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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Course sizes - beware of marketing statistics

As a training organisation, how could we maximise our profit? By training a lot of students at the same time, by using rooms that we only hire when there's a course on, and by offering a bewildering array of special pricing options to get as many pounds from each trainee that we can. Problem is, though ... these tactics would NOT be in the best interest of the trainees.

I followed a Google ad for an outfit I'd not come across and I read:
One of the primary determinants of the success of instructor-led training classes [besides the competency of the instructor] is the accessibility students have to ask questions, get help when they need it, and receive appropriate guidance. Our open enrolment classes average less than 12 students. That means less waiting around to receive help during lab, more time spent discussing relevant problem domains, and more direct contact with the instructor. For many students it's very important to be able to discuss their specific action plan and opportunities on the job to apply what they're learning. That's just not possible if there are 20 to 30 people in a public class.
.

I agree with their sentiment - keep class sizes down - and the reasons given. We do the same. But what are they actually saying about the numbers on a typical course of theirs? If the average number is 12, then sometimes it will be higher and sometimes it will be lower. Ironically, since fewer people attend the smaller classes, the typical student will see the larger group - only the lucky minority will attend in what I consider to be a manageable group.

Here's a bit of Perl that takes some sample numbers - this might be five courses from those folks ...


# Let's run 5 training courses ...
@numbers = (5, 9, 19, 19, 7);
$report = join (", ",@numbers);
$report =~ s/(.*),/\1 and/;
print "Courses with $report trainees\n";

# What's the total number of trainees?
$sum += $_ foreach (@numbers);

# So the average course size?
print $sum/@numbers," is the average course size\n";

# But what's average number of fellow students a trainee has?
$see += $_ * $_ foreach (@numbers);
$form = "but it looks like the average is %.0f to the trainees\n";
printf ($form,$see/$sum);


So ... that means ...
earth-wind-and-fire:~/mouth grahamellis$ perl average
Courses with 5, 9, 19, 19 and 7 trainees
11.8 is the average course size
but it looks like the average is 15 to the trainees

earth-wind-and-fire:~/mouth grahamellis$
... that you're more likely than not to be one of a group of 15 ...

Also noted ... a table of competitor's prices. Except that they're only the prices of the more expensive competitors ... Also noted ... no obvious information about their training rooms and facilities. What are they not saying? ....

(written 2005-02-27, updated 2006-06-05)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
P208 - Perl - Lists
  [28] Perl for breakfast - (2004-08-25)
  [140] Comparison Chart for Perl programmers - list functions - (2004-12-04)
  [240] Conventional restraints removed - (2005-03-09)
  [355] Context in Perl - (2005-06-22)
  [463] Splitting the difference - (2005-10-13)
  [560] The fencepost problem - (2006-01-10)
  [622] Queues and barrel rolls in Perl - (2006-02-24)
  [762] Huge data files - what happened earlier? - (2006-06-15)
  [773] Breaking bread - (2006-06-22)
  [928] C++ and Perl - why did they do it THAT way? - (2006-11-16)
  [968] Perl - a list or a hash? - (2006-12-06)
  [1304] Last elements in a Perl or Python list - (2007-08-16)
  [1316] Filtering and altering Perl lists with grep and map - (2007-08-23)
  [1703] Perl ... adding to a list - end, middle, start - (2008-07-09)
  [1828] Perl - map to process every member of a list (array) - (2008-10-09)
  [1917] Out of memory during array extend - Perl - (2008-12-02)
  [1918] Perl Socket Programming Examples - (2008-12-02)
  [2067] Perl - lists do so much more than arrays - (2009-03-05)
  [2226] Revision / Summary of lists - Perl - (2009-06-10)
  [2295] The dog is not in trouble - (2009-07-17)
  [2484] Finding text and what surrounds it - contextual grep - (2009-10-30)
  [2813] Iterating over a Perl list and changing all items - (2010-06-15)
  [2833] Fresh Perl Teaching Examples - part 2 of 3 - (2010-06-27)
  [2996] Copying - duplicating data, or just adding a name? Perl and Python compared - (2010-10-12)
  [3400] $ is atomic and % and @ are molecular - Perl - (2011-08-20)
  [3548] Dark mornings, dog update, and Python and Lua courses before Christmas - (2011-12-10)
  [3669] Stepping through a list (or an array) in reverse order - (2012-03-23)
  [3870] Writing more maintainable Perl - naming fields from your data records - (2012-09-25)
  [3906] Taking the lead, not the dog, for a walk. - (2012-10-28)
  [3939] Lots of ways of doing the same thing in Perl - list iteration - (2012-12-03)
  [4609] Mapping an array / list without a loop - how to do it in Perl 6 - (2016-01-03)

