…and what happens during our certification course?
At iMotions, we have clients around the world, which is both fantastic but also often logistically challenging. Nothing beats the holistic hands-on experience of having iMotions’ entire team of experts to guide and train you, but sadly we rarely (very rarely) have the opportunity to send a full team of experts to onboard clients. That is why for several years we have invited clients new and old, to our offices around the world for our in-house academies.
The academy is a good opportunity for our customers to get a proper feel for the software, but it is also a fantastic opportunity to get some valuable face-to-face time with our Product Specialists, Customer Success Managers, and Solutions Specialists as you get hands-on training on the ins and outs of performing human behavior research with iMotions.
The guiding thought behind our academies is that practical experience most often outweighs theoretical knowledge when it comes to the iMotions Software suite. That is why we encourage new customers, and existing customers with more advanced training requirements, to attend and why we also ask every attendee to bring a use case that they can work on during the week of introduction and familiarization with the software. We do this to make sure that every attendee learns the sphere of skills, be it all-around or focused, they need in their continued and future use of iMotions.
Example of an academy schedule.
Gain access to all iMotions experts
The structure of the academies is that they are a mix of lectures and practical learning tasks directly applicable to the individual use cases. Days are divided into segments, allowing attendees to first hear a lecture on the methodologies behind the software modules (for example, electrodermal activity or eye tracking) and then test it out in person.
Through the series of lectures, attendees will have a unique opportunity to hear our in-house experts give talks and instructions on their given fields. Needless to say, the amount of expert human-behavior knowledge doled out during the week of Academy is impossible to find elsewhere in one place.
Towards the end of the week, once you have a firm grasp of key scientific theories, best practices, and data methods, you then have a chance to carry out a pilot study for your use case. You will collect data for 5-10 participants, learn how to troubleshoot your sensors of choice, and perform signal processing and data analysis to present a findings report.
With the knowledge and expertise in our in-house team, both new and experienced customers can improve and be challenged at their respective levels:
“When I arrived at the Academy my knowledge of bio-sensing technology was close to zero. I had an idea about what was possible and how this might contribute to my research, but to be honest I was there because of interest shown by my research colleagues (who were not able to attend). I completed the week feeling I had accomplished a lot, having created, undertaken and reported my first complete project using the biosensing material (eye tracking, GSR, facial expression, ECG and EEG). Yes that is possible given the excellent one to one support and mentoring that one experiences during the academy!”
I should add that there was a range of experience represented by the small group of around 12 participants – my ignorance was at one extreme, there were some who appeared quite experienced. I believe all participants felt the week profitable and adjusted individually to their own experience.”
- Prof. Simon Goodchild, University of Agder.
Unique networking opportunity
Biosensor-based human behavior research is gaining steam globally as a multimodal research tool, so finding collaborators who are well-versed in this type of research means looking beyond your local network.
Aside from being the one place where you can get an intensive introduction and comprehensive hands-on experience over the course of a week, the Academy is also one of the best opportunities iMotions users have for networking within our shared field.
From the feedback we have gotten from former attendees, our academies offer more than just an introduction to sensor methodologies, research practices, and practical experience. It offers the unique possibility to learn alongside people who are starting out, or have experience, using iMotions. This creates a vibrant atmosphere where knowledge is shared and fresh takes on research can be expanded on and developed further in a learning environment.
We believe that creating an engaging environment is paramount to having a good experience at an iMotions Academy, and that of course extends to getting to know the other attendees. There will be social events that can be used to get to know your fellow attendees or the iMotions experts who will be your contacts when you start utilizing the iMotions software.
The value of intensive hands-on experience
The academy is a one-week intensive course in conducting biosensor research – not just a glorified software tutorial. Our aim is to produce confident iMotions users and human behavior researchers who have a firmer understanding of the myriad possibilities of working in our field.
“Based on my experience at the iMotions Academy we have arranged in our budget for the fellow and both her supervisors to attend an iMotions Academy – this considerable investment (financial and time) should be taken as confirmatory evidence of the high regard I have for the Academy. Honestly, if anyone is using the iMotions software to integrate their bio-sensing research, I believe it is essential to connect with the team and learn directly as possible through the academy.”
- Prof. Simon Goodchild, University of Agder.
Not just for beginners
Mastering, or even getting comfortable using, a biosensor takes practice. If you conduct multimodal research, which is the use of several biosensors at the same time, there will be a unique learning curve with each of them. That is why we also encourage people who are integrating new biosensors into their existing iMotions workflows to attend our academies. That way we ensure that our clients receive the best possible hands-on training so that they can hit the ground running when they return.
We are confident that all iMotion users, new and old, can benefit from attending the academy, to gain new insights, methodologies, and perspectives on their work. Our goal is that attendees will come back from the academy with new, cutting-edge research methodologies that have the possibility to save both time and money, as well as skills and insights to make a difference right away.
The iMotions academy has been a great experience. I really enjoyed the well-crafted mix of a strong scientific backbone, hands-on-experience and the personal dialogue with the iMotions specialists. The academy really gave me a fast-forward into the field of neuroscience, and I feel comfortable collecting and analyzing data after completion. Highly recommended!
Dr Jan-Hinrich Meyer, IQS School of Management – Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona
If you are interested in attending an iMotions academy near you, please click the link below to find the one that suits you the best, and inquire about availability and time.
