FAQ

Here are some answers to commonly asked question:

  • Schedule of courses: There is no published schedule of courses since all courses are run on demand. We would encourage you to start learning immediately by using our affordable broadband learning system. If you want to take a face-to-face course with us, it is just a matter of synchronizing our respective diaries. Each Design Cad course is delivered by a qualified, experienced tutor and all tutors hold tertiary qualifications. Most tutors are booked about 3-4 weeks in advance, but we can sometimes fit you in at reasonably short notice. Just send an email to info@designcad.com.au with some possible dates which suit you.

  • One-on-one learning: If you do choose face-to-face one-on-one learning, every in-house course is a single day course, either in your offices or ours. We use rooms at Regency Park, South Australia or in a facility in Canberra. Our whole focus is on helping you come to terms with the software of your choice in the shortest possible time. Our aim is to have you leave us at the end of a day competent enough to 'drive' your software.

  • Preliminaries: We like to develop dialog with you before the course to ensure that what we deliver is appropriate to your needs.

  • Hours: Our training hours are 9.15 am to 4.15 - 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday. These times are set to facilitate child care. Our tutors are happy to start earlier or stay later if you require it. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer out of business hours training.

  • Methodology: We have developed a unique, flexible and efficient online learning system using web technology. Embedded in web pages are many on-screen movies. We use these movies to first to demonstrate a technique and then get you to repeat the same steps using your software. We also provide detailed written instructional steps from our PDF workbook.

  • Registered Training Organisation: Our company, Design Cad Pty Ltd, is not what is called a Registered Training Organization and we have no plans to become one. Our focus is in providing short, one-day software training courses which will bring you up to speed in the use of the software application of your choice.

  • Fees for withdrawal from a course: We do not charge a fee for a late withdrawal from a course.

  • Try before you buy: We would encourage you to 'try before you buy'. Links to samples of our course materials can be found at the description pages for individual courses. These links provide examples of text material and sample 'movies' which will play on your computer (monitor) and illustrate a concept. Note that the movies will not play on Macintosh computers unless you download Windows Media Player into your Mac or install alternative players such as VLC Player. We do offer training in some software applications the Macintosh environment, but it is not our specialty.

  • What are the requirements for online learning?
You should know the procedures for accessing the Internet through your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Know how to operate the basic search and navigation features of a Web browser
Know how to use e-mail to send and receive messages and attachments
Know how to download and open PDF documents
Know how to store and retrieve electronic documents for future use
Be comfortable reading and contributing to online discussion groups
Be comfortable writing papers using a word processing application
Be comfortable using your computer with several windows open at the same time

  • Payment: Our terms are payment by check, money order, direct deposit or credit card via PayPal within 14 days of course delivery. We encourage the use of the PayPal system provides secure credit card facilities across the Internet. PayPal is now an Australian operation and is an eBay partner.

Costs: We offer two different pricing models covering the same material:

1. Online learning via broadband - fast Internet connection required.

The most popular option is to take a course by online learning at http://www.softwaretutor.net http://www.softwaretutor.designcad.com.au or http:www.landscapetutor.net. The cost is $AUD75.00 for >30 hours of high quality training. These broadband leaning courses feature rapid enrollment, multi media materials, online forums, multi choice reviews, questionnaires, submission of assignments etc. This is an enhanced learning experience at an affordable price. Click here to visit our broadband online learning site and click on the blue information button to sample a course.

2. One-on-one face to face courses

(Adelaide or Canberra - in our offices or yours). Each course takes one day and costs $AUD550.00.

As part of our continuing drive to reduce our carbon emissions by using digital delivery, rather than print a workbook, each participant in one-on-one courses is automatically enrolled at no extra cost in the broadband learning version of this course. This would normally cost an additional $75.00.

In this way, students get a double benefit - personal tuition and the ability to access any of the written instructional materials online, replay any of the demonstration movies, download sample files, log questions, take quizzes and submit assignments for review.

We do provide off site training for companies, however this service is subject to the availability of a suitable training room in your organization and sufficient numbers of participants. We have provided off site courses in the Barossa Valley, Canberra, Adelaide CBD, Moomba, Mt Gambier and Millicent. Don't forget that the majority of our courses can be taken as part of a distance program.

Our learning system

We believe that our method of teaching is unique.

Movie  Here is a movie which explains how our learning system works.

After you complete a course, we offer additional help via our web site support forums. The broadband learning courses have the advantage of support via user forums where you can ask questions. We have recently used the forum methods to support a group of 100 students from the University of South Australia who were taking the 'Introduction to Access' course.

As part of every course, we provide tea, coffee and a light lunch.

Enrolling

Click the link below to enroll by email.

Book a Design Cad software training course.

Alternatively, telephone our company mobile 0418 414 932. Please note that the answering machine may be in operation when you call as tutors are busy training most days of the week.

Additional 'in-depth' discussion papers on learning various software packages can be found by clicking the links below:

for Computer Aided Design CAD (AutoCAD/IntelliCAD),

for Desk Top Publishing (InDesign, Photoshop, Publisher),

for Business Computing and

for Excel can be found by following the links.