Instructor training program
The article outlines a design of a program for Food Protection Management instructor training whose aim was to offer updates on food safety that is mandated by the Texas state. The development of the program involved seeking a solid support base(support component) as seen in the collaboration of Texas Agricultural Extension Service (TAEX) and FPM at the Institute of Food Science and Engineering , Texas. The aim was to provide a continuous education program that will reach the entire state through a distance education. The support for the program also came from the U.S Department of Agriculture in the form of funding for development purpose, implantation process and the evaluation as the final stage. The availability of this support seems to have emanated from the programs well structured processes that make the project serve as a model to be emulated by other states distance education methodology planning. The support for the program was also sought from the various organizations in the community such as health departments locally and regionally, Texas Restaurant Association, accredited FPM programs’ coordinators whose role is to help in coming up with the right curriculum and content for training (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999).
The program also utilizes various sources to come with an assessment for needs and ideas (need assessment component) which are prioritized. The aim of the program is to reach audiences over the whole areas of Texas State by way of combining education and technology as a relevant aspect for conducting a training that is unique across the state. As discussed earlier, the curriculum content appropriate for training is determined by the coordinators of FPM programs, as a source of ideas about the knowledge that is to be imparted among the instructors targeted by the program (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999). The inclusion of technology in the training program that comprises of videoconferencing and multimedia provide an opportunity to receive the necessary training. For the program to remain sustainable there is inclusion of a fee is imposed on those individuals benefiting from it, so that the cost needs and continuity are achieved. The article also describes the program’s objectives (goals and objectives component) that are developed in order to meet the safety need mandated by the state authority. The objectives include the collaboration with the various institutions both regionally and locally, development of materials that are innovative for the purpose of distance learning through taking advantage of specialists expertise on distance education, facilitating improvement of consistent and accurate information on food safety and the enhancement of those techniques applied by Texas FPM instructors. Another objective outlined is the exploration of benefits of technology in distance learning aimed at the reduction of training cost through the decrease in the frequency of courses that must be availed to the intended audience.
The evaluation plan (Evaluation component) for the program described in the article involves interviewing about 89 individuals who took part in the conference. The Public Policy Institute was to carry out the interviewing process (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999). Collecting of data was done through a telephone survey that was specifically designed to extract information from the respondents about their views on the videoconferencing strategy. The respondents’ information also involved the views on the subject natter offered by the instructors. The evaluation of the results obtained shows refusals and interview termination were not experienced in the interviews, 25 percent of interviews completed were collected using a toll-free phone number and respondents who could not be found easily were invited to use PPRI. The questions asked were aimed at soliciting information about a specific technology to assess its usability. Most of the respondents – 96.6 % - felt the need for using HCCP training technology for the future training efforts (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999).
The program described in the article integrates technology (technology assumption) to a great extent. The use of technology assists the program planers by giving them an opportunity to utilize their time efficiently and spend the funds for the projects wisely (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013). The program education involves the use of technology to reach out to the intended audiences. This is seen in the application of videoconferencing that gives the FPM instructors an opportunity for receiving the needed training while reducing on the cost and time required for travelling. Multimedia is integrated with interactive strategies for treatment which facilitate approaches that are centered on students. This allows participants to associate fully with the content of the program. The assumption on building relationships is seen in the planers dedication in the inclusion of the relevant stakeholders such the authorities that provide guidelines on food safety and the training requirements for the program instructors. The planners also ensure a relationship is built with the state government agencies such as the U.S Agriculture department that offers funding grants important for the development and the evaluation of the program (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999). The assumption focusing on change and learning can be seen in the article. Instructors are supposed to make maximum use of technologies that are available so that to achieve personalized instruction and acquire necessary behavior and skills. The assumption on acceptance of planners as working in distinct ways is seen in the incorporation of various specialists in program development. The inclusion of specialist in distance education and other regulatory agencies shows the need for incorporating knowledge from different planners (Dooley,Laanen and Fletcher,1999).
References
Dooley,K., Laanen,P., Fletcher,R.(1999). Food Safety Instructor Training Using Distance Education. Journal of extension. Vol.37(3)
Caffarella, R. S., & Daffron, S. R. (2013). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide. John Wiley & Sons
