State of Indiana yanks the plug on two virtual schools.

Today's article comes from eSchoolNews.com. Two virtual charter schools were set to open this fall in Indiana, but the state Legislature did not provide funding for them in the final state budget. The move has left parents scrambling to find other options for their children.

Pamela Bless thought she had found an exciting alternative to traditional instruction when she enrolled her three children in a new online charter school slated to open this fall. Instead, she's wondering where her 13-year-old triplets will end up after the Indiana General Assembly decided not to fund the schools.

"My kids were as or more disappointed than I was," said Bless, of Greenwood, Ind. "They feel that it's a statement that children are not important to officials in state government." Ball State University had proposed opening two virtual charter schools--the Indiana Virtual Charter School and Indiana Connections Academy--this fall, with a total of about 2,200 students.

The budget proposed by the GOP-led Senate would have allowed the two schools to open. Democrats who control the House, however, objected to having any state money fund such programs, and the final budget approved April 29--the last day of the legislative session--explicitly stated that virtual charter schools cannot receive funding from the state or any distribution of property taxes. To read the rest of this article click here.

Gatlin launches new mediation and dispute resolution online education program.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of our new Mediation and Dispute Resolution online certificate program offered in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Dispute Resolution™ and our network of more than 600 college and universities.

Gatlin launches new Purchasing Management online training.

We are please to announce the immediate availability of our new Purchasing Management Online Training. This program is particularly well suited to anyone working in or interested in working in purchasing, supply chain management, procurement specialists, and buyers. In this program students will be introduced to the various aspect of the supply chain environment, including enterprise resource planning systems and requirement systems.

Music education moves online.

Today's post comes from eSchool News. "Thanks to advancements in so-called Web 2.0 technologies, music education is extending beyond the classroom with the help of software that allows for virtual, real-time music lessons and collaboration online. These technologies can supplement and reinforce the traditional teaching that occurs during private music lessons or school classes, their proponents say.

Software from new companies such as eJamming, WorkshopLive, and In the Chair can connect students and teachers in online groups or in solo sessions to record and edit music online. The growing number of homes with access to broadband internet service has helped fuel this emerging trend." Click here to read the rest of this story.

Learning Chinese the Skype way.

Today's interesting post comes from the Taipei Times. "Skype is rapidly turning into the classroom of the 21st century. Aside from videophone, it also checks spelling on the digital whiteboard.

London-based stand-up comedian Tommy Campbell's iPod is packed with recordings made by a mother-of-one who lives in China's southernmost province of Hainan.

The two have never met, but every week they spend three hours in each other's company, as Tommy struggles to form the distinctive tones and sounds of Mandarin Chinese.

Lily Huang is Tommy's Mandarin teacher. Rather than pay exorbitant prices for a UK-based face-to-face tutor or hide in the back of the class at night school, Tommy can take Lily's lessons in the comfort and privacy of his own home via the Internet, direct from China.

Lily teaches students across the globe via Skype, the Internet telephony system that allows people to communicate for free across the world, often using Web cams.

The videophone service was set up in 2003 by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs and sold to Ebay in September 2005 for US$4.1 billion. It is now available in 27 languages. Asia reportedly represents 30 percent of its 171 million subscribers and has become its fastest growing market. To read the rest of this article click here.

Distance Education Goes Public.

Today's article is from The Chronicle and written by Andrea Foster and Dan Carnevale.

A few years ago, universities were dumping their online spinoffs like rotten fish. Temple University and New York University shut theirs in 2001. Two years later, Columbia University closed down Fathom, its once-vaunted online venture. The spinoffs were never able to attract enough students to justify the millions of dollars invested in them. The flagging post-9/11 economy didn't help.

Now the virtual campus is re-emerging. But the new speculators are public universities, and instead of creating commercial, online branches like their predecessors, they are embracing a not-for-profit model.

A. Frank Mayadas, president of the Sloan Consortium, a group of colleges that offer instruction online, says public institutions are beginning to realize that, with their name recognition and their lower tuition rates, they have an advantage over for-profit competitors like the University of Phoenix, which, with 130,000 students, is the largest of the online institutions. Public universities are "better known," he says, "and they're a better deal."

Inspired by the growth of Phoenix and other online colleges, two big public research institutions, the University of North Carolina and the University of Illinois, are quickly moving to establish their own distance-education spinoffs.

Making money is a key motivation, since state funds for public colleges are drying up. But campus officials also want to reach more working students, who are unable or unwilling to learn in a traditional classroom.

By all accounts, demand for online education is expanding. About 3.2 million students took at least one online course during the fall of 2005. That's 39 percent more than the 2.3 million the previous year, according to the Sloan Consortium, which promotes standards for online learning.
For-profit institutions, like Phoenix, have a large share of that enrollment. Although they enrolled only 5.1 percent of students at degree-granting institutions in 2004, they attracted 37 percent of all online students, according to Eduventures, an education-consulting company. That proportion is expected to fall to 32 percent in 2008, in part because of competition from traditional colleges.

"The consumer, we know from our research, is typically more comfortable with the notion of a traditional school offering nontraditional online" courses, says Richard Garrett, a senior analyst at Eduventures, which is advising Illinois on its online enterprise.

Still, commercial online institutions like Phoenix have more capital and are savvier marketers than public universities, he says, and are unlikely to crumble when faced with competition.
Instead of trying to create national programs like Phoenix's, says Mr. Mayadas, public institutions should create online programs that dominate their regions. Then, collectively, they will be able to compete in the online market instead of letting for-profit universities run the show.

"In their own regions, where they operate, they are generally better known than any for-profit entity," he says. "If every nonprofit did that in their own area, that makes the competition much more interesting."

NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ENROLL ONLY ONLINE

2000 -194,580

2001-315,219

2002-483,113

2003-701,295

2004-936,727

2005-1,214,000

2006-1,518,750

NOTE: Estimated figures cover student enrolled at American degree-granting institutions that provided financial aid under Title IV. SOURCE: Eduventures

University life in a war zone - University of Baghdad.

The post for today and this weekend is from The Chronicle of Higher Education. Learn how students are still working towards degrees while living in a war zone. Click here to view this amazing story.

Campus massacre: Turning to technology.

Today's post comes from eSchool News. Almost immediately after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University on April 16, Virginia Tech students created an "I'm OK" page on Facebook to let one another and their loved ones know that they survived. Other students posted photos and cell phone videos on their own sites, or shared them just hours after the shootings with news organizations.

