Can Culinary Arts Be Taught Online? Yes it Can!

Culinary Arts Online: “a success story”

Using technology to facilitate distance learning is not a new concept. Culinary arts, a hands-on career and technical education field may seem to be a different story but does not necessarily need to be so to enable students to learn practical skills for a trade, career advancement and potential for further degree attainment.

Scottsdale Community College has proven through effective use of technology using Sous Chef and KP Compass combined with designed curriculum that culinary arts can be taught online to provide an opportunity for students to obtain a certificate of completion while enabling those that are outside the usual student profile to go forward with a degree. SCC students receive the instruction on the necessary skills through computer access and produce products required to show skills established.

By adopting an online model of instruction, schools can now provide an opportunity for students who otherwise would not have access due to time or geographical constraints to learn culinary arts. The direct result of this for SCC was a significant increase in their Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE).

KP Culinary Arts with KP Compass enables post-secondary institutions to create online and hybrid classes for trades-orientated curricula. Students in this hybrid model come to class with the base skills in place and ready to refine their skills because they review content assigned by the instructor, complete assignments and take tests outside of class. Instructors then used their instructional time in the online classroom to take the student to a higher knowledge level and address any additional refinements.

Read the full story click here

Can Culinary Arts Be Taught Online?

Yes it Can! A School Success Story.

Using technology to facilitate distance learning is not a new concept. Since the early 80s, learning over the computer has been the solution for students who lived in isolate, rural areas with limited educational resources.  Academic subjects such as science, math and language can easily be taught through a computer-based medium.  

For culinary arts, a hands-on career and technical education field, it is a different story.  Students are learning practical skills for a trade and they need to practice those techniques, often under the supervision of a master craftsperson.  In CTE fields, learners can’t just read about a subject and master it; they have to be shown the skills by a teacher. Technology has augmented education over the years and it has application even in a hands-on CTE subject. 

Scottsdale Community College (SCC), located in Scottsdale, AZ, has proven, through effective use of technology and a very thorough curriculum, that culinary arts can be taught online. SCC students received the instruction on the necessary skills at home or in a computer lab. 

For the past three years, SCC has been piloting KP Culinary Arts Online for their culinary arts courses.  Using the Sous Chef and KP Compass, instructors designed courses that fit their 101-104 class structure.  The digital “books” were custom created to fit the needs of the institution with text, video, activities, and tests. 

Karen Chalmers, Program Director for Culinary Arts at SCC envisioned classes without borders.  "By adopting an online model of instruction, we can now provide an opportunity for students who otherwise would not have access due to time or geographical constraints to learn culinary arts.  The direct result of this for SCC was a significant increase in our Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE).

KP Culinary Arts with KP Compass enables post-secondary institutions to create online and hybrid classes for trades-orientated curricula.  Students in this hybrid model come to class with the base skills in place and ready to refine their skills because they review content assigned by the instructor, complete assignments and take tests outside of class.  Instructors then used their instructional time in the classroom to take the student to a higher knowledge level and address any additional refinements.

Upon completing a module, the students will know which concepts they have mastered and which areas they need to work on to gain the next level of mastery.  The program can be used by any device with a web browser, such as laptops, iPads and smart phones.

“Access is key.  Providing access through technology increases the pace of skills development and helps teachers focus on taking students to the next level of understanding.  The precious time instructors have with their students can be used to create those key aha moments rather than to address material that students can and should learn on their own,” said Nai Wang, founder and president of KP Education Systems.

KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)

For Immediate Release

KP Education Systems (KP) Signs Deal with American Technical Publishers (ATP)

Phoenix, Arizona – May 3, 2011 – In the form of an alliance, KP and ATP will be focusing their efforts to create online digital content for ATP’s publications.

For the past year, ATP has been looking at various ways to bring their publications to the digital age with online tools. With Compass, KP’s new online delivery vehicle, ATP can quickly and easily build online modules for their titles.

“This alliance represents a synergy between our two companies. We at KP have our heart in career and technical education (CTE) and it was just a natural fit to bring our technology to ATP,” says Nai Wang, founder and president of KP Education Systems.

ATP carries over 70 titles in “the trades” education, and they have a stellar reputation for quality and technical accuracy. With an over 100-year tradition, ATP’s publications have been used to train the American labor force. In addition, ATP has demonstrated their devotion to modern and sustainable practices by recently completing a gold certified LEED headquarters building outside of Chicago. By applying what they have learned from their technical experience, ATP has invested in their future and the future of their community. The best practices were incorporated not only in the building’s design, but also in the very curriculum that they publish for their clients on sustainable construction. The building is quite literally a shining example of Knowledge in Practice.

KP developed the nation’s leading multimedia curriculum for culinary arts. KP Culinary Arts (known as the Sous Chef) was a groundbreaking piece of software in 1999. By starting with the intent to go purely digital, KP has continuously grown in the digital frontier and remained leaders by heavily reinvesting in technology. KP has innovated technologies specific to career and technical education that help students to be engaged and invested in their learning. The end result has been KP Compass, an online system that is easy-to use, allowing students to learn technical skills faster while prompting them to achieve mastery in their chosen field.

Technology is a key component to nearly every facet of education, but it is especially practical in CTE. As students prepare to enter the workforce, they demand an educational environment rich in technology that mirrors the real world. As KP and ATP move forward with their alliance, they intend to carry out this vision. “It is imperative that digital curriculum is carefully designed. We need to create multi-dimensional learning environments to satisfy for our rapidly evolving 21st century learner. Anything short of that is a disservice to our youth” said Nai Wang. With ATP’s wealth of expertly authored content and KP’s innovative approach to digital learning, the future looks bright not only for both companies, but also the skilled workforce of America.