Electrical Theory Should Be More Hands-on - Essay Example

?Electrical Theory Should Be More Hands-on I am an electrical apprentice for IBEW Local #3 in New York I am currently enrolled in an electricaltheory program and think that there is too much lecture time, and not enough hands-on time. Although it is imperative to learn about the differences between direct currents and alternating currents, winding ratios, waveforms, volts, amps, ohms, the various laws of electricity and the mathematics required, it is equally important to learn how to apply this knowledge. That is why I think my electrical theory class should be more hands-on, and there have been many studies that will support my feelings. In general, hands-on is self-explanatory, but it goes much further. It not only suggests that I use my hands in the learning process by assembling conductive supplies and media, but is much more stimulating mentally. By stimulating my mind, not only does my interest and desire for what I am working on or with grow, but my learning is also affected in as much as I will learn and retain more information. Whereas in the case of lecturing only, it leaves the mind the opportunity to wander and not absorb as much information as it could. Lectures, books and training videos are all excellent sources to glean information. The problem remains, without a more hands-on approach, the information will likely become stagnant and ultimately forgotten. It is my desire to be an electrician, and forgetting vital information is not an option. In addition, I think it is essential in the overall learning process that by using a more hands-on approach, my teacher will also create an atmosphere of learning how to handle myself in a hazardous situation. If my teacher only gives me the education on how and why electricity works and acts as it does, how am I, in such a volatile environment, going to learn how to handle myself and act or react appropriately? My teacher is very highly educated, is fully aware, and understands the activity of electricity. That is vital, but it is equally important that I learn how to demonstrate what I have been taught in a safe, calm and professional manner. Often, people who have not received enough hands-on training overreact, panic or create a feeling of dread when they realize the true dangers they are dealing with. According to Dr. Michael Burke of Tulane University, this feeling is referred to the “dread factor”. given a more hands-on “training environment, …[we] are faced more acutely with the …dangers of the job and they are …more motivated to learn about such dangers and how to avoid them.” this applies to everyone in my class, because our actions and words will have a large impact on how we handle a given situation, and could be the difference between life and death. The hazards that any electrician faces are daunting, but with proper training and understanding, they are highly attuned to what is going on around them and act accordingly. In a more hands-on learning setting, it is more motivating to the apprentice to learn and use the knowledge gained. Hands-on learning also provides a social aspect to learning that would otherwise not occur. This social construct provides more details concerning the hazards and consequences of not acting or reacting responsibly. People in general are motivated by self-preservation and not knowing and understanding potential dangers is perilous to them as well as others. This lends itself to another aspect of hands-on learning that a lecture simply cannot provide. We as humans understand our weaknesses, no matter how strong or weak we may perceive ourselves to be. This understanding of our vulnerabilities is key to understanding how we learn. It is a huge motivator to learn actions, words and feelings that are unfamiliar, and address them in a controlled environment where a “life-threatening” situation is occurring. This way of learning will not only improve knowledge of electricity, its components and capabilities, but will also show, through experience, how to handle volatile situations. Although I am only an apprentice at this time, I will soon be a journeyman electrician, and the knowledge that is beyond the scope of a textbook is vital. It will help me to learn and understand how I would honestly react in a bad situation, assess my thoughts, actions and words, and ultimately allow me to learn how to remain calm and professional, no matter the circumstance. In today’s technological age, more often I am seeing online or distance learning that primarily consists of extensive lecturing and note taking. This is happening, in my opinion, because it is more cost-effective to teach people the how’s and why’s of a particular area. This implies that due to a monetary cost, human cost becomes less crucial. This is an extremely unfortunate development, particularly given the state of the economy, but this still should not be an acceptable risk. There are still extraordinary amounts of issues regarding this that simply do not make sense. Companies that are hesitant to invest money into their organization or training programs because it does not fit with their bottom line are asking for disastrous results. One case in point is