Thanks to the portability and speed of today's technology, the students' shots are likely to become some of the "defining images" of the tragedy, says Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which monitors high-tech culture.

And nowhere, she says, has the impact of the internet been seen more than on social networking sites, most often frequented by young people.

"What better place to mourn someone than a place that they themselves build to express who they are, and a place where the deceased and his or her friends may have spent a great deal of time interacting?" Lenhart asks.

Since April 16, there has been a nonstop flood of postings on the popular Facebook student site, on MySpace and LiveJournal, and on personal blogs--expressing everything from grief to anger to confusion. To read the rest of this article click here.

What is online education all about?

Today's post comes from The Journal. "Unless you are directly involved with teaching online, have students taking courses online, or have taken an online course yourself, chances are that you find the concept of online education quite nebulous. You might not have any interest in it. Terms like distance education, fully online, blended courses, virtual courses, e-learning, hybrid courses, mixed-mode, asynchronous learning, distributed learning, Web-facilitated, and Web-enhanced learning add to the confusion (Picciano & Seaman, 2007, pp. 1-2). However, online learning is on the rise in K-12 education, and you should know some of the basics and issues surrounding it. It is adding flexibility to the traditional school experience, meeting the needs of specific groups of students, and increasing course offerings. If it has not already done so, it probably will affect your teaching scenario before too long. So, what's online education all about? Well ... it's all in who you ask or what resources you consult." To read the rest of this article click here.

Why Community Colleges Struggle to Increase College Completion Rates.

Today's post comes from The College Puzzle Blog.

"America’s 1,200 community colleges enroll nearly half of credit-earning undergraduates, and first time students. However, scholarly attention to this growing postsecondary sector is dwarfed by research and publications concerning 4-year institutions. Furthermore, community colleges serve a disproportionate share of low income students including 79% of California’s Latino students. And, public four-year institutions grew by 3.5% from 1990 to 2000, but public two-year enrollments grew by 14%.

Defending the Community College Equity Agenda (Thomas Bailey and Vanessa Smith Morest (eds.) Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins, 2006) addresses several key threats to the community college equity agenda. The co-authors have long and deep backgrounds through their leadership roles in the Community College Research Center at Teachers College." To read the rest of this interesting article click here.

Community colleges enroll almost anyone who wants to come regardless of academic preparation. Community college budgets are fiscally constrained, and their resources often lag enrollment growth. Moreover, need based student financial aid has not kept up with the changing student bodies. Many students, however, do succeed in community colleges despite long odds.

Louisiana among states leading nation in online learners

Today's post comes from the Shreveport Times. Students in Rachel Basco's respiratory therapy class are all over the map. Some students are actually in the Bossier Parish Community College classroom with her and other students Basco teaches are at the Rapides Learning Center Alexandria.

The students who take the class off-site and through compressed video on the Internet are among the thousands of students in Louisiana who take advantage of electronic education.In fact, Southern states lead the nation in growth of the number of college students taking online classes, according to a report published by the Sloan Consortium in partnership with the Southern Regional Education Board.

"The No. 1 reason people take online classes is because of the flexibility it offers," said Kathleen Gay, director of education technology at BPCC. "We see an increase in our students who are trying to juggle work and/or family. This seems to be a mode that suits their lifestyle better."More than 1.1 million students were enrolled in online classes at two- and four-year colleges in Southern states, a 68 percent increase from 2005 and nearly twice as much as the 35 percent national increase in students taking online courses across the nation, the report said. To read the rest of this article click here.

Preparing Instructors For Quality Online Instruction.

Today's post comes from Distance Educator News. "With a growing number of courses offered online and degrees offered through the Internet, there is a considerable interest in online education, particularly as it relates to the quality of online instruction. The major concerns are centering on the following questions: What will be the new role for instructors in online education? How will students' learning outcomes be assured and improved in online learning environment? How will effective communication and interaction be established with students in the absence of face-to-face instruction? How will instructors motivate students to learn in the online learning environment? This paper will examine new challenges and barriers for online instructors, highlight major themes prevalent in the literature related to “quality control or assurance” in online education, and provide practical strategies for instructors to design and deliver effective online instruction. Recommendations will be made on how to prepare instructors for quality online instruction." Click here to read this entire article.

Mitigating Conflict in Online Student Teams.

Today's post comes from eLearn Magazine and was written by By Richard Dool, D.Mgt., Assistant Professor, Seton Hall University. "My cell phone rings at 10:37 p.m. I reluctantly answer, anticipating the reason for the call. Team assignments are due tonight, and a call this late is seldom made to tell me everything is wonderful. Sure enough, there is trouble in "team-land" and panic is setting in: A teammate has gone AWOL and his part is not done. Professors using team assignments in online courses often get calls or e-mails like this.

I have had the privilege—and at times, the agony—of overseeing more than 200 graded online team assignments, and I have learned how to mitigate much of the inevitable conflict that arises. What follows below are basic guidelines for handling these conflicts. These guidelines can help ensure that learning objectives are met and that students have a positive experience.

I conducted an informal poll of students at the four universities where I have taught online courses, and results indicate that more than 60 percent "dislike" team assignments. The primary reasons students offer are difficulty in getting everyone on the "same page," unclear instructions and expectations, and the fact that their grade depends on others.

Given the potential conflicts in team assignments and the general disdain by students, why do professors persist in using team assignments? In discussions with many of my peers, the answers range from a belief in the value of learning how to be a positive team member to reducing the grading load. Bu there is little question about the value of learning to perform on teams." To read the rest of this article click here.

Surge in Distance Ed at Community Colleges.

Today's post comes from Inside Higher Ed. "Community college enrollment growth is increasingly coming from online students, leading many institutions to create extensive online student service operations. Many of those institutions are also considering a shift in their course management systems — just as Blackboard’s purchase of WebCT would seem to have solidified its dominant position in that market.

Those are some of the key findings from a new study on e-learning in community colleges, released Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges. The study was conducted by the Instructional Technology Council, a group of nearly 500 colleges — almost all of them two-year institutions — with a strong interest in online education. The council has been doing similar surveys of its members for several years, but shifted gears this year to conduct its survey from the full membership of AACC, hoping to get a more accurate picture of distance education at community colleges." Click here to read the rest of this article.

Making Online Learning Mandatory.

Today's post comes from Inside Higher Ed. "Starting this fall, all students at Northwest State Community College, in Archbold, Ohio, will be required to take at least one online course to graduate. More than 60 percent of last year’s graduates already took one or more online courses, but administrators and college trustees want all students to be well versed in independent research and discovery — skills that employers demand, they say — and feel that online education is one way to accomplish that." To read the rest of this article click here.

