Now that we had a character sequence, we set out to address the question of class resets. Flexibility is one of the hallmarks of LICW. We encouraged students to start the beginners curriculum anytime they wished, but many felt overwhelmed if they started much after the reset. That is one drawback to a traditional linear curriculum. There is a defined beginning and each subsequent lesson builds on the characters already learned.
We started with a clean slate and tried multiple curriculum designs. This was easily the most challenging portion of the project. We wanted a brand-new student to feel totally comfortable and motivated regardless of which lesson they started on.
Our solution was to group a series of standalone lessons into what can be thought of as three carousels. There is no designated entry point and no reset. Students get on the carousels whenever they wish and progress when they feel ready. The carousel concept accommodates a broad range of student performance. Fast learners may take just one rotation while those wanting a more relaxed pace may take a couple of rotations before progressing.
Beginners Carousel 1 is comprised of 18 characters in 6 lessons.
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Beginners Carousel 2 is comprised of 26 characters in 9 lessons (including numbers, prosigns, and BK) bringing the total number of characters up to 44.
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BC3 is the culminating portion of the Beginners Carousel curriculum. It is comprised of eight preparatory lessons for on-air activities:
- LICW QSO Protocol (How to send & answer a CQ)
- LICW QSO Protocol (Starting the QSO)
- LICW QSO Protocol (Protocol 2)
- LICW QSO Protocol (Ending the QSO)
- LICW Challenge
- SKCC
- SOTA/POTA (Summits and Parks on the Air)
- K1USN SST (Slow Speed Contest)
Go Deeper: