What makes the difference between half asleep and actively engaged during training?
The instructor, facilitator, or industry SME (whatever you want to call them)!
I’ve participated in a half-dozen five-day cybersecurity certification “bootcamps,” over the past several years. Each time, the training was in-person with a single instructor. Although this is traditionally the norm, and general works well, my interaction level really depends on that instructor’s ability to engage the classroom.
Are they organized and stay on track with the agenda? Do they use humor and engaging real-life scenarios? Are they able to answer questions on the fly? Are they animated and passionate about the subject matter?
These characteristics contribute to me staying awake and actively raising my hand throughout the course. Otherwise, it’s brutal and makes already lengthy days seem longer, as I think you might agree.
One thing I really enjoyed about Carnegie Mellon SEI’s Insider Threat certificate classes was the rotation of instructors. We had two instructors per bootcamp, each with unique strengths and perspectives. I love this approach and decided Edwards Performance Solutions should adopt a similar model for our CMMC-AB approved CCP, CCA-1, and CCA-3 classes; but…even better!
For most of the CCP knowledge areas over our five-day bootcamp, we’ll have a lead instructor and a supporting instructor – providing our students diverse perspectives for the absolute best experience possible! Amira Armond may open up the discussion on Ethics, with me chiming in to pose questions for group discussion or adding my own experiences in ethical challenges. You might find Jacob Horne leading the exploration of the history of FAR, DFARS, and CMMC, with Brian Hubbard lending his perspective and experience (having led the team that authored NIST CSF). Day in and day out, you’ll get to hear diverse voices and perspectives. As a bonus, we also decided to limit our virtual instructor-led courses to 25 students. This ratio allows intimate student/instructor interaction and engagement. That’s valuable!
When you’re exploring training vendor options for your CMMC-AB approved courses (or any certification style course), consider the pros and cons of each type of training modality and the instructor team. At Edwards, we have provided training solutions for 23+ years and understand the value of combining instructional design knowledge with talented internal SMEs. The union provides impactful curriculum. That coupled with dynamic instructors (like our CMMC PA and PI team), makes for a powerful learning experience!
How to learn more about CMMC-AB approved classes?
Edwards is heavily involved in the CMMC ecosystem — training and education, assessments, and certification. As such, you absolutely understand why Edwards is the first choice of so many major RPO, C3PAO, and OSC firms on their way to CMMC certification. Check out our available CMMC-AB course offerings on our training portal.
