Blog: Old Dogs and New Tricks

Welcome to the FirstEDA virtual classroom of 2020! (read in a 1950’s BBC Radio voice)
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At FirstEDA we have taught VHDL to hundreds of engineers; from basic introductory language, through to expert level VHDL verification. Up until now, all training has been delivered as instructor-led classroom sessions, either from our Bracknell training facility, or at our customers’ offices. In the year of Covid-19 however, this has had to change, and we have now moved all our courses online for the first time.

From an experienced trainer’s perspective, this could have been a challenging environment. During an ‘in person’ class, a trainer can pick up on things that might otherwise be missed, such as how well the delegates are really understanding the material. I must admit I was concerned, as body language is much harder to read in the ‘online classroom’. Fortunately, after delivering our initial online courses, I am now feeling a lot more comfortable. We have tailored the online format, with the most notable change being that the courses are longer. This gives me more time to explain the concepts but, more importantly, also allows delegates to benefit from more time in the lab sessions.

So, now after training a number of engineers online, I can confirm that the courses have all been very well received and everyone has learned a lot, even their trainer – I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! It seems strange though, to have trained people but never physically met them, and I am missing the lunches! Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to meet them properly when they return for additional courses, once things start getting back to normal and we re-open our ‘in person’ classroom sessions.

Until then, online it is. We have several online courses scheduled in the remainder of 2020, details of which can be viewed on the FirstEDA website. If you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, you are very welcome to contact myself and the training team directly.