Certiblog

Tech Issue Buster: RAM

After a prolonged hiatus, Tech Issue Busteris back to outline the top customer service issues facing Certiport Testing Centers. Last time, we tackled the ins and outs of administrative rights for installing/un-installing software.

This time, we're hitting—in Maverick speak—"the need for speed:" RAM. The RAM requirement for computer systems used to administer MCAS or Microsoft Office 2007 certification exams is 1 GB. Every other exam needs 256 MB or above for peak performance.

These requirements are largely dictated by the Office 2007 software leveraged in the exams, says Josh Sommer, Certiport customer service support liaison.

"If you don't have the 1 GB Microsoft requires, [the exam] will throw up an error message," he said. "It will not run. You cannot proceed until you have a gig put in."

The problem was ... more of a problem a year ago or so when most centers were making the leap to Office 2007 without the hardware to do it properly, Sommer said. That's changing with continuing advancements in the speed of the typical CPU. Today, practically every testing center can avoid the RAM "Danger Zone" (sorry, couldn't resist) with their next system upgrade.

Certification Looks Even Better in a Recovering Economy

This should probably go under the "I guess we already knew that" category; nonetheless, I always enjoy confirming what I thought I knew. (Does that mean I'm insecure?)

In CertMag's annual "Certification Salary Survey," 20 percent of the publication's survey respondents had passed their first certification in 2009 (up from 17 percent last year and 12 percent in 2007). Even more interesting, 37 percent added a second certification this year and 18 percent added more.

Seems like a pretty popular way to help yourself stand out.

Our own studies confirmed that,too. I love symmetry.

Workers that Stayed Hurt by Lingering Recession

Two studies released earlier this month say that employees are growing discontent and restless in the wake of a global recession that may be improving ... but not quick enough. Firms Right Management and Finnegan Mackenzie got responses from hundreds of executives and rank-and-file workers alike who indicated their companies' belt-tightening has them feeling neglected.

Some are starting to look elsewhere for work.

“Employees are clearly expressing their pent-up frustration with how they have been treated through the downturn,” Douglas Matthews, president of Right Management, said in a statement. “While employers may have taken the necessary steps to streamline operations to remain viable, it appears many employees may have felt neglected in the process. The result is a disengaged and disgruntled workforce.”

For companies that have gotten away from employee training programs during the recession, it might be time to take a look at cost-effective ways to support your employees' career goals. Certification is a proven option to build skills and loyalty.

Bring Your 'A Game' for the 2010 IC3 World Cup

As I browsed the 2010 IC³ World Cup Web site (registration for the competition is now open, by the way), I got a bit nostalgic for the Cups of yore. (Acutally I really just enjoyed viewing this ridiculous video that our team put together a year or so ago on a whim.)

The video also reminds me of what I like most about the IC³ Cup Competition: I love the commraderie of the team. Unlike the Worldwide Competition on Microsoft Office (which is fantastic in its own right), the Cup is something you can do with your crew. That's what makes it fun; that's why it's unique. You do it for the team.

Now, get out there, and kick a goal or something!

BTW, I'll post a pretty cool story about the IC³ Cup in December.

iCritical Thinking and the Information Evaluation

I cringe when I think of the days of pouring over primary sources of information for research. Not only was the search often tedious ... those books were heavy!

Now, I won't go as far as to consider the future of books, but online reading and information gathering has certainly made life easier for many, myself included. However, there is what some would consider drawbacks to the Internet research.

Information ... there's lots of it. The words needle and haystack sometimes come to mind when I try to find that tantalizing piece of information I know I've seen somewhere else before. And then there is this issue of the reliability of the information consumed and often passed on as truth. Sometimes ... gulp ... the Internet is wrong.

It's the former that really tends to cause the most problems, especially for those whose main information resource has always been the Internet. (Teachers, ever see a Wiki-based book report?)

