This year, 1,017 people from 103 countries have gone through our online Solar Powered Water Systems courses. In the next year, we plan to add courses on borehole supervision, supply chain, and more. Ultimately, our goal is to have trainings that cover everything from the source to the tap.
But what goes on in our courses? Jessica Mahan (pictured), GWC’s engineering consultant, shared an insider’s view from her work as a course facilitator.
Every week of the course, the learner goes through a different interactive online module. The modules include potential on-the-job scenarios that allow the learner to grow their knowledge and skills in a practical way. There are also helpful videos and tools to enhance learning.
After completing a module, the learner posts in an online discussion group. As Jessica shared, “Beyond the helpful social support, discussions are also a great opportunity for learners to take the lesson and apply it to their real-world experience. Then they read how their classmates apply the same knowledge, which adds to learning! Discussions are where they wrestle with the information so that it can move from knowledge to practice.”
Interacting with the discussion groups was Jessica’s favorite part of the course. She had participants from all over the world and enjoyed “learning about the unique challenges in different locations” and seeing them help and encourage each other.
Throughout the course, Jessica saw the learners become more confident in their ability to do their work well and provide reliable safe water to their communities. At the end of the course, Jessica was thrilled to hear “learners saying they can carry the information into their work now.”
If you are interested in taking our courses, visit https://globalwatercenter.org/courses/ to learn more and sign up to be notified when courses open.