the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster on April 5, 2010 at Massey Energy’s mine, Montcoal in West Virginia. This explosion took the lives of 29 men, and according to Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), this mine was functioning without proper equipment or training and the safety systems that were implemented in the mine were unkempt, causing their failure. The mine had a system of water sprayers that worked with the shearer, as well as to help keep the coal dust down. The shearer is the machine that cuts the layers of coal, and it creates sparks when it scrapes rock. The fact that the sprayers were not working was the catalyst for this disaster. If the systems and equipment that were used in the mine had been functioning properly, they would have contained the methane ignition from spreading and ultimately causing an explosion with the floating coal dust that should also have been controlled, but wasn’t. The men that died likely did not receive enough interactive training, so they would understand fully what the dangers were while they were working in those conditions. If they had understood, they would have stopped the work instead of taking the chance of losing their lives. However sad and unfortunate the mine disaster in West Virginia was, it still bears repeating in the context of the importance of hands-on training. The cost of that explosion cost not only millions of dollars, but also the lives of 29 men. You simply cannot put a dollar value on human life, which speaks to the importance of organizations and schools investing the time and the money needed for additional hands-on training. This type of training will only boost the people who are learning from it, and ultimately reduce the burden of financial and human costs of disasters. Interactive training may be more costly to implement, but the pay-offs of what is learned and absorbed is much higher. This is not to discount lectures, note taking, videos and books. They are still extremely important, because electricians, like many other niche occupations or groups, have their own dialogue that is unique to the trade. This jargon is important for any apprentice to learn, as the dialogue and how it is used is vital as well. This terminology can be implemented through the course of training and we are very beneficial. It would provide a safe and ideal situation, where misuse of the terms can be corrected without negative consequences. In a controlled environment, a high level of danger can be created allowing stressors to dictate how people react, as well as what they say. Given that jargon is important to know, someone who is unfamiliar with the terminology or misuses it could potentially advise a co-worker to do something that will get them hurt or killed. In addition, in this same type of hands-on situation, improper use of the terminology would likely be remembered if corrected, ultimately creating a safer more intelligent worker. If I were interested in working in a field where there was little hazard, perhaps more lecturing and note taking would be appropriate. However, this is not the case, as electricity is volatile, dangerous and under certain conditions, unpredictable. Not only is it important that I receive hands-on training on how to properly and safely handle electricity and its various components, but I need to learn how to do it by using my hands. Considering the danger of my chosen profession, training that is more engaging is much more effective at teaching the proper handling and work techniques than simply listening about how to do it. According to the American Psychological Association, “More interactive types of …training may help [people] become more aware of the threats they face on the job and avoid making deadly mistakes.” Since the inception of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1971 (osha.gov), studies have been taking place to prevent accidents from occurring on any job site. In the last 40 years, these studies have shown that in instances where the dangers of the work being performed were exceptionally high and the likelihood of dying from a poor decision has shown that more hands-on training was a much more effective training tool than lectures, videos and books. Therefore, I think that during the course of my apprenticeship, there should still be lectures, as they are important tools of learning, but I would like to see more hands-on approaches implemented as well. It will only result in a more thorough understanding of the job, but create more highly adept and responsive workforce. Works Cited Burke, M., Salvador, R. O., Smith-Crowe, K., Chan-Serafin, S., Smith, A. and Sonesh, S. “The Dread Factor: How Hazards and Safety Training Influence Learning and Performance.” Journal of Applied Psychology. Volume 96. No. 1 (2011):46 - 70. Print. “Dreading Danger: Highly Interactive Training Helps Workers in Dangerous Jobs Avoid Deadly Mistakes.” Journal of Applied Psychology. American Psychological Association. 26 January, 2011. Web. 21 March, 2011. United States Department of Labor. Mine Safety and Health Administration. April, 2010. Web. 22 March, 2011. United States Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2010. Web. 22 March, 2011. Read More