One of the main thrusts of the recently released iCritical Thinking powered by ETS is the evaluation of credible resources from the Internet. As Irv Katz, ETS senior research scientist, says, "Even when people have access to technology, they may not be using that technology effectively; and that gap is what iCritical Thinking is meant to assess."

Sure, educators and employers probably long for the days of hefty hardback tomes or microfiche like they do for music on 8-track or spaghetti westerns. At a minimum though, poor judgment in selecting sources of information on the Internet probably leaves them wishing students and workers had developed the ability to discern the difference between Web fluff and weightier, more credible information. 

iCritical Thinking Powered by ETS Launches

Certiport has released what it's calling an "academic and work-readiness" certification. As I posted last week, the road to 21st Century Skills is not simply learning how to use technology---it's applying that knolwedge so that it works for any given situation.

You can learn more about the new certification here: www.certiport.com/icriticalthinking.

More on iCrtical Thinking to come on Friday ...

Finding New Ways to Keep Company Stars

Money, money, money!

It's more than a song. Employers often think it's what keeps a company's best employees from walking. (Yes, even with a down economy organizations fret over losing their best folks. Maybe you do, too.)

But as several studies indicate keeping your top performers is often more than just about salary. Last year, Certiport had more than 500 certified employees respond to a series of questions asking about the value of their Microsoft Office certification.

A couple of interesting things came out of that:

• Two-thirds felt they would be more dedicated to employers that offered them opportunities for certification.
• More than half said their job satisfaction increased when they put those certified skills to use within the organization.

The lesson here? Invest in skills of the best. They'll return the favor by sticking around.

Doctors Need Computer Skills, Too

In an increasingly digital world nearly everyone needs to know how to use the computer. That includes your local health care provider. For the sake of some stimulation, let's argue this point a little:

You: Are you saying the person that still uses stethocopes and wooden tongue depressors needs to be a computer wiz, too?

Me:Absolutely. Along with the good old tried and true tools of trade, the equipment used in healthcare has become more and more digitized. And perhaps most important of all are the record-keeping systems that track a patient's health.

You: But when it comes to tracking a patient's health, we're talking about specialized computer proficiency among more than just doctor's---it's nurses, administrators, and office support.

Me: I never said doctors alone needed computer skills.

You: Yes, you did. Look at the headline to this post.

Me: Well ... uh ... hmm. Dang it! I hate it when you're right.

Learn more about Certiport's new IC Health certification at www.certiport.com/ICHealth. And don't get a big head just because you won one argument.

Certiport Launches IT Certification for Healthcare

 
Certiport is working to address the specialized digital-skill needs of healthcare workers with the announcement of its newest certification: IC Health. The certification is geared to tackle:

• The Health Information System
• Management of patients' personal data
• Clinical folders
• Patient safety and clinical risk management
• Internet and medical vocational training

I imagine it will be a particularly useful certification within medical educational programs and within healthcare organizations looking to standardize skills. For more info, check out these FAQ and exam objectives PDFs.

Web Not That Important to Your School? Think Again ...

Some news and notes for your Friday afternoon blaaaaahs:

• According to a recent survey, the Internet is playing a larger role than ever before in determining a student's college, according to an article in Today's Campus. About 90% of all parents who research colleges for their kids use the Internet to do it. As many as 10% of Web-browsing parents will even tell their kids to cross a school of their list of possibilities if the school's Web site doesn't answer their questions. Ouch!

Not only does it matter what you post on your site, but chances are the Web master probably can't do it alone. Getting relevant information to the Internet in a timely manner usually requires a group effort (Read: Lots of different people across the institution). Sounds like this helps strengthen the case for using Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) as a starting point for ensuring all the relevant parties have the fundamental skills necessary to move onto basic HTML coding.

• Speaking of IC³, a business owner in Indiana posed the following question: Why is it high school graduates don't know how to use business applications? The remedy, according to tech columnist April Miller Cripliver, is IC³. Now if they could just stop posting to Facebook long enough to focus on Word ...