Frequently Asked Questions - General
- How do e learning courses work?
- What computer skills do I need?
- What equipment do I need?
- How does it compare with a real life presentation?
- What are the course materials?
- Who do I contact if I have a problem?
- How much time will I need?
- What is the difference between the study course and the course library?
Should I choose a study course or use the course library?
How do e learning courses work?
This depends on whether you decide to use the course library, or to enrol on a study course. Both methods involve participants in listening to short presentations on a series of subjects, via an internet connection, and taking part in quizzes to see how well they have understood the presentation. In a study course the participants also have a structured programme of activities.
What computer skills do I need?
You do not need a lot of experience with computers to take our e-learning courses. You will, however, need to be familiar with the internet. You should not encounter problems as long as you can use the mouse, scroll, click hyperlinks, operate a play and pause button on audio files, save files, use e-mail, enter text into Web-based forms, and use the internet to access information.
Internet Explorer 6 or above, Safari 2 or above, Firefox 1 or
above
Adobe Flash Player
Sound card and speakers
How does it compare with a real life presentation?
There are advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages are
• flexibility in time and location. Participants can undertake the study at times most convenient to them and do not have to travel to the venue
• flexibility in content. Participants can spend more time on the topics which they find most difficult, without having to spend time dealing with topics on which they are already familiar
• flexibility in pace. If a participant finds a particular comment hard to follow, they can pause the nugget while they let it sink in, and repeat that section as necessary.
• interaction with tutor. Participants in a study course have the ability to ask questions of the tutor in the forum if they need further clarification
The disadvantage is that there is no face to face interaction and as a consequence, participants need a certain amount of discipline to work through the materials. The structured format of the study courses addresses this by requiring certain stages to be completed to deadlines.
What are the course materials?
Each nugget in the course library, or included as part of a study course, is available both as a video with sound, which can be listened to on your computer, and also as text, which you can print off and read. Many of the nuggets also have reference material referred to in the nugget and which can be printed off. For example, the nugget on the cross default clause will refer to the text of a cross default clause, which will also be provided.
For a study course, for each stage of the course, participants will be given a list of nuggets to listen to, with their corresponding texts and reference material. In most cases, unless the participant is following the "key facts" route, there will also be some compulsory reading, either from the text book for the study course, or from text provided. There may also be additional suggested reading.
Who do I contact if I have a problem?
Send us an e mail using the contact us form, with details of your problem
If you choose to take the in depth version of a study course it should take between 30 and 40 hours ideally spread over a four to six week period (although we can also accomodate faster or slower progress if agreed with the person organising the course). If you choose to follow the "key facts" route, it should take between 15 and 20 hours over the same period of time. You do not have to elect at the start which version you would like to follow, and move from one to the other as you discover which suits you best. For the course library, you may decide for yourself how much or little to study. As a guide, each nugget takes no longer than 10 minutes, and generally, if you choose to do any background reading suggested for the nugget, it ought to take around half an hour.
What is the difference between the study course and the course library?
The course library consists of a series of short videos (or nuggets) each relating to a separate finance related topic. With these, you can choose which topic is of particular interest to you and, when you have an available time slot, you can listen to your chosen nugget, print off and review the text of the nugget and, if you like, look at any suggested background reading. The nugget should take no longer than 10 minutes to listen to, and, at the end, you can test your understanding by doing the quiz.
The course library therefore is a very flexible method of study for those who either
• do not have the time available to take part in a study course or
• only need to study some of the topics covered, perhaps because of the nature of their work or because they are familiar with most of the topics but have a few gaps in their knowledge
The study course, on the other hand, consists of a structured programme, taking participants through the subject on a formal, preferably weekly, basis. Participants will be given a programme of nuggets to study, and an assignment to complete, as well as having the opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues with their tutor. Their progress will be monitored by the tutor, and they will be awarded a certificate at the end of the course if it is successfully completed.
Should I choose a study course or use the course library?
The study courses are useful for beginners, as an introduction, and to those with practical experience but who have not previously had any in depth formal training on the topics, to help them to fill in the inevitable gaps and to give them a framework to consolidate their practical knowledge. Those with extensive experience may find the course library particularly useful as that will enable them to focus on their own areas of concern