About TrainingAid Platform - General Course - Specific System specific About TrainingAid Q 1. What makes working with us different? A. We have been teaching online for over 12 years and have learned a lot along the way. As we teach our own courses on our platform, we have a deep understanding of how to create the most compelling experience for our users. Since we also build our platform, we can use these feedback loops to inform the roadmap for planned features and upgrades to the platform itself. Our platform also enables synchronous, real-time learning and community building. We believe people learn best when they're engaged with their classmates, so we work hard to create communities as part of our course experience. Q 2. Who are TrainingAid courses for? A. Our courses are developed for adult audiences, particularly those seeking professional development opportunities and interested in building skills relevant to their jobs and careers. There are no course-specific age restrictions, and all courses are open to anyone who meet the conditions specified in our Terms of Use (You must be 13 years of age and over to use this website, and those under 18 years of age must have parental or guardian consent). Q 3. Who are TrainingAid experts and how are they selected? A. TrainingAid collaborates with experts from around the world to develop our training courses and to offer quality content through our platform. These experts are invited by the TrainingAid team based on their areas of expertise and course/content development needs. We always aim to work with experts whose practical insights can help enhance your learning experience. Platform - General Q 1. How do courses on the TrainingAid platform work? A. TrainingAid courses are delivered entirely online. Each course is designed to be highly interactive and social, but we work hard to ensure that the majority of course content can be experienced in a self-paced manner. In our Online Instructor-led courses, we feature real-time interactions each week such as live discussions, live expert interviews, and live simulations. In order to accommodate busy schedules of learners from around the world we’ve set up a learning environment where participants have plenty of options and can choose the ones they’d like to be involved with depending on their availability and interest. Q 2. How do we keep learners engaged with the platform? A. The key to engagement is facilitation. We can't stress this enough. The platform is built to ensure that facilitation is as easy as possible, but even with the most advanced platform, an online experience without proper facilitation (synchronous or asynchronous) can leave learners lost and disengaged. We use passive mechanisms like gamification and learner analytics to help learners who find these feedback mechanisms motivating. We also stress regular live event check-ins and practical exercises to keep learners involved in their own success. Q 3. What are the differences between the different course types? A. TrainingAid currently offers the following types of online courses: Online Instructor-led: Convenient for busy professionals, our instructor-led course format is an effective approach to ensuring an engaging and enriching learning experience. Our interactive facilitated sessions blend expert instruction with virtual collaboration tools, and are complemented with online self-study resources and guides. Online Self-paced: For larger groups, geographically dispersed teams, and professionals requiring flexible and individualised scheduling possibilities, self-paced courses work well to fit their needs. Learners can manage their course work according to their availability, and go through the course at their own pace. All content is conveniently accessible through the platform on an ongoing basis. In-Person Training: Explore diverse training formats tailored to your learning preferences and goals. From classroom courses to online workshops, we offer dynamic learning experiences designed to enhance your skills and knowledge across various disciplines. Tailored In-House Training for Teams and Groups: Explore dynamic onsite courses and trainings tailored to enhance your skills and knowledge. Our comprehensive programs, conducted in-person, offer immersive learning experiences to propel your professional growth. Q 4. Do you offer group rates? A. Yes, we offer discounted course rates for groups of 5+ participants and additional discounts for groups of 10 or more. Please contact us at support [at] trainingaid.org to discuss your requirements. Q 5. What do I need to do to receive a Certificate of Completion? A. Most courses include a final unit with a series of questions to test your knowledge based on the course materials. To receive a Certificate of Completion, you must take this test and answer all the questions. Courses that include a Certificate of Completion indicate this on the course description page. For courses that do not include a Certificate of Completion we unfortunately cannot provide you with one. Q 6. What does a Certificate of Completion mean? A. Upon successful completion of a course, you will receive an electronic copy of a Certificate of Completion from TrainingAid*, which indicates that you have taken and completed the course offered on TrainingAid.org. *Some courses may offer a Certificate of Completion co-branded with a partner organization. Q 7. Do I receive any academic credit or professional qualification from TrainingAid courses? A. Currently we do not offer any course that is affiliated with an academic credit or professional qualification system. If there are opportunities to earn external certificates or receive additional recognition associated with any of our courses, such opportunities are clearly indicated within the course description. Q 8. How much time do I need to spend for a course? A. We estimate that course participants will on average spend 1-3 hours per week, but it's up to you to decide how much time you want to spend on a course. Each course page includes the estimated workload for completing the course, based on the number of