Web-Based Learning Environment: A Theory-Based Design Process for Development and Evaluation.

This interesting paper is written by Chang S. Nam and Tonya L. Smith-Jackson. "Web-based courses and programs have increasingly been developed by many academic institutions, organizations, and companies worldwide due to their benefits for both learners and educators. However, many of the developmental approaches lack two important considerations needed for implementing Web-based learning applications: (1) integration of the user interface design with instructional design and (2) development of the evaluation framework to improve the overall quality of Web-based learning support environments. This study addressed these two weaknesses while developing a user-centered, Web-based learning support environment for Global Positioning System (GPS) education: Web-based distance and distributed learning (WD2L) environment. The research goals of the study focused on the improvement of the design process and usability of the WD2L environment based on a theory-based Integrated Design Process (IDP) proposed in the study. Results indicated that the proposed IDP was effective in that the study showed (1) the WD2L environment’s equivalence to traditional supplemental learning, especially as a Web-based supplemental learning program and (2) users’ positive perceptions of WD2L environment resources. The study also confirmed that for an e-learning environment to be successful, various aspects of the learning environment should be considered such as application domain knowledge, conceptual learning theory, instructional design, user interface design, and evaluation about the overall quality of the learning environment." To download this entire document click here.

Changing Faces of Open and Distance Learning in Asia.

Today's post comes from IRRODL. "It is no incident that IRRODL begins the year of 2007 with this regional focus edition on “Changing Faces of Open and Distance Learning in Asia.” Over the recent years, there has been tremendous growth and diversity in open and distance learning (ODL) in Asia. With over 56 percent of the global population, Asia has over 70 universities that are dedicated to open access to education, including seven out of 11 of the world's mega universities (universities with over 100,000 active students in degree-level courses) serving six million active students all together (Daniel, 1996).

Quite a few distance teaching universities or programs such as the Bangladeshi Open University, the Hanoi Open University, the Open University Malaysia, and the Open and Distance Learning Program in Singapore, have been established since the 1990s and now provide tertiary level education to those seeking continuing education opportunities. Virtual universities are growing fast and, with 17 virtual universities in Korea alone! Many conventional, campus-based universities have started to offer e-Learning programs as well. For example, 67 e-Colleges have been established within conventional research universities in China." To read the rest of this article click here.

Education and English Proficiency Preclude Wider Hispanic Internet Use.

Today's post comes from the Center For Media Research. A report released in March, 2007, entitled Latinos Online by PEW Research, finds that 56% of Latinos in the U.S. (comprising 14% of the U.S. adult population) use the internet. By comparison, 71% of non-Hispanic whites and 60% of non- Hispanic blacks use the internet. Lower levels of education and limited English ability largely explain the gap in internet use between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, concludes the report. To read the rest of this article and access the report click here.

Single standard for open-content licenses and related issues.

Today's post comes from eSchool News. "The use of open, sharable course materials is transforming education worldwide: Educators across the globe are taking open digital content items and repurposing them for their own classrooms; universities in Vietnam have begun translating materials available through MIT's OpenCourseWare program; and in Japan, leading universities have come together and agreed to make much of their courseware open as well. (See "Web fuels 'democratization' of knowledge.")

But this movement toward open course materials for education has created something of a problem. Although a vast number of repositories have been set up to allow users to download sharable content, many of these sites contain materials that use different licensing agreements. This poses a challenge for educators looking to combine material from different repositories into a single presentation or piece of work."

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Tech's 'greatest potential': Personalizing instruction.

Today's post comes from eSchool News. "Calling technology's "greatest potential" for education its ability to personalize instruction, Katie Lovett, chair of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), kicked off the group's 12th annual K-12 School Networking Conference in San Francisco March 28.

The conference brought together school district chief information officers and other educational technology leaders from around the world to discuss key ed-tech challenges and solutions. One of these challenges, Lovett noted in setting the stage for the meeting's opening general session, is the need to break out of the mold of the one-size-fits-all approach to instruction." To read the rest of this article click here.

Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) wins eLearning Guild Awards.

Last year we were evalutating which Learning Management System we should use for the next generation of our online career training programs. After conducting extensive research we settled on Moodle. We have migrated a number of our programs into Moodle already and plan to be completed by the end of this year. We felt it was important not to create a proprietary system but to use one of the industry standand Learning Management Systems.

The eLearning Guild recently announced the publication of a new Guild Research 360 Degree Report on Learning Management Systems (LMS). Moodle won the, "Platinum Members Choice Award for Satisfaction," in Education and Government Learning Management Systems beating Blackboard for the top award! To read their list of awards and to learn about their report 360 Degree report click here.

M.I.T. Education in China, Minus the Degree.

Today's post comes from the New York Times. "Lucifer Chu, a 31-year-old from Taipei, Taiwan, is as good an example as any of the shrinking distances between East and West. Mr. Chu has become a millionaire by creating Chinese translations of fantasy novels. Using much of the $1 million in royalties from his versions of “The Lord of the Rings,” Mr. Chu says he devotes himself to distributing free translations of material from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Web site." To read the rest of this article click here.

Gallup plans foray in education and training.

Today's post comes from Business Standard. "The Gallup Organization of the US is planning to bring some of its management education and training activities to India, Gallup India’s managing partner Prashant Srivastava told Business Standard. In the US, Gallup has set up the Gallup University, which provides management education-both degree programmes and continuing education-to individuals and organizations. Among its programmes are the MBA in Executive Leadership and a Master’s in Business with an emphasis on Global Leadership." To read the rest of this article click here.

Blackboard Learning Management System and potential conflicts with Microsoft's new Vista operating system.

Today's post comes from PCMagazine. "On college campuses, Microsoft's Vista operating system may be in danger of failing courses that use Blackboard, a key software program for communication between teachers and students.

Some campuses in the U.S. and elsewhere using Blackboard are discovering that the software and some of its functionality is being hindered as students and teachers begin to update their systems with Microsoft Vista." To read the rest of this article click here.

Online education and understanding your learning style survey.

Online learning is not right for everyone. It is important to understand your learning style. To see if your style is compatible with online learning take this, "Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire" created by North Carolina State University.

Gatlin Education Services congratulates Rich Novak incoming UCEA President!

