Manitoba Public Insurance is introducing a revamped driver education program called “Driver Z”.
The new curriculum introduces an online component comprised of 29 activities that students have up to 30 days to complete before their first in-class session.
“We’re tailoring it to the way people are learning, - technology - enhancing it because that is now the way kids are learning,” said the manager of driver education and training for MPI, Maria Minenna. “For us to keep current in the way people learn, and want to learn, by putting certain elements of the program online where the kids can go back and review online materials as many times as they want while they’re within the program, is beneficial because then it's directed to self-directed learning”
In-class sessions have been reduced from 34 to 20 hours and the practical training portion has been increased to 45 hours of practice time.
While students are training, they can invite up to eight “co-pilots”, who act as accountability partners for the duration of the training program. The co-pilots are expected to complete six online lessons.
Another change in the program is that teachers are now considered facilitators. Their job is to facilitate conversations around the rules of the road and encourage the kids to be more interactive.
There will also be 7 in-car driving lessons instead of 8. A readiness assessment will now be conducted around 7 months after the student’s first in-class session, prior to them taking their road test.
The one-of-a-kind program will be implemented province-wide starting September 30th.
