Watch the video from the HVAC Excellence Conference here!
Traditional methods of teaching HVAC and refrigeration are dying. Today, instructors want a more hands-on approach for their students in the classroom. Instead of simply telling them how an HVAC system works, they want students to see for themselves and gain a better understanding.
Here’s how three HVAC instructors from the HVAC Excellence Conference utilize iConnect Training units in their classrooms:
Looking into the System
Van Flippen, a trainer from Chadwell Supply University in Geneva, has been teaching since 1990. Most of the individuals he instructs learn better by the “see one, do one, show one” philosophy where someone shows them how to do it, they do it and then they train someone else to do it. While this is a great methodology, the students never truly gain a full understanding of what’s happening inside the system.
After seeing the TU-805 Mobile Table-Top Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Trainer in operation, it really gave him a whole new way of looking inside the system. He’d recommend this unit to HVAC instructors working with entry-level technicians who need a visual to go along with their book. It really helps students put it all together to see how an air conditioner operates.
Customizing Training to Each Student
“We want to be able to train more efficiently,” said Aaron Wright, an HVAC instructor at Delcastle Technical High School in Wilmington, Delaware. iConnect Training units allow him to do just that thanks to the wide-array of equipment and the various training possibilities. From the platform to the layout, these units really make the learning experience that much better for his students.
Since all students learn differently, the traditional method of training doesn’t give Aaron the ability to teach every student from a different perspective. When they can actually put their hands on the units and perform certain actions, it makes learning easier. He recommends iConnect Training units because they’re simple, yet can be made more complex with add-ons like gas furnaces and additional tiles.
Adding Flexibility and Adaptability to the Classroom
Lodakk Brown Sr., a technical trainer at Metra Railroad in Chicago, loves the hands-on experience aspect of iConnect Training units as it takes learning to a whole new level. At the end of the day, lecturing and telling students how it should work isn’t the same as them doing it themselves. It also prevents real-world equipment from being damaged or students from getting hurt. “When they come into the classroom and have that real world experience, that’s invaluable,” said Lodakk.
He recommends iConnect Training’s trainers because of the flexibility and adaptability they’ve given his classes at a particular time.