*** UPDATE 10/11/11: All available seats for the test teach are full, enrollment is closed. The response was awesome - thank you! ***
You may be wondering why I've been so quiet lately.  The answer is - I've been busy building SAS' first instructor based asynchronous training class!  Our new "SAS® SQL2: Processing Data Efficiently in Real-World Scenarios" class runs for 5 week and combines the flexibility of self-paced learning with a weekly schedule of assignments to keep things moving, and additionally includes instructor guidance and support through online discussion forums. Week one is for orientation, followed by four weeks of independent course activities, interaction on the forums and work in the Virtual Lab.  The Virtual Lab provides access to a Windows desktop complete with SAS, Oracle and Excel and lets you practice what you’ve learned.  A case study helps you apply your learning to practical problem solving in an environment designed to emulate a real workplace, where some data is stored in Oracle, some in SAS and some even comes to you in Excel.  The case study starts with a complex program which works, but runs very poorly.  Throughout the course, you'll modify the original code to improve performance.  There will be recognition at the end of the class for the student who produces the best-running program, and for the student deemed the “Most Valuable Poster (MVP) in the class forums.

Now that I've built the class, I also get to teach it!  Have I commented lately on how much I love my job?  Before this class goes production, though, we need run at least one “test teach” to ensure all of the parts work together smoothly - and here's where YOUR opportunity comes in.

The deal:
You can register for a free seat (estimated $1200 value) in the test teach of the new SQL2 class!

The catch(es):
1.  You must commit to participating in all of the student activities and providing frequent feedback.  We estimate it will require about 6 hours of effort each week to complete the technical portions of the class.

2.  Before you take this class, you'll need a good understanding of fundamental SAS terminology, familiarity with DATA step processing techniques, and you must be comfortable using PROC SQL to access existing SAS data sets and third-party DBMS data.  A little SAS Macro experience will also be helpful.  If you have at least six months of SAS and SQL programming experience, and have completed the SAS® SQL1: Essentials course, you should be ready to take the SAS® SQL2 class.

Offer details:

You are invited to participate in a test teach of the SAS® SQL2 class without charge, in exchange for your feedback and comments on the course  This test teach offer is available to the first 6 students who register by calling 1-800-333-7660. There is a limit of 2 students per organization. Please request course registrar Patrick Distefano when you call.  Registrations close at the end of the business day, Friday, October 14, 2011.

A “test teach” is a trial delivery of a course that is currently under development. Since the course is not in its final delivery form, the course may include errors, including technical errors, and design flaws. The purposes of the test teach are to uncover inaccuracies and design issues, test the timing of the course, and practice delivery to improve the development of the final version.

In return for receiving their free training, students are required to:

• Ensure they meet the course prerequisite knowledge: https://support.sas.com/edu/schedules.html?ctry=us&id=1218
• Participate in all of the student activities, including exercises, on-line forums, and readings.
• Provide feedback on the course to betsy.mcdowell@sas.com
• Complete a course evaluation each week.
• Participate in the course debriefing conference call on November 17th from 11:00-12:30 EST.

Available course, date, and time details:
Course Title: SAS® SQL2: Processing Data Efficiently in Real-World Scenarios
Course description: https://support.sas.com/edu/schedules.html?ctry=us&id=1218
Dates:
Orientation: week of October 17^th
Technical portion: weeks of October 24^th, October 31^st, November 7^th, and November 14^th
Debriefing Session: November 17 from 11:00 to 12:30 EST
Approximate Value: $1200.00 per student

Duration: This course is completed over five weeks. There is a 1.5 hour debriefing session held via a conference call on November 17.

I’m really excited to be pioneering this new delivery method for SAS training, which will bring SAS instructor-led training right to your desktop on a schedule you can tailor to fit your needs.  You too can be a pioneer - just join Davetta Dunlap and me in the test teach.  Hope to see you there!