Offered by the company's Educational Services division, Refrigeration Basics is an interactive CD that allows HVACR contractors and technicians to learn at their own pace from the comfort of their home or office. The program will also be available online later this year.

"Success in the HVACR industry requires a thorough understanding of the basics, while keeping on top of the latest trends and technologies," said Larry Banas, director of Emerson Climate Technologies Educational Services.

"Through our distance learning modules, we're bringing the classroom to the contractor, making it even easier for students to continue their education. Student interaction is the key to maximizing learning in this format, and this is what makes the Refrigeration Basics CD so effective."

Emerson's distance learning modules are designed to be highly interactive, yet easy to use. According to the company, these modules are ideal for brushing up on the basics or helping prepare contractors who plan to attend an instructor-led course.

The CD serves as an introduction to the refrigeration process. In about 20 minutes, students will gain a general understanding of refrigeration basics, including: the refrigeration system and its components, an introduction to compressors, Copeland compressor products, and compressor performance.

Each chapter of the CD features a voice-over that reviews the material, as well as more detailed information that the user can navigate through. A user's guide helps students to acclimate themselves to the program and prepare for the learning process to begin.

At the end of the session, students must take a quiz to see how well they understood the material. If the student scores an 80 percent or above, Emerson will send the student a certificate of completion at the student's request.

Publication date: 06/06/2005