While COVID-19 has affected the scope of how we interact with our various constituencies, the demand for certain programs remains unabated. For fifteen years, Clemson Extension, in partnership with SCDHEC, has provided two compliance-based training and certification programs to address stormwater plan review and inspection of permitted South Carolina construction sites.
The Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspector (CEPSCI) and Certified Stormwater Plan Reviewer (CSPR) programs educate and certify individuals in the areas of erosion prevention and sediment control from proper design and review of stormwater plans to installation, maintenance, and inspection of construction site BMPs. Both courses focus on meeting regulatory and compliance requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of all in-person CEPSCI and CSPR training courses that hundreds of personnel rely on each year for certification and recertification.
Comprised of Extension specialists, associates, and agents partnering with regulatory colleagues at SCDHEC, the development team set out to provide alternative solutions to in-person instructional restrictions. Since May 2020, the team created, organized, and offered five distinct and separate courses (some multiple times) utilizing three online platforms and facilitating virtual instruction to 654 participants. Courses occurred asynchronously through Canvas, and synchronously through Zoom, with certification exams provided using Remote Proctor Now. This extensive effort has resulted in 167 newly certified and 444 recertified participants within the abbreviated timeframe.
Team members created instructional modules within each Canvas course platform. To provide opportunities for self-paced learning, digital videos were created, edited, and served to participants. To assess knowledge gained, short quizzes were embedded throughout the modules, and a passing score was required to advance to the next section. For synchronous courses via Zoom, facilitators and instructors continued the ability for interactive questions to be completed by utilizing breakout rooms for participants and instructors to work through relevant problem-solving course materials.
Through evaluation data for asynchronous courses such as the online CEPSCI recertification, the team noted positive quantitative results with 327 participants (94%) agreeing or strongly agreeing that the course was an effective use of their time. Around 95% of the same group felt that the level of information in the course provided enough detail to meet their needs, and 96% plan to include content learned in the course into their business practices. Qualitative responses revealed an unforeseen positive impact that multiple participants expressed, economic costs saved by offering the course online, “…0nline course provided certification without travel and associated costs and out-of-office time.” Overall, the efforts have not gone unacknowledged, “When I realized that my certification would lapse while we were under travel restrictions, I was very concerned with how it could be resolved. I was very pleased when I checked back on the website and saw the online option being offered. You’ve done an excellent job preparing the material in a quick time frame. Great job, but that’s what I would expect from my Tigers!”
The CEPSCI & CSPR teams will continue to offer online and remote course options as South Carolina residents and the world experience extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instructors and Course Facilitators: Calvin B. Sawyer, Ph.D., Jeremy Pike, Haley Parent, John C. Hayes, Ph.D., PE, Charles Jarman, PE (Shannon Hicks, PE, and Paul Quattlebaum, PE, of SCDHEC)
Selected Comments from Participants
- I have been in my engineering career going on two years now and I have been designated as the storm guy so from the time I have graduated to now I have learned a lot. This course has really taught me things and clarified things that will just help me further advance my career and understanding of what I am working with in the field.
- I might have lost out on some of the live interaction and missed on some good dialogue with others in a room but did appreciate the savings in time and cost from a trip to complete re-certification.
- I appreciated the opportunity to take the course at my own pace and as time allowed during my busy work schedules.
- My favorite part of the online course was that it provided a means by which to take the re-certification class as time allowed for me, versus having to take the class on a set date. I was able to watch all modules and take exams in one evening.
- My favorite part of the course was the ease of navigation and the ability to complete modules at my convenience which minimized disruption of my daily duties.
- Online course provided certification without travel, associated costs, and out of office time.
- The flexibility of working at your own pace. My schedule was packed, so it was nice to be able to watch modules when I could. Thanks for putting all of this together!!
- The ability to work through the modules at your own pace. The online course was very beneficial to schedules and would be great if this platform was offered for future re-certifications. The instructors did a really nice job putting this together.
- The ability to go at your own pace and flexibility offered through the online format was incredibly convenient, especially with the current social climate due to COVID-19. The overview of potential changes coming with the new CGP was informative.
- The course was very well-formatted. The modules were instructional and useful and quite helpful to personnel who are field-oriented (myself) and not necessarily computer elite.
- I thought the online format was very good. Instead of losing focus and tuning the instructor out after sitting in a classroom setting for several hours, you could take a break and come back refreshed.
- When I realized that my certification would lapse while we were under travel restrictions, I was very concerned with how it could be resolved. I was very pleased when I checked back on the website and saw the online option being offered. You’ve done an excellent job preparing the material in a quick time frame. Great job, but that’s what I would expect from my Tigers!
- Once I learned how to work the modules the course flowed easily. This type of course gives construction professionals a better way to re-certify because of time constraints. The format that allows the participant to stop and start, with no time limit, is very helpful. I wasn’t sure how this would work but the videos were very informative and easy to go back and pick up something I may have missed. Thanks for your preparation during this bad time we are all going through. You made it easier!
- I enjoyed the entire program. Everyone did an outstanding job in presenting the materials, which is no small act when you consider our current situation and the short time that you had to pull this together.
- The videos were very informative; they were short enough to stay focused but long enough to convey the material.
- I have been certified for a while and them narrating their parts was as about as close to being in the class as you could be.
Submitted by: Dr. Cal Sawyer, Associate Professor, Jeremy Pike, Program Manager, and Haley Parent, Water Resource Extension Agent
