Hooke College of Applied Sciences Offers Custom Courses

Collaborative Approach to Training Improves Learning Outcomes
for Application to the Workplace

Westmont, IL (October 23, 2012) – Hooke College of Applied Sciences announced that in addition to its regularly scheduled courses, it is collaborating with companies to develop custom courses geared toward the needs of their practicing technicians and scientists.

Each custom course is designed to deliver specialized training focused on achieving specific business needs. Hooke College works closely with companies to develop courses that meet the needs of their employees by addressing their specific challenges and goals, then provides hands-on instruction in state-of-the-art classroom laboratories at the Hooke College learning center in Westmont, Illinois.

Custom courses are constructed from a wide range of topics, including pharmaceutical contaminant identification, SEM advanced imaging techniques, white powder identification, fiber identification, paint identification, freeze-dry microscopy, forensic soil examination, gunshot residue analysis, FTIR analysis of controlled substances, and particulate matter in injections. Techniques include polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, infrared microscopy, and Raman microspectroscopy. Additional details can be viewed at www.hookecollege.com/customcourses.

“Requests for company-specific custom courses have increased in recent months,” said Charles Zona, Hooke College vice president and dean. “Our experience in educating professionals, along with the solid reputations of our instructors, allows us to design courses tailored to the needs of a client. Some clients have requested a specific instructor to teach techniques essential to their lab’s analytical requirements.”

Many custom courses take advantage of Hooke College’s unique blended learning format known as web-classroom-web training. The web-classroom-web approach combines student completion of online modules before class convenes with hands-on instructor-led classroom laboratory time at Hooke College, followed by post-course online workshops that support and solidify the classroom learning. This training method maximizes hands-on instrument time available to every student and helps to ensure that students keep their skills sharp well after classroom instruction.

Hooke College instructors are subject matter experts in their field and practicing scientists. The instructors deliver a hands-on learning experience that provides each student with the knowledge, critical thinking, and practical techniques necessary to quickly put their new skills to use on the job.

Custom courses are offered in addition to standard, regularly scheduled microscopy courses, which can be viewed at www.hookecollege.com/customcourses.

For more information, visit Hooke College of Applied Sciences online at www.hookecollege.com.