We would like to congratulate Rich Novak as incoming President of the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). Rich is the Associate Vice President for Continuous Education and Distance Learning at Rutgers University. He was UCEA Membership Chair and is a member of the Board of Directors. He was awarded the Walton S. Bittner Service Citation for "Imaginative Leadership in the Advancement of Continuing Education and Distinguished Service to the Association" in 2004.

With the support of Rich and his team, Rutgers University continues to be the Gatlin Education Services partner with the largest amount of students year after year. Rich has outlined his initiatives for his term as UCEA President. You can read those initiatives by clicking here. Please join us by congratulating Rich! We look forward to seeing Rich and other attendees on April 12 -14 at the 92nd UCEA National Conference being held in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Is online education truly borderless?

According to a new press release from Eduventures Inc., "Geography Matters in Online Higher Education." Online education heralded the promise of borderless educational opportunity, yet nearly two out of every three online students live within the geographical region of their awarding institution, according to a recent study by Eduventures, the leading research and consulting firm for the education industry. Even more surprising is that more than one-third live within a 50-mile radius of their online education provider. To read the remainder of this press release click here.

Wikis in Online Education Programs.

Today's post comes from the EdTechnology Blog. In this post the authors explore the, "Best Practices for the use of Wiki's in Teacher Education Programs." Enjoy!

Who Uses What Online Tool for Which Reason: Oxford Study.

Today's post comes from Portals and KM Blog. They have posted an interesting article that includes a comprehensive study of online tool use with data taken from December 1, 2006 to February 16, 2007. During this period the survey was completed by 1369 respondents, mostly Continuing Education students and academics at the University of Oxford. Click here to read this interesting post.

Internet-based classes common place on many campuses.

Today's post comes from the Miami Herald.Not so long ago, a student like Erin Dowd never could have attended college full-time. Dowd, a junior studying international business at Florida International University (a Gatlin Education Services partner school), works 40 hours a week while taking a full course load -- about half traditional courses and half online. ''I wouldn't be able to work full-time if I couldn't take some of my classes online,'' Dowd said. Internet-based learning has gone from cutting edge at the turn of the 21st century to commonplace on many campuses. ''Learning by Degrees,'' a 2005 report funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, reported that 65 percent of graduate schools and 63 percent of undergraduate institutions offer online as well as face-to-face courses. To read the rest of this article click here.

U.S. Department of Education launches new college planning tool for families.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school. Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell grant of up to $4,310. "Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings. "Families need more information—sooner—about students' federal aid eligibility so that they can plan ahead for college. The FAFSA4caster gives families an important tool they can use to make decisions about the future." To learn more about this new program click here.

How to start and promote your own blog as part of attracting and retaining students.

Yesterday we announced the addition of another great blog to our blog roll. Two weeks ago one of our partner schools contacted us and let us know they had started their own blog. Blogging is a great way to keep your current and potential students informed about what is happening in your community and a great way to announce new programs you are offering. If you are interested in learning how to start your own blog, my recommendation is to purchase Blogging Bonanza! This is the definitive guide to using blogs and RSS for Internet marketing.

Daryl Clark
Gatlin Education Services
Director of Online Marketing

Freight Broker Training Information Blog added to our blog roll.

We are pleased to announce that our friends at Brooke Freight Broker Training School have launched their own blog, "Freight Broker Training Information." We have added their informative blog to our growing "Blog Roll." We hope you enjoy reading it!

Discussion will examine how colleges can use online tools in emergencies.

Ray Schroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at the University of Illinois at Springfield, will take part in a Live Chronicle of Higher Education Brownbag on "Avoiding Disaster with the Help of Online Education" beginning at noon (EDT), on Thursday, March 22. The discussion will be available at http://chronicle.com/live/. Participants who log in at the time of the program will be able to submit questions during the live discussion.

An expert on the use of technology in higher education, Schroeder will talk about what colleges can do to prepare for different types of emergencies and how they can use web-based learning to continue classes without interruption.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Schroeder was instrumental in working with the Sloan Consortium to develop the Sloan Semester, whereby college students left homeless by the storm had the chance to continue their education online, no matter where they relocated. He later chaired a national workshop, held New Orleans, on using online learning in an emergency.

For those unable to join in while the program is in progress, a transcript will be available at the same website later.

UIS' Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning is dedicated to promoting faculty use of the Internet and allied developing technologies to enhance learning, scholarship, and service. For more information, contact Schroeder at 206-7531 or go to http://otel.uis.edu.

The Big Idea of Online Art Projects.

This very interesting post is just in time for spring break, here in the United States. Today's post comes from a very interesting blog called, "The Carrot Revolution." You will find post intriguing if you are interested in art or photography. Click here to read this article.

BBC axes online education service.

Today's article is from the MediaGuardian.co.uk by Jason Deans.

The BBC Trust has confirmed it is scrapping online education service BBC Jam, following complaints from commercial rivals. BBC Jam will be suspended from next Tuesday, March 20. BBC management has been asked by the trust to draw up new proposals for a formal education and learning online service.

Management's new plans will then be put through a public value test by the BBC Trust, including a market impact assessment by Ofcom.

In January, MediaGuardian revealed that the rollout of BBC Jam had been suspended for an indefinite period following the government's decision to investigate the corporation's educational public service content.

The trust today said its decision followed extensive discussions with the government and the European Commission about how to deal with allegations from industry rivals that BBC Jam was damaging their interests.

The corporation started a high-profile marketing campaign for BBC Jam, aimed at five- to 16-year-olds last autumn. The launch of the campaign was hosted by the director general, Mark Thompson.

The entire £150m, five-year project was initially given the go-ahead subject to it meeting 17 tough licence conditions to ensure that the content was appropriately public service. Around half the budget has been spent so far.

BBC Jam employs around 200 staff in house, with 50% of the content commissioned from independent producers.

The first elements of the service were soft-launched in January 2006 and only around 10% of the planned output is currently available online.

The Jam service, which can be accessed for free via broadband, consists of single-subject areas, from helping children to read and write, to teaching business skills, languages and geography. They can be used in the classroom, at home, by individual children, by parents with children, or as a classroom aid by teachers.

The modules use devices such as computer games techniques, music, jingles and interactivity to hold a child's attention. Jam is seen as part of the BBC's mission to educate, and is based on the national curriculum.

Search Engine Optimization online course now available from Gatlin Education Services

FORT WORTH, Texas – Gatlin Education Services announced today a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Online Certificate Program is now available for immediate enrollment. The 150-hour course will be offered through Gatlin’s partnership with major colleges and universities.

