Welcome to the VATUSA Training Academy

Anthony Santanastaso

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Welcome to the VATUSA Training Academy
« on: August 18, 2021, 05:24:08 AM »

Welcome to the new VATUSA Training Academy!

https://academy.vatusa.net/

Here is a list of tips and info to help you get comfortable with the new surroundings:

🛠️ Still Under Development
The development team focused the majority of their attention on establishing the foundation and infrastructure of the new learning management system (Moodle). In addition, close attention was given to the experience of our new controllers in an effort to create better and more effective on-boarding tools and materials. The Basic ATC/S1 prerequisite courses are fully complete and set the standard for how the S2 thru C1 courses will be developed.

👀 Take Your Time, Look Around!
Gone are the days of looking at two dimensional slideshows and PDF packets. The new VATUSA Training Academy (otherwise known as the VATUSA Academy or ZAE) utilizes all applicable resources within the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) to present material in a way that is more engaging and memorable. Even the testing experience has greatly changed with students having to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of course concepts with more than just multiple choice and true/false questions. ZAE strives to reach higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy encouraging students to apply, analyze, evaluate and create. Whether you're a new controller or a seasoned veteran, please take a moment to explore the many new features of the new VATUSA Academy.

🤝 Something for Everyone!
Academy teachers and content creators have worked hard to create lessons and experiences that cater to all types of learning styles. In addition, particular attention was given to the overall accessibility of the lessons for learners requiring the need for special accommodations. Whether a learner has to listen with their ears, move their body, type with their fingers, or reflect upon images with their eyes, there truly is something for everyone.

Enjoy the Journey - Don't Rush!
The new VATUSA Academy will require an increased time commitment in order to work through each course and take each rating exam. The curriculum for ZAE was designed to be comprehensive and complete, allowing students to receive a standardized and equitable education no matter the subdivision (home facility) in which they were rostered. It is unfair and impossible to compare the new experience with the legacy experience since in the past students would simply open and close presentations and take tests that required only simple memorization or the ability to quickly find answers in real time. In addition, previous VATUSA training materials lacked substance and withheld a lot of key topics that wound up being taught at each subdivision. The new VATUSA Academy consolidates and centralizes the information from around the division to offer students a more robust and pedagogically savvy curriculum that places students first. By investing the appropriate amount of time and effort, students will quickly learn that taking rating exams is a much easier task than ever before and their increased preparation will make controlling on the network even more fun and invigorating.
Anthony Santanastaso

Anthony Santanastaso

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Re: Welcome to the VATUSA Training Academy
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2021, 06:00:54 AM »
Thank you to the following people for their incredible contributions to the creation of the Academy.

Specifically, I would like to personally and specifically thank the following people:

Meg Bruck for your incredible patience, strength to carry this project forward, and unbelievable work.
Blake Nahin for your brilliant programming skills and helping us to better understand the Moodle platform.
Marcus Miller for hosting the Academy Worktogether Discord server where all of the collaboration took place.
VATUSA HQ and All Division Senior Staff for their continued support and guidance.
vZLA and vZNY for directly sharing your rating content to supplement and augment our curriculum.
Our voiceover artists for adding a special touch to all of the newly created videos.

And, finally, to every single one of the following editors, content creators, and specialists. Whether some spent hours working on a video or others simply poked their head in from time to time to review lessons or contribute in theoretical discussions, everyone was incredibly helpful and a meaningful part of the journey.

Aidan Deschene
Andrew Kim
Andrew Selder
Austin Wilkins
Ben Lindsey
Brogan Lopez
Cameron Bristol
Chris Bright
Chris Carnett
Chris Maddox
Clay Brock
Daniel Everman
David Epstein
Dhruv Kalra
Dylan Lundberg
Eli Snowden
Erik Quinn
Hayden Young
Ignacio Lara
Jaden Herman
Jamsheed Lovelace
Jared West
Joe Kaiser
John Bartlett
John Wydrycs
Kyle Sanders
Louis Graham
Maxim Salikhov
Mustafa Ahmedani
Nathan Bauer
Nathan Forste
Nick Warren
Noah Perlman
Raaj Patel
Reed Scheinberg
Ryan Drozd
Shane Friedman
Simon Lovely
Skylar Hutter
Steven Cho
Taylor Darland
Thomas Hawke
Tyler Syring

Please excuse any errors as I am writing this with barely any energy left. I will add to this list as I come across any omissions, and I apologize ahead of time.
Anthony Santanastaso

Manuel Manigault

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Re: Welcome to the VATUSA Training Academy
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2021, 02:14:27 PM »
Anthony and ZAE team, thank you so much for the long hours you have put into the Academy!  I am confident this will be an asset that will outlive our time in our staff roles.  I am hopeful this will break the training backlog we are experiencing in OBS and S1 levels.  Hopefully, this will relieve Instructor and Mentor burnout as we strive to digest the enormous growth we have been experiencing recently.
Mani Manigault
Vice President, Americas Region
VATSIM