I think the question is - what is the goal of the Challenge? Is it to complete the Challenge, or is it a means to become employed? I found the Challenge as a sys admin working to switch to cloud engineering. Working through the Challenge was really helpful in that regard - not only did it give me a path to learn without a lot of hand-holding, but it also gave me experience I could claim when applying for jobs. As it turned out, I was hired as a cloud engineer about halfway through working on the Challenge, and then my focus shifted to working on the problems of my employer and learning that way. I've always meant to go back and finish the Challenge, but frankly, it served it's purpose for me and hasn't been a priority. I still think it's an AMAZING resource, and I recommend it to anyone who will listen. But lack of completion, in my opinion, doesn't necessarily mean failure
I feel like being able to figure out how to do the things in the challenge with minimal instruction is necessary for being able to work in the cloud/devops space. It's entirely possible I'm not a representative sample here, but learning new tech on the job and applying it to a project is most of what the job entails, more than knowledge of any specific tech.
Please PLEASE do not change the Challenge. It is in the struggle that people learn. We have a period of time right now where many individuals will not, for the most part, embrace a struggle to gain the knowledge. We as employers and leaders NEED them to know this stuff. And though they may not appreciate it, THEY need to build this confidence so they can go on to succeed and eschew imposture syndrome once and for all.
I have an analogy: its like having a car and not knowing how to check the oil, or not knowing why you have oil in the first place (EVs notwithstanding). Sure you can drive the car, but understanding the basics makes you more confident when you need to get it serviced that you are not getting taken.
I also have a story: in 2008, I signed up for the Offensive Security Certified Pro exam. I refused to imagine a world where I could not learn this stuff--I mean I had my CISSP, how hard could it be? DUDE. It took me half a day to just download and unpack the packages. It took me two days to learn how to navigate the director structure. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING. I would watch the videos and transcribe them. I would look up any [read:most] terms I didnt know. I extended lab time twice to finish the program. It was harder than hell. With four months of nightly study, and most weekends, I signed up for and passed the 24 hr exam after 16.5 hrs. And the pride was immeasurable.
Don't deny CRC students the opportunity to know that they did it, themselves, persevered, and are now the masters of their own destiny. Keep up the great work you do. All of us in IT/IS are all better for it.
In many martial arts disciplines (kendo, karate), they won't let you spar until you got the basics down - which in some cases, could be a year. Some students quit. That's gatekeeping, the good kind - for safety, and to learn respect and humility before learning to fight.
When you say completion rate is about 1% for self-paced non-sprinters - how do you keep track of it? Do people voluntarily report their progress or completion somewhere, or is it somehow baked in to the challenge? (Sorry if it's spelled out in the docs and I missed it.)
I think the question is - what is the goal of the Challenge? Is it to complete the Challenge, or is it a means to become employed? I found the Challenge as a sys admin working to switch to cloud engineering. Working through the Challenge was really helpful in that regard - not only did it give me a path to learn without a lot of hand-holding, but it also gave me experience I could claim when applying for jobs. As it turned out, I was hired as a cloud engineer about halfway through working on the Challenge, and then my focus shifted to working on the problems of my employer and learning that way. I've always meant to go back and finish the Challenge, but frankly, it served it's purpose for me and hasn't been a priority. I still think it's an AMAZING resource, and I recommend it to anyone who will listen. But lack of completion, in my opinion, doesn't necessarily mean failure
I feel like being able to figure out how to do the things in the challenge with minimal instruction is necessary for being able to work in the cloud/devops space. It's entirely possible I'm not a representative sample here, but learning new tech on the job and applying it to a project is most of what the job entails, more than knowledge of any specific tech.
Please PLEASE do not change the Challenge. It is in the struggle that people learn. We have a period of time right now where many individuals will not, for the most part, embrace a struggle to gain the knowledge. We as employers and leaders NEED them to know this stuff. And though they may not appreciate it, THEY need to build this confidence so they can go on to succeed and eschew imposture syndrome once and for all.
I have an analogy: its like having a car and not knowing how to check the oil, or not knowing why you have oil in the first place (EVs notwithstanding). Sure you can drive the car, but understanding the basics makes you more confident when you need to get it serviced that you are not getting taken.
I also have a story: in 2008, I signed up for the Offensive Security Certified Pro exam. I refused to imagine a world where I could not learn this stuff--I mean I had my CISSP, how hard could it be? DUDE. It took me half a day to just download and unpack the packages. It took me two days to learn how to navigate the director structure. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING. I would watch the videos and transcribe them. I would look up any [read:most] terms I didnt know. I extended lab time twice to finish the program. It was harder than hell. With four months of nightly study, and most weekends, I signed up for and passed the 24 hr exam after 16.5 hrs. And the pride was immeasurable.
Don't deny CRC students the opportunity to know that they did it, themselves, persevered, and are now the masters of their own destiny. Keep up the great work you do. All of us in IT/IS are all better for it.
> Is there such a thing as good gatekeeping?
> I am interested in your thoughts.
In many martial arts disciplines (kendo, karate), they won't let you spar until you got the basics down - which in some cases, could be a year. Some students quit. That's gatekeeping, the good kind - for safety, and to learn respect and humility before learning to fight.
When you say completion rate is about 1% for self-paced non-sprinters - how do you keep track of it? Do people voluntarily report their progress or completion somewhere, or is it somehow baked in to the challenge? (Sorry if it's spelled out in the docs and I missed it.)