A sub-set of search engine marketing, search engine optimization specialists improve their company’s search engine page rankings, driving more users to their Web site. It is widely considered to be one of today’s most promising careers, and the online certificate program has specifically been developed to meet the high demand for specialists.

The Search Engine Optimizer series is a bundle of three courses: Search Engine Optimization 101 and 201 and Web Site Copywriting 101.

The SEO courses cover how to improve search engine positioning on the Internet’s top engines, pay per click advertising, measuring return on investment and starting an SEO business. Web Site Copywriting provides direction on how to write appealing copy that will move the site’s visitors to action.

Established in 1989 by Stephen Gatlin, Gatlin Education Services is the largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported career training to community colleges and universities. Gatlin’s online career training courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired training immediately. Gatlin’s courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.

Online growth worries U. of I. Springfield .

Today's article comes from the Chicago Sun-Times. BY DAVE NEWBART Staff Reporter.

Faculty at the University of Illinois' little-known Springfield campus believe the school could soon be in the fight of its life. The potential foe? The university itself -- in the form of a new "Global Campus."

As the U. of I. system struggles to join the online world, the board of trustees is scheduled to vote today on whether to launch a Global Campus.

But at Springfield, where 20 percent of students already have online majors, faculty fear the move will siphon away students.

"Competition with UIS online programs has the potential to seriously harm the UIS campus," faculty said in a resolution last month.

More than 40 percent, or 2,100, UIS students are enrolled in at least one online course.
Campus senate vice chair Terry Bodenhorn worries that even high-quality programs could get drowned out by Global Campus marketing, which has a budget of up to $10 million a year.

The faculty also noted that top U. of I. brass have said they are prepared to partner with schools outside the system, such as Illinois State University, to offer online degrees.

"Spending [U. of I.] resources to fund one of our main competitors does not make much sense to us," the faculty noted.

The UIS faculty also believe the proposed model of using part-time, non-tenured faculty to teach professional courses in such areas as nursing and education "seems educationally limited and outdated."

Meeting demand Chester Gardner, who is spearheading the effort to create the Global Campus, said competition with existing programs could be necessary to meet demand.

"Online education is a competitive arena," he said.

The school would partner with another university only if existing programs were unable or unwilling to grow to meet demand, he said.

Even with their concerns, members of the Springfield faculty gave their support to the principle behind the Global Campus, saying they recognized the need for expanded online learning.

Faculty senates on the Chicago and Urbana-Champaign campuses also endorsed that principle.
dnewbart@suntimes.com

New Online Tutor Training Course Breaks Down Barriers.

Crossroads of Learning, a division of Media InfoSystems, Inc., has just announced the launch of "Tutoring Foundations," the first tutor training program to address the unique needs of today's adult learners featuring "anytime" availability, quality supervision, and research-based curriculum. The course was developed over eighteen months of intensive collaboration with the National Tutoring Association (NTA) and Fielding Graduate University. "Tutoring Foundations" is approved by the NTA and is designed to be convenient and practical for tutors nationwide who are seeking training and certification. The course reinforces the NTA's mission and goals for raising professional standards and accountability through best practices, methods, and protocols. A complete syllabus is available at www.crossroadsoflearning.com

Study Explores the Nature of Online Learning in K-12 Schools

The Sloan Consortium has just released a new study that explores the nature of online learning in K–12 schools and to establish base data for more extensive future studies. Issues related to planning, operational difficulties, and online learning providers were also examined. This study was based on a national survey of American school district chief administrators during the 2005-2006 academic year. It is one of the first studies to collect data on and compare fully online and blended learning (part online and part traditional face-to-face instruction) in K-12 schools. The distinction between fully online and blended learning is a most important refinement of previous studies on this topic. This study also notes that a number of states including Florida and Michigan have established very progressive school reform policies with regard to K-12 online learning. To learn more about this study and to download a free copy of it click here.

Are you ready for Google personalized search?

Today's post might seem a little off topic but it really isn't. Many people are not aware that a large portion of Gatlin Education Service's enrollments come from students finding our web site via Google. For example if you use the search term, Pharmacy Technician at Google,, you will see that our Pharmacy Technician Online Course page is the #2 result. Google is slowly moving toward personalized search. If you would like to learn how it works click here to read an article about this at my own blog.

Daryl Clark
Director of On-line Marketing
Gatin Education Services.

Wikipedia to seek proof of credentials.

Today's post comes from Yahoo News. Following revelations that a high-ranking member of
Wikipedia's bureaucracy used his cloak of anonymity to lie about being a professor of religion, the free Internet encyclopedia plans to ask contributors who claim such credentials to identify themselves. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said in interviews by phone and instant message Wednesday from Japan that contributors still would be able to remain anonymous. But he said they should only be allowed to cite some professional expertise in a subject if those credentials have been verified. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Adult Learners Demand Education On Their Terms.

A new study released by Eduventures says, "Flexibility is a hallmark of continuing and professional education. This is particularly clear when it comes to adult learners' growing preference for nontraditional scheduling and delivery formats, according to a recent nationwide survey of more than 25,000 current and prospective continuing and professional education students. According to the research, the perfect schedule for adult learners consists of classes held in the middle of the week, Tuesday through Thursday, during late afternoons and early evenings (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.). In addition, Eduventures found great interest among adult learners in courses and programs delivered in an accelerated summer session, 100 percent online, or hybrid format, with approximately half of surveyed consumers reporting that they are likely to consider these special continuing education formats.

"The 'most convenient schedule' is the single most important reason students cite for choosing to enroll at their current institution," said Sean Gallagher, program director and senior research analyst for Eduventures' Learning Collaborative program in Continuing and Professional Education. "To meet demands for flexibility, the pendulum is continuing to swing toward more flexible delivery modes and course and program formats. The institutions that are able to optimize their scheduling patterns and formats for the appropriate audiences will be best positioned for success and growth."Assessing Consumer Preferences for Adult, Continuing, and Professional Education: Scheduling, Formatting, and Delivery Mode Preferences is the third in a series of reports released this winter analyzing continuing and professional education consumers' preferences and educational purchasing process. This research is a product of Eduventures' Learning Collaborative in Continuing and Professional Education, a member-based research program designed to help college and university administrators of continuing and professional education departments address critical strategic, marketing, and operational challenges.

For more information on the Learning Collaborative programs or the report, contact Blair Walker at 617-532-6060.ABOUT EDUVENTURESFor more than a decade, Eduventures has been the most trusted name in the education market for research, consulting services and peer networking. Its clients include senior administrators and executives from leading educational institutions and companies serving the K-12, higher education and corporate learning markets, as well as decision-makers in government agencies and the investment community. For more information, visit www.eduventures.com.

