According to the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), one CEU (continuing education credit) is defined as "ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction." For more information about CEUs, including the standards an organization must meet in order to offer them, please see http://www.iacet.org/content/continuing-education-units.html

One Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is available for each course (0.2 CEUs for the Foundations of Interpretation course). Indiana University is currently considering offering 1 university credit for successful completion of each course.

CEUs are intended for use by professionals, particularly those who must attend a given amount of training to maintain a certification. As such they are different from "normal" college credits and only accepted at the discretion of the individual college or university. For more information about CEUs in general, please see http://www.iacet.org/component,8/action,show_content/id,34/.

No, you only need to pay the $10 CEU fee; all course progress will be saved. You will just need to repurchase the course and select the CEU option. You can contact us using the Support panel to the left for a gift certificate code to cover the base cost of the course.

CEUs are maintained in our database in perpetuity. The CEU charge helps us maintain this database to ensure continuing access.

The Interpretive Development Program's Peer Review Certification Program assesses an interpreter's ability at a point in time to meet certain competency standards. This online course provides you with the knowledge and skills necessary to help you meet all aspects of the competency standards. Products developed during the courses may be adapted for submission to the Peer Review Certification Program, but submission for certification is not required to successfully complete the online courses.

A basic certificate of completion indicates that you have passed the assessment in the course. It verifies that you know the material covered in the course.

An advanced certificate of complete indicates that you have applied your knowledge of the course material to your site. It verifies that you have developed skills and abilities through the completion of site-based activities.

An interpretive coach is someone that can provide valuable feedback on the site-based activities in the courses. There are two types of interpretive coaches: informal and registered.

Informal coaches use the scoring criteria provided in the activities and the coach’s manual located in the resources section of the course to provide feedback on the activities. They may or may not have received training in how to be a coach. Informal coaches receive the activities and send feedback via email or on a printed copy of the activity. No transcript of the coaching is created. A basic certificate of completion is awarded to those working with an informal coach, upon passing the final assessment for the course. (This certificate may also be obtained through completion of the course by self-study, without the services of a coach.)

Registered coaches have taken on online course in the basic principles of coaching and passed the assessment. They have also passed the assessment in the online course they are coaching. In addition, the first time they coach, they work with a coaching mentor to enhance their coaching abilities. Registered coaches use the scoring criteria and the coach’s manual located in the resources section of the course to provide feedback on the activities. Interpreters enrolled in a course with a registered coach submit their activities in the online learning environment. Then, registered coaches receive these activities and provide feedback through the same system. This creates a transcript of the coaching. An advanced certificate of completion is awarded upon successful completion of the course activities with a registered coach.

If you would like to obtain an advanced certificate of completion for any of the interpretation courses, you must work with a coach who has been trained and registered by the National Park Service and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.

If you are an NPS employee or partner*:

To find a registered coach

You may email program administrators Joyce Howe at Joyce_Howe@nps.gov or Katie Bliss at Katie_Bliss@nps.gov. Please be sure to indicate the region in which you work and for which course you wish to obtain an advanced certificate. The administrators will attempt to connect you with a registered coach in your region. Please be sure to indicate the region in which you work and for which course you wish to obtain an advanced certificate. The administrators will attempt to connect you with a registered coach in your region.

If you know a registered coach

Ask if the registered coach is willing to coach you. If the coach agrees, the coach must contact program administrators Joyce Howe at Joyce_Howe@nps.gov or Katie Bliss at Katie_Bliss@nps.gov. The coach must send the administrators the student’s name and email the student used to register on the Eppley Site, the name of course they will be coaching, and a confirmation that their student is currently registered in the course.

If you know someone you want to coach you, but is not yet registered

Registered Coach Courses are offered in each region of the National Park Service throughout the year. Email program administrators Joyce Howe at Joyce_Howe@nps.gov or Katie Bliss at Katie_Bliss@nps.gov for a current training schedule and a list of training requirements and qualifications.

* NPS partners are defined as any group, organization or individual working or volunteering in or for any unit of the National Park Service.

If you are not an NPS employee or partner

To find a registered coach

The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) is an official partner of the National Park Service and the Eppley Institute. NAI is authorized to train Certified Interpretive Trainers to become Registered Coaches for the online interpretation courses. Registered coaches are available for non-NPS employee and partners by visiting http://www.interpnet.com/certification/coaches.shtml. If you are interested in securing the services of an NAI Registered Coach, you must contact the coach of your choice to determine availability and make a financial arrangement and agreement with that individual (coaching fee is usually $100, but may be subject to change under certain conditions). This fee is independent of the charge for the online course.

Once you select a registered coach

Ask if the registered coach is willing to coach you. If the coach agrees, the coach must contact program administrators Joyce Howe at Joyce_Howe@nps.gov or Katie Bliss at Katie_Bliss@nps.gov. The coach must send the administrators the student’s name and email, the name of course they will be coaching, and a confirmation that their student is currently registered in the course.

