Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)

Below are some of the most common questions we get about training via Remote Classroom Instruction.

• Will I be able to see the instructor?

  Each instructor computer is outfitted with a webcam. Most instructors use the camera during introductions and briefly when coming back from breaks so that you will be able to “put a voice to a face.” However, video is not running throughout the course. Throughout the class you will able to see the instructor’s screen and the whiteboard work.

• What if I have a question?

  You simply ask a question as you would in a regular class. Speaker phones and a phone bridge connect all of the remote classrooms. Sometimes a group in a remote classroom might like to mute the speaker phone so they can talk among themselves during the class. When they need to ask the instructor a question, they simply un-mute the phone and speak up.

• What happens if I get stuck in a lab?

  Just ask for help like in a regular class. The instructor is able to see your screen and with your permission, can take over your mouse and keyboard to help you, if necessary.

• Will I be by myself?

  Our remote classrooms can typically have one to four students in an event. So there is a good chance that you will be taking the class with one or more peers, even though the instructor is not physically present in the site.

• What if I want to be at the instructor location?

  You may switch your registration to the location where the instructor is teaching. The instructor location is assigned 10 days before the start date. We cannot guarantee instructor locations prior to that date. Travel arrangements and costs are the sole responsibility of the student.
  

  From time to time, we have classes where each location has only one student enrolled. When this occurs, the instructor may teach from their home office. In this event, since the instructor is also remote, it is not possible to attend from the instructor's location.

• Can I take training from my home or office?

  Yes, you can take an RCI class from your home or office. (You will need a speaker phone and a high-speed internet connection and unlimited long-distance) Many clients tell us that they prefer learning in our interruption-free classroom environments. (For more information about taking a class from your home or office click No Travel.)

• Will I need to install software?

  If you come to one of our training locations you will not have to install anything. Everything should be set up for you when you get there. If you take a class at home or office, a simple 5-minute installation process will get you up and running.

• What if I don't like the class?

  We offer an unconditional money back guarantee. If you don't like the class, let us know by the break on the morning of the first day of class. You will be able to leave with no cancellation penalty.

• How is this different from a web seminar?

  In a web seminar, you just listen and watch an instructor presentation. You have no hands-on component. In many web seminars, you can't ask questions except for writing chat messages. In an RCI session you have hands-on access to software for labs and can ask questions freely over the phone. You'll also be able to hear questions posed by other students regardless of their location.

• How is RCI different from other web-delivered computer classes?

  You may have participated in a web-based class where the instructor presents to a group in a web seminar fashion. Sometimes called "synchronous" training, the "live" component of the class is when everyone is connected to the instructor presentation. This live lecture will go on for up to 3 hours with very little "doing" or interaction on your part. During these sessions, an instructor can present to 30 or 40 students because it is mostly one-way communication.

  Then after the lecture, students schedule lab time where they can access servers that have the course software loaded. During the lab time students work independently. They can e-mail the instructor if they have questions or problems during the labs.

  In contrast to other blended solutions, RCI students experience a flow of interaction that is exactly like a regular class. You listen to and watch the instructor. Then you experiment and practice with the software. If you get stuck on a lab, you can ask for help—right then by talking; not by sending an email. You don't have to schedule time for labs—the labs take place while you are in the class.

  Our average class size is small, typically under 10 students. If you are in one of our classrooms, you'll be in an interruption-free environment and potentially with other students. This lessens the risk that you will be pulled away from class to solve a crisis going on at your office.

• Do people take a second class in this format?

  For some people, RCI is a great solution. We've worked to put the best conferencing technology in place so that you will see very little difference between RCI and a course that has the instructor present in the same classroom. In 2006 we conducted a survey of RCI participants and asked them if they would take another course in that format. Over 92% said that they would take another RCI course.

• Is RCI right for me?

  The best candidates for an RCI class are those people with strong mouse and Windows skills and who have English as their native language. See Is RCI Right for me? for more details or call our toll free number to speak with one of our Education Advisors.

• Is there a price difference for an RCI class?

  Even though our costs to deliver an RCI class are higher than a regular class, we do not charge a premium for RCI events.

  If you take a class in a remote classroom, we incur many additional costs.  First you are using two computers instead of one (we provide a computer in the instructor classroom and in your remote facility). In addition, we must provide the communications links between the two classrooms (long distance phone lines, a phone conferencing bridge, and high-speed internet connections). Conferencing software licenses on your lab PC and on the instructor presentation machine also have to be purchased. These are the additional “hard costs” to an RCI event. On top of that, there are “soft costs” related to coordinating an event that must link multiple locations.

  None of these added costs are passed on to the RCI student.