modules, the length of video content and the amount of text and other types of content. For example, an Online Instructor-led course may take approximately 2 weeks to complete, at 1-3 hours per week, which just gives you an idea of how long it’ll likely take you to go through the course materials, but it is NOT a deadline. For a 4-Week Course, you are expected to follow the course flow (e.g. one module per week) in order to make the most of your learning experience, and to complete the course within the scheduled 4-week period. Q 9. Do courses expire? How long can I access course materials? A. Please see course access and enrolment details for each course type below: Online Self-paced: Once you are enrolled in an Online Self-paced course, you will have access to the course pages and accompanying materials (e.g. Course Handbook, Discussion Forums) for a 12-month period, unless otherwise specified. Online Instructor-led: You will have access to the course content during the scheduled period of the course. If you do not complete some parts of the course during the course period, you will still have full access to the course for a few weeks after the course end date ("Course Completion Period"), so you can go back and finish all course units. After the Course Comletion Period, usually there will also be some time for you to still access parts of the course, without having the ability to update your progress status or take knowledge checks ("Course Access Period"). The exact lengths of the Course Completion Period and the Course Access Period are indicated within each course page, as well as your course dashboard. Q 10. Can I get a refund for a course I've purchased? A. We aim to provide you with the best learning experience on trainingaid.org. If you feel differently, however, please contact us and we will refund your course fee, no questions asked. Please note: For Online Self-paced courses, a refund can be made within 30 days of your course purchase. Online Instructor-led courses, the registration fee is refundable until 7 days before the class start date, minus $50 administration fee; registration is transferable until the class start date. You will not be able to receive a refund in the following cases: If you fail to send a refund request within the refund period as stated above. If you have sent your course payment via wire transfer. Since a refund by wire transfer is logistically difficult and often impossible, we cannot offer a refund when you have paid via wire transfer. In these cases, we will instead provide you with a complimentary course voucher for the same amount, which you can apply to any other TrainingAid course(s). If you are unable to participate in the course you signed up for. If, for an unforeseen reason, you are unable to participate in the Online Instructor-led course during the scheduled course period, please let us know, and we'll be happy to offer a complimentary course voucher for the same amount, which you can apply to any other TrainingAid course(s). As noted above, we have a "no question asked" refund policy. However, we would appreciate your feedback about why the course did not meet your expectation, so that we'd be able to improve the course in the future. Course - Specific Q 1. Can you tell me more about the partnership between the GSTC and Training? A. TrainingAid, through its partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), manages and develops the GSTC online courses. We are proud to partner with the GSTC and work hand-in-hand to support its work in promoting sustainability practices around the world. Q 2. Does the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course offer a Certificate of Completion? A. What is the weekly workload for the GSTC 4-week course? As with any other online and offline professional training program, it’s entirely up to you to invest as much or as little effort as you would like into the STTP training class. On average, we recommend that you set aside 3-5 hours per week for: Reviewing video lessons and reading materials; Attending live presentations (or reviewing video recording); and Participating in discussion forums and group activities. Other than the scheduled live (webinar-style) presentations, you can choose your own pace – for example, you can spend half an hour every day or a few hours each weekend, depending on what works best for your schedule. You are, however, expected to follow the weekly course flow (one module per week) in order to make the most of your learning experience, and to complete the course within the scheduled 4-week period. Q 3. What do I need to do to complete an online training course? A. To complete the course, you need to have all units and knowledge checks marked complete. You can mark each course unit complete by clicking on the little checkbox in the top right corner. You can move to the next unit without completing one, and come back later to complete the unit. This will be a useful way for you to remember which units you’ve completed, and which ones you didn’t, or wanted to revisit because you weren’t sure if you understood everything properly. Knowledge checks are short quizzes at the end of each module, designed as exercises to help you re-visit key learning points. Knowledge check quizzes are not scored, and you get an unlimited number of tries at each question. Once you complete a course, you can download your copy of the Certificate of Completion (available in PDF format) from the course dashboard. System specific Q 1. What can I do if course videos don’t load properly? A. If you experience problems with the load time of videos, try turning off HD (high definition) at the bottom of the video interface. Also try refreshing your browser and check the availability of your internet connection. Close other open programs on your computer that may interfere with your internet speed. Q2. Where should I report course material errors and technical issues? A. Please contact us by writing to [email protected] or reach out to your course advisor directly. Didn't find your answers? Please feel free to contact us, we're here to help!