December
EU Step Ahead Project
Brexit has not changed a thing for us - well not yet anyway! Here at the IMI we are still working on a number of EU funded projects under the Erasmus funding scheme. The Step Ahead project is about developing innovative teaching and learning materials for electric and hybrid vehicles. The project addresses following target groups:
- 11 teachers of SOSA, Bratislava and subsequently 250 students
- 15 teachers of vocational subjects and foreign language teachers of Automotive professions from five other Slovak schools, who will be involved in training
- 25 teachers of Automotive professions from eight Slovak schools
- 500 teachers of Automotive professions from total number of 87 schools
- 120 participants of three conferences, organised by the project
- 10 key staff members of partner institutions involved in the project (this is where the IMI comes in)
For more information please visit the European Commission website here.
Textbooks
Did you know that we have a textbook that is designed to be used in conjunction with our eLearning? This is a great way to introduce or enhance your existing blended learning. The book includes all theory subjects from level 1 to level 3. This includes health, safety, tools and equipment, as well as engine, electrical, chassis, transmission and diagnostics.
DVSA MOT Tester Annual Training and Assessment
MOT testers must take the new MOT Annual Assessment before 1 April 2017 to keep their tester status. IMI eLearning for the MOT Testers' Annual Training and Assessment has now been available for several months and is proving to be very popular. When complete, it allows the user to print a certificate that not only shows the assessment score, but also the CPD credits gained - everything a Tester needs to meet the DVSA requirements.
For more information go to www.theimi.org.uk/mot or follow the link on he right-hand side of the page.
April
Textbooks
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles is now available from amazon and all good book shops - or contact me for bulk discounts.
DVSA MOT Tester Annual Training and Assessment
IMI eLearning for the MOT Testers Annual Training and Assessment is now available. When complete it allows you to print a certificate that not only shows your assessment score, but also the CPD credits gained - in other words everything you need to prove to DVSA that you have met their requirements. For more information please follow the 'New DVSA MOT changes' link on the right-hand side.
February
New subjects
We are adding updates to our existing materials all the time and we have added some great new materials that include interactive diagnostic screens. You can set the multimeter range and then move the test leads (level 3 and above). Find this on the offline version built in to the courses, or behind the 'Additional' button.
Img. Diagnostic simulation
Online free demo
Don't forget to have a look at the new demo of our eLearning system. It is easy to use and shows the real benefits and value of our materials. Try it out here and log in as 'demouser' for the username and the password. By the way, it was meant to be read as demo-user and not de-mouser - ah well!
Textbooks
I have just finished the page proof read of my next book: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles. It should be available in March or April. This one and all my other textbooks, old and new, are available from amazon and all good book shops - or contact me for bulk discounts.
January 2016
New Subjects
We work hard to keep our existing materials up-to-date and are adding new information all the time. We recently added some new materials about tyres - thanks to Continental Tyres for their help with this. Find this on the offline version built in to the courses, or behind the 'Additional' button.
Img. ContiSeal System (source: Continental Tyre Group Ltd.)
New online free demo
Don't forget to check out the new demo of our eLearning system that is easy to use and shows the real benefits and value of our materials. Try is out here.
Textbooks
All my textbooks, old and new, are available from amazon and all good book shops - or contact me for bulk discounts.
December
New subjects
We are adding updates to our existing materials all the time (next task is to update some old images for example) but we are also looking at new subjects. In the New Year we will be creating eLearning specifically for the DVSA MOT Testers in the UK and for our international colleagues we will be making a generic version too because the key aspects of inspecting a vehicle don't change across the world - only the paperwork differs! The other area we will be working on is Electric and Hybrid Vehicles. We may even create some Finance and Insurance support materials for car sales training. All this will not happen at the same time but we will do our best!
New online free demo
We have just completed a new demo of our eLearning system that is easy to use and shows the real benefits and value of our materials. Try is out here.
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles - Textbook coming soon
My latest textbook, specifically for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, is currently with the publishers and will be out February all being well. It will cover all the IMI Awards and Accreditation knowledge requirements for EVs (other Awarding organisations are available!). The book even has useful information for 'first responders'. For example, if a lithium-ion battery is on fire, should you put is out with a water hose?
September
New version - Auto365UK
We have just completed the latest offline version of our software and this will be sent to all customers on renewal. Alternatively, you can download it now from the website: www.automotivett.org (click the Downloads link on the left).
Img. New interface for 2015
New sections of eLearning on:
- Cylinder deactivation
- ECU calibration
- Diesel particulate filters
- Battery diagnostics
- Alternator developments
- Stop-start control
- Drowsiness detection
- Hydraulic hybrid
- Compressed air hybrid
- Advanced wheel alignment
- Electric power steering
- Electric parking brakes
- ECU fuel trim diagnostics
In addition the Ignition subject area has had a full makeover and is now structured as follows:
- Ignition overview
- Electronic ignition
- Electronic spark advance
- Distributorless ignition
- Coil on plug ignition
- Spark plugs and leads
Plus lots more 3D models added too.
The tyres section is now all new too thanks to help from Continental Tyres.
We have redesigned the offline interface so that there is more space available to show the screens. Nothing too radical so it is still easy to use!
The new content as listed above is now presented in a very different way to make it even easier to be interactive but also to have more control over the screen. For example, the voiceover can be stopped and started whenever you like. The classic screens are also presented in a different wrapper that has allowed us to add a few new options such as an online glossary and toolbox.
All our screens now include a zoom in/out option so you can make best use of the available space, particularly when projecting the content. The new style screens also allow you to change the text and background colour.
New structures have been created for the 'Service and Maintenance Engineering' courses.
Access to whatever structure you need is now only one-click from the main menu.
Online VLE
We are also in the process of updating our online system to a much newer version of Moodle. In addition we are recreating all the courses so that each screen that the student looks at is logged and marked so that it is easier to return to where they left off. The interface is nicer too and allows much more customisation.
August
Continental Tyres
We have almost completed our new 'Wheels and Tyres' materials in collaboration with Continental Tyres. This will include all the latest information about EU law as well as updates to the basics of tyres. It includes lots of new images and videos.
New VLE
We are hard at work installing and developing a new version of our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that we use to deliver our materials. As soon as this is ready we will be letting you know individually so you can move from the old site and take advantage of a nicer looking but also more functional site. More on this in the next newsletter.
July
CTEK Battery chargers
We've just finished a meeting with a colleague from CTEK and we hope to be working with them in the near future to develop new content on the latest chargers. Watch this space!
Accident repair
New content is being developed now to be added to our body and paint materials soon.
Training course
Tom Denton, IMI eLearning Development Manager, attended an IMI training event at Williams F1 recently - an excellent day of training, EQAs, Multiplexing and much more. Here is a great image from the day to show the attention to detail that is paid at Williams - inspiring!
