With the PADI Open Water Diver Touch™, your student divers now have another cutting-edge knowledge development option in addition to the traditional manual with video or PADI Open Water Diver Online. So, how does the PADI Open Water Diver Touch differ and how can you integrate it into your PADI Open Water Diver courses?
The PADI Open Water Diver Touch is a highly interactive digital publication that includes the PADI Open Water Diver Manual text and exercises, website links and Open Water Diver Video content. Student divers take Knowledge Reviews online from within the app, which generates an eRecord, which is similar to one that PADI eLearning students receive. At this point, student divers come to you and complete the four Open Water Diver course quizzes and the final exam.
While the general process is the same as with other knowledge development options, here are some recommendations to consider when integrating the PADI Open Water Diver Touch into your courses
Setting Up Your Students
- If possible, have students redeem their Touch access code and download the PADI Library App at the time of purchase so you can guide them through the process. Have them sign into the PADI Library App so that they can see that the PADI Open Water Diver Touch and the mRDPML are available for download.
- Get your own copy of the Touch and familiarize yourself with how it works. Navigation will be intuitive for many of your tablet-using customers but, those unfamiliar with interactive publications may need guidance.
- Conduct a short orientation session using a demonstration tablet and show student divers how to use the Touch for independent study. Focus on “Getting the Most Out of The PADI Open Water Diver Course” in the Introduction, accessing Learning Objectives at the beginning topics and using the frequent exercises to verify understanding as they go.
Knowledge Reviews
- Using one of the Knowledge Reviews as an example, tap the “Take the Knowledge Review” link and show students how to log into the Knowledge Review site using the same email address and password they used to register their Touch. Once on the site, show them how to select the correct Knowledge Review and how they are required to login in once more – this time with their password first and then email address. Go through one or two questions and show them how the system provides remediation when they answer a question incorrectly. Emphasize that it’s important that they read this information before answering the question again. The remediation also includes the name of the subsection in Touch where students can return to later to read the topic again.
- Students have the opportunity to review the questions at the end of the Knowledge Review, just like any other knowledge development format. They can review any topics before moving on to the next section and, if they’re still not clear, bring them to your attention prior to taking the quiz for that section or the final exam.
- The page students return to in the Touch after completing each Knowledge Review has important information. This page informs students that they’ll receive an email after completing each Knowledge Review and tells them how to access their Knowledge Review eRecord.
Stay tuned for the next installment that will cover eRecords, referrals and the mRDPML. For more information about using PADI Open Water Diver Touch, please contact Scubadive West