Topaz Publications Blog

We make extensive use of illustrations and photos in the publications we prepare, and we rely heavily on equipment manufacturers and trade associations as sources. But, we can’t use this material without written permission. We permissions editors spend a lot of time visiting websites to obtain the photos and other illustrations for our books.   Many websites seem to put up roadblocks that prevent us from reaching individuals within the company.  The companies don’t  know what we want, but they do want to reduce spam or other unwanted solicitations.  If we can ferret out the name of a person we need to contact, we try to reach them by email by looking for a pattern in a company’s email addresses.  But sometimes we do have to resort to the old-fashioned method of picking up the telephone and calling the company switchboard. If we can state our case to someone in marketing or marketing communications, we can often get the images we need.  People who work in these areas are smart and forward-thinking and know that we offer a way to get their products some free exposure.

Does distance learning work for construction workers?

It may seem paradoxical, but it is in fact being done. In a traditional construction apprentice program, apprentices work a full day and go to class two nights a week. This typically lasts for four years and requires about 2000 hours per year of OJT, combined with about 150 hours of classroom training. But, some apprentices work on job sites that are great distances from the school house. In many instances they are working overtime to meet project schedules.

Like any other training program, the ones for construction workers are a combination of classroom and hands-on work, so it’s the kind of situation that lends itself to a blended learning solution. Interactive on-line textbooks, augmented with video clips, active illustrations, and concept checks replace the classroom portion. A lecture with an audio track serves as a review and remediation tool. Apprentices attend school-house sessions on a scheduled basis to take proctored exams and do the hands-on performance testing, which must be signed off.

Students register through a learning portal and their progress is tracked. Instructors are able to verify that students are logging on and doing the work, and that they complete the on-line review tests. Students have access to instructors and other students via blog, email, etc. In addition, there are many knowledgeable people working at their job sites.