By John Ferrare, Enerdynamics CEO
At Enerdynamics we recently released an updated version of our popular online 
course Electric Industry Overview. Here is a brief behind-the-scenes glimpse at our process of ensuring that Enerdynamics’ online courses are timely, accurate, and effective training tools.
Our online courses are updated about every three years. As anyone working in the industry knows, a lot can change in three years! For instance, the previous version of Electric Industry Overview had no mention of the Smart Grid. We also combined our regulation and deregulation modules into a single module called Electric Regulation. Additionally, customer data has been updated, and the course also addresses the increasing use of natural gas and renewables as fuels for electricity.
Above and beyond updating content, a course revision also entails updating the technology used to deliver the course, and, in this case, the actual look of the course. The evolution of our online courses in the last 10 years has been significant. Our original “online” offerings were actually recordings of live courses we offered. We’ve learned a lot about eLearning since then — first and foremost that successful online training is its own medium and thus requires its own approach.
As evidenced by the latest release of Electric Industry Overview, our online courses today offer a user-friendly, interactive experience designed specifically for the online environment. Today, our Electric Industry Overview subscribers enjoy a fluid and easy-to-navigate tour of the electric business including:
- Electric consumers and their needs
- The components of the physical system and how it is designed to deliver power to end users
- How the physical system is operated for maximum efficiency and safety
- How and why the electric industry is regulated and why it has experienced various degrees of deregulation
- How markets function and the wholesale and retail services offered in them
- And, for the first time, an in-depth look into what the future holds for the electric business
We also recently updated the online training “skin,” which is the online player from which a learner navigates the course, advances to other parts of the course, uses the search feature, accesses the glossary/acronyms, and participates in course exercises and quizzes. This update makes Electric Industry Overview more navigable and aesthetically pleasing.
Our other training products are updated with similar goals in mind. Our live instructor-led courses are updated every time they are delivered. And books are revised on a schedule similar to that of our online courses — not an easy task, but we believe that keeping our curriculum current and relevant is crucial to the efficacy of the learning.
Want to test drive the newly released version of Electric Industry Overview? A free online demo is available on our website.
The recently launched version of Electric Industry Overview is available in two versions: the U.S. version and the Canadian version, which expands on the U.S. version to include data on Canada when it differs from what is presented for the U.S. Each version is $295 per subscriber. Companies seeking to purchase bulk subscriptions enjoy discounts when purchasing as few as 10 subscriptions.
For more information on any of our training products, please contact me directly at jferrare@enerdynamics.com or 866-765-5432 ext. 700.
Enerdynamics 