If you know someone you want to coach you, but is not yet registered

Registered Coach Courses are offered by NAI throughout the year. Please check the NAI website at http://www.interpnet.com/certification/cert_calendar.shtml for updates and requirements courses offered.

Asking someone to coach you is one of the highest compliments you can give. By requesting their help as a coach you are essentially saying that you respect their expertise as an interpreter and would like to benefit from the experience they have to share.

To assist you in explaining what you are asking them to do, you can print out the following information sheet.

The National Park Service Interpretive Development Program has developed a distance learning platform to provide all interpreters with an opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities. The distance learning platform consists of online courses that contain instructional material, interactive practice items and site based activities. By the completion of each online course, interpreters will have developed an interpretive product or service that is ready to be delivered at their site.

When developing interpretive products and services, guidance from experienced interpreters is extremely helpful. Each online course has been designed so that an interpretive coach can provide feedback to the interpreter on the site based activities. It takes about a total of 4 hours to provide feedback on the activities that create an interpretive product or service.

Because knowledge of the resource is an essential component of quality feedback, interpreters in the online courses are advised to invite an experienced interpreter at their site to serve as their coach.

There are two types of interpretive coach: informal and registered.

1. Informal coaches use the scoring criteria provided in the activities and the coach’s manual located in the resources section of the course to provide feedback on the activities. They may or may not have received training in how to be a coach. Informal coaches receive the activities and send feedback via email or on a printed copy of the activity. No transcript of the coaching is created. A basic certificate of completion is awarded to those working with an informal coach, upon passing the final assessment for the course. (This certificate may also be obtained through completion of the course by self-study, without the services of a coach.)
2. Registered coaches have taken on online course in the basic principles of coaching and passed the assessment. They have also passed the assessment in the online course they are coaching. In addition, the first time they coach, they work with a coaching mentor to enhance their coaching abilities. Registered coaches use the scoring criteria and the coach’s manual located in the resources section of the course to provide feedback on the activities. Interpreters enrolled in a course with a registered coach submit their activities in the online learning environment. Then, registered coaches receive these activities and provide feedback through the same system. This creates a transcript of the coaching. An advanced certificate of completion is awarded upon successful completion of the course activities with a registered coach.

To become a registered coach you must do the following:

1. Obtain a basic certificate of completion in the course you would like to coach by completing the course and passing the assessment.
2. Obtain an advanced certificate of completion in the Registered Coaches Course by completing the course, passing the assessment and submitting the feedback you prepare during your first coaching experience to the coaching mentor for review. Once you have obtained the advanced certificate of completion in the Registered Coaches Course you are free to coach interpreters in the distance learning platform on your own.

To begin the process of becoming a coach by registering for an online course, please visit www.interptraining.org. For further information you can review the Frequently Asked Questions section at www.interptraining.org or contact etshelp@eppley.org.

If you are an NPS employee or partner*:

To become a registered coach you must complete a 40-hour classroom course including prerequisite online courses. Registered Coach Course classroom trainings are offered in each region of the National Park Service throughout the year. Email program administrators Joyce Howe at Joyce_Howe@nps.gov or Katie Bliss at Katie_Bliss@nps.gov for a current training schedule.

Minimum qualifications:

To be accepted into a Registered Coach Course you should be an experienced interpreter who possesses an understanding of the professional standards for interpretation as defined by the Interpretive Development Program and have experience training and coaching interpreters. Course participants must also possess organizational and critical thinking skills, and have demonstrated skill in providing feedback for interpretive performance improvement. Permanent, term, and seasonal employees may apply. Selection of Registered Coaches will be made by the Regional Lead Coaching Team and will be based on information from the Supplemental Questionnaire found in the course announcement.

Prerequisites:

Registered Coaches complete a three-part on-line training program to prepare for the residential course. These prerequisites help Registered Coaches gain the skills necessary to apply the scoring criteria and provide appropriate feedback for the online courses:

• Part 1: Pass assessment for Foundations of Interpretation and Interpretive Talk online courses. 4–6 hours total
• Part 2: Complete activities 4 and 5 only in the Interpretive Talk online course, 4–6 hours total.
• Part 3: Complete the Coaching Tutorial for the Interpretive Talk (available upon acceptance into classroom course), 4–6 hours total.

* NPS partners are defined as any group, organization or individual working or volunteering in or for any unit of the National Park Service.

If you are not an NPS employee or partner:

To become a registered coach you must complete a Registered Coach classroom course offered by NAI, including prerequisite online courses. Registered Coach Course classroom trainings are offered throughout the year. Check Calendar of Training Workships at The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) website for a current schedule.

Minimum qualifications:

To be accepted into a Registered Coach Course offered by NAI you must fulfill the requirements to become a Certified Interpretive Guide instructor and additional coursework required by Eppley Institute and the National Park Service.