Delays, designs diminish ed-tech research.

Delays, designs diminish ed-tech research. Today's post is from eSchoolNews. Delays in the publication of federal ed-tech studies, as well as the design of certain research projects and even the circumstances under which some results are released, have fueled concerns from ed-tech advocates who question whether the Education Department is making good use of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded research intended to explore the correlation between technology and learning. Click here to read the remainder of this article.

UCEA 92nd Annual Conference April 11 - 14 is in Vancouver.

We highly recommend attending the University Continuing Education Association's 92nd Annual Conference this April 11 -14th. The conference is being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The preliminary conference agenda is now available. Click here to review the agenda and to learn how to register.

Symantec Launches Free Online Sales Training for Channel Partners.

CUPERTINO, Calif. - February 25, 2002 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the world leader in Internet security technology, today announced the availability of online training resources for Symantec channel partners and customers. Symantec will provide channel partners participating in Symantec's partner program with free, self-paced online sales training, offering the knowledge necessary to sell Symantec security solutions. In addition, Symantec is also rolling out a limited number of online classes for fee-based technical and security solutions training, available to customers and partners.

"Symantec has created a one-stop-shop for all Symantec educational products and services," said Allyson Seelinger, vice president of channel sales for Symantec. "With a significant shortage of security expertise in the marketplace, Symantec is committed to providing our partners with the tools they need to successfully implement the security solutions that today's IT environment requires."

The sales training is free and available exclusively to Symantec partners. The self-paced online training will increase a partner's knowledge of Symantec security solutions and the security market in general. Product courses include general security, antivirus and content filtering, firewall and VPN, intrusion detection and vulnerability management and integrated security.

Fee-based online and instructor-led technical training is also available to Symantec partners and customers and includes courses in firewall and VPN technologies, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, virus protection and content management, and security essentials. Successful completion of these courses along with appropriate certification exams will help partners and customers earn Symantec certification credentials at three different levels:

Symantec Product Specialist (SPS): focuses on a single Symantec security product and its functionality in an overall security system;

Symantec Certified Security Engineer (SCSE): has, in addition to product specific training and certification, a high level understanding of a broad range of security solutions plus in-depth knowledge and skills within a specific focus such as vulnerability management; and

Symantec Certified Security Practitioner (SCSP): is a senior consultant with in-depth knowledge and expertise across the complete range of security disciplines who has achieved SCSE certification in all security categories. Symantec Certification Exams are available at Prometric sites around the world (www.prometric.com). AvailabilitySymantec's channel partners can access the online training resources via PartnerNet at http://partnernet.symantec.com. Customers can access the technical and security solutions training at http://educationonline.symantec.com.

Symantec Partner Program: The Symantec Partner Program focuses on providing enterprise partners - such as proven Internet security experts, value-added resellers and other channel partners - with the expertise and resources necessary to plan, implement and manage complex security architectures for their customers using Symantec security solutions. In addition to comprehensive sales expertise and award-winning technical support, Symantec offers enterprise partners extensive fee-based training and certification on the operation and installation of Symantec solutions in four technical areas critical in today's networked environment: virus protection and content management, firewall and VPN technologies, intrusion detection systems and vulnerability management. For more information or to sign up for the Symantec Partner Program, partners should visit www.symantecpartner.com.

About Symantec: Symantec, the world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security software and appliance solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of client, gateway and server security solutions for virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 38 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.

New online database publishes online college rankings.

The new Online Education Database just published their 2007 online college rankings. According to them, "Online higher education is growing, but a lack of transparency is preventing it from reaching its full potential. Even though online colleges are now receiving increased respect from top employers, diploma mills and the like limit the prestige of a legitimate online degree. We think more transparency is a good thing; a set of objective, quantitative rankings — however imperfect — should help shed some light on the relative attractiveness of the most popular accredited online colleges.

These rankings have been produced by OEDb, a database of accredited online education programs. In our rankings we included the most significant degree-granting undergraduate online colleges that operate nationally, as determined by our selection criteria. To our knowledge, these online college rankings are the first of their kind." Click here to read the rest of this article and view their rankings.

A North Carolina Contininug Education Program is challenged by budget cuts.

Today's post comes from The Independent Tribune. Smaller budget expected for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in 2007-08. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s operating budget is getting tighter this fiscal year, but its leaders also expect to get less money from the state in 2007-08 because of a 3.7 percent decline in enrollment. After record-enrollment increases from 2003 to 2005, RCCC’s enrollment has leveled off given the improvement of the local economy and availability of more jobs, said President Richard Brownell. And since state-operating funding is tied to enrollment, RCCC stands to receive $400,000 less during the 2007-08 fiscal year. RCCC’s 2006-07 state operating budget stands at $25.5 million. Click here to read the remainder of this article.

Adult Learners Tend to Rely on Cash and Employer Assistance.

A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education states, "Adult Learners Tend to Rely on Cash and Employer Assistance to Pay for College, Survey Finds."

"Most students in adult, continuing-education, and professional programs at American colleges and universities rely on personal savings and employer-provided tuition assistance to pay for their education, according to a new report based on a survey of 25,000 current and prospective students."

"Of those surveyed, 50 percent said they used or planned to use cash and nearly half (48 percent) said they used or planned to use tuition assistance to pay for at least part of their college courses, while about a quarter identified federal student loans (28 percent) and scholarships (22 percent) as financial resources. Responses in those categories overlap because most of the respondents used at least two financial sources."

OCHEA annual conference in Newark, Ohio next month.

Gatlin Education Services will be attending the Ohio Continuing Higher Education Association's annual meeting being held in Newark, Ohio on March 15 -16th. OCHEA is a not-for-profit organization of accredited, non-profit, degree-granting institutions of higher education in Ohio dedicated to human resource development through continuing education.

Mississippi online high school experiences rapid growth.

This post comes from the Clarion Ledger. Enrollment in Mississippi’s Virtual Public School that lets high school students learn via online classes has seen rapid growth. "Projections are the 2,500 to 3,000 students taking online classes now will climb to 10,000 students in a couple of years." This is according to Mississippi Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds. Click here to read this entire article.

