APPLETON, Wis. (Sept. 10, 2020) — Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller® brand arc welding equipment, has released an updated version of OpenBook, a free learning management software. OpenBook is designed to provide welding instructors with an easy tool to teach welding concepts and techniques specifically aligned with American Welding Society (AWS) SENSE standards.
The online learning tool features curated courses, e-learning modules and quizzes, so instructors can spend less time compiling resources and students will stay engaged. OpenBook even offers real-time student feedback to easily monitor and assess student performance.
“OpenBook has enabled teachers and students across North America to have access to the most current information on welding technologies during these unprecedented times; and to provide it at no cost is an unbelievable act by industry to support education,” says Dan Turner, professor of welding at Yuba College in Marysville, California.
Working directly with welding instructors who use the platform daily, Miller gains insight on the software performance and uses the feedback to make changes and improvements to the overall learning and user experience.
“I really enjoy being able to speak with welding instructors about OpenBook. Their insight and ideas are what make it a useful tool for them,” says Nick Peterson, Miller weld engineer and curriculum developer. “The best part is to have a learning tool of this caliber and to be able to offer it to them at no cost to an already strained welding program budget.”
Enhanced capabilities of the software include:
- Hyperlinks and formatting tools that allow instructors to easily customize quizzes with the ability to connect lessons, materials and videos from other outside sources right into the quiz builder platform.
- Curated courses with Certificates of Achievement awarded from Miller and Hobart® for students to display and recognize their hard work for completing each course.
- Custom Certificates of Achievement that are automatically generated from instructor-created courses and are also available for courses completed prior to the updates.
- Numerous interface controls and usability improvements that enhance the user experience and make it easier to navigate within the application.
- Improved and updated help page that supplies the latest information and helps instructors find exactly what they are looking for when they have a question.
- Backend performance improvements that keep the free software system up to date and running smoothly while leaving room for growth.
OpenBook is offered as a free resource to help schools teach the future welding workforce. For more information or to try OpenBook, visit https://openbook.millerwelds.com/.
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