Instructor Briefing Methods
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Instructor Briefing Methods
I am a part-time heli AFI, and would be very interested to know what methods most of you use when giving students pre-flight briefs ie. traditional drawings on board, projectors etc.
I seem to find that it takes a long time to prepare a brief properly using traditional methods, and am considering trying to produce a few briefs using MS Powerpoint and displaying it via projector.
That way it would be possible to introduce complex diagrams/pictures without the 1/2 hour before the brief getting it on the board. Has anyone had any experience with 'more modern' instructional methods such as this. Any comments?
I seem to find that it takes a long time to prepare a brief properly using traditional methods, and am considering trying to produce a few briefs using MS Powerpoint and displaying it via projector.
That way it would be possible to introduce complex diagrams/pictures without the 1/2 hour before the brief getting it on the board. Has anyone had any experience with 'more modern' instructional methods such as this. Any comments?
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Half an hour to get a drawing on the board? Sounds like your drawings are so elaborate that your artistry may distract your students from your points.
I suggest that if you can't show what you need to with a stick airplane (or in your case, a stick-and-two-circles helicopter), a wind arrow and a couple of dotted lines, that you'd be better off demonstrating it with a model. That way you can show a manoever or a principle, then ask a question and put the model in the student's hand to have them show you the answer. I have seen instructors with demonstration models made variously of cardboard, lego, wire, beer cans, styrofoam and pencils. It can take a bit of practice to hold the model in a way that is most useful to the student. For example it helps if you point the tail towards the student so that left and right are not reversed for them
Other ideas to avoid drawing:
- make the drawing once on a piece of paper, and just show it to the student in the briefing
- bring books containing other people's brilliant diagrams
- make whiteboard templates e.g. a piece of card with a hexagonal cutout produces instant VORs
- have the student draw something first for review, then use their drawing to introduce the next point. e.g. tell the student to make a drawing showing how you would track inbound on a VOR radial, then commandeer their drawing to introduce wind correction.
(Good technique if the student makes wisecracks about your lousy drawings)
Hope that's useful.
[This message has been edited by Luftwaffle (edited 24 May 2000).]
I suggest that if you can't show what you need to with a stick airplane (or in your case, a stick-and-two-circles helicopter), a wind arrow and a couple of dotted lines, that you'd be better off demonstrating it with a model. That way you can show a manoever or a principle, then ask a question and put the model in the student's hand to have them show you the answer. I have seen instructors with demonstration models made variously of cardboard, lego, wire, beer cans, styrofoam and pencils. It can take a bit of practice to hold the model in a way that is most useful to the student. For example it helps if you point the tail towards the student so that left and right are not reversed for them
Other ideas to avoid drawing:
- make the drawing once on a piece of paper, and just show it to the student in the briefing
- bring books containing other people's brilliant diagrams
- make whiteboard templates e.g. a piece of card with a hexagonal cutout produces instant VORs
- have the student draw something first for review, then use their drawing to introduce the next point. e.g. tell the student to make a drawing showing how you would track inbound on a VOR radial, then commandeer their drawing to introduce wind correction.
(Good technique if the student makes wisecracks about your lousy drawings)
Hope that's useful.
[This message has been edited by Luftwaffle (edited 24 May 2000).]
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engineoff
A good idea to use powerpoint for the more complex ground briefs. I certainly find them very useful as they are:
a. easy to understand so long as you don't make them too complicated.
b. look professional and create the right impression to the student. Don't 'gash it' with poorly constructed models and fag packet briefings, you will quickly lose the respect of your student.
c. are easy to store (hard drive or floppy) and easy to update.
I recommend them to you, but use other aids as well to get the whole message across.
remember....RCP
Happy instructing!
MB
A good idea to use powerpoint for the more complex ground briefs. I certainly find them very useful as they are:
a. easy to understand so long as you don't make them too complicated.
b. look professional and create the right impression to the student. Don't 'gash it' with poorly constructed models and fag packet briefings, you will quickly lose the respect of your student.
c. are easy to store (hard drive or floppy) and easy to update.
I recommend them to you, but use other aids as well to get the whole message across.
remember....RCP
Happy instructing!
MB
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I use OHPs (Over Head Projector) and I find they speed up the briefing process. I like the computer idea, just the initial expense would be likely to put schools off.
I did a ground school course with Flight Safety in Paris and they used a projector linked to a PC and it worked brilliantly.
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AP
I did a ground school course with Flight Safety in Paris and they used a projector linked to a PC and it worked brilliantly.
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AP
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Thanks for comments and advice. Think I will try and produce a few of the exercices on Powerpoint to see how they pan out before having a go ; could always have them printed onto ohp slides, then won't have to get hold of a computer projector which I believe would be massively expensive?
Think this may be of particular benefit on some of the more complex exercises or aerodynamic briefs ; have found some great clip art on the web that could be included to help get certain points over.
Have found board drawing as tedious and repetitive as I am sure most do.. Never was any good at art, and being left handed tend to drag my hand over anything I write which creates a right mess! Any clever solutions for this other than becoming ambidextrous!
Safe Flying.
Think this may be of particular benefit on some of the more complex exercises or aerodynamic briefs ; have found some great clip art on the web that could be included to help get certain points over.
Have found board drawing as tedious and repetitive as I am sure most do.. Never was any good at art, and being left handed tend to drag my hand over anything I write which creates a right mess! Any clever solutions for this other than becoming ambidextrous!
Safe Flying.
