Using The FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics
The FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics was created as a complement to traditional textbooks like the FOA's Fiber Optic Technicians Manual.
The new FOA site was created as a reference site for schools and
students studying for FOA certifications as well as a readily available
reference for FOA-certified technicians needing a refresher course or
to find information they need while on the job.
Coming soon: A new printed textbook, The FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics, based on this website and designed to be the new reference book for FOA certifications.
The
materials in the FOA Online Guide cover similar topics to a textbook,
but the web allows us to cover topics in greater depth,
including adding slideshow tutorials, such as the “virtual hands-on”
tutorials, and videos. It also allows us to add self-testing quizzes to
web pages, create lesson plans and even allow you to create your own
lessons based on the materials. A correlation of the website and the Fiber Optic Technicians Manual textbook is given below.
We think you will appreciate
this resource more as you become familiar with it by use. To help familiarize you with it and how to
use it, we’ve created this page. Please take some time to read this, check out the Table of Contents and the links here, and see how it can help you and your students.
Note: All links to other web pages
will open in a new window to prevent you losing your place on this
page. Remember to close those pages once you have read them!
Organization of The Website
As you can see from the Table of Contents,
the site is comprised of many topics, generally covered on one web
page. A complete section on the basics of fiber optics, called "Fiber Optics, The Basics," provides a comprehensive overview of fiber
optics with sufficient depth for CFOT exam preparation and review. The
other sections provide elaboration on each topic covered in The Basics
and what we call "virtual hands-on" tutorials on installation
processes. They also include links to FOA Tech Topics and some other
websites of interest.
Advantages of Online Reference Materials
With
online reference materials, we can not only create colorful pages with
lots of pictures and
links to related topics or explanations with more depth, but we can
create online slideshow tutorials and provide links to videos. We can also
include the equivalent of chapter questions that allow the reader to
test their comprehension and then get scored, with corrections and
explanations for the answers automatically.
Try it yourself:
Read the Jargon page and test yourself (a link is also at the bottom of the Jargon page, called Test Your Comprehension) and check your answers.
Using The Material As A Technical Reference
One of the primary uses of The FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is to find out technical information or refresh your understanding. The Table of Contents is arranged to allow you to access the site by technical topics. Remember the section "Fiber Optics, The Basics" provides a concise but conprehensive overview
while the other sections will provide greater detail and more in-depth
tutorials. If you like, create a bookmark folder in your browser to
link to materials you use often.
Studying For The FOA CFOT Exam
The FOA CFOT exam is based on materials on this site as well as the Fiber Optic Technicians Manual textbook and the NECA/FOA Installation Standard,
so either may be used to study for the CFOT exam. One merely reads
relevant sections of the website and answers the accompanying quizzes
to test your comprehension.
The FOA has created a comprehensive Study Guide for the CFOT exam to guide you through the process.
Refresher Self-Study Course For CFOTs
For
those who have completed their CFOTs already but who want to keep up to
date or refresh their knowledge on a subject, we have created For CFOTs Wanting a Refresher Course: Self-Study Guide.
Self-Study Guide For Anyone Interested in Fiber Optics
For
anyone wanting to use the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
to learn more about fiber, we recommend you start with our introduction to fiber optics tutorial and then go to the page For Anyone Wanting a Self-Study Guide.
Incorporating The FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics Into A CFOT Course
Instructors at FOA-Approved schools can use this material in teaching a course just like using
a textbook. Use slide presentations that elaborate on the
material and include more visual learning aids, but refer the
students to the website for outside readings and require answering section
questions on the materials. If the student reads The FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics carefully and answers all the section questions, they will be able to easily pass the CFOT exam.
The FOA has created a Instructor's Guide to teaching courses with the FOA Online Reference Guide To Fiber Optics.
Comparing The Fiber Optic Technicians Manual and the Online Guide
The majority of the material in the Fiber Optic Technicians Manual textbook is covered in the first section, “ Fiber Optics, The Basics.” This
section, along with using some of the virtual hands-on tutorials for
lab preparation and review, is adequate study and review material for
the CFOT certification exam. The next version of the CFOT exam will have references to both the Fiber Optic Technicians Manual and the Online Reference for each question.
Here is how the materials correlate:
Fiber Optics, The Basics
Basic overview: Chapter 2
The jargon and the technology: Chapter 2, all others
Basic applications and transmission systems : Chapter 3
Optical Fiber: Chapters 2, 4, 5
Cables: Chapters 4, 5
Termination and splicing: Chapters 6, 7
Network Design : Chapters 9, 10, 12, 13, 14
Installation: Chapters 9, 11, 12, 15, 16
Testing : Chapter 17
Standards: Appendix B
Glossary of terms: Appendix A
The other materials on the site are elaborations on these basic topics. Consider for example the section on Fiber Optic Components.
We have tried to include materials on every aspect of each component,
with more depth where components are important or topics are new or
unique. On topics like Testing,
we have expanded on the textbook to include more in depth explanations
and step-by-step procedures such as the Technical Issues For Testing or
individual sections on testing fiber, connectors, patchcords and
installed cable plants.
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