RAPAPORT...  The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) unveiled a multimedia format, called eLearning, for its distance-learning courses in gemology and jewelry sales under the Accredited Jewelry Professional (A.J.P.) diploma program. GIA’s eLearning program features video for demonstrations, interviews with experts, instructor lectures and “see it for yourself” segments. The program comes with phone, email and in-person support for students who need assistance.

Donna Baker, GIA president and chief executive officer (CEO), said that eLearning takes advantage of the latest web-based applications to create a multifaceted learning experience, integrating text and images with video, audio, slideshows, animation and interviews.
 
“This is yet another way we are fulfilling our mission on a global level,” Baker said. “GIA is charged with maintaining an international standard, and one way to do this is by providing jewelers with expert gemological training. Delivering our courses via the Internet makes the same high-quality information more readily and consistently available to people everywhere, and encourages the standardized, professional development of the jewelry industry worldwide.”

Duncan Pay, GIA's course development director, explained that eLearning is a logical extension of existing text-based services. "As digital media capabilities have expanded, we have been able to add our large collection of videos and images to the eLearning experience. We started rolling out eLearning with the A.J.P. because it is an important introductory gem and jewelry program that teaches the essentials of product knowledge and sales information for diamonds, colored stones and jewelry. The benefit is that people can earn the prestigious GIA A.J.P. diploma via eLearning for the same low price as before, at their convenience via a computer, with a greatly enriched curriculum that offers an easier-to-obtain and better retained education.”

Print course materials for A.J.P. courses will remain available. The printed materials for “Jewelry Essentials” and “Diamond Essentials” cost $40 each, and “Colored Stone Essentials” materials cost $50, plus shipping and handling charges and applicable sales tax. For more information, visit www.gia.edu/elearning.

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