What are the benefits of e-learning?

We fast-tracked the launch of our e-learning portal as a direct response to lockdown. e-Learning allows you to promote PASMA courses and secure future bookings, even when your centre is closed or not quite back to full strength yet. Delegates can get started on the theory session while they’re safe at home and you’ve got a course booked in the diary further down the line.

e-Learning is particularly good for furloughed employees, who can still do training, and for anyone whose PASMA card is about to expire – you can offer them a 90-day extension if they complete the e-learning part of their course.

When the delegate does come to the centre, it minimises face-to-face contact between instructors and delegates. You can skip the morning in the classroom and go straight to the assessment and practical. You might find that with your new social distancing measures, everything at the training centre takes a little longer. Getting the theory out of the way in advance gives you one less thing to fit in on the day.

What courses have e-learning segments?

Our most popular courses have online theory sessions – Towers for Users, Low Level Access (plus the combined course) and Work at Height Novice. Towers for Managers is coming soon. We have a range of other courses, but at the moment all sections of courses other than those listed above need to be done at your centre.

How do I give my delegates access to the online theory session?

1. Log into our Online Registration System and use the normal process to book a course.
2. When you select a date for the course, pick the date when the practical is scheduled to take place. It should be within the next 90 days.
3. Add your delegates’ details and provide an email address for each one.

We’ll email each delegate telling them how to access the theory session online.

Watch! How to give delegates access to the online theory sessions:

Remember! Not all courses have an e-learning option. If you are booking a course that doesn’t have this option, such as Cantilever Towers or Towers on Stairways, you won’t be able to add email addresses for your delegates. At the moment, all sections of these courses take place at your training centre.

Careful! If you need to move a delegate from one course to another, don’t forget to add their details (including email address) to the new course.

How will my delegates know what to do?

Shortly after you enrol a delegate onto a course (and provide an email address), we email asking them to validate their email address. When they do, we send another email to confirm they’ve been booked on a PASMA course and they must complete the online theory session before they go to the training centre. This email includes instructions on how to log in and what to do.

Watch! How to access a PASMA theory session line (what your delegates see):

What is the e-learning like and how does it work?

The e-learning can be done from home using a phone, tablet or desktop computer. It consists of a series of videos and knowledge checks the delegate can work through at their own pace. It is delivered by an experienced instructor and covers everything they’d normally learn in a classroom environment.

At the end of the course there’s a quick form to complete. Then, they receive a copy of their online training verification certificate. We tell them to bring it with them to your training centre – they can either print it or show it on their phone. Remember! You can see a copy of their certificate too, by following the steps at the top of this email. You must not let a delegate continue to the written assessment or practical unless they’ve completed the theory.

How can I check if my delegate has completed the e-learning?

There’s a very easy way to check if your delegate has completed the e-learning portion of their PASMA course:

1. Log into the Online Registration System.
2. From the main menu, click bookings.
3. Select the relevant booking from the calendar.
4. Scroll down to the list of delegates’ names.

If the delegate has completed the theory session, you will see a PDF icon beside their name (in the Actions column). Click on the icon to see their online training verification certificate. If you don’t see a PDF icon, they haven’t completed the theory session yet (and you might want to give them a nudge, if their practical isn’t far away).

Watch! How to verify if a delegate has completed the online theory session of their course:

Remember! The validation certificate doesn’t mean they’ve finished the PASMA course. It simply means they’ve completed part one of the course, which is the online theory session. They’re now ready for part two, which takes place at your training centre with your instructor. For most courses, this involves a written assessment and practical session. Only when they’ve successfully done that will they earn their PASMA qualification and get their card.

Once a delegate completes the theory, what’s the deadline for doing the practical?

At the moment, delegates are allowed 90 days in between finishing the theory and completing the rest of the course. This is intended to allow them to do part of the course even before your training centre is up and running again. In the event that this deadline needs to be extended, we will do so. You’d then be able to reschedule the course within the extended time limit.

Could my delegate complete the practical session at someone else’s training centre?

No. They’re your delegates. When you book someone onto a course, they must go through you to complete all aspects of it. Their online training validation certificate includes your booking reference number for the course, which means the certificate is only valid against that booking. They couldn’t complete the theory session online and then present their certificate at another training centre to proceed to the assessment. Likewise, you could not accept delegates who had completed the online theory session via another training centre.

How soon after I register my delegate for e-learning will they receive joining details?

The joining details are contained in an automatically generated email. It should arrive within 30 minutes.

Will the delegate have access to the theory session right up until they do the practical?

Yes. They can watch and re-watch the theory sessions as often as they like, right up until they’ve done the practical and the booking has been processed.

Are all of the theory test questions covered in the knowledge checks?

No. The online theory session includes several knowledge checks, which checks the delegate’s understanding along the way. The questions asked in the knowledge checks are different from the questions they’ll have to answer in written assessment they complete at your centre.

Is TowerGame a compulsory part of the e-learning?

No. It’s there as an optional extra, for delegates who want some practise assembling towers on their computer before they do it for real at your training centre.

What languages are the online theory sessions available in?

We’ve done them in English, using UK legislation, as this covers the majority of delegates. For our members outside the UK, please speak to your local representative about any challenges you are facing locally.

How long does the e-learning take?

Usually around an hour in total. It does cover everything that would be covered in the classroom-based course, but is shorter because there isn’t the interaction that you’d normally have.

Is there a cost for the e-learning?

No.

Can you fail the e-learning?

No. If you fail a knowledge check, you can keep going back to try again. The written assessment is still completed in-person at your training centre and as always, it’s possible to fail at this stage.

Do delegates get access to the training course notes during the e-learning?

No, unless you send them a copy.

If a delegate fails the course, can they use the same e-learning certificate to re-sit it?

Yes.

Can I check how much progress my delegate has made with their e-learning?

Sorry, no. This is not a feature we’re able to offer at the moment. You can view their certificate once they’ve completed it, however.

I’m new to the PASMA Online Registration System – help!

If you’re brand new to our Online Registration System (and even if you’re not!) you’ll find the instruction manual very helpful. It contains detailed instructions for anything you’d want to do in there, as well as videos to walk you through each action.

What do I do if I have a technical problem or need help?

If you have any problems at all, email us at elearningsupport@pasma.co.uk. You can also call us on +44 (0)345 230 4041.