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Bugs in BSA's position training programs?


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My mom has recently been approved as a MBC and I suggested she take the MBC training on my.scouting. When I was helping her get it set up, I realized that you could skip through the whole thing right to the quiz and "pass" the course within minutes.

Is this a bug or does the BSA simply not mind?

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11 minutes ago, qwazse said:

You say bug, I say feature.

I don’t disagree. Just didn’t want to be the first person to say that :D. I watched for a little of my moms (she’s not a die hard scouter so she doesn’t know too much), and I was like any person that has been in scouting can easily answer this. I thought of it like this, a Eagle who has been in scouting his whole life, has to spend 1+ hours learning what he’s known for 5+ years?

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Just now, Chadamus said:

True, @ItsBrian but those courses aren't intended for Eagles.

It’s required I thought for some positions? My moms the new member coordinator and it says “you must take this training in order to be qualified for this position” or something along those lines.

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That is correct. The intent is for non-Eagles such as your Mom and other adult volunteers. I also noticed I could click through them. I owe it to myself and my Scouts to not do so even if I think I know it all. (And I know I dont! :))

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3 hours ago, Chadamus said:

:eek:

Oversight perhaps? Otherwise it's something else that doesn't have to be earned.

Hmmm...  Many online, competency based degree programs are set up very similarly...  material is there for you to review if you would like, however the only requirement is that you pass the test demonstrating your competency.  I wouldn't say that a degree earned from a program like that is not earned.  If you already know the info, I don't see the reason to sit through it again.

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5 hours ago, cyphertext said:

Hmmm...  Many online, competency based degree programs are set up very similarly...  material is there for you to review if you would like, however the only requirement is that you pass the test demonstrating your competency.  I wouldn't say that a degree earned from a program like that is not earned.  If you already know the info, I don't see the reason to sit through it again.

Exactly. 

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I haven't done one of the online modules in a while and perhaps I am confusing the BSA modules with the ones I must do for my employer... I seem to recall that a wrong answer will just tell you the correct one and why, so I am not sure that skipping the entire "instructional" portion is sufficient if it is impossible to fail the competency quiz. Like I said, I could be conflating two different systems, and likely am. 

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6 hours ago, cyphertext said:

If you already know the info, I don't see the reason to sit through it again.

If they were requiring people to complete it the FIRST time and THEN allow you to click thru, fine. That's not the intent apparently and that's again an unfortunate oversight. Gotta learn it to earn it.

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45 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

I haven't done one of the online modules in a while and perhaps I am confusing the BSA modules with the ones I must do for my employer... I seem to recall that a wrong answer will just tell you the correct one and why, so I am not sure that skipping the entire "instructional" portion is sufficient if it is impossible to fail the competency quiz.

Good point DuctTape. Unfortunately all of the modules do NOT give you the correct answer on an incorrect attempt. Plenty of from for improvement here.

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15 hours ago, ItsBrian said:

My mom has recently been approved as a MBC and I suggested she take the MBC training on my.scouting. When I was helping her get it set up, I realized that you could skip through the whole thing right to the quiz and "pass" the course within minutes.

Is this a bug or does the BSA simply not mind?

I wish that YPT would do that.  It has to do with the decision of the course designers. Some courses allow you to just take the test, with the importance being the knowledge of the subject matter. Other courses require you to sit through the whole thing before taking the test, with both exposure to the material as well as knowledge of the material being important.  I'm in the instructional design field, and both are valid ways for courses to operate. It just depends on what the reason for the course is.  Personally, I think for a one time course, the best design is exposure to the material as well as the test, but it's a matter of taste.  (I also think that for recurring courses, that just taking a test is a good thing, unless the content has appreciably changed).  

 

Short answer, it's probably what BSA (or the course designer) intended.  

14 hours ago, Chadamus said:

:eek:

Oversight perhaps? Otherwise it's something else that doesn't have to be earned.

I would argue that passing the test means it is earned.  Now, if the test didn't have to be passed, it wouldn't have to be earned.  

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4 hours ago, Chadamus said:

If they were requiring people to complete it the FIRST time and THEN allow you to click thru, fine. That's not the intent apparently and that's again an unfortunate oversight. Gotta learn it to earn it.

If you pass the test, you've learned it (or already knew it). 

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9 minutes ago, perdidochas said:

Some courses allow you to just take the test, with the importance being the knowledge of the subject matter. Other courses require you to sit through the whole thing before taking the test, with both exposure to the material as well as knowledge of the material being important.  I'm in the instructional design field, and both are valid ways for courses to operate. It just depends on what the reason for the course is.  

Money. BSA want to collect all the course fees.

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