Hybrid Emergency Communication Courses FAQ

How does a "Hybrid" class compare with a "traditional" classroom class?

The traditional classroom course is one where all students and instructors meet at a specific location at appointed times to receive in-person training. Students are then required to attend a locally-administered field exam session to take the final exam.

With the "Hybrid" class, students will receive instruction via a combination of on-line and in-person classroom instruction with a local Mentor/Instructor. Students are enrolled in the ARRL on-line course and will take the final exam on-line.

The Hybrid class is conducted using a combination of classroom instruction and online instruction. Instruction and instructional student activities are managed by the local ARRL CEP Mentor (CM). The student is registered in the online course and has access to the online course throughout the instruction period. Students take the final assessment online, eliminating the need for exam sessions and related paper-based documentation. Students without computers can often obtain Internet access at a local library to take the final exam.

The Hybrid format gives instructors/mentors the opportunity to introduce information that is relevant to the local community. In the classroom, hybrid mentor/instructors should explain how the content of the course fits with the kinds of emergency responses you might be called upon to engage in your local community. Instructors should familiarize the students with the emergency responders in your community, include practice activities to illustrate the course content and adapt the activities to your local situation to make them as practical and relevant as possible. The purpose of the instruction is to assure that students comprehend the lesson material which has been to provide a common foundation of knowledge for effective participation in an emergency response. The objective is for students to gain practical knowledge as well as hands-on experience, essential—and crucial—to being prepared for local activation.

How do I organize a Hybrid class?

It's up to the local sponsoring group to provide a facility for the class and/or exam session. The requirements are similar to what is needed to teach Amateur Radio license classes and host Volunteer Exam sessions.

The sponsoring group also decides the class schedule. Experience with the online version of the course indicates that most students need approximately 25 hours to complete the material in each course. You can structure the course in several ways. Some examples:

• Three hours each Tuesday evening for 8 weeks.
• Five hours each Saturday for 5 weeks
• A three-Saturday course, 8 hours each of 3 days

Class Size and Pre-Registration. It's important to decide in advance how many students you are comfortable serving with the resources available. The maximum class size is up to the individual instructor, but 10 students per instructor is generally a reasonable number. It's important to be able to give each student enough attention to answer questions and work through problem areas. You will need to pre-register students to collect fees and complete the roster to send to our Continuing Education Program office.

What schedule do I follow to offer a Hybrid class?

As a Hybrid class instructor you may establish the schedule for the course.  Since your students will have access to the on-line course, you will need to establish the dates of access you would like your students to have (usually an 8-week time period) and notify our Continuing Education Program Administrator at cce@arrl.org of your class schedule. You will collect the fees and send the course roster so we can set the students up with access to the on-line course during the desired time period. 

The instructor determines the start and end date of the course for access to the on-line course, as well as the agenda for class instruction. The instructor determines the classroom meeting dates and curriculum to coordinate with access to the on-line course.

There is no need to schedule an exam session–which requires exam materials be sent back and forth in the mail--because your students will take the final exam on-line using the standard examination generating and grading software included in the on-line course.

What is the CEP registration process?

The Mentor/Instructor controls all registrations locally. Students are enrolled all at one time by collecting checks from each student and submitting a registration roster along with the course fees to ARRL Continuing Education Program. Our office will need to receive the roster at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the class to have time to enroll students in the on-line course system.

How do we handle the course books for our Hybrid class students?

All of the course content is available to your students in the on-line course, but you may order printed course books on-line or by phone with a credit card (1-888-277-5289). No shipping and handling will be charged on this order if you mention that you are ordering the books for instruction in a classroom.

To eliminate instructor handling, students may order their own books. Individual students will be charged shipping and handling, but books would be shipped directly to the student.

How do I register my Hybrid class?

Download and complete the Hybrid Class Registration Roster. Follow the instructions to gather the information and fees from your students and send everything to ARRL as instructed. Please remember - we must receive the Hybrid class roster at least 2 weeks before the class is to start.

I recently graduated from the Level III on-line class and wish to become a Mentor/Instructor so I can offer a local Hybrid class. What do I need to do now?

You must be accepted as an ARECC Mentor (CM) to teach a Hybrid class.  Please request a Mentor Familiarization packet from us and complete the training. Our Mentor Coordinator will conduct your training and notify us when you are qualified as a Mentor.

I'm already a Field Instructor (CI) and have instructed a field class locally. Can I now teach a "Hybrid" class?
You must be accepted as an ARECC Mentor to teach a Hybrid class.  Please request a Mentor Familiarization packet from us and complete the training. Our Mentor Coordinator will conduct your training and notify us when you are qualified as a Mentor.

What’s the difference in the requirements to become an ARECC Field Instructor, an ARECC Field Examiner and an ARECC Mentor?

Click here to review requirements for ARECC Mentors (CM) Field Instructors (CI) and Field Examiners (CE).

I'm preparing a Hybrid class for my area and want to include more information about ARES-related activities specific to my area. What flexibility do I have with the Student Activities in the course?

The course material and related Student Activities have been gathered and produced by Emergency Communications experts all over the country. They've been developed in a generic format as a baseline for general widespread use. We hope that classroom instructors will explain how the content of the course fits with the kinds of emergency responses you might be called upon to engage in your local community. We hope that you would familiarize the students with the emergency responders in your community, that you will include practice activities, to teach the course content and adapted to your local situation to make them as practical and relevant as possible. The objective is that students comprehend the lesson material and gain practical knowledge as well as hands-on experience, essential—and crucial—to being prepared for local activation.

 

For further information, e-mail your questions to cce@arrl.org.