Asia Scuba Instructors – IDC in Thailand plans to start teaching the revised IDC curriculum as soon as all materials are available in English and German. Here is a little preview of the changes!
Most eye catching change is the introduction of IDC eLearning, which is included in all IDC Crew-Packs.
IDC candidates need to complete 16 online sections to prepare for the IDC. Ideally the online training should be completed before the IDC but could also be done during the IDC as ‘homework asignments’.
IDC workshops emphasize realistic scenarios that encourage candidates to Think Like an Instructor.
Instead of sitting through many presentations, the candidates will take part in practical workshops during the IDC. In these workshops the candidates will refresh what they have learned online and apply their knowledge to realistic scenario’s.
Many course Directors already included dry simulations for confined and open water teaching presentations to prepare candidates for inwater presentations. These dry presentations are now included in the IDC in the form of workshops as well.
Integrated approach to dive theory review within the IDC through a workshop.
Again, many CD’s already included some form of ‘IDC preparation’ to refresh theory knowledge. Now this has also become a standard part of the IDC in form of a ‘dive theory workshop’. As part of the online learning, candidates should also have access to the updated digital Diving Knowledge Workbook and Dive Theory online.
Performance requirement changes
There are also some more practical changes that should prepare future instructors better for teaching in the ‘real world’.
Candidates practice teaching with and without an assistant.
There will be increased emphasis on rescue skills and candidates will take part in a rescue scenario – much like an ‘extended’ Rescue course scenario.
The IDC will include a more comprehensive Discover Scuba Diving workshop where candidates practice teaching skills and demonstrate proper supervision and control during an open water dive.
The evaluation criteria for confined teaching presentations are now identical to the open water presentations. This means that candidates can now choose to include a demonstration in their open water teaching presentation, and get a score for that.
Candidates can choose if they want to teach skills neutrally buoyant or kneeling down. However in the ‘skill demonstration circuit’, candidates have to show that they are able to demonstrate two skills neutrally buoyant. These skills are regulator recovery and mask clearing.