CCIM Education
Blended Learning
CCIM takes the lead in 21st-century education.
CCIM
Institute’s new course delivery method is also delivering a new member benefit
to designees. As part of the blended learning initiative, CCIM is creating its
own online education library. For CI 101 alone, CCIM’s senior instructors have
already produced more than 20 online learning assets, including video and
e-learning segments on the time value of money, discounted cash flow analysis,
and loan underwriting. By year’s end the number of these education resources
will triple.
These
online resources represent CCIM’s most up-to-date educational tools and the
goal is to make them available to all members as a permanent repository of each
course’s core concepts and skills, says CCIM Senior Instructor Steve
Cannariato, CCIM, chair of the Blended Learning Presidential Task Force.
“Members will be able to access the online library to watch a video, complete a
self-paced module, or review sample problem to refresh concepts and skills,” he
says. Members will also have the ability to rate the effectiveness of each
learning asset, providing feedback and ideas for future enhancements. The
online library is scheduled for release in late summer 2014.
A
Changing Landscape
Blended
learning — a combination of classroom, independent study, and online
instruction — is more than an educational fad: in fact, technology-enabled
learning is now becoming a mainstream education delivery method.
“The
education landscape has changed,” Cannariato says. “Information is everywhere,
available any time and often for free. For example, take one of our core CCIM
concepts, net present value. There are 36,800 videos available online on that
topic. And all of them are free.”
Given
such an overwhelming amount of information on any one topic, how learning is
delivered becomes even more important, and well-established organizations such
as CCIM can leverage their reputation and remain world-class by focusing on
content curation and delivery methods. “We need to adapt to this new landscape
or risk becoming irrelevant,” Cannariato says.
CCIM
itself has seen strong, steady growth in its online education offerings. In
2013, more than one-third of all U.S. designation education enrollments were
for either self-paced online or instructor-led online courses; 75 percent of
these students chose self-paced online instruction.
Yet the
hallmark of the CCIM education program is its instructor-led, live classroom
experience, where participants gain insight and knowledge from instructors who
are commercial real estate practitioners themselves. In addition, the chance to
network with classmates often results in contacts, leads, and transactions, as
many designees can attest.
The
21st-century challenge is to combine technology and the classroom experience
while enhancing both experiences for the student. That’s what blended learning
does, says 2014 CCIM Institute President Karl Landreneau, who has championed
the development of this education model. “A blended learning format offers
students the best of both worlds: face-to-face access to instructors and 24/7
access to web-based learning opportunities and materials.”
CI 101
Rollout
To pilot
the program, CCIM senior instructors, staff, and instructional designers are
creating a blended learning format for CI 101 to debut in fourth-quarter 2014.
The course will include
- 12 hours of self-paced e-learning
content, divided among 40 separate topics and learning activities, ranging from
three-minute videos to 45-minute interactive learning sessions;
- seven hours of instructor-led virtual
training sessions;
- three hours of self-paced,
independent study activities;
- 12 to 14 hours of classroom-based
case study application; and
- ongoing grading of student learning
in addition to an end-of-course exam.
This
type of education is characterized as “go and do, then return and report,”
Cannariato says. For example, in one activity, students research and compare
the yields on bonds, the stock market, Treasuries, and real estate and then
develop a $2 million investment portfolio. In another assignment, students
contact lenders in their markets and report back on local underwriting
trends.
The
self-paced learning and virtual sessions for CI 101 are followed by two days of
classroom instruction and a networking event, introducing students to the
benefits of CCIM networking and local chapter participation.
Landreneau
points out the blended learning delivery does not replace the current classroom
licensed delivery model, nor any other CCIM education offerings. It’s just
another way to reach a larger audience. First, it appeals to a younger
generation raised on computers, tablets, and smartphones. “E-learning is
nothing new for them,” Landreneau says. Plus it cuts down on the costs and
amount of travel time. “Not everyone can get away for four days to take a
course,” he says. “We hope this innovation will give more students access to
CCIM’s world-class curriculum.”