An Introduction to Battlefield Guiding

So you want to be a battlefield guide? Just getting this far clearly indicates that you have a passion for the battlefields and a desire to share it with others. But it also suggests that you don't yet know how to go about fulfilling your dream. This course is here to help you. Delivered in twelve modules over a period of ten weeks, An Introduction to Battlefield Guiding will give you the tools and knowledge to send you out onto the battlefields equipped to deliver your first battlefield tours with authority and confidence.

113 Lessons

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Week One: Module 1 - Preliminaries

Welcome to the Course

Setting expectations - yours and ours

Meet a Guide - Introducing Dudley Giles

A chance to get to know one of your instructors

Meet a Guide - Introducing Steve Smith

A chance to get to know one of your instructors

Google Forms and the pre-course questionnaire

Introducing Google Forms as one of our online tools

The Community Board

Let's discover how the Discussion Board works

Live Meetings using the MeetN Platform

Why do you want to be a Guide?

Tell us why you want to be a Battlefield Guide

Live Session No 1 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Two: Module 2 - The role and qualities of a Battlefield Guide

Week Two Brief

Catching up on the first live session and introducing Modules 2 and 3

What are the Qualities of a Guide?

What qualities do you think a Battlefield Guide should possess?

What is the Role of the Guide?

The aim of this lesson is to identify what you think the role of the guide should be

What does a Guide need to be able to carry out the role?

Every workman carries the tools of his trade; what are the tools of the trade for a Battlefield Guide?

Meet a Guide - Paul Colbourne

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Week Two: Module 3 - Learning Styles

Learning Styles - The Questionnaire

Let's discover what your personal Learning Style is

Scoring the Questionnaire

The purpose of this lesson is to score the results of your questionnaire answers

Learning Styles

What are Learning Styles? And why is knowing about them useful to us as Battlefield Guides?

MASLOW's Hierarchy of Needs

What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs? And why is knowing about them useful to us as Battlefield Guides?

Live Session No 2 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Three: Module 4 - Constructing a Tour Itinerary

Week Three Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 4)

General Principles

Gaining an understanding of the general principles of Tour Planning

The Chronological Approach

Constructing your itinerary chronologically

The Thematic Approach

Constructing your itinerary thematically

The Blended Approach

Taking a blended approach to constructing your itinerary

Stands

What do we mean by Stands?

Customer Comfort (Ts & Ps)

What are Ts and Ps and why are they important?

Risk Assessments

Formal versus dynamic risk assessments

The Recce

The aim of this lesson is to consider what needs to be achieved on a recce

Meet a Guide - Sophie Shrubsole

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Assessment Criteria

To explain how we, the tutors, carry out the Assessments on the course

Assignment One

A chance to practice the areas highlighted in Module Four

Live Session No 3 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Four: Module 5a - Models of Learning

Week Four Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 5)

The Competency Cycle

A model that looks at how you become competent in a subject or profession.

Experiential Learning Cycle

Discover how you can receive and give feedback.

The "6 CIA" Model: Category of Intervention Analysis

A lesson on how you learn as an adult and how that might impact on you as a guide

Week Four: Module 5b - Models of Behaviour (Part One)

Transactional Analysis

A model that teaches how people can and will react with others in situations.

The Adult Learning Cycle (ALC)

An introduction to the Adult Learning Cycle (ALC)

Meet a Guide - Bob Shaw

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Live Session No 4 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Five: Module 6 - Constructing a Stand

Week Five Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 6)

Constructing a Stand - An overview

An overview of how to go about constructing a Stand

The Art of Storytelling

How to develop your storytelling skills

The Ground Brief

Delivering the Ground Brief

Protagonists and Antagonists

Who are the protagonists in your story? How do you introduce them?