New online Pay Per Click Marketing course now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of another great online career training program. This nationally recognized Pay Per Click Marketing (PPCM) online course and training program has been developed because of the high demand for Pay Per Click marketing specialists. Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) is a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing, and refers to a specific type of advertising where you pay a search engine every time a potential customer clicks on your ad. These ads appear on search engine results pages and sometimes on the pages of sites within a search engine’s network of partners.A job in the paid search industry can be unbelievably lucrative.

As noted recently by Jennifer Laycock of Search Engine Guide, "There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels." This extreme demand means Pay Per Click Marketers can pick and choose their jobs and/or clients. Experts in select specialties such as Pay Per Click Advertising are currently enjoying even higher demand than usual, as advertisers out-bid each other to have their site shown for popular keyword searches on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. This online certificate program is offered in partnership with major colleges and universities.

Search engine optimization (SEO) online training program now available.

We have two more new online career training programs to announce this week. The first course is our search engine optimization (seo) online training program. Search engine optimizers (SEOs) increase their company’s Web site traffic by improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially important task in today's Internet-driven world, where many customers first learn of an organization and its products or services through the Web. Indeed, this SEO program was created in direct response to the skyrocketing demand for paid search engine industry professionals. Because of a shortage of experts in this area, many top SEOs receive multiple job offers. This 3-part program will teach you how to tailor your website to achieve better search engine ranking, incorporate dynamic technology such as Flash, and make the most of your website’s content. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

New Search Engine Marketing certificate program now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of another new online career training course. Our Search Engine Marketing training and certificate program has been developed in direct response to the skyrocketing growth of the search engine industry. Search Engine Marketers improve their company’s search engine page rankings.

Because of a shortage of qualified personnel in this relatively new field, many Search Engine Marketers receive multiple job offers. This comprehensive program will show students how to create, monitor and maintain successful search engine rankings, take advantage of pay-per-click advertising, and much more. This Search Engine Marketing program combines both the Search Engine Optimizing and the Pay Per Click Marketing programs into one extended program. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

New Fine Arts Training online certificate program now available.

Gatlin: online career training courses is pleased to announce the immediate availability of another new online certificate program. Our Fine Arts Training certificate program will help you build a foundation in drawing and painting, deepening your knowledge of the fine arts. You’ll begin by looking at art through the ages in its historical contexts, and learning how to analyze it, critique it, and assess what techniques the artists utilized. The class then moves on to introductory drawing, figure drawing, and oil painting. Along the way, you will learn about critical concepts such as line, mass, perspective, and composition, all under the guidance of our expert instructors. This program is instructor-led, project-based, and completed at your own pace. Expert faculty provides critique and feedback on projects within 1-2 business days, helping you build a creative portfolio for prospective employers. Go here to learn more or find a college offering this program.

Video game art online certificate program is now available.

Gatlin is pleased to announce the newest edition to our online career training courses catalog. Our new Video Game Art online certificate program is designed to help gain the skills and knowledge to get you started as a digital artist in today's fast-paced game development industry! This Video Game Art program builds technical and artistic skills in 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, and animation using Autodesk Maya and Photoshop. Challenging, practical projects put you through your paces, helping you develop a high-quality portfolio of game art. Experience mentoring and feedback from an industry-leading faculty of game art professionals. This program is instructor-led, project-based, and completed at your own pace. Expert Faculty provides critique and feedback on projects within 1-2 business days, helping you build a creative portfolio for prospective employers. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits.

Today's article comes from the New York Times. The University of Phoenix became the nation’s largest private university by delivering high profits to investors and a solid, albeit low-overhead, education to midcareer workers seeking college degrees. But its reputation is fraying as prominent educators, students and some of its own former administrators say the relentless pressure for higher profits, at a university that gets more federal student financial aid than any other, has eroded academic quality. To read the rest of this interesting article click here.

Wedding planner online training and certificate program now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of Wedding Planner our newest online career training program. Wedding planners are in demand as more and more sophisticated brides discover they cannot be the bride and the wedding planner on the day of their wedding. The Wedding Planning Certificate Program is perfect for the individual who wants to immediately start making money as a wedding planner.

Whether you plan on working part-time, planning only a few weddings a year, or a full-time career, this program will provide all the tools necessary to work as a professional wedding planner or start your wedding planning business. To address the demands of the industry this program is created for real-world application including experiential learning. This includes role-playing, vignettes and other ways to practice for actual business objectives or work settings in the day-to-day of wedding planning. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

Criminals, CEOs, and First Graders Share Online Education Experiences.

As Online Classes Go Mainstream, Individuals and Business Leaders Learn How to Use Them And How to Avoid Scams!

Mount Jackson, VA (PRWEB) -- With the mainstreaming of online education, individuals and businesses are learning how to take advantage of economical, convenient education. "It's not just individuals who are considering the viability of online education," says Susan Deane, author of "Online Education: Is It for You?", who was recently interviewed on The Inside Business Success Show, "many businesses are using online classes as an economic way to train their workers." To read the rest of this interesting press release click here.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education Extends Reach of Online Testing.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education, a premier provider of print and digital teaching and learning solutions for the post-secondary and higher education markets, and Respondus Inc., a leading provider of assessment tools for learning management systems in higher education, have entered into an alliance that will make hundreds of McGraw-Hill test banks available in Respondus format at thousands of colleges and universities around the world. To read the remainder of this article click here.

Online charter school facing legislative struggles.

This article comes from TheWorldLink.com. The Oregon Connections Academy, a Scio-based virtual charter school, has been up and running for less than two years now, but it's already on pace to become one of the largest schools in the state, with about 1,200 students so far, who live everywhere from Bandon to Burns.But that growth could screech to a halt in just a few years, if lawmakers don't reconsider a bill passed in the final hours of the 2005 legislative session.That bill requires at least 50 percent of the students at an online charter school to live in the district where the school is based. To read the rest of this article click here.

Online Classes: Opening a Door to Primary Education.

This is an interesting article by the Ecommerce Times.......Now that online classes have made significant headway in the college arena, K-12 educators are beginning to give the concept a closer look. Internet-based classes can serve a wide range of uses, from supplemental courses for advanced placement students to full-time online schools for kids with special needs.

Click here to finish reading this article.

Blackboard offers patent pledge.

Learning management system provider Blackboard Inc. has pledged not to sue users of open-source eLearning software. Blackboard holds a patent on LMS technology that critics say is overly broad and will stifle innovation in eLearning software. Academic computing groups say they welcome Blackboard's pledge but fear it doesn't go far enough. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Continuing education departments continue to turn to Gatlin for online programs.

