Automotive teachersChallenges facing teachers
Around the world, we see that automotive teachers today want to provide current, effective and stimulating courses but are too often facing all sorts of pressures in the classroom. The technologies are changing constantlyTechnology is becoming increasingly abstract, making it difficult to explain to students without the visual aid of animations or simulations. This has been a driving factor of Argo e-learning development: to visually demonstrate the inner working of automotive components and technologies, not to memorize texts. As a result of the rapidly changing automotive technologies, there is an enormous demand to be up to date with the latest developments. Whether it is regarding hybrid technology, electrical cars or CAN-bus, the teachers are expected to be completely up to speed. Unfortunately the learning materials that most publishers produce appear in books, CDs and videos; and, as a result, they are outdated almost as soon as they are produced. This is why Argo is only available online. This allows us to update constantly with new lessons, and updates to existing lessons, as the new technologies require. This ensures that the teachers' material is as current as it could be. The interactivity of Argo ties in nicely with the introduction of teaching technology in the classroom. It can be used for in-class exercises, homework but also for teachers and lecturers to give interactive presentations. New and costly automotive diagnostic toolsAnother area of rapid change is with the development of new and improved automotive diagnostic tools. Unfortunately, these are very costly causing many schools and colleges, with limited budgets, to be unable to procure as many as needed. To alleviate this problem, Argoprovides the latest diagnostic tools in its virtual teaching environment. This allows students to master them in an extremely realistic virtual environment with no extra cost whatsoever for the teachers or the school. 21st Century studentsThe current student generation has grown up with technologies and have always are naturally "tech savvy". As many teachers have observed, this tech-intuitive, gaming-oriented generation of digital natives acquires knowledge and skills in a different manner that preceding generations may have done. The onus is then on teachers to modify their approach when necessary in order to have the most effective teaching results possible. Today's students often have a multi-tasking approach to learning. This is frequently coupled with a preference for short, wiki-like, snippets of information. Automotive students, in particular, prefer a hands-on approach to learning over heavy text books and automotive manuals. The interactive and game-like modules of Argo have been designed to stimulate students and improve the learning effectiveness. Argo is all about making learning fun. Changing skills requirementsWithin vocational education, a clear shift is taking place from the theoretical to the practical- and skills-based training. Teachers are also challenged with regularly changing educational requirements in combination with limited or decreasing budgets for additional teacher training. Argo allows teachers to stay on top of practical and skills training by seamlessly merging the theoretical with the practical in a virtual environment. We offer free workshops for our customers so that they can be updated on new technologies and skills-based training. With these workshops, teachers learn to use Argo with an optimal teaching effect in their classrooms. A virtual dry run: preparation for practical trainingNo automotive training is effective without getting your hands dirty. But many teachers worry about beginner students working on real cars with real instruments and tools. When something goes wrong, then it is very costly. This is why many teachers first make their students prove their mastery of a task or skill in the safe and realistic virtual environment of Argo. Students can break instruments and tools in Argo as well, but with no cost. Once they have mastered the skill in simulation, then they work on the real cars. This is the same principle as with airplane simulators. Argo had been developed with these various challenges in mind. At Electude we know that students today are interested in interactive and stimulating learning materials, which is why Argo has been developed on the principles of gaming. The benefits which Argo provides for teachers are:
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