Licensed insurance professionals such as agents and adjusters in every state must periodically take continuing education courses and earn CE credits in order to retain their licensing. Today there are more options than ever when it comes to choosing the means to accomplish this.
Traditionally, insurance professionals earned their continuing education credits by attending classes in person and taking written exams. This often required travel to a distant location, and it always meant time away from the job. Over the past 10 years, online insurance CE courses have gained widespread acceptance due to their lower cost and far greater convenience. At a time when almost everyone knows how to use a computer and a web browser, it just doesn’t make a lot of economic sense to spend hours in a classroom when the same benefit can be achieved from one’s home or office in one’s spare time.
Finding an online insurance CE vendor is as simple as logging onto your computer and using a search engine. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to tell from a vendors web site which one will best meet your requirements. One factor to consider is the price of the course that you need; however, purchasing what appears to be the lowest priced course may not be the best option as there may be hidden fees and additional charges that are not revealed up front.
To help simplify the process of selecting an online insurance continuing education program, below are some questions that each agent or adjuster should ask before selecting a vendor.
Online learning can be delivered in several different ways. You should investigate what formats are being offered through each of the providers. If the presentation is in a simple text format, it may be difficult to follow and stay focused on the material. Try to take an online demo so that you can get a feel for how each presentation will be delivered. If you find that you cant follow the course material well, it is highly likely that you will have problems with the other classes that are offered as well.
If the presentation is in a slide format, such as a Powerpoint presentation, do the slides contain diagrams or images which help to reinforce the textual content? These kinds of presentations can be very useful in helping the student understand the course material.
Do the courses support audio? Different people learn different things in different ways. Some people are visual learners and need to see examples, pictures, and bulleted text. Others tend to learn primarily through audio presentations. Most people use a combination of visual and auditory cues to assimilate knowledge. Some vendors provide audio with every slide in a course. This is very advantageous, especially if the audio can be downloaded in MP3 format or to an iPod, which allows the student to listen while driving, for example. This can be a real timesaver.
Most people tend to learn effectively when courses are broken down into smaller lessons, like sections or chapters in a book. If these lessons are followed by sample questions, this can help the student to understand how much of the material they have retained, and it gives them an indication as to which areas may need further review. This can provide the confidence one needs to help decide when they are ready to take the final exam.
Another important area to investigate is the total cost of the course. Some vendors charge fees over and above the cost of the actual course, such as an additional fee to take the exam. If the exam is not passed successfully, does the course provider allow for free retakes? The whole reason for completing a course successfully is to obtain the insurance CE credits that are required in order to retain your professional license. Be certain that the price you are quoted includes the price of the exam and includes the cost of retakes, if necessary.
Do the course fees include reporting to your state insurance department? Most, but not all, states allow the training vendor to report the student’s credits; however, these states charge a fee to record the credits. In some cases, the student is required to pay this recording fee in addition to the course tuition. This is another example of a hidden charge. Other vendors include the reporting in the overall course fee.
One last point is to determine if there is a way to check on the status of your insurance CE credits. Each state has certain requirements which often include a list of mandatory classes that need to be taken periodically. It is pretty easy to lose track of which classes have been completed with regard to your states requirements. Some online providers offer a means to check and update your individual record of completed courses and earned credits. This is very helpful as each years compliance requirements become fulfilled, especially if you end up changing your employment.
If you are in the process of selecting a provider, we hope the information provided above will help you make a good choice regarding the provider of your insurance continuing education credits
Bruce MacMillian is the President and CEO of CEU.com. CEU offers multimedia-rich online courses to help licensed insurance professionals maintain their online insurance continuing education credits requirements.
Leave a comment