WHAT IS HANDS-ON?
It is performing the correct action. In order to do that correctly it requires the having the knowledge so you know what to do and it requires practice doing the correct action. To develop a correct habit that will become automatic requires repetition and experience in various situations. In some instances multimedia is a better way to do this than a traditional classroom. For Example, in a traditional CPR class, how much time does any individual really get with hands-on the plastic manikin? Does a few minutes on plastic help very much when you are faced with a limp human being? Top

HOW DO YOU DO HANDS-ON IN FAFA?
All skills are broken into components, then taught and then tested. FAFA provides true multimedia activities where students evaluate what they have to do, decide what needs to be done, then they perform an activity where they must demonstrate they can perform the skill. Feedback is crucial to learning correct performance so when you perform an activity you are given a response on how you have performed. Every student is tested on every skill required by the guidelines. Top

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME ON TASK
All research shows that people will perform better the more time they have practicing a task. And this is consistent with the research that shows that it takes a long time to develop muscle memory to perform even basic skills.

FAFA courses force each student to practice every skill. We guarantee that every student will have much more hands-on practice on FAFA than in any traditional training classroom. You simply cannot pass if you do not perform correctly. Top

THEORY INTO PRACTICE
In order to link the theory with practice, FAFA has many types of activities where the student must think about a response, perform a physical action which is directly related to the correct knowledge and the correct action. For example, this may be a Drag and Drop Activity, or it may be a scenario where you have to decide what needs to be done. It might be performing compressions on a virtual manikin where the computer is able to calculate your rate, rhythm and accuracy. Top

IS PRACTICE ON A COMPUTER AS GOOD AS TRADITIONAL TRAINING?
FAFA IS BUILT ON THE SCIENCE Top

THE FIRST GENERATION OF CPR TRAINING: When the idea that people could save lives by breathing for a victim (performing CPR) was first introduced more than 30 years ago, people did not believe it. Slowly over the years people accepted the idea and procedures for teaching CPR have evolved.

Since the introduction of CPR, there have been many changes. Do you remember in 1967 sim1, a plastic simulator (manikin), was first introduced? Now after 25 years people mistakenly associate CPR training with that plastic manikin.

While plastic manikins are better than nothing, they are not the same as performing CPR on a real person. They are an aid. In recent years other aids, some better than plastic manikins have come along. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:

• What is the quality of the plastic manikin that the average person gets to touch?
• How much time do most people actually get practicing pushing on the plastic chest?
• How much feedback do they get so they learn how to perform correctly?
• Does this in anyway prepare them for the feel of a real person? Top

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
THE SECOND GENERATION OF CPR TRAINING : Even though many people "feel" that pushing on a plastic manikin is necessary to learn CPR skills, the research, the studies, the science clearly demonstrates that the existing training can be greatly improved upon. Since the mid nineties dozens of research reports have shown the same thing: traditional training methods for CPR for professionals and lay persons alike produces a body of people who do not perform CPR well.

FAFA is the next generation. It is built on the science. FAFA is built on years of research into how people learn best. FAFA has assembled experts in emergency medicine, hospital and pre-hospital care, adult education and computer based training to create a state-of-the-art educational product. FAFA has examined the research and heeded the calls for new approaches which are based on educational principals related to the learners. The training courses are well designed with clear objectives, and each student receives consistent thorough training and then is assessed on every required skill. Top

Summary Points from the research Top
In summary the research reports say that traditional training methods do not produce the required results and they call for new training methods.

Example:
Traditional training has created an entire generation of healthcare practitioners who do not perform CPR well - and patient care suffers as a result. Several observational studies have shown that hospital and pre-hospital personnel make regular errors in CPR, and that it directly affects patient care. JAMA, Jan 19, 2005

Example:
"Skills acquisition and retention, which are poor, must be improved by simplified procedures and better training methods."

"The need for improvement in the way CPR is taught has received scant attention but should no longer be ignored." ILCOR Advisory Statement

Example:
"Section 6. New Technologies in Training
The general disappointment in skills acquisition and retention after conventional resuscitation programs has shown the need for a change in teaching methods and reduced reliance on instructors."

These are not selective bits from the research, but represent the dominant trend of the whole of the research. If you are interested to read the actual studies and learn for yourself, GO TO THE REFERENCES >>>. Top