During 2007, the POST Commission approved the creation of the Instructor Development Institute (IDI).  The IDI curriculum was subdivided into four Academy Instructor Certification Courses (AICC), Levels 1-4.  The curriculum is a cognitive scaffold, to provide multi-level, multi-track programs that develop professionalism in the delivery of law enforcement instruction. 

The basic AICC course establishes instructor training and certification requirements for academies. Its purpose is to recognize demonstrated competency levels in education and training experience for each instructor, which, in turn, improves the overall professionalism, quality, and effectiveness of law enforcement training.  Subsequent levels of the curriculum progressively build via a modular format, providing advancement and specialization in different areas of law enforcement training. 

The curriculum is grounded in contemporary adult learning methodologies, para-language, critical thinking, and taxonomies of learning, presentation delivery, and platform skills. Progressive learning and proficiency in additional dimensions of subject matter expertise, instructional technology, design, mentoring, coaching, and leadership, eventually lead to instructional mastery.

Over the years, small to medium sized law enforcement agencies have found it increasingly difficult to send personnel to the AICC, due to fiscal constraints and  personnel shortages.  In an effort to resolve this challenge POST formulated a strategic plan to address the following law enforcement agency concerns:

1. Minimize of the negative impact of AICC on agency personnel deployments by hybridizing the course.
2. Improve the productivity of instructors (in terms of more students per        teacher), without impairing outcomes per student  
3. Provide educational services that are tailored to each attendee’s needs, without      incurring prohibitive costs

Accomplishment of the above outcomes required a shift from a traditional, brick-and- mortar classroom model, to a hybrid curriculum delivery framework. It is believed that a hybridized trajectory for AICC, could result in curriculum improvements, that could sustain the course innovation and achieve the aforementioned outcomes. 

During May 2017, TPS facilitated presentation of a Hybrid Academy Instructor Certification Course (AICC), Pilot presentation.  “Hybrid” or “Blended” are names commonly used to describe courses in which, some traditional face-to-face “seat time” has been replaced by online learning activities.  The purpose of a hybrid course is to take advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning.  The hybrid AICC offers 16-hours of online curriculum, and 24-hours, (versus 40 hours), of intensive traditional classroom learning experience.  It is believed that this learning platform will equally enhance student learning, while simultaneously, minimizing, negative impact on agency budgets and personnel deployments.  

The goal of the AICC Hybrid, is to transform traditional face-to-face classroom instruction by developing professional law enforcement learning communities, utilizing interactive online courses.  It is believed that the on-line AICC support programs will enable students and facilitators to cultivate the critical thinking needed for the 21st century.  The customized online segment of  AICC curriculum, is designed to reach a new audience of law enforcement personnel throughout the state.  These personnel often experience the constraints of dwindling agency budgets, deployment schedules, and dislocation.  As such, they are typically not able to attend the traditional classroom learning experience.

The hybrid AICC supports student competency through world-class, online learning opportunities, and invites them to follow their intellectual curiosity, from podcasts and lectures, to fully interactive curriculum and traditional classroom interactions.  Online interactive helping resources and exercises will deepen student competency of key topics, and enhance their ability to turn their knowledge toward real solutions.

AICC, Hybrid, Online Self Paced Curriculum: 

The self-directed on-line curriculum introduces the course materials, custom-made videos, podcasts, readings, and other documents, that cover the process of working with  important curriculum terms and key concepts. Someone who has completed this aspect of the course will be well-prepared for the three day, instructor-led AICC Hybrid class, but would not (yet) be able to facilitate an AICC class unassisted.

Topics:

Upon completion of the self-paced online material, students will have covered the fundamental cognitive basics of the AICC, including: 

1. Adult learning theories
2. Critical thinking
3. Taxonomies of learning
4. Para-language concepts
5. Presentation and platform skills
6. Facilitation methodologies

Course Structure:

Students lead themselves in all aspects of pacing and use of the on-line materials. There is no online course manager. Although the course does not currently have a built-in online capability for learning from and collaborating with other participants, that capability is a future vision.

Immediately upon completion of class registration, students receive log-in, instructions.  Students work at their own pace, and have access to the course materials. The online platform, contains a contact email for resolving technical problems or moderating other issues. 

Prerequisites & Requirements:

Completion of the online course is required prior to enrolling in the instructor led course. There are no formal prerequisites for the online course.  Notwithstanding,  the course is generally aimed at someone who desires to understand the basics of adult learning concepts and theories.  Students will benefit from a broadband or DSL Internet connection, although it’s not mandatory. They will also need a standard browser such as Internet Explorer version 8 or higher, or any version of Firefox, Safari, or Google Chrome.

Summary:

The initial presentation of the Pilot AICC-Hybrid, was attended by POST, AICC Level 1-4 graduates. Although the vast majority of attendees had favorable comments, a minority of participants expressed concern due to the novelty of the online curriculum and their aversion to technology. 

The next presentation of the course AICC, Hybrid, will be comprised of  individuals who have never completed an AICC.  The course has be presented sometime during late August or early September 2017.