G310 - Well House Consultants - A better class of course
  [211] Look after your staff and they'll look after you. AOL. - (2005-02-12)
  [215] Open Source becomes mainstream - (2005-02-14)
  [219] Some unusual features - (2005-02-18)
  [224] YOUR application and YOUR data - (2005-02-22)
  [292] Elegant languages - Perl, PHP, Python - (2005-04-26)
  [350] Want to be one better - (2005-06-17)
  [371] The training team that's looking out for you - (2005-07-07)
  [394] A year on - should we offer certified PHP courses - (2005-07-28)
  [497] I have a river to cross - (2005-11-16)
  [554] What backup is adequate? - (2006-01-04)
  [559] ''I don't know'' is sometimes a good answer - (2006-01-09)
  [577] Learning to program in Perl or PHP - (2006-01-26)
  [579] Short Linux and Perl courses for small groups - (2006-01-27)
  [646] PHP - London course, Melksham Course, Evening course - (2006-03-14)
  [726] In praise of training course delegates. - (2006-05-20)
  [1035] Longer hours and better value courses - (2007-01-15)
  [1453] What makes our courses special? - (2007-12-02)
  [1488] New trainee laptop fleet for our Open Source courses - (2007-12-30)
  [1576] Making PHP and MySQL training relevant to the course delegates - (2008-03-15)
  [1645] Seeing how others do it - PHP training - (2008-05-17)
  [1933] Learning to Program in C - (2008-12-10)
  [2010] How long should a training module be? - (2009-01-27)
  [2049] Why Choose Well House Consultants for your course? - (2009-02-20)
  [2074] Weekday or Weekend PHP, Python and Perl classes? - (2009-03-10)
  [2084] Books and distance learning from Well House Consultants? - (2009-03-15)
  [2109] Why most training fails ... - (2009-03-30)
  [2187] Are we IITT (Institute of IT Training) members? - (2009-05-17)
  [2633] Why do I teach niche skills rather than mainstream? - (2010-02-13)
  [2762] Well House - Mission and Policy summaries - (2010-05-13)
  [3001] How will we present courses over the coming years? - (2010-10-17)
  [3271] The importance of feedback - (2011-04-30)
  [3385] Do university courses teach the right things for life at work later on? - (2011-08-10)
  [3419] Data that we use during our training courses, and other training resources - (2011-09-04)
  [3587] C++ Courses - do I get official certification at the end of my Well House course? - (2012-01-20)
  [4280] Making use of huge data, object orientation, unit testing and frameworks - (2014-06-07)
  [4558] Well House Consultants - Python courses / what's special. - (2015-10-28)
  [4583] Back in the saddle again - excellent open source course from Well House Consultants - (2015-11-26)


Back to
A fortunate accident
Previous and next
or
Horse's mouth home
Forward to
Feedback as lifeblood
Some other Articles
How to get the best from your supplier
Giving customers best value
Diverse activities
Feedback as lifeblood
Course sizes - beware of marketing statistics
A fortunate accident
Beard Justification
Bellringing and Programming and Objects and Perl
Growing our systems
10 years and counting
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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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