EducationFor Providers

March 28, 2012 –

IN THIS ISSUE

1. What’s New in AIA CES


2. Navigating the Resources Section of CES Discovery


3. What is an Audit? Why does CES Perform Audits?


4. Member Needs Assessment as a Marketing Resource


5. Upcoming Provider Events


6. Course Reviewer’s Corner - Why Does a Course Need Both a Course Description and Learning Objectives


7. Monthly Provider Tips and Reminders


8. Component Call for Speakers


9. Media Scan

Provider Spotlight!

PABCO Gypsum

By Jean Feroldi, Assoc. AIA

When designing courses as an AIA CES Provider, instructional design and relevant course content are key factors in providing successful education for AIA members. Yet, collecting feedback from students and performing additional research about adult learner preferences can improve the overall effectiveness of your courses. Gathering course evaluations from students is beneficial as it can pinpoint learning needs and encourage excellence in education. Instructors become accountable for their courses and feedback can help refine course topics.

This month, AIA CES asked PABCO Gypsum, a product manufacturer based in California, to highlight their best practices in administering courses to architects as part of the AIA Continuing Education System. Steven Jones, PE, CSI, a Sales Manager with PABCO Gypsum shared his commitment to educating AIA members and the importance of providing high quality courses with cutting-edge industry research. In his courses, Jones considers the continuing education needs of architects and tailors his courses to highlighting information about PABCO Gypsum’s products that is applicable to an architect’s practice. He refines courses based on course evaluations to address issues as they arise and validate improvements in the learning process.

In an interview, Jones provided AIA CES with valuable insight about PABCO Gypsum’s enthusiastic and thoughtful approach to continuing education for AIA members.

Learn More

Navigating the Resources Section of CES Discovery

By Jennifer Poole

Whether you’re a new provider or an old pro, it’s helpful to understand what AIA CES has to offer for resources, tips, and tools for providers.

If you have not read it yet, take a look at the AIA CES Provider Manual first. This document is a great resource for understanding the essential roles, responsibilities, and resources related to being an approved provider. The table of contents contains helpful links to the rest of the document, so you may both read the document in one sitting and continue using it as a reference moving forward.

Tucked under the “Resources” section of the CES Discovery System, you’ll find a wealth of resources to help you carry out your role as a provider. Step-by-step tutorials for submitting courses and submitting attendance are available to guide you in registering your courses for credit. Information related to changing and adding users to your account, quality assurance tools, and AIA CES logos are also available for your use. Remember – as an approved provider, you are required to use these logos on your presentations, and refrain from using other AIA logos.

Learn More

What Exactly is an Audit? Why Does CES Perform Audits?

By Nikitia Forest, MA

The mission of the AIA/CES Quality Assurance Audit is to identify and promote honest, efficient, effective and fully accountable CES Providers. The program is designed to help Providers accomplish their objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving their effectiveness in the areas of administration, delivery, content development and promotion.

The AIA CES Team strives to:

• Determine whether the Provider is meeting our administrative standards.

• Ensure timely attendance reporting for AIA members.

• Determine the accuracy of the Provider’s activities as they relate to the content of their continuing education courses.

• Determine if the Provider’s delivery of continuing educational courses complies with AIA/CES policies and procedures.

• Determine the honesty and accuracy of promotional materials.

• Recommend necessary improvements in each of the above areas.

Learn More

Member Needs Assessment as a Marketing Resource

By Aaron Neumann

This article is part of a series of articles that will dissect the Member Needs Assessment, focusing on key areas that will enable providers to meet the particular needs and preferences of specific demographics of AIA members. CES Providers can apply the research in this survey in a variety of useful ways. These articles will guide providers towards getting the most out of the research and information provided in the survey. CES Providers are familiar on some level with the needs of AIA members. After all, having a comprehensive understanding of member needs is a necessary ingredient in order to offer continuing education that is relevant and desirable. However, understanding AIA member needs at a deeper level can give CES Providers the competitive edge necessary to develop educational courses that maximize demand and truly meet member needs.

Learn More

Upcoming Provider Events

As a provider, we welcome you to join us for one of our upcoming face-to-face trainings or online webinars. The workshops are an excellent one-stop shop for provider related information. In April, for example, our Washington, DC workshop will cover CES procedures and policies, tips on using CES Discovery, as well as best practices for creating effective courses. We will highlight work that is being done by successful providers, and give you an insight into the mind of a course reviewer. The webinars will also review resources to continue to educate yourself and your presenters on creating effective AIA CES presentations and quality assurance procedures for your courses.

Workshops:

Thursday, April 12, AIA National

Tuesday, June 5, AIA Kentucky

Tuesday, July 24, AIA Kansas City

Wednesday, September 5, Boston Society of Architects

Tuesday, October 23, AIA Arizona

Thursday, November 29, AIA Columbus

Webinars:

How to Create an Effective AIA CES Presentation, April 17, 2-3pm ET

CES Discovery Training: Covering the Basics, April 24, 2-3pm ET

Assuring Quality in Continuing Education: Staying in Compliance with CES Provider Policy, April 18, 2012 1-2 pm, ET

Course Reviewer’s Corner
By Michael F. Tamara, Assoc. AIA

Why Does a Course Submission Need Both a Course Description and Learning Objectives?

It often seems to be the case that credit designation and learning objectives are stressed as the most important parts of a course submission. This is rightfully so, because these are the two pieces by which a member’s continuing education credit is determined and measured.

Although the learning objectives are the most detailed pieces of information, they should not overshadow the need for an equally well written course description. Some Providers find these two things redundant.

It helps to look at the description as an overall snapshot or summary of the course. Ask yourself what the course is really about at its most fundamental level. What are the key ideas? The description does not need to be overly wordy, but there does need to be enough there so that the person reading it would gain a good sense of the purpose of the course. It should always say more than what we already know from looking at the course title.

Learn More

Monthly Provider Tips and Reminders

•Updated AIA CES and Discovery logos can be found in the Resources section of CES Discovery. Please remember to use the CES logo on your course materials.

•The 2012 AIA National Convention guide is available for your reference.

•Reminder: We will continue using LU (learning unit) terminology with CES Programs in the near future.

Component Call for Speakers

AIA Chapters interested in finding speakers or sponsors for upcoming conferences or events can use this space to post conference information.

AIA Kentucky/AIA Indiana Convention
November 1-3, 2012
Lexington Kentucky
Call for Presentations – link: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1191851-kjSa947e9t
Submissions Due: April 30, 2012
Exhibitor and Sponsor opportunities available
Contact: Janet Pike jpike@aiaky.org or 859-223-8201

AIA Philadelphia
10th Annual Design on the Delaware Conference
November 14-16, 2012
Philadelphia, PA
Call for Presentations
Submission Date: April 16, 2012
Exhibit, Sponsor and Advertising opportunities available
Contact: Pat Gourley, pat@aiaphila.org or go to http://www.designonthedelaware.com

Please email aiamembercareces@aia.org to add your 2011 events to this list and include AIA Chapter Speakers and Sponsors in the Subject line. 

Media Scan

Architect
Overexposed

Design Intelligence
The Future Starts at Home

Chief Learning Officer
Anatomy of a Lifelong Learner