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cbuffalino

Introducing Project Hercules: A research study into skydiving education

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Good afternoon all,

I have begun a research study into the habits and tendencies of skydivers. When I set out on this path I quickly found that while there was a ton of information out there about skydiving, there was little about the actual people who participate in the sport.

I download the yearly report from the USPA and go over the data to identify trends, which they are amazing at doing already, but I still feel like there is a gap in knowledge and types of information being collected.

It may seem kind of trivial, but I know many of you out there are white collar individuals who understand the value of data and how it can greatly impact the minutia in our lives. As a result of my first round of subject interviews I have identified a handful of common threads between 6 different demographics within the sport and specifically the way we are interacting with students and potential students.

I would appreciate it if anyone seeing this would take a look at the link below which details the first iteration of my proposed solution which was crafted directly from my interviewees and will always be based on the feedback of anyone interested in skydiving. Feel free to contact me directly by signing up for the private beta, or clicking the link at the very bottom of the landing page which will lead you to my website for contact.

Thank you all in advance and fly safe!

-Chris

http://bit.ly/27hb4vi
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

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cbuffalino

.. which details the first iteration of my proposed solution ...



I visited your web site, yet have little idea of what you are trying to accomplish. (I am not going to download or sign up for anything.)

Please just tell us what you are trying to do. Is this supposed to be a repository of instructional resources for students?

What does it have to do with the "habits and tendencies of skydivers"?

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Thank you for the feedback.

My intention is to first get our students set on a path towards their A. The process will then allow them to set individual goals i.e. I want to be a Tandem Master and provide a pathway to success toward that goal.

The ultimate prize is being able to keep us in the sport longer, pursuing our goals directly through community and immersive educational tools and then create more skydivers from the outside.

The goals of this project are dynamic in that the voice of the community will guide me toward what is needed. I had a slightly different vision on this at first and it has blossomed into this initial offering which looks to gauge interest in a platform that unifies the industry in a different way thus making the path toward quality education and by extension, retention, more of a possibility.

To directly answer a few points you raised:

It can be a platform yes for a repository of curated information
It can be a platform that provides tools and services to DZOs
It can be a platform to increase community engagement in order to convert 1st timers into students and retain those students through the current retention envelope.
It can allow our sport to utilize data in order to create better experiences for the entire participant pool which will lead to more skydives being completed.
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

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cbuffalino



It can be a platform yes for a repository of curated information
It can be a platform that provides tools and services to DZOs
It can be a platform to increase community engagement in order to convert 1st timers into students and retain those students through the current retention envelope.
It can allow our sport to utilize data in order to create better experiences for the entire participant pool which will lead to more skydives being completed.



how?

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Quote

My intention is to first get our students set on a path towards their A. The process will then allow them to set individual goals i.e. I want to be a Tandem Master and provide a pathway to success toward that goal



When I started skydiving the SIM was about 8 pages long which is now 200+ pages. I would suggest you start on page 17. The goals, objectives & pathways are in there. http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/files/Man_SIM_2016.pdf including Achievement and Performance awards.

And, if you have the money or know an Instructor well - The Instructor Rating Manual (IRM) is a valuable tool for knowing the expectations of each Instructor Rating.

Basically, everything you propose has been done.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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Thanks for the feedback.

I understand that things many roads have been paved. Through my own interactions and research into the sport I'm suggesting there may be more efficient and beneficial ways to approach the learning environment in order to create retention and conversion which is an issue within the industry.

By paving a new road forward we can engage the community on a more granular level and increase our performance as a sport. It's not about reinventing the wheel, just putting new tires on the rim. So far through y research it's been suggested that the SIM while a great resource is an antiquated and difficult document to approach and not providing the benefits we all need overall.
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

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Ya know, the fact that it has worked for 40 years doesn't really mean it's the best possible way. I haven't taken a look at the app, since I'm no longer an instructor, and am not in the target audience. If it gives students a centralized way, maybe with some interactive help and/or discussion questions (i.e. to help students figure out what questions to ask), then I can't see any problem with someone trying to figure out if there's a better approach.

Even if it doesn't pan out, this can do nothing but improve the OPs qualifications as an instructor and skydiver.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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Wendy, thank you for your insights. I appreciate your open-mindedness. May I ask why you no longer an instruct and/or jump? And follow up: Why do you feel you're not in the target audience?

I'm aware that most of what I have up on the landing page is vague and only offers the bare minimum information to gauge interest. That's kind of the point: to receive reactions in order to improve upon my hypothesis.

End of the day, I want to contribute to the community, whether it's this way or another we'll figure it out together :)
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

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Evening Wendy,

I understand and applaud what he's saying when it comes to the below, "I want to contribute to the community, whether it's this way or another." However, the post of goals and objectives need a foundation of experience and lotsa reading. In my opinion, the SIM and IRM are better now than they've been in 15 years. And, that is the best place to get an idea of what's been done before posting a "different" way that may be the same way.

Have a good night. Hope you're wishing you were more south down Texas way. :D

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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