honest and ethical manner.

7. LEARNER DECLARATION

Prior to the commencement of the Online Learning Component, each learner is provided with a

Learner Declaration whereby learners are required to confirm that they have read, understood

and accept the contents of the Learner Handbook for Online Learning Components (which includes

the Honesty Policy, Code of Conduct etc). To do this, learners are requested to post a declaration

of acceptance of the Learner Handbook prior to the commencement of each Online Learning

Component for which they are enrolled for. Posting a declaration acknowledges that the learner

has read the Learner Handbook, agree to and accept the contents thereof.

EPT Aviation Training therefore encourages all learners to read the Learner Handbook carefully

prior to posting the required Learner Declaration in the Virtual Classroom. Please note that

Learners will not be able to proceed with the Programme if this Leaner Declaration is not posted

as required. Should you have any queries regarding any aspect of the Learner Handbook, please

contact the Learner Support Manager for further clarification.

8. CODE OF CONDUCT

Since this is an online discussion based learning environment, it is important to define what is

proper and what is improper when communicating with other Learners and the Instructor via the

Classroom Discussion Forums. Some of these policies are obvious and many of you would never

consider such behaviour because you believe it is unprofessional. Nevertheless, unprofessional

behaviour can stifle classroom discussions which are essential to the learning process. Therefore,

it is important for EPT Aviation Training to have rules regulating the Conduct of Learners enrolled

for any Online Learning Component. Breaches of these rules are regarded as constituting

misconduct. To that end, Learners will adhere to the following Code of Conduct for online

learning:

Access EPT Aviation Training online Programmes only for lawful purposes

Respect the privacy of the Instructor and other Learners in the Virtual Classroom

Respect the integrity of computer systems of EPT Aviation Training

Respect the diversity of opinions among the instructor and the other Learners and respond

to them in a courteous manner. Electronic communication consisting of all caps, large font,

or bold print may be considered unprofessional and a form of verbal abuse

Maintain an environment free of harassment, stalking, threats, abuse, insults, or

humiliation to the Instructor and other Learners in the Virtual Classroom. This includes, but

is not limited to demeaning written comments of an ethnic, religious, sexist (or sexual

orientation), or racist nature; and the unwanted sexual advances or intimidations by email,

or on discussion boards and other postings in Classroom Discussion Forums

Refrain from using any violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening, intimidating or offensive

language

Refrain from the distribution or publication of a poster, notice, sign or any publication

which is offensive, intimidating, threatening, indecent or illegal, including the broadcasting

and electronic distribution of such material

Abide by all rules and regulations published by EPT Aviation Training and agree to be

subjected to disciplinary actions as described in this Learner Handbook.

9. ABSENCE FROM THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

The Online Learning System is designed to monitor and track all Learner activities with regards to

each Course in the Online Learning Component. Log in by Learners, date and time of completion of

tasks in the Virtual Classroom, participation in the Classroom Discussion Forums etc are all

monitored by the System. Therefore, the progress of each Learner is tracked by the System and

the Course Instructor/Learner Support Manager is able to monitor the progress of all Learners.

Should it be evident that the Learner has not participated in the Virtual Classroom for longer than

three consecutive days, the Learner will be contacted by the Course Instructor/Learner Support

Manager to discuss the situation further. Learners are required to undertake their studies

consistently in order to ensure successful completion of the Online Learning Component.

10. EXPRESSION OF DISSATISFACTION

EPT Aviation Training strives to ensure that all Online Learning Programmes are delivered

according to the highest standards possible. Therefore Learners have the opportunity to express

their dissatisfaction against any unfair/discriminatory decision made by any EPT Aviation

Personnel or any other dissatisfaction they may experience during the Online Learning

Component. Should any Learner experience any dissatisfaction, they are encouraged to first

contact their Course Instructor or Learner Support Manager to establish if their dissatisfaction can

be resolved. If the issue is not resolved or if the dissatisfaction is directly related to the Course

Instructor/Learner Support Manager, then Learners may express their dissatisfaction directly to

the Programme Director. The Programme Director can be contact via email:

marlene@eptaviation.com

11. LEARNER SUPPORT

For all Academic Related Issues – The Course Instructor is the first point of contact for all

academic related issues such as questions pertaining to the Course work, problems

accessing work/videos/pictures in the Virtual Classroom , submission of required work etc.

Learners may contact the Course Instructor by sending their query via the “Contact the

Course Instructor” facility located under the Module “General Information for this Course”

found at the beginning of each Course.

For all Non-Academic Related Issues – The Learner Support Manager is the first point of

contact for all non-academic issues such as technical problems in logging on, registration

and payment queries, changing personal details etc. Learners may contact the Course

Instructor by sending their query via the “Contact the Student Support Manager” facility

located under the Module “General Information for this Course” found at the beginning of

each Course.

12. COMPLETION OF WORK SET IN THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

The Virtual Classroom comprises of various tasks that each Learner must complete. These include:

Reading and acknowledging all classroom announcements.

Studying all information presented in the Virtual Classroom for each module including

viewing videos, reading supplementary information etc.

Actively participating in Classroom Discussion Forums.

Completing the Self-Study Test for each Module.

