Instructors w/o current materials

[Red_5]

what's your opinion on instructors w/o the same up-to-date materials as the students are supposed to have?

I've been in classes where the instructor has OLD RDP tables or is going off older standards than what is in the videos/manuals. I've seen confusion when this dated material is debated. it doesn't help the learning of the materials/standards expected of them and may be very confusing, particularly when out at the OW site when it's usually a differernt instructor who hasn't taught the class, but just does the OW portions.

I think instructors should be demonstrating with the same materials the students have. I think there is a continuing education program / instructor classes at my LDS that is supposed to address at least the standards portion of the education, but I don't know if its "working" or not.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It really depends on the agency as well. Some will not necessarily need to update instructor materials for changes in student materials. HOWEVER the instructor should absolutley know about the new changes and if required, incorporate those changes into the class. Unless of course those changes result in less competent divers. If asked by the student about this then they should explain the changes and why they are or are not implementing them.

 

[ScubaRich]

I agree! It would help if the cert. agency would stop $$ gouging their instructors in terms of teaching materials.

 

[Red_5]

I agree! It would help if the cert. agency would stop $$ gouging their instructors in terms of teaching materials.

PADI and $$$$ is a whole other topic I'd be glad to talk about in a separate thread

 

[Crowley]

I wholeheartedly agree that Instructors should have up-to-date materials.

I can't speak for other training organisations but my own (PADI) update their standards regularly and bulletins are distributed quarterly, with a full update in 3rd quarter. Instructors who renew their membership on time receive an updated copy of the most current manual on CD. Changes are also available on line as .pdf downloads from the professional pages of their website. It's not like the information is secretly hidden somewhere that only the magic wand of enlightenment will guideth the way, assuming you have the appropriate sigils and correct handshake! It's public domain.

Some teaching materials are changed for safety reasons or because of new developments in scientific research and development. Flying after diving recommendations were changed (in 2002, I think) and therefore RDPs had to be updated to reflect this. EFR and Rescue courses have changed to accomodate new research into - for example - CPR breaths : compressions ratios.

Yes, there's probably a $$ factor somewhere, but that's not the sole reason materials are changed and updated. (And please, let's not go there on this thread!!) Some PADI manual updates have included nothing more than graphical changes - new photos, general theme more in line with the current zeitgeist. There's only so much of those fluorescent pink wetsuits a forward thinking person can withstand! Students are required to have to most current version, and an instructor must use this to teach, but if an instructor is using last year's manual as a reference, this is not really a problem, as long as the teaching is done from the most current version.

On the other hand, using a really out-of-date manual is not just bad practice, in some cases it may actually be deemed to be unsafe (see aforementioned flying after diving guidelines).

Instructors are required to abide by current standards - I'm assuming that broad statement applies to the majority of recreational training agencies. If there is something that we disagree with we need to take that up with the agency - sometimes they even listen to us, as clearly demonstrated recently by a poorly considered change to AOW standards which has since been revoked.

I hope that helps,

Cheers,

C.

 

[ScubaRich]

PADI and $$$$ is a whole other topic I'd be glad to talk about in a separate thread

No attempted hijack intended!

 

[marinediva]

Can not understand how a PADi instructor would not have the updated information, since
it is available as crowley said in the magazine, two on the website and three, received a free 2009 manual with my renewal membership to keep me in status. All do not require money just my membership which allows me to teach.
mAYBE THe question are they in status should be asked instead.

 

[Interceptor121]

I think the post is not about the instructor manual but the divers manual.
When you go through knowledge reviews you should prescriptively point the student to the part of the manual that explains the question missed. This is of course impossible if the versions are different. However to tell the truth you don't actually need the new version of the diver material if you ask one of the students to give you their manual and share with the others. Even in a new version it is relatively straightforward to find the page and section where the concept is explained.
My Agency (PADI) does not require an instructor to have the latest version of the divers material for most course and to be honest with you that would be an issue of the dive center where you work to provide for