Archive for February, 2008

Publishers in the News (Feb. 18-24, 2008)

Fourteen New Titles for LeapFrog
Learning products developer LeapFrog Enterprises announced they will add 14 new licensed Web-connected software titles to their handheld gaming systems this year.  — AWN News

Elsevier Masson buys online publishing co Edra for undislosed sum
Milan-based Elsevier Masson Srl said it has acquired Edra SpA, an online publishing company in the healthcare field, for an undisclosed sum. — CNN

Big-4 Publishers launch online ad network
Four big-time publishers aren’t giving up the ad wars without a fight. Gannett Company, Hearst Corporation, Tribune Company and the New York Times Company have formed their own advertising network called quadrantONE. — BizReport

Core Learning Makes Online Math, Language Resources Available For Teachers
 Core Learning today announced the availability of over 1.5 GB of new online math and language arts learning resources for access by teachers worldwide. The content can be accessed and subscribed to through the web portal www.globalgridforlearning.com, and is managed by the Global Grid for Learning, a Cambridge University Press company. — PR Inside

News Briefs
PW has partnered with Rosetta Solutions to use the company’s digital galley tracking service, netGalley, to coordinate its book review section. Random House and HarperCollins both took forays into splicing their books into downloadable content, offering snippets (and sometimes more) of titles online. In its ongoing integration of Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin cut an undisclosed number of staffers while promoting others from within. — Publishers Weekly

Education Learn Strategies To Promote Reading At Schools
More than 200 primary and secondary school teachers turned up at the Civil Service Institute, (IPA) for a seminar to promote better reading in schools. Organised by TA & Morgen Distributors, the one-day event was conducted by Michael Cahlil, senior product manager of Cengage Learning, a publishing firm, who delivered refreshing insights into strategies and techniques that teachers can employ to make reading activities in classes enjoyable. — Brunei Direct

Awards in the News (Feb. 18-24, 2008)

Bronze IITT Award for Tata Interactive Systems
The global learning provider, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), won a bronze award in the eLearning Project of the Year category at the Institute of IT Training (IITT) Awards, announced at the Dorchester, Park Lane, London, in February. The IITT Awards recognise outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence within the IT training sector. — UK PRwire

Aptech receives Indira India Innovation Award
New Delhi : It was a proud moment for Aptech Ltd., the Global Learning Solutions Major, as it was awarded the prestigious Indira India Innovation Award at the Indira India Innovation Summit held at Mumbai. Aptech was given this award for innovation in New Pedagogy in IT training and mLearning solutions. — PR Domain

Blackboard Announces Ball State University as Inaugural Recipient of Blackboard Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds
Blackboard Inc., a leading provider of enterprise technology for the education industry, announced Ball State University (BSU) Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and Animation (IDIAA) Cinema Arts Program as the winner of the company’s first $25,000 Blackboard Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds. By leveraging the interactive technology of Second Life with the Blackboard course management system, BSU’s program will extend instruction to an e-Learning community that would otherwise not have access to the expensive equipment and labs needed for the university’s standard course of study. — BusinessWire

E-learning in the Corporate World

Author: Vishwanath Shankar

E-Learning has progressed through the years from VHS video tapes, to elaborate synchronous online meeting tools through the internet. E-learning is not only being used in schools and universities but also in the corporate world. Corporations are using e-learning as a means of communicating, training and enhancing employee value across organizations and across countries.

Corporate Advantage

The corporate world is constantly on the look to increase efficiency and effectiveness in their workforce. There is a constant need to upgrade existing employees in new trends or products. Holding seminars, workshops or conventions detract employees from their work and results of such practices are at best weak. Being able to instruct employees while on the job through e-learning, can prove to be extremely valuable to any business.  E-learning solutions provide workers with important skills, making them more valuable as employees. A well-structured e-learning solution is the answer to the overall goal of efficiency and effectiveness. E-Learning means using technology for learning, and with technology evolving at its current pace, the bounds of e-learning are virtually limitless whether synchronously or asynchronously. Laptops, desktops, mobiles, i-pods etc, can all be used for e-learning.

The impact of e-learning can be tremendous, especially in corporations. E-learning for corporations addresses the precise requirements of business. E -learning provides business-specific concept, training of various departments across the country simultaneously, introducing a new product into the company or just upgrading employees. Since e-learning can be done in any geographic spot, there are no travel expenses. There is also no cost of conventions or hotels. E-learning is less expensive than learning in a traditional method. Facilitating employee’s growth and training on the job also increases job satisfaction. This heightens worker motivation and results in increased work performance. 

