To order Alpha Four or Alpha Five, click above to go directly to Alpha, or call 800.451.1018 or 781.229.4500
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday, September 1, 2002
|
|
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 7
|
|
|
|
|  |
|
|
Additional Alpha Five V5 Training Soon to be Available!
by Jim Chapman
Q: Valerie, I understand that your company, PACE Training Group, is now an Alpha Software Corporation training partner. Can you tell us a little about your company?
PACE Training Group, Inc. is a Columbia, Maryland-based technology training and consulting firm. The firm was formally incorporated in 1994 and has experienced unparalleled growth over the past eight years providing integrated educational solutions for a variety of applications. We offer software applications training and consulting including curriculum development for proprietary and specialized applications, instructor-led training, database application development, and database report development.
Q: Can you tell us how your company and Alpha Software came together?
Richard Rabins of Alpha Software contacted us about becoming a training partner in support of the new release of Alpha 5 v5, which was a long awaited upgrade to their product. I believe partnerships help companies extend their reach and deliver greater value to customers. By partnering with Alpha, we have aligned ourselves with Alpha's strategic vision and are committed to assist them better support the Alpha community.
Q: What does it mean to be an "Alpha Software Corporation Training Partner"? Will you be receiving strategic information and guidance directly from Alpha Software Corporation?
Yes, not only are we in communication with key personnel at Alpha Software, but we are in contact with Alpha 5 users and developers as well. We plan to keep everyone in the "loop" before, during, and after the training with an evaluation at each stage.
We welcomed the opportunity to be an Alpha Software Corporation Training Partner. We believe we have formed a strategic alignment with a product vendor who has a great product, commitment, and support that surpasses their competitors. We believe that we can be an added-value by meeting the need for client training, thus allowing Alpha Software to market a seamless continuum of product sales, support, extend their position in the market, and deliver greater value to their customers competitive advantage in succeeding in today's business environment.
Q: It sounds like you provide a seamless solution, from training and support to actual database application development. In the training arena, would you say the majority of your clients are individuals or institutions?
Although we have worked with individuals, the majority of our clients are in the public and private sector as well as non-profit, and government agencies.
Q: Can you tell us how you came to be president of PACE Training Group?
Prior to 1994, I worked as a Senior Consultant for a mid-size training and consulting firm in Columbia. But, with more than 10 years of experience as a technical writer and instructor, I decided to pursue a lifelong ambition of entrepreneurship and became my own boss by starting PACE Training Group, Inc.
Q: The view from the beginning of an endeavor usually turns out to be entirely different from what actually takes place. Can you share with us some of the surprises you've had in giving birth to PACE Training Group, Inc.?
Being an entrepreneur can be very stressful. The time required to really succeed in business is an intimidating factor, but I have been extremely fortunate to have an incredibly supportive family and network of peers. My husband and I have two children, Jordan who is 4 and Gabrielle who will be 1 on Sept. 15th. My husband has supported me in this endeavor from day one and actually came up with the name PACE Training Group, Inc. PACE is actually an acronym for Personal Attention in Computer Education. Balancing the demands of the business with family has been challenging but not overwhelming. I try to maintain a regular schedule of one-on-one time with my children and spouse to balance my week. It helps to keep me focused on what's really important in life. I can even find time for myself once in awhile! When I'm not working or spending time with family and friends, I'm on the tennis court, as I'm an avid tennis fan and player.
Q: As a former educator, I know that developing effective technical education and training is not an easy process. How do you plan to approach training in the use of Alpha Five?
Our goal is to employ sound, adult learning theory in the courses and use effective instructional methods to facilitate adult-oriented learning. The first phase in developing educational training materials is to conduct a front-end analysis. The analysis defines the scope of the course by matching software features with the needs of the audience. There are four steps: 1) Defining the target audience, 2) Performing the Subject/Content Analysis, 3) Performing the Job Analysis, and 4)
Creating the Outline. In order to complete the initial step, we talked with Alpha consultants, developers and surveyed Alpha users. Based on the results, we have created the objectives and outlines for both courses. All of our courses are built around a series of structured modules that include:
- Objectives: To ensure that participants understand exactly what is to be learned in each section.
- Module Overview: To explain the significance and relevance of each of the objectives as they relate to the learner.
- Steps: To give step-by-step instructions necessary to perform the skill or master the concept.
- Exercise: To provide practice through a typical example, reinforcing the steps presented.
- Summary: To reiterate each new function learned with step-by-step instructions.
- Module Review: To provide practice and allow for demonstrated mastery of each new skill to ensure that learning has occurred.
- Data Files: To provide files for use throughout the course.
In addition, all learning guides contain useful features such as a complete reference section, glossary of terms, and index.
Q: I understand that you are currently busy writing the curriculum for the Alpha Five training. Can you tell us how this is going and give us an idea of when you will officially begin to offer training?
