Our news of the week: we've partnered with GreenHome Institute (GHI) out of Grand Rapids, MI, to offer Building Science Basics to more folks in the industry. Through GHI, Building Science Basics is eligible for more continuing education credits:10 CE hours for AIA-HSW10 CE hours for USGBC4.5 CEUs for BPIGHI...
Blog » Building Science Basics
Introducing our new partner: Green Home Institute
Shawna HendersonJanuary 23, 2015
Online training and core competencies
Shawna HendersonMarch 03, 2014
Building a self-directed online training program is a real challenge...it's hard to determine what level of understanding your audience starts out with because you have no interaction with them. Unlike face-to-face training, you have no chance to gear the course to the learners on the fly, or offer other resources or extra explanations. In any case, when you are creating a program for learning, core competencies are what you want to establish and improve. A core competency is fundamental knowledge, ability, or expertise in a specific subject area or skill set. There needs to be a way of benchmarking understanding of the basic concepts so that you can create a foundation for a useful learning program.X
Fragments and knowledge gaps
Shawna HendersonFebruary 21, 2014
BHE is based on translating the knowledge we have about building science and energy efficiency in housing into a format that is accessible to those already working in the home building industry. Labourers, tradespeople, renovators and contractors, as well as those who are less hands-on but still involved in the industry: office managers, internal sales teams etc. As a set of crafts and trades that really grew into a commodity-based industry only after World War II, housing is still finding its feet as a cohesive industry. The many trades and interests that come together to build a house all have their own silos of expertise. As energy prices and environmental concerns have created the need for energy efficiency measures and green building issues, the fragmentation of the industry has continued. Now not only do we have builders, tradespeople, contractors and inspectors, appraisers and mortgage lenders, but a whole layer of techno-weenie evaluators, assessors, trainers, designers, and consultants (yes, I am wearing my appropriate hats). X