Training maintenance and public works staff in the latest strategies and equipment is very important, but it comes with challenges around budget, time, space, and access. Ann Johnson Stewart, course instructor for Minnesota LTAP and the Center for Transportation Studies, says online learning can address some of these issues.
“Some new insights have become clear to us after COVID-19 shifted how we think about online instruction and learning,” Johnson Stewart says.
Teaching maintenance and public works staff has always come with unique challenges, Johnson Stewart says. These students are usually working within a limited budget, and there’s limited access to classroom space, equipment, and software. Plus, the needs of the job might call students away from class at the drop of a hat. On snow days, Johnson Stewart says, she has often lost half her class because they need to go do their job.
In March 2020, while teaching computer-aided design (CAD) and dealing with the teaching restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson Stewart and Mindy Carlson—training and technical assistance senior manager with CTS/MnLTAP— began experimenting with virtual learning.
It didn’t work perfectly at first, Johnson Stewart says. It was difficult to remain engaged with remote students, energy levels were often low, and students missed out on the opportunity to co-teach one another. However, virtual learning saved both teachers and students the time, money, and hassle of driving to an in-person location.
Johnson Stewart and Carlson also found a way to potentially address the software licensing issue. Johnson Stewart notes that both Civil 3D and AutoCAD—virtual design and documentation programs—are available to students for free as long as they have a University identification email (known as a “University x500”).
“Civil 3D was an example of a class that people really needed but we couldn’t offer it to them,” Johnson Stewart says. “Their choices were to go to a third-party instructor—and I’ve paid for those classes, at a cost of about $3,500 for a week of training. That’s a lot for a public works organization to absorb.”
Using these lessons, Johnson Stewart created Civil 3D and AutoCAD classes for MnLTAP that provides students with a university x500 so they can access Autodesk software from home. Courses are done virtually and cost only $125 each.
“What this does is it brings a $3,500 class to everybody in America and the world who wants to learn AutoCAD or Civil 3D,” Johnson Stewart says. “And it removes an enormous barrier.”
Moving forward, Johnson Stewart will continue to teach the AutoCAD and Civil 3D training courses. The next sessions are being planned for fall/winter 2023/2024.
—Sophie Koch, MnLTAP freelancer