Worker Advantage

Flexibility is a major advantage of e-learning. E-learning has the advantage of taking class anytime anywhere. It is available when and where it is needed. E-learning can be done at the office, home, or while traveling, 24 X 7 X 365. E-learning accommodates different types of learning styles. Workers have the advantage of learning at their own speed. Workers can also learn through a variety of activities that apply to many different learning styles. E-learning allows the workers to select learning materials that meet their level of knowledge, interest and what they need to know to perform more effectively in their field. This way learning can be customized to the workers need. Workers can use the advances in mobile technology by e-learning on various handheld devices and PDAs during long tedious commutes. This cuts back on time wasted in traveling while advancing career growth. Through e- learning workers can review information as often as they like, move forward and backward through the instruction at the pace they are comfortable with.

Corporate E-learning Software’s

Corporate E-learning Software’s are specially designed keeping in mind the companies necessitates and employee requirements. They’re are various packages that make a successful corporate e-learning software-Communication package: facilitates all categories of users with discussion forums, announcements, surveys, news articles, and FAQs.

Designation package: can define, access, and manage roles, responsibilities, groups, user accounts, job profiles, and different clients.

Content Bank: Content Bank allows you to create content categories and define content types to be used in the system. It has powerful features to upload and store content in reusable format and in different versions. With easy-to-use search feature, the authors can quickly look for content to be used in their courses.

Syllabus Planner: This is a portal that aids instructors to plan the learning pattern and workflow. To efficiently deliver training to a workforce that has diverse needs, it is critical that your platform provides flexible course delivery options. WIZDOM provides you complete control over the learning plan (LP). You can create a hierarchal LP and attach any kind of content – PDF, DOC, PPT, Images, ZIP files, SCORM courses, or attach any item like Chat, Whiteboard, Offline Course, Discussion, Assessment, and Reference to the LP nodes.

Reports: This tool allows you to generate and analyze Site Usage Report; Course Usage Report, and Learners’ Activity Report.

The Bottom-Line

The bottom-line for any corporate is profit and success, with e-learning you accomplish this goal swiftly and easily.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/elearning-in-the-corporate-world-133828.html

About the Author:
Vishwanath Shankar has been managing and maintaining various e-learning softwares for the past decade and a half. A storehouse of knowledge about  LMS (Learning Management Systems) , He has been working in close co-ordination with  web development experts  to develop user friendly distance learning programs. It takes a professional like him to declare the big time arrival of e learning as a worthy substitute to conventional learning techniques.

Math Games Can Help All Students

Author: Sheryl Wood

In every math class, there are those students who just don’t seem to be able to grasp the concepts. Some of them outright hate math.  How can these students be reached?  One technique that can work to motivate students is with interactive math games that they play at their own pace.

Math games do not replace the need for a teacher. There is nothing that educational software can teach in math that can be taught without a teacher. Math is one of those subjects that really requires an instructor. However, math games can be used to reinforce and reward in the math classroom.

Imagine if you are teaching junior high math and realize that some of your students do not know how to add and subtract. If you have to take valuable class time to teach these basic elementary math skills, the rest of your students will suffer. However, if this student group is not able to do simple addition or subtraction, they are going to struggle all year. One way to encourage them to practice in a fun, competitive way without detracting from the overall class is to allow them to play math games. Perhaps devote the last 10 minutes of the class to free time. Students that are working at grade level can get a jump-start on their homework assignments, and students who need extra practice can play math games. You can set up the math games so that they focus on the areas the students need to practice. You can make random groups and rotate them so all of your students get a chance to play during the week. This way, certain students are not identified and all students receive important practice.

One benefit of math games that is often overlooked is the fact that the students are working independently. Sometimes those students who struggle in subjects, especially math, are embarrassed about their difficulties. If you were to play a group practice game or ask them to answer questions orally, they might be too embarrassed to try their best. On the computer, however, these students are not faced with their peers. They can progress through the math games at their own level, gaining valuable practice each day.

As you are shopping for math games, you need to realize that there is a wide range of products available. You will still be able to find traditional math games. These are the games where students practice their basic facts with arcade-like programming. But, math games are no longer only the arcade-style games you may remember. You can find software that contains your students’ favorite cartoon or movie characters. As they move through the levels they must answer math questions to proceed. Some math game software keeps track of the student’s progress and personalizes the lessons. Students advance levels once they’ve reached competency on skills being worked on. Some math games have features that encourage and build analytical skills, problem approach, logic and systematic thinking. While your students may not realize this is math, you know that these thinking skills are essential to finding success in the subject. You can even purchase mystery programs where the students act as detectives solving “math mysteries.”

Whatever program you decide to use in your math classroom, be sure to set aside time when the students can play math games. Everyone, from gifted students to those who struggle, can benefit from playing with numbers, and the computer is a great way to make this happen. With math games, math can become a little bit more fun for everyone.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/math-games-can-help-all-students-337508.html

About the Author:
Visit  AllEducationalSoftware.com  for  math games  to help everyone conquer their math fears!

How the Employers Look at Online Degree?