Prerequisites:

Registered Coaches complete a three-part on-line training program to prepare for the residential course. These prerequisites help Registered Coaches gain the skills necessary to apply the scoring criteria and provide appropriate feedback for the online courses:

• Part 1: Pass assessment for Foundations of Interpretation and Interpretive Talk online courses. 4–6 hours total
• Part 2: Complete activities 4 and 5 only in the Interpretive Talk online course, 4–6 hours total.
• Part 3: Complete the Coaching Tutorial for the Interpretive Talk (available upon acceptance into classroom course), 4–6 hours total.

To begin the process of becoming a coach by registering for an online course, please visit www.interptraining.org. For further information you can review the Frequently Asked Questions section at www.interptraining.org or contact etshelp@eppley.org.

A certificate of completion is available to print for each course once you pass the assessment by scoring at least 80%.

You can find a link to the certificates in the Print Certificates section of each course’s homepage.

Verify that you have passed that course’s assessment (scoring 80% or greater). If you are still having problems please contact us using the Support button to the left.

Yes. Simply log in to the system and return to the home page for the course in question. The certificate should be accessible from the Quick Links section of the course home page.

To recover a lost password:
Click the Log In button at the top of the page.
On this popup click the Forgot Password link
Enter the same email address you use for your Eppley.org account
Check your email for the new password

Visit our support forums for a step-by-step tutorial on creating a new account: http://ets.zendesk.com/entries/203765-how-to-create-an-account

Visit our support forum for step-by-step instructions: http://ets.zendesk.com/entries/206320-how-to-access-a-course-once-you-have-purchased-it

Most courses remember the last page you visited. You can return to this page by clicking the Last Page Visited link in the Quick Links section of that course's homepage.

No. The last page visited information is stored in that site's database. Even if your computer shuts down you will be able to resume where you left off.

It may be that the Last Page Visited option is not available for that particular course. If you feel there is a problem please contact us using the Support button to the left.

Contact your local or regional chief of interpretation for discount codes

Please contact us using the Support button to the left. Include your name, registered email address, discount code you are trying to use, and which course(s) you are trying to register for.

No. You only need to purchase the course before the discount code expires. However, you have one year to complete the course once you purchase it.

NPS partners are defined as any group, organization or individual working or volunteering in or for any unit of the National Park Service

The learning process is the same for each course. To complete each course you will:

• Read, watch and listen to instructional material on the screen
• Use the interactive practice pages to receive immediate feedback on your understanding of the material
• Complete activities designed to be applied at your interpretive site, if such are applicable (please note that the Foundations of Interpretation course, as well as many courses outside the Interpretation curriculum, do not contain activities)
• Improve the course by completing the course evaluation.

Feedback from experienced interpreters is often essential to developing and improving interpretive skills. Because of this the Interpretation courses have been designed for use with an interpretive coach. Interpretive coaches use guided feedback forms to assess course activities and provide helpful advice on how to improve your interpretive skills.

Outside of the Interpretation curriculum, however, the courses are designed to be completely self-paced. If you find you cannot complete a course in a single sitting, you will be able to return to your place in the course through the "Last Page Visited" link on the course home page as long as you have not cleared your cookies since your last visit.

Not unless a) your interpretive coach says you must, b) you are taking the course as part of a program in which the activity is intended as a presentation, or c) you really want to. These activities are meant as practice. As with all practice, however, the more work you put into it the more you will probably get out of it.

All the courses in our catalog are available for registration and access "on demand."

Yes, although any fees will be charged in US dollars.

No. Each person's progress is tracked through their account.

Yes.

The National Park Service (NPS) courses are based on the NPS Interpretive Development Program and Fundamentals curricula. The curriculum for each course was developed by an NPS subject matter expert team using existing materials, personal expertise, and the contributions of field practitioners. The Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, working in partnership with the NPS, used the curriculum source documents to develop the courses.

The Carhart courses were developed in partnership with the Arthur Carhart Interagency Wilderness Training Center. The curriculum for each course was developed by a Carhart Center expert team using existing materials, personal expertise, and the contributions of field practitioners. The Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, working in partnership with the Arthur Carhart Center, used the curriculum source documents to develop the courses.

The rest of the courses available at www.eppley.org were created by faculty affiliated with Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.

The courses take between one to six hours to complete (two hours for the Foundations of Interpretation course). They are self paced so you can go through the course in a way that best fits your schedule. For example, if you have a large amount of time to work on the course you might complete a chapter or two. If you only have brief moments when you can take the course, you might choose to go through just a few pages at a time.

Courses have between 4 to 6 chapters. A typical chapter has 15 pages, 2-3 practices and at least one site based activity. You have one year to complete a course from the time you register for it.

The suite of courses form a credentialing program designed to provide you with knowledge, skills, and abilities in the field of interpretation. To obtain a certificate of completion, it is necessary to complete the assessment to verify you understand the material presented in the course.

support@eppley.org

Carol Watson
watsonc@indiana.edu

Matt Wolf
mtwolf@indiana.edu

501 North Morton St. Suite 100
Bloomington, IN 47401
T: 812.855.3095
F: 812.856.5600