Development has just begun. The outline has been reviewed and "approved" by several Alpha developers and users. We anticipate training to begin in the 4th quarter of this year. The courseware will also be available for sale for those willing to use it as a self-paced/study training course.
Q: The ability to create and appropriately present excellent educational material is only half the battle. The other half is expertise in the subject area. Can you tell us where this expertise is coming from?
Our instructors and consultants are experts in the field of database development, design, and reporting. Each trainer and consultant has vast experience in a number of industry sectors including healthcare, high technology, legal, colleges and universities as well as federal and local government agencies. They have trained or consulted with leading organizations such as Northrup, American Airlines, Amerix Corporation, Mary Kay, Fujitsu, as well as hospital systems, and the Center for Disease Control. Along with the experience, they are also degreed professionals in Information Systems, Computer Science, and Education.
Q: On your web site, at www.pacetraining.com, I see a number of courses for Microsoft's desktop database product, Access, which of course is a competitive product to Alpha Software Corporation's Alpha Five. Can you tell us how successful this series has been for you and if you see your Alpha Five training following the same general format?
I can honestly say that we have done a lot of work with Microsoft Access in the areas of training, development, and support for our clients. However, we also know that sometimes the product that is highly marketed is not always the best solution for every client. Because of the business we are in, we have to keep up with the tools that our clients purchase to perform their job tasks. If we have an opportunity to suggest the technology they should use, we do our best in not only selecting the most cost effective tool that will help them accomplish their tasks, but equip them with the skills to maintain and advance with those tools with minimum involvement from us. Our goal is to train our clients so that they can do what they need to do and call on us when new projects and issues, that were not addressed, arise.
Q: Will you primarily be focusing on the basics of Alpha Five, or will you be offering training for the intermediate and advanced user?
The plan is to offer both a two-day introduction and a two-day advanced course.
Q: One of the most difficult hurdles in education is taking a group of students who are at different levels of understanding and trying, as a group, to provide a meaningful learning experience for all. Can you give us insight on how your company tries to solve this dilemma?
We are committed to effectively train clients with various educational and experience backgrounds. We begin by first setting the stage that 1) Everything will be explained in the simplest of terms and additional examples may be used to help convey complex topics, 2) The pace of the majority of the students will set the tone for the course, 3) Finally, because everyone may not be at the same level, we provide frequent reviews to monitor everyone's learning pace. Those wishing to proceed ahead of the class may do so but should grasp the material as he/she moves along. Conversely, if someone has a little difficulty, our instructors strive to identify these individuals and provide more direct assistance as needed. Additionally, questions that arise during the training that are not covered in the course are also addressed to the entire class either the next training day or within 2-3 business days following the training via phone or email.
Q: Are you planning to offer training via the web, via written materials, on site training?
The initial plan is to offer both on-site and public classes in various hub cities across the U.S. By doing this we hope to minimize travel expenses for Alpha users. All classroom training will be hands-on and instructor-led with up to fifteen (15) participants. In addition, there are plans to offer both courses in web and CBT formats in the future.
Q: Can you give us an idea of what your CBT (computer-based training) training would look like? Would it be CDROM based, interactive?
We plan to have the CBT product interactive with the following elements: well-defined set of learning objectives, interactions that provide the learner with a sound understanding of concepts, frequent opportunities for practice in the form of simulations and exercises, assessments made up of a range of question types, i.e. multiple choice, matching, text entry, and sequencing, and finally exceptional visuals and creative animations to gain the learner's attention and maintain interest.
Q: Do you anticipate that the classes will be during weekends, or during the week, one day or two day event?
We would like to offer the training in a two-day format, both during the week, Monday-Tuesday or Friday-Saturday combination.
Q: The pace of technological innovation and change is relentless. Alpha Software Corporation has just released Alpha Five version 5, what I believe to be first product of a most ambitious product line. Writing good curriculum and training material takes a great deal of time. With the pace of change, how do you keep your training materials ahead of the curve?
We realize first that no matter what enhancements are made to most software applications, the underlying function of the product doesn't change. A database is still a database and a table is still a table. That being said, we also know that keeping up, not only software enhancements, but there are also hardware, operating systems, and the Internet to consider. Primarily, we strive to keep our training materials ahead of the curve by riding along with software developers like Alpha Software and their products. Also, our instructors are seasoned professionals who stay abreast of emerging industry trends and monitor new product upgrades and enhancements as they develop.
Q: Can you give us your thoughts on how your company can help the Alpha community stay ahead of this technology wave?
The first step is to get those who aren't on the technology wave-there. We will start with instructor-led classroom training and then add on both web-based and CBT venues. We also plan to keep in touch with the Alpha community by listening to their requests, concerns, and experiences. Many say experience is the best teacher. That doesn't mean that you have to experience what everyone experiences but you can learn from the experiences of others, putting you ahead of the game. We will also continue to work closely with the Alpha developers to incorporate new product features and upgrades into the training curriculums and proactively communicate changes and new tools to the Alpha community.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
|
|
| |