Author: Jullie Harvard

Nowadays, it is common to earn a degree through online education program. You can choose any major that fit your needs from degree programs offered by various online schools. Many of us are getting a degree for the purpose of career advancement or making a career switch. So, the acceptance of the degree in the job market is important. The common concern for most students who are planning to pursue their degree online is whether the degree earned is equally competitive with the standard degree which earned through campus-based university.

In deciding whether to go for online study or follow the campus-based degree program, the acceptance of the degree in the job market may become your key consideration factor. You may choose to pursue the traditional campus-based degree program just because you worry that online degree may not widely accepted in the job market, so it may affects your career opportunities after your graduation.

In the early introduction of online education, your concern about how the employers look at online degree may be valid. But the growth of online education in past 20 years shown that online study has become popular as more and more students are getting their degree through this channel. Statistics show that generally a degree that earned from campus-based or through online has no differences, but employers do have concerns about fake degrees issued by diploma mills.

The market demands have pushed the online education to growth rapidly, and it has becomes one of the most profitable industry which attractive diploma mills to compete for the market share. The diploma mills are unauthorized universities that offer online degrees that are not accredited by accrediting agency which approved by Department of Education. Those degrees that issued by diploma mills are illegal and they are not accepted in the job market. Employers nowadays are well aware about those fake degrees and they have tried their best efforts to reject them. So, if you are earn your degree from a diploma mill, the consequences may not just losing your job opportunity, but you may be dragged into a legal case due to holding an illegal degree.

Most employers have a list of accredited online universities and their degree programs, or they can easily access the list from the accreditation database from Department of Education’s website. Any degree from an unknown or suspicious online university will easily draw attention by the employers. If you are earning a degree from a reputable and properly accredited university, your online degree should have no different than the degree earned through campus-based university.

For students who are planning to earn their degree online, they should not worry about how the employers look at their degree because online degrees are wide accepted by most of employers. What you need to focus on is finding an online degree program that is properly accredited by an accrediting agency approved Department of Education. You can access to the accreditation information from CHEA.org website.

Summary: As long as you are getting a degree from an accredited online university, which the accreditation is done by an accrediting agency recognized by Department of Education, you shouldn’t face any problem when you use the degree to start your career after graduation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/how-the-employers-look-at-online-degree-337414.html

About the Author:
Jullie Harvard is the author of   http://www.studykiosk.com  , an online degree directory that lets you browse  online study programs  offer by various online schools to help you understand  what makes online education your best option .

Online University

Author: Peter Salazar

Getting an online university degree from an online degree is more convenient in many cases. Of course this issue can vary from person to person. A person who wishes to have a globally recognized degree right from his comfort at home may opt for an online degree from a worldwide reputed online university. There are numerous such universities offering an online degree but some of them may not be globally recognized. So, before opting for any online degree it is very much necessary that one should thoroughly go through the history of information on a particular university. The university directory is of great help to choose an online university with ones personal preference.

Some of the most popular online universities are University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes, and Strayer University, Westwood College, South University etc.

Online universities offers an online degree on a number of subjects like psychology, liberal arts, culinary arts, creative writing, public relation, game art and design, graphic design, interior design, multimedia and web design, engineering studies, gerontology, family and community services, advertising, marketing, information technology, political science, economics, criminology, sociology, hospitality, public relations, human resource and many other streams including management as well. These online degrees are not limited to only certified degree or bachelor degree. One can opt for a masters degree as well as a doctorate degree online from a reputed Online University.

The most effective part of these online universities is that they offer a flexible online degree program without any discrimination based on caste, race, or nation i.e. anyone whether he is a as American, Asian, or a African can opt for a online degree course at any stage of his or her life. They can also opt for dual degree program like one can take an online degree in Hospitality as well as in Human Resource.  This leaves an advantage on the student’s career where he can be flexible in choosing his job in either hospitality or human resource. 

Last but not the least; online universities are the most cost effective universities where we are gratis of hostel fees. Also, we can complete our degree at minimal fees.  We have the comfort of home where we can work with our daily life and have our online degree at midnight. These online universities have no doubt simplified education to its highest level that have led to an imperative revolution in the system of education.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/online-university-336905.html

Free Online Games: Education Spiced Up With Entertainments

Author: Bob Flushman

It is true that the word “educational” do not often link it to any degree of enjoyment to people but to young kids, they are as fun and as productive as they could possibly be. Research shows that the developing brain of children in their early stage have active capacity of absorbing almost anything thrown at them. Therefore if you have young kids then bring some twist to your teaching method. Introducing online educational games in your teaching process where they can have both fun and knowledge can be highly rewarding.  

Generally educational games are highly underestimated but unfortunately the least visited applications in an entertainment site reside within this educational category. Max out the application of the internet which is considered as the most amazing learning tool where you will find answer to any kind of questions with a few points and clicks. There are plenty of on-line resources for kids especially when it comes to free kid’s educational games on varied subjects like math, English, geography etc.

