learn at your own pace

Those willing to forego the classroom experience for the freedom to learn at their own pace don't have to look far for options these days. Self-paced instructional materials on a variety of subjects are available not only in print form, but also on the Internet.

For example, the Material Handling Institute and the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) and its product sections are developing a series of self-paced classes on material handling topics, which are offered online through the MHIA Web site. (Go to www.mhia.org for links to the lessons.) At press time, the Web site listed 16 different "e-lessons," the newest of which was "Order Picking Concepts," a primer on the pluses and minuses of various picking techniques.

The interactive lessons, which include both text and graphics, take 20 to 45 minutes to complete, according to program materials. Each lesson is designed to stand on its own, but sponsors say students can also use them as a group to prepare for a national certification exam administered by the Material Handling Institute.

If you prefer instructional materials in print form, the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) offers a series of four self-study guides for warehouse supervisors. Priced at 14.95 each for members ($29 for non-members), the books in the WERCbook series include Recruiting, Interviewing & Selecting; Communicating, Decision Making & Managing Conflict; Managing Performance; and Coaching Employee Development. For more information or to purchase the WERCbooks, visit www.werc.org.