The US Nuclear industry has witnessed remarkable improvements in plant reliability and performance over the past four decades, with capacity factors experiencing a significant rise from 55.9% in 1975 to 88.1% by 2000 and reaching a peak of 92.3% in 2015. Since, it has consistently maintained performance within a 1% range. At the 2014 ANS […]
The nuclear power industry is rapidly evolving, requiring us to adapt our approach to employee training. Accordingly, blended and virtual learning have emerged as powerful tools, enhancing training effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility. In this blog post, we will explore how aligning the learning and development (L&D) strategy with blended and virtual learning can revolutionize nuclear […]
Gamification has been proven to be an effective strategy in learning over the last few decades. Numerous empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals provide evidence to support its use. Although more research is needed to understand the benefits and best practices in design and implementation, its value has been recognized in various areas. One of […]
Robert Stone’s 2013 documentary film “Pandora’s Promise” argues in favor of nuclear power as a solution to climate change and reducing carbon emissions. The film features interviews with environmentalists, energy experts, and former anti-nuclear activists who have changed their position on nuclear power. While the film has been praised by some for presenting a persuasive […]
Virtual instructor-led training, or VILT, is education facilitated by an instructor that can occur in a synchronous (live) or asynchronous (self-scheduled or reviewed) virtual format. This saves valuable time and money for the utility, the instructor, and the student. Industries use VILT to train and onboard employees and colleges offer undergraduate and graduate VILT programs. […]
In 1994, my roommate at Clemson University let me experience the Virtual Reality (VR) lab he worked in on campus. I walked a plank between two skyscrapers. I will never forget the sensation when I intentionally stepped off the plank. My stomach turned and I lost all bearings as I hurled down to the city […]
When I look back on my initial license training program to obtain my Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) license, I recall the intense amount of plant information and tasks I needed to learn just to be able to pass the final NRC exam. Over three decades ago, the SRO operating exam consisted […]
It is interesting to reflect on how far education and training have come in the last two years. The pandemic threw face-to-face classroom instruction into a realm of impossibility, and a terrifying realization presented itself to instructors. We were not prepared. The pandemic forced educational technology (EdTech) to center stage in Nuclear Education as well […]
A year ago, I wrote about our new  Mentor Programâ„ Â that was launched to help develop newly appointed training leaders in the industry. The new program was designed to help match experienced mentors from our industry with current nuclear professionals who were recently promoted into a training manager role. As we reflect on the successful year of […]
Do you ever ponder the evolution of your knowledge and the role of innovative nuclear training techniques in shaping your expertise in the nuclear industry? Reflecting on Learning Evolution and Innovative Nuclear Training Techniques I recently reflected on how I used flash cards to learn my multiplication tables when I was young, and today I […]