Maps

Why maps are an essential and not just a desirable tool

Photographs

The use of photographs as a resource on Stands

The use of artefacts

The benefits that the use of artefacts bring to a tour

Using Personal Accounts

The Pros and Cons of using Personal Accounts

Assignment #2

A chance to practice the areas highlighted in Module Nine

Meet a Guide - Beth Moore

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Live Session No 5 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Six: Module 7 - Models of Behaviour (Part Two)

Week Six Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Modules 7 & 8)

KUSAB - An Overview

The KUSAB Learning Model

CUDSA - An Overview

Conflict Resolution using the CUDSA Model

Week Six: Module 8 - A review of the Learning and Behaviour Models

Review

A review of all of the psychological models discussed in previous modules

Meet a Guide - Ian Gumm

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Week Seven: Module 9 - Understanding the Industry

Week Seven Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 9)

The Industry - An Introduction

An overview of the Battlefield Guiding Industry

Schools

An overview of the Schools market and its particular challenges

Family groups

A look at the market for family groups and its particular challenges

Pilgrimages

A look at the market for pilgrimages and its particular challenges

Military Groups

A look at the military market and its particular challenges

Work groups

A look at the market for work groups and its particular challenges

Special Interest groups

A look at the market for special interest groups and its particular challenges

The International Guild of Battlefield Guides

An introduction to the International Guild of Battlefield Guides

IGBG Accreditation

Understanding the IGBG Accreditation process

The European Tourism Association (ETOA)

An introduction to the European Tourism Association (ETOA)

Meet a Guide - Sue King

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Live Session No 7 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Eight: Module 10 - Research

Week Eight Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 10)

Sources

An introduction to the subject of Sources

The Internet

How reliable is the Internet as a source?

Copyright and Plagiarism

Gaining understanding of the joint perils of Copyright and Plagiarism

"The Other Side of the Hill"

How to research from the 'enemies' perspective

Researching a Soldier

Tips for researching a soldier

Social Media

The use of Social Media for Research

Digital Notes

An introduction to Digital note taking

Using AI

To give you an appreciation of how AI might help you

AudioPen.AI

Veterans' Accounts

The potential dangers of taking Veteran accounts at face value

Meet a Guide - Andy Lock

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Live Session No 8 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Nine: Module 11: Working as a Freelance Guide

Week Nine Brief

A general introduction to this week's lessons (Module 11)

Working as a Freelance Guide - General

A general introduction to working as a Freelance Battlefield Guide

Customer Care

"60% of battlefield guiding is about customer care"

Problems on Tour

Let's discuss Problems on Tour - you will certainly get them

Know your Clients

Try to gain an insight into the motivations of the clients attending your tour

Working with Coach Drivers

What you need to know and what you should be aware of

Self Drive Guiding

The regulations for Self-Drive Guiding

Driving in Europe

Insurances

What insurances do you need as a Battlefield Guide?

Contracts (Ts & Cs)

Why contracts and Ts & Cs are a necessary protection for you and the client

Your Business Persona

Sole Trader, Limited Company, or Partnership?

Tax Affairs

More advice on UK Tax Affairs

Working for other companies

Working as a Tour Manager

In this lesson we gain some insights into the role of the Tour Manger

Thinking outside the Box

Start thinking creatively when it comes to freelance opportunities

It Pays to Advertise - Websites

Let's talk about Websites

It Pays to Advertise - Social Media

Let's talk about Social Media

It Pays to Advertise: E-Books

Data Protection

Understanding your responsibilities regarding Data Protection

Continuous Professional Development

The importance of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Guiding in the EU post Brexit

The regulations for guiding in the EU post-Brexit

Travel to the EU

To understand the proposed EU non-visa regulations for UK nationals

Meet a Guide - Eugenie Brooks

A chance to meet other active battlefield guides

Live Session No 9 - Recording

Our live sessions are all recorded and placed here afterwards

Week Ten: Module 12: Post Tour Admin

Week Ten Brief

Week Ten Brief

Customer Feedback

Customer Feedback

Client Feedback

Client Feedback

Lessons Learned

The value of a Lessons Learned Process

Course Feedback

A chance for you to give us feedback on the course

Bonus Material

Meet a Guide - Steve Hunnisett

Meet a Guide - Susie Cooper