Educational games are have been specifically designed to teach people about a certain subject, grow their concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play. But no wonder why children’s educational computer games have often encountered more negative critics instead of positive critics. Centralized by increasing technological and informational society, education to the growing children will be provided through a mediated combination of learning and enjoyment experience.  

Online educational games will help even the teachers to assist students on social aspects such as critical learning, knowledge based communication and effective interpersonal skill that traditional method of teaching could not offer. The recent emergence of educational games spiced up with entertainments are helping the children to take interest and learn fast their subjects as well as their guide that may be their parents at homes or teachers at school to teach them with ease.

 The advent of online educational games had brought a new revolution in the world of education providing additional information to the growing children. These computer-aided learning programs are said to be highly effective when designed to address a specific problem or teach a certain skill in any subjects. So whether its letters, numbers or colors that you would like your child to learn and respond to you positively online educational games can be a good option for you to avail. Just try and see.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/computer-games-articles/free-online-games-education-spiced-up-with-entertainments-303463.html

E-learning on Mobile Phones

Author: Ian Ball

The main advantage of E-learning is independence of both location and time. However the minimum requirement of E-learning is a personal computer, which has to be fixed at one place. Even the use of notebooks could not fulfill the independence of both location and time requirements because location independency depends on the ever-changing technology. Using technological devices such as Mobile phones can solve these types of problems. For example, globally mobile phones are being widely used and the number of users is still increasing. Since the majority of students both at secondary schools and universities have a mobile phone at hand most of the time, Mobile Learning (M-learning) could be a new tool for assisting learning in future.

Learning is a fundamental cognitive process of mental and social change over an entire lifetime. Presently, the methodology and the pattern of learning are changing– especially in the universities. Even in the schools there is a total revamping of Learning processes. Different institutions are following different methods of teaching and learning processes. In this the new technology plays a vital role and it offers an opportunity for learners to communicate and interact with multi-media learning resources and simulated environments. Consequently, these emerging technologies can enhance motivation levels of students, which is the most important aspect of learning, deliver information when needed and encourage solving problems and satisfy their curiosity.

The use of mobile devices can expand learning possibilities and solve the problem of being tied to a particular location. In a broader sense the combination of E-learning and mobile computing is called Mobile learning (M-learning). M- learning provides a way to access the applications that support learning anywhere, anytime.

Some of the advantages of e learning on mobile phones are: 

With M-learning there is no need to wait at all. Wherever and whenever the learning is required it can be easily achieved via the mobile phones.

Mobile phones can be easily carried. Why go around with a stack of books or an awkward laptop when the same thing can be learned on mobile phones?

There are many ways m learning can be used and it is not confined to any specific age, gender or any group.

Collaboration that is great learning rarely happens alone. One of the best ways to succeed, is to work together i.e. share and exchange ideas with classmates. With the help of M-learning one can work out the problems online and get the tips and feedback immediately.

Hence, e-learning on the mobile phones is the latest important feature of the mobile phones. 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/elearning-on-mobile-phones-222541.html

About the Author:
Ian Ball is an expert on the mobile communications industry

Online Education in the News (Feb. 11-17, 2008)

Online college classes transforming education
Online education is transforming the ways that colleges and university teach and students learn. American International College, for example, is setting up programs in Egypt, Britain, Ireland and Italy that utilize online learning to augment instruction in those far-flung satellite campuses. — The Republican

Programs in the News (Feb. 11-17, 2008)

eLearners.com and Leading Online Colleges Join Forces to Assist Working Mothers With at Least $2 Million in Full-Ride Scholarships
eLearners.com, a web resource of EducationDynamics, announced that it is partnering with three online colleges and universities to grant at least $2 million in full-ride scholarships to working moms as part of a new campaign, “Project Working Mom: Putting Education to Work.” — PR Newswire

Inexpensive Online Pain Education Program for Physicians as Effective as Live Presentations by National Experts
Medical Directions, Inc., an independent digital medical education and publishing company announces that its popular online physician education program dealing with the management of chronic pain has been shown to be as educationally effective as live lectures by national experts. — Fox Business

Oracle to train teachers in North-east
With the objective to take the cyber world and e-learning to the doorsteps of students in the interiors of North East via its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) venture – think.com, Oracle Education Foundation has embarked upon an initiative to train teachers in the region. — Business Standard 

SchoolsGalore.com Fulfills the Demand for Online Education
Higher education is widely acknowledged as the single most important factor to professional success. Every year hundreds of thousands of students look to SchoolsGalore.com to find top online schools or campus-based colleges and universities, and get the education needed to achieve any personal goal or professional aspiration imaginable. — E-MediaWire