“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
We were recently starting a course one class when a typical question was posed. We receive this question frequently during the opening moments. The question surrounds the real estate exam, the timing of taking the state-required examination to get a real estate license.
As I start to explain the requirements for taking the real estate exam, comments always fly such as “my hiring manager said I should take the exam as quickly as possible after course one,” and “I have been told that courses two and three will confuse me for the exam.”
Learning styles vary from one person to the next. Some people are auditory learners and they learn by hearing and reading. Some people are kinesthetic learners and the learning process is captured by “doing” something. It’s like handing someone a piece of furniture with ‘some assembly required.’ Some people will open the manual, reading it cover to cover before attempting to put it together. Others may sort the screws, cam locks, material and use the picture on the box as the guide to start attempting assembly. Everyone learns differently. In the wake of the flood of information given in a license course, it may be well served to wait until courses two and three are completed. What is taught in theory (course one) is learned in practice (courses two and three). A one-size-fits-all approach is not a good idea.
As far as continuing education goes, the legislature wants to make sure that the person who is claiming credits for the course took the course. In classroom settings, we (the instructors) can see and physically monitor attendance. In online courses, that cannot be achieved except by testing. Several years ago, the law was appended which stated that the classes taken online needed to ‘guarantee seat time’ by eliminating a click-it-forward at your own pace. Theoretically, this would ensure the attendee was taking as much time with the online course as they would have if they took the live course. At the end of every online course, there is an examination which can be taken a certain number of times before a consequence occurs (multiple failures may result in taking the course again or paying for the course another time).
Some feel that the guaranteeing seat time requirement should be eliminated, and some argue that it should be more strictly enforced.
As an instructor of CE over the years, I have seen many things in class during the last days of the CE year (ends June of each year). There are 80 people in a classroom – some listening intently to gleam something of value. Some people, on the other hand, are reading newspapers, tablets and phones while biding time to attain their credits. I will say that the industry has more intent listeners than casual attendees.
I remember the teachers in grade school who told me incessantly to “pay attention.” The required module is one where attention must be paid. The examination at the end of the course must be passed to gain the 3.75 hours of credit. What purpose is served by sleeping through class, working on a listing while the instructor speaks or removing timing from online courses.
