Training and Workshops

Wadsworth and Brooks/Cole offers complete Training and Workshop solutions for your courses.

Thomson Learning Connections Service Program

The program includes a complementary set of services that allow instructors and students to choose the means of customer service, support, and training that best suits their needs.

The cornerstone of TLC is the Lead Teacher/Power User program. This program brings a peer-based classroom perspective into the mix, going beyond training to include instruction and guidance to effectively integrate the product into the instructor’s course and teaching methodology.  

Services in the Program

TLC’s extensive support program includes the following services:

• 24/7 customer support Web sites
• Customized, campus-specific TLC customer support Web sites with school logo
• Regular online training seminars
• Online Lead Teacher trainings
• On Campus Lead Teacher trainings
• Colleague-to-colleague support on campus through the Power User program
• On Campus Tech support visits
• Outbound service calls to proactively address emerging customer needs
• Ongoing communication with users via regularly scheduled eCampaigns
• Customized training materials, documentation, and collateral for key accounts
• Hardware/software fulfillment support

TLC On Campus: The Lead Teacher/Power User program

The Lead Teacher program consists of faculty members and experienced teachers who are also experts in the use of our products. They conduct trainings for individual faculty and/or groups of instructors on campus. In addition to product expertise, Lead Teachers provide guidance/coaching/advice about how to integrate the product into the course and how to use the product to improve teaching and learning. The ability to relay firsthand classroom experience sets the Lead Teacher program apart from standard product training or tech support.

We currently have a network of Lead Teachers who are regionally based, allowing them to provide on-site training at the top accounts nationwide and present at workshops and events.

Working in conjunction with our cadre of Lead Teachers are Power Users. Power Users provide peer-to-peer support, serving as local liaisons at their institutions, handling systems admin issues, providing training and/or facilitating training by a Lead Teacher, answering questions raised by other faculty on campus, and communicating problems to customer support. Power Users also serve as the central contact for the rep on campus and provide product feedback throughout the semester.

TLC Online: Support Web sites, online Lead Teacher trainings, and online seminars

TLC includes a multi-tiered online support program based around a series of Web sites that provide access to self help support. Going beyond static FAQs, the sites allow users to ask a question or explain a problem in their own words and instantly receive one or more possible answers. The sites are designed to provide quick solutions to simple problems like password and pin code issues to eliminate the need to place a call into tech support. In addition, the sites allow instructors to view and/or download a wide range of support materials—from demos and downloads to documentation and user’s manuals. Since the sites are live 24/7, users are not limited to accessing support during standard business hours.

Also available via the Web are Lead Teacher trainings and online seminars. If a Lead Teacher isn’t available locally or if the school would prefer the convenience of an online training, Lead Teachers will conduct trainings via WebEx. We are able to record these trainings and make them available to faculty ongoing.

For key products in the TLC program, we host a series of online training seminars each semester. These seminars are open to all users. Topics are planned to coincide with an instructor’s workflow throughout the semester.

In additional to school specific trainings and user-based seminars, Lead Teachers often conduct product overview or informational sessions online for perspective customers.

Other Components of the Program

TLC represents an integrated set of complementary services that work together to provide a menu of support options for instructors to choose from. In addition to on campus and online support, TLC is backed by an experienced tech support team who answer customer calls and emails. To extend this front line support even further, the program also includes:

• On Campus Tech support visits
• Outbound service calls to proactively address emerging customer needs
• Ongoing communication with users via regularly scheduled eCampaigns
• Customized training materials and documentation
• Hardware/software fulfillment support