E-learning Epidemic
 

Hi all,

Is anyone else bothered by the constant flow of unregulated e-learning that is being pushed out to crew? By unregulated I mean that at my gig it doesn’t appear as a duty but it’s a requirement to fly. There seems to be no control or oversight and it’s 99% a complete waste of literally box ticking time.

Highlights include; a module on how to check a person’s ID followed by a quiz on it… And a 156 page, mandatory 30 second wait on each page for UPRT…

Thoughts?

I guess it depends on the company. My company pays anything between 0.5-2.0 credit hrs for each CBT completed. I agree, most of it is BS, though.

Mine gives a couple of E-learning days in lieu. A lot of it is box ticking as you say. Some of it is mandatory. And in days of yore I’d have to go to HQ to lose a day or two of my life. I’d rather do it in my own time in my own home.

I find all e-learning (aviation or in other industries i've been a part of) to be soul destroying. Never any real learning benefit, hours wasted clicking through screens, never to be remembered again. but theres a module for everything. Modern world gone mad, i think.

Don't get me started on the slides which proceed to read to you, the text which is displayed on the screen, at a rate which is slower than you could read yourself!

Seems to be a consensus that it’s a load of BS and does nothing for learning. Anyone care to disagree? I’d be interested if anyone saw any value in e-learning apart from avoiding wasting a day at the company’s classrooms.

This is really starting to get out of hand for new start when 20 or more of these tedious box modules are crammed into the time available for actual aeroplane tech study. Candidates on TR courses end up completely frazzled and scraping through on the important stull because so much time is wasted on the trivia. It would never happen but the way to get change would be to to get a CAA Ops inspector to do a full type rating course including having to do all this crap. Then they might wake up to how corrosive the creep of CBT has become. It really isn't appropriate to expect pilots to do ladder climbing and box lifting H&S modules in the middle of aircraft tech.

*Am not a pilot yet, so do take my opinion with a grain of salt*

Does CBT include like a proper 3d flight sim environment, or is it just clicking on the right option/ECAM button page and popups?

If it's NOT the former, then damn, that's really surprising to me, since modern flight sim software (desktop, study-level) is quite advanced, accessible and well documented. Even the 'simulators' we used during the Pandemic for engineering were quite freaking advanced, in that, we had a proper 3d environment to work around in.

CBT started way way before the current spate of e-learning. I remember Bob and Bill well from my first 737 type rating.

Bob “the landing lights are controlled by a switch on the overhead panel”

Bill “touch the switch”

Bob “you now know how to turn on the landing lights”.

Now that was agony and taught me sweet FA.

Ha-ha, had something similar on the Saab: CBT-s came on a CD and the software was compatible up to Windows XP. God, i feel old.

Is this not the operators using the ground school phase of the TRs as a vehicle to perform the BS elements that all (most) staff have to do? H&S, ethics, anti corruption etc...None of which have any relevance to a TR and none of which are part of any TR CBTs prepared by any of the independent CBT providers!

Sounds like it’s just more and more rubbish being foisted on the crew because there’s no limit or oversight.

I have heard a friend of a friend of a friend uses Auto Clicker 4.0 for various uses….

I however, steadfastly plough through the patronising crap sent my way and learn absolutely lots! :ok:

Exactly that. These modules are often dumped on the candidates for type ratings withing the tight timeframe allocated for TR study along with the usual need to also read and sign for the entire library of notices to crew and other Part A/B manuals. it is a complete distraction from the important bit of actually learning how the aeroplane works.

My favourite one was "Winter Ops".
We had to do the same course every year.
"...Ice and snow on the wings can be dangerous.."
Wow, really?! And please show me again the animation where they deice the wings!

A good one from Cpt Roger Victor on CBT:

Add to the above the fact that many courses are done via zoom etc which degrades a lot the quality of the training. At least that's how I felt as a new fo in a small company which grabbed the opportunity post-covid and did most of the courses like this in order to cut expenses among other things of course.

I also still remember the first days in a RYR TR a long-long talk about how magnificent the company was and how fantastic was the fact that we would be able to fly the MAX after just a couple of CBTs. Yeah sure...

Haha 🤣😂 This is the way. 👌🏼

CBT at home is cheap and easy for the company to organise and distribute. No classrooms need to be booked and paid for. No travel expenses need to be paid. No food for the attendees needs to be organised and paid for. No roster gaps need to be found for 20 pilots simultaneously - folk can do it at home on their day(s) off.

It covers insurance and company liability - "well, all our pilots have studied and passed the module about security". Or "all our pilots have studied and passed the module on performing proper walk-arounds". Doesn't mean that either these or other functions will be properly understood or carried out however..........

Was working in a non airline role recently and the event, (FormulaE), required an on-line CBT on Health and Safety to be studied and passed. This was supplemented by a half hour lecture when we arrived on site, where we were told to wear hard hats where necessary, only smoke in the designated areas, and a whole host of other such directives. We all signed the form and had our photos taken, so they could prove that we had attended the Health and Safety briefing.
On walking around site however, none of the highly visible Health and Safety staff were in evidence, hard hats were not being worn, and the smokers were seen smoking everywhere.......

It's just for the insurance; "He was told to wear a hard hat / hi-viz, but he didn't, so we won't pay out..........."