Back in the spring as the National lockdown ended we prepared to welcome students back into our premises in Appleby, Cumbria. Having recently introduced a new structure of our Theory and Foundation course (one month virtual) and Intensive Practical Qualification week (one week onsite) we caught up with one of our students; Nigel Murphy on how he experienced blended learning.
Time to learn it myself
“My bikes had got to the point where they needed some major servicing and I thought it was about time I learned how to do this myself. The pandemic had led to the cancellation of in-person courses, so when the Bike Inn offered the hybrid alternative, I was keen to sign up. I was curious to see how Jon and the team could make this work and how I would learn. I have just completed my online sessions and it has worked brilliantly for me.”
Here’s how:
“The Bike Inn team uses Google Classroom for all the group video calls, resources, assignments and quizzes. It didn’t take long to learn how to use this during our group kick-off meeting. I was also se
nt a copy of Zinn and The Art of Road Bike Maintenance which landed with a thump on my doorstep, and the work started!” As well as online learning, basic practicals are key to our Theory and Foundation course, no one wants to be stuck behind a computer for hours watching videos and reading and not having a clue how to fix it with your own hands.
“I did need a few basic tools, but I had most of these, and there is a good list in the materials. I had to grab bikes from friends so that I could practice some of the home assignments. Otherwise, I just took over the garden shed for a few weeks!”
We focus on covering as much quality content as possible through a series of purpose-made video clips which are perfect for rewatching when doing practicals.
But how much time does the course take?
In general, the Theory and Foundation course take 8-12 hours depending on your knowledge level and speed of working. The course consists of three practical tasks to complete each week along with Quizzes. To allow live interaction with students we host a weekly master class using Google meet and weekday drop inn sessions to allow those important questions to be addressed as no question is a stupid question!
Nigel started out with the aim of learning how to fix his own bikes, however as learning progressed Nigel is now thinking about opening a cycle repair service and is currently completing our professional course.