Although online learning offers the benefit of studying at one’s own pace, it is essential that

certain parameters are set to ensure that Learners do complete the required tasks within a

specific time frame. This is essential in order to facilitate productive interaction between all parties

in the Classroom Discussion Forums. Therefore, all Learners must take note of deadlines for

completion of Self-Study Quizzes, participation in Classroom Discussion Forums etc. Deadlines are

clearly indicated for each aspect of work to be completed and Learners must adhere to these time

frames. Failure to do so will result in non-completion of that specific aspect. Learners must

complete ALL aspects of the Online Learning Component as required in order to satisfactorily

complete this Component.

If a Learner is experiencing circumstances which mean they will be unable to complete a piece of

work by its deadline, they may request for an extension. Course Instructors have a limited,

discretionary power to give extensions to the deadlines of some Course components. Please note

that not all Course components can have their deadlines extended and that the exact rules vary

between Programmes. You can ask your Learner Support Manager for advice, but the decision

rests with the Course Instructor. Therefore, all requests for extensions must be directed to the

Course Instructor PRIOR to the deadline. The required work must then be submitted by the new

deadline as indicate by the Course Instructor. Please note that ONLY ONE extension is permitted

per Course.

13. USERNAME AND PASSWORD

A username and Password is issued to all Learners who have enrolled for a particular Programme

and have paid their tuition fees as required. The Username and Password allows the enrolled

Learner access to the Online Learning Component of the Programme. All Usernames and

Passwords are case sensitive. Usernames cannot be changed however Learners are able to change

their Passwords. For further information regarding Usernames and Passwords, please contact the

Learner Support Manager. The Learner will be able to access the Online Learning Component for

the duration of the Programme. On successful completion or withdrawal from the Programme, the

Learner’s access to the Online Learning Component will be terminated.

The enrolled Learner is the only individual that is authorised by EPT Aviation Training to utilise the

issued Username and Password. Learners SHALL NOT disclose their Username and Password to

any unauthorised third party. Should it be evident that a Learner has given his/her Username and

Password to an unauthorised third party, and the individual has accessed the Online Learning

Portal, EPT Aviation Training reserves the right to terminate the Learner’s enrolment, without the

possibility of any refunds.

14. COPYRIGHT OF THE ONLINE LEARNING COMPONENT

All elements of the Online Learning Component are the intellectual property of EPT Aviation

Training. Learners, or any unauthorised third party, may not under any circumstance copy or

duplicate any element of the Online Learning Component (or part thereof) without written

permission from the Directors of EPT Aviation Training. Should there be evidence of any such

infringement of this copyright, criminal charges will be instituted against such perpetrator/s.

15. TIPS FOR ONLINE LEARNING

Learners must realise that they will be working just as hard on our Online Learning Component as

they would in our Classroom Based Programmes. The only difference is that you will just be

working differently. With the continued growth of online education, the challenge of staying

motivated in self-directed study is something more students struggle with.

While the flexibility of online study creates great options for many students, it can also lead to loss

of focus and struggles with motivation. Online study is primarily self-directed, and finding ways to

stay motivated is key to success. These ideas can help you stick with it for the long haul.

a) Set a Realistic Schedule

Excitement over beginning a programme of study can cause some students to set big goals and to

take on more than they can handle. It can become easy to schedule more classes and more

commitments than can reasonably be managed, causing feelings of being overwhelmed that can

cause you to give up. In order to stay focused and motivated, you need to create a more realistic

schedule of tasks that can actually be completed in the time allotted. Completing these small goals

will create a sense of accomplishment that will inspire you to keep working.

b) Take Breaks

All work and no play makes Jack a very unmotivated boy. You need to give yourself a breather

every now and then so that you can are focused and energized when it’s time to study. Schedule

time for activities that you enjoy so that you can get a break from intense work and so you can

have something to look forward to in your schedule. Knowing that you can enjoy a movie or a

night out with friends guilt-free if you finish your project can motivate you to keep going and to

finish more quickly.

c) Become Social

Studying online can be isolating for many students. You don’t see your instructor or your

classmates every day like you would in a traditional classroom. You can help bridge this gap by

interacting with your instructor and your classmates in other ways — through online discussion

forums, video conferencing, and phone calls. Build an online support community to help you

connect to others who are going through a similar experience. You can get inspiration and support

from one another by talking about ideas, offering each other study tips, and more.

d) Make Connections

Sometimes, it can seem like you’re studying in a vacuum. Passing a test can seem like a means

unto itself. It can be difficult to keep in mind how what you’re doing will lead to real-world results,

such as the type of job you will have or the type of lifestyle you will be able to provide for your

family. Find motivation by connecting what you’re studying to what you will be doing once you

graduate. Learn about how what you’re studying connects to what is happening currently in your

field, how it is used by working professionals, and more. Don’t let your studies be limited by the

classroom.

e) Review Goals

Why did you decide to get this qualification? What made you choose the field you are studying?

Why did you elect to take your courses online rather than in a traditional classroom setting?

Remembering the answers to these questions can help you stay motivated in your studies.

Regularly review your personal goals to remember why you are doing what you are doing. This can

help you remember that you aren’t studying for this test just to pass a class, but that you are doing

it because you are passionate about becoming a designer, or because you want to be a role model

for your children, or because you want to prove to yourself that you can meet the challenge.

Finding ways to stay motivated while you are studying for your online programme is critical to

your academic success. Setting a realistic schedule, making time for fun, keeping your goals in

mind, and finding support can all help you to stay motivated when you find yourself feeling

overwhelmed by your studies.