World ParaVolley is moving forward with plans to increase its e-learning opportunities in 2021 and beyond, thanks in part to grants offered by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The development of high-quality personnel is critical to the success and delivery of Para sport, and World ParaVolley is in the process of developing an online learning platform to enable the development and delivery of online training for a range of officials, including classifiers, coaches, referees, and technical officials.
Initially, a specific portion of the grant funds were to be used specifically for face-to-face technical courses delivered at competitions in Asia in 2020. However, with the onset of COVID-19, World ParaVolley and the IPC agreed that a shift to online learning and a modified time frame would be appropriate, as long as the target clientele would be retained. A focus on Asia-Oceania will remain for the certain initial courses, but participants from other WPV zones are also welcomed to take part.
The initial focus areas for the online learning areas will be:
• Level 1 Classification
• Level 2 Classification (theory)
• Level 2 Coaching
These courses will be offered from mid-2021 onwards, and further plans will include online learning options for referees and technical officials.
The courses are being developed by a team of World ParaVolley content experts. The Classification online initiative will be led by Ms Jenni Cole (AUS), head of World ParaVolley Classifier Education, who has been engaged to lead the development of all modules with support from the World ParaVolley Classification Commission. The Coaching online initiative will be led by Mr Steve Jones (GBR), Chair – World ParaVolley Coaches Commission, who will lead his team of Coaches in the development of all modules.
World ParaVolley will be working closely with Negactive (www.negactive.hr), a specialized e-learning group based in Croatia, to develop the delivery platform.
“This is an exciting time for World ParaVolley,” said Ms. Ivana Pavic (CRO), World ParaVolley’s Development Director. “Having online educational opportunities is vital for growth both within our Federation and beyond. This initiative represents the possibility to open new doors, to reach more people, to build our team, and to make paravolley even more well-known. Most importantly, it gives us a unique opportunity for inclusion among people both with and without a physical impairment – which is an important element to help facilitate growth in Para sport.”
World ParaVolley President, Mr. Barry Couzner OAM, added: “One of the most important functions for World ParaVolley is to look to the future and to increase the human capital of the organisation in the most advanced way possible, given the technology of today. This project will break new ground and enable us to deliver quality training to our team of volunteers anywhere in the world in a consistent manner.”
World ParaVolley is in the process of considering specific dates for the courses and will advise stakeholders accordingly. The first wave of courses will be taking place in June 2021.
For further information, please contact: generalmanager@worldparavolley.org or developmentdirector@worldparavolley.org