Gatlin Education Service's online career training courses continue to be in high demand across the country. One of the primary reasons we continue to grow is related to the challenges faced by continuing education and extension offices around the country. An article by the Contra Costa Times explores the challenges faced by UC Berkeley Extension. To read this interesting article click here.

Free online course aimed at the architecture, engineering and construction industries.

QuakeWrap has launched its first free online course aimed at the architecture, engineering and construction industries. The course titled, “Using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) to Repair and Strengthen Structures” allows professionals to gain knowledge and earn continuing education credits. Through the AEC Daily's Online Learning Center, QuakeWrap offers a practical way for obtaining ongoing, state-of-the-art, and up-to-date continuing education free-of-charge.

The course can be downloaded 24 hours per day, seven days per week allowing users to participate in the learning experience at the convenience of their home, office, or while on the road. During the hour-long course, participants will receive an overview of characteristics and advantages of using Fiber Reinforced Polymers to repair and strengthen existing concrete, masonry, wood, and steel structures.

AEC Daily is registered with the American Society of Landscape Architects as a provider of Continuing Professional Education programs for landscape architects. This one-credit course qualifies for HSW and for BOMI Institute Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit for RPA, FMA, and/or SMA graduates. AEC Daily reports Learning Units on members' behalf.

Online education makes big gains!

According to Eugene Scott of the Arizon Republic enrollment for online courses are projected to reach about 1.7 million U.S. students this year, more than three times those enrolled in 2002. The number of online students represents nearly 10% of total students enrolled in postsecondary education nationwide, according to the reference book, released in fall 2006. To read the remainder of this article click here.

PBS & WGBH/Boston to Collaborate On Major Online Professional Development.

NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 26 -- PBS today announced a collaboration with the WGBH Education Foundation's Teachers' Domain, bringing Teachers' Domain's state-of-the-art online science courses to PBS TeacherLine's national online professional development service for educators. The announcement was made today by PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger at the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) annual meeting in Norfolk. To read the entire announcement click here.

Legislation Offered To Study Distance Education.

Today's blog post comes from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Ever the critic of distance education, Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, Republican of Michigan, has introduced legislation that would require scientific scrutiny of online learning. The Independent Study of Distance Education Act of 2007, H.R. 412, would direct the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study comparing distance-education programs to classroom instruction. The same measure was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 but was killed during House-Senate negotiations. In an interview with The Chronicle last year, the congressman talked about diploma mills and his concern that some distance education institutions could confer meaningless degrees.

"As a scientist, I strive to base my policy decisions and voting on reliable studies and data," Representative Ehlers said in a written statement released on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, when it comes to the Higher Education Act and distance education, there is no scientifically correct, statistically valid study of the quality of online distance-education programs as compared to campus-based programs." -- Andrea L. Foster

On-line learning in Spanish is coming to U.S. soon.

Here is another interesting article from the Green Tree Gazette. The Fundacion Universitas Iberiamerica, or Funiber for short, is coming to America to offer advanced master’s and doctoral degrees and continuing education to Spanish-speaking students here.

Sergio Abramovich, Funiber’s New York director, claims there is no political agenda. This has nothing to do with the immigration issues or controversial propositions in California requiring schools to deliver or not deliver primary education in Spanish. Nor is it paranoia about subcultures refusing to assimilate. To finish reading this article click here.

Attend eLearning Africa this coming May 28 - 30th, 2007.

Attend eLearning Africa 2007, the second International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training, will take place from May 28 to 30, 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya under the Patronage of the Kenyan Minister for Education, the Hon. Prof. George Saitoti.

The title of the conference is Building Infrastructures and Capacities to Reach out to the Whole of Africa, reflecting the significant efforts of African countries to set up their national and regional ICT infrastructures to create access to education, training and services for all. At the same time, they are working to provide the capacities for all stakeholders to efficiently exploit the huge potentials advanced telecommunications technologies offer for the benefit of Africa.

Wireless Devices: The front door to students’ lives.

This great article is from the Green Tree Gazette. University marketers looking for a front door to students lives will find it in mobile wireless devices, according to the 2006 Alloy College Explorer Study. “Students are spending a total of eleven hours of each day engaged with media and are constantly on the go,” says Dana Markow, vice president of youth and education research at Harris Interactive, which helped research the study. To read the entire article click here.

Gaming advances as a learning tool.

eschool News says, "Educators increasingly are using sophisticated computer games to snag and hold the interest of the "digital natives" in their classrooms, but some teachers have trouble accepting the educational value of making learning fun. This obstacle cannot be found in the cutting-edge learning environments described in this report, starting with one game-augmented course that has kids learning before they even know it." Click here to read this entire article.

Kentucky program creates online learning plans for all students.

From eSchool News staff and wire service reports.......

You could call it "MySpace" meets "Monster": Kentucky has introduced a web-based program that will help students map out their academic careers and give them an idea of what career path they'd like to explore--all while teaching them how to write a resume and apply for financial aid.

The program, called Individual Learning Plans, is a revamped version of the Individual Graduation Plan, a system the state introduced in 2002 but that failed to catch on with students. The new program, run by Toronto-based Career Cruising, is already earning raves. "I've already had more kids in the last week say things about this than I've ever had in 13 years of education," said Todd Mullins, a guidance counselor at Oldham South Middle School.

Each student will have his or her own page, complete with test scores and the results of surveys designed to help students figure out what they're interested in. "It's pretty cool," said Ray Grijalba, 13, an eighth grader at Oldham South who said he wants to be an engineer. "I've been looking at the money you make and stuff."

The site also allows parents to log in and check on their child's progress. Parents can leave students a message on the site or send a note to the school's guidance counselor. The plan is available in both English and Spanish. To read the rest of this article click here.

Online Courses Demonstrate Use of Seven Principles.

This article from the International Journal of Instructional Technology examines Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education when applied to online courses. It is important to validate that these findings developed originally for face-to-face instruction apply also to online learning. Click here to read the full article.

The League for Innovations 10th anniversary conference in New Orleans.

The League for Innovation in the Community College has announced the location and dates of the 10th anniversary of the Innovations Conference. Over the past 10 years, they have featured some of the most innovative, thought-provoking, and cutting-edge programs featuring leaders and trendsetters in the community college field. The conference is being held this year from March 4 - 7th in New Orleans. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

Freight Broker Training Program demo is now available.

This will be the last in our series of posts about our new online Freight Broker Training Program for a little while. Students are saying a lot of good things about this program already. Interested students can try a free demonstration of this course by clicking here.