Pearson vue Exams

[Bill]

Given classroom and VCC is granted a budget for instructors.

Do NOT presume that Classroom wants to be involved in this.

[denzuko]

my apologies, there was no presumption involved but I will gladly amend my statement

[bpamplin]

One of our most valuable resources is classroom space/time. While everyone’s numbers will be different, we might consider how may members receive benefit (knowledge, skill, repair, fellowship,…) from each hour of classroom time. If the average class is two hours and eight members consider they have received a benefit, that amounts to four member benefits per hour of classroom time. How many members will receive a benefit for each hour of testing service time?

[Draco]

From an organizational perspective, we would need to meet service levels, which is always a challenge for volunteer organizations. Proctors would need to arrive early for setup, check in examinees, monitor exams in progress while doing nothing else, then teardown once complete. In addition to on-demand workload for proctors, there’s always maintenance on our ends and ongoing cost-of-compliance obligations with Pearson - whom is surely used to dealing with employees rather than volunteers.

I really do hope they merge the other thread into this one.

In another thread, I mentioned that Pearson does pay testing centers and this may be able to cover paying for the proctor in terms of something like honorarium for doing it as well as instructor materials and equipment.

[denzuko]

please link to the “another thread” and @Team_Moderators will do the needful

[Draco]

The other thread is

Secure Lockers for Testing Certification Site

I think it could work. We are also looking to become a certification testing site and part of the requirements are temporary lockable storage for valuables for people taking the tests. Do any of these have a way that someone can just walk up and use it without being assigned? I’m not certain how it should work.

[motopilot]

I have no idea why we would want to do this. How does it benefit the membership? Unless it will be a profit center, no way. (profit meaning, we make more than this costs) And even then, I fail to see the connection to our maker mission.

[LukeStrickland]

Per our IRS Form 990

DALLAS MAKERSPACE PROMOTES PRACTICAL EDUCATION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND THE INDUSTRIAL AND FINE ARTS BY ORGANIZING AND PROVIDING FACILITIES FOR LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, AND EQUIPMENT TRAINING SESSIONS.

[Photomancer]

I believe it is well within the scope of an educational non-profits mission to support this.

It does promote DMS publicly so it has PR value. Paying driver’s entry fees for the Lemon’s race car is based on it’s PR value, no?

Now whether this or anything else is something DMS want to do or is deemed worth the expense an effort I think is what is being discussed here. Based on what I read above or else where the testing would take place during week days so it would be competing very little for classroom space. If during prime times: week nights and weekend days, that could be a consideration. Other considerations are dedicated floor space for lockers.

I’d like to see more of the discussion. I’ve asked questions and they’ve been answered.

[Draco]

I personally think that certificate testing could be done in the new computer classroom that several people are talking about building. It is a classroom that is already started in the common area north wall and I am told this will be expanded into a training room with computers. If the right choices are made in that classroom, it shouldn’t be a whole lot of effort to set it up for certification testing. The locker does not have to be fancy, it could be a lockable file cabinet where the check-in computer is. This check-in computer needs to be somewhere outside of the testing room, however.

So, this might be easier that we think to implement. And yes, the testing company does cut checks for testing centers for providing testing. I should think that that would go into the committee fund for providing for the instructor material, proctors and other equipment needed.

[LukeStrickland]

On another topic

I personally think that certificate testing could be done in the new computer classroom that several people are talking about building. It is a classroom that is already started in the common area north wall and I am told this will be expanded into a training room with computers.

Which room specifically?

Here’s a map https://dallasmakerspace.org/w/images/8/8e/Safety_equipment.jpg

[Draco]

On another topic

Which room specifically?

You may need to talk with @talkers about his plans for the new classroom. I have just heard talkings about it and some comments made about teaching CAD in it.

[denzuko]

Thank you Draco. Relevant posts been merged here.

[denzuko]

We’re looking at one of either:

1. A room in the expansion
2. The conference room after the expansion,
3. Some area for storage of equipment/lockers and doing scheduled exams taking over a classroom doing day/non peak hours

All of which are in order of best case to worst and within context of demand/availablity of the proposed program.

[Photomancer]

If Pearson pays that should be a private arrangement. I think the question being asked is payment for recovery of costs we incur to support the tests. At least for me, if they are making a profit from testing fees, they need to “share” some of the wealth that that save by not renting a space.

No idea as to the amount. Just the concept of for-profit using non-profit facilities for gratis.

[Draco]

Yes, the Makerspace will have to enter into a contract with Pearson for this to work and in that contract there will be the amount. We can get a better idea once we contact them and start the process. Does this need to come before the board in order to make that initial contact and ask some questions?

[ESmith]

Speaking merely as a member, I’d like to know the hard, non-negotiable expectations of DMS and some real-world cost projections alongside, revenue projections, and utilization projections.

[Draco]

I would as well. However, we not be able to formulate that until we contact them. I do not know the procedure we need to follow in contacting them. I guess that is what I was asking @Photomancer

[Draco]

Here is the Sales Channel and contact information for questions for testing centers.
@denzuko

https://home.pearsonvue.com/For-test-centers/Ask-a-question.aspx