Online Learning Shows Upward Trend in Down Market

While the world economy proves once again that Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) had it right ("What goes up must come down"), Joe Marinelli demonstrates here at the Powder and Bulk Online Training Center that some things are still headed up.

"People really appreciate that were doing this training online," Joe told me in a phone conversation, "because the economy makes it hard for them to travel to seminars." In addition to the usually high price of the seminar, there's the travel, hotel and food that can more than double the total cost.

"Even when companies have the budget to send people to seminars," Joe said, "with the leaner staffs most employees can't afford the time it takes to travel to training."

Currently four online classes are available, and a fifth is about to be released. They are part of an eight-session series on bulk solids flow:

• Lecture 1: Flow Problems - Their effects and flow patterns
• Lecture 2: Design principles for reliable flow - wall friction, flow functions, bin design parameters 
• Lecture 3: Volumetric and Gravimetric Feeding Devices
• Lecture 4: Measuring Bulk Solids Flow Properties-Shear Testing, Variables that Affect Properties

Each class costs $39 and is available for seven days following purchase. A class consists of a video lasting about one hour, downloadable class notes and a self administered quiz with answer sheet.

"It's a neat package," Joe said, "you get the video, the handouts, the quiz, and I'm available by phone and email to answer questions." He said that people like the fact that the video is available to view any time. "It's a great convenience to be able to view it on your schedule, and it makes this information more easily accessible to an international audience." He said he has had participants from the Middle East, Australia, South America, Canada, Europe and across the US.

Some companies have been using the videos in group settings.

Powder and Bulk Dot Com publisher Joe Taylor told of a company that brought 10 employees into a conference room and showed the video using an LCD projector. "Bringing people into one room allowed them to discuss the video as a group. They could play, pause, talk and resume play whenever they wanted," he said. "And at a cost of just $3.90 per person to train 10 engineers, there ought to have been enough left over in their training budget to buy coffee and donuts for the group!"

Don Dunnington
Blog Moderator

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