Tomorrow's Technology for Today's Professional Certification: Adaptive Learning for High Stakes Licensure Preparation

Concurrent Session 4

Brief Abstract

Learn how Aviation Institute of Maintenance is using adaptive, personalized learning and hands-on test preparation to ensure students' success with professional licensure from the FAA.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Joel English, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Centura College

Dr. Joel English is the Vice President for Operations of Aviation Institute of Maintenance and Centura College, where he supervises all operations over the 20 campuses. Dr. English served as a Commissioner and Chairman for the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges for six years. He previously served as the CEO for the Ohio and Illinois Centers for Broadcasting and Miami and Colorado Media Schools. He oversaw distance learning and school operations at several campuses as Executive Director at Centura College, and he was formerly an Assistant Professor of English and Distance Learning at Old Dominion University. Dr. English published Plugged In: Succeeding as an Online Learner through Cengage Learning, as an extension of his dedication to supporting student success within online programs. Dr. English holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Ball State University, and an M.A. and B.A. in Technical and Expository Writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Co-presenter: Patrick Weir, Fulcrum Labs

Extended Abstract

A new generation of students is upon us - students who are tech-savvy, accustomed to personalized service, and have a variety of life and work experiences. At the same time, universities, community colleges, and career schools alike driving toward programs that lead to professional certifications and career readiness. To meet these changing dynamics and prepare students to compete in a global marketplace, while also ensuring the most efficient, effective and affordable path to graduation, colleges and universities are exploring innovative options, including adaptive, personalized learning and competency-based-education (CBE).

Adaptive, personalized learning supports competency-based education to help students graduate in a timely manner with the best combination of knowledge and marketable skills, while also giving institutions the insights to measurably improve learning outcomes, competencies and student success.

In this presentation, the Vice President from Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) along with the CEO of Adapt Courseware will discuss how their two organizations are collaborating on an adaptive capstone course and test preparation for FAA licensed mechanics. This innovative model is taking career preparedness to a higher level. Attendees will learn how AIM is merging content and interactivity to better prepare students and essentially guarantee that they can pass the high stakes FAA licensure test. Session leaders will showcase examples of a competency-based, instructor-led approach that includes hands-on digital interactives, enabling students to demonstrate mastery as they progress.

Discussion will focus on ways that adaptive, personalized learning can tailor course flow and activities depending on a students' knowledge and aptitude, better engaging and motivating them, and dramatically improving professional certification outcomes for graduates. Attendees will explore course and assessment examples that deliver productive learning experiences, which lead to better evidence of competency for prospective aircraft mechanics. Attendees also will learn how this adaptive, personalized approach can serve as a model for other similar types of programs in demanding fields that lead to high stakes licensure.