Online education startups such as the Khan Academy, as well as new efforts by MIT, Stanford, and Harvard have helped spur interest and add legitimacy to the notion of remote learning. Now Google is lending its brainpower to the rapidly growing space by releasing a tool called Course Builder, open source software that is designed to let anyone create online education courses.

The Course Builder project came by way of another program Google ran earlier this year called Power Searching With Google. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which attracted about 155,000 students from 196 countries, allowed Google to marry some of the practices now common to online instruction with the company's robust array of collaboration and communication tools. A new Power Searching session begins in two weeks.

According to the introductory video (below) presented by Peter Norvig, director of Google Research, usage of the software won't require high-level programming skill, and should be accessible to anyone with the ability to build and maintain their own website.

"The Course Builder open source project is an experimental early step for us in the world of online education," Norvig said. "It is a snapshot of an approach we found useful and an indication of our future direction. We hope to continue development along these lines, but we wanted to make this limited code base available now, to see what early adopters will do with it, and to explore the future of learning technology."

In addition to offering a new platform for empowering educators, the effort is also a unique opportunity to connect with Google's research team. Over the course of the next two weeks Google plans to directly interact with Course Builder users via Google Hangouts. The Course Builder support site is already live and the free software download has already received its first update. For those unsure about their level of skill as it relates to the possible use of the software, Google's Course Builder Checklist offers a reassuring primer on exactly what to expect and how to get started.

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Google Unveils Open Source Online Education Software

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soeH47Ww3dw

11-09-2012 10:38 Ohio University recently hired Deborah Gearhart to serve as Vice Provost of online learning and community college partnerships.

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Ohio University Brings On New E-Learning Vice Provost - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX_jYTd2_aw

11-09-2012 00:05 Education Online Program , Top online Education Guide line online Education Program Guide line

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Education online Program - Video

Wexford University Offers Online Education for Growing Number of International Students

Wexford University now offers more online programs for students across the world. The university offers a variety of online health, exercise, sports and fitness degree programs of all levels to both U.S. and international students.

International students can transfer credits from other universities or begin their college education online at Wexford, which is now accepting registration for classes beginning January 2013 at http://wexford.edu/.

Wexfords online classes in health, exercise and nutrition truly have a direct application and impact for students interested in earning a degree in these growing fields, said Jack Bauerle, Chancellor of Wexford University. We are happy to welcome more international students from China, Japan and around the world to Wexford, where they can earn an affordable, world-class, real-world education that they can use for the rest of their lives.

Wexford University offers degree programs including an associate of arts degree in Fitness Training, a bachelor of science degree in Health and Fitness, a master of science degree in Nutrition and Exercise, a master of arts in Applied Sports Psychology and a doctorate degree in Applied Sports Psychology.

To earn admission to Wexford University, international students must be 16 years of age or older, complete an online admissions form and send official transcripts from previous educational institutions. A 10 percent discount is available when tuition is paid in full upfront, and military personnel can also receive an additional 15 percent discount on tuition.

As interest in a U.S. education continues to grow, we welcome students from around the world to Wexford University, Bauerle added. You can complete a self-paced online program on your schedule, at your convenience, increasing your global earning power and marketability.

About Wexford University Wexford University is dedicated to providing world-class education through cutting-edge technology, offering direct application degree programs in an accelerated format with 100 percent online learning to save time and money. Programs include an associate of arts degree in Fitness Training, bachelors degree in Health and Fitness, masters degree in Nutrition and Exercise as well as masters degree and doctorate degree in Applied Sport Psychology. Wexford University is the higher education division of NESTA (National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association).For more information, please visit http://wexford.edu/.

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Wexford University Offers Online Education for Growing Number of International Students

Mike Keefe, Cagle Cartoons

TheyreOnline

In our highly praised age of information infinities, educated citizens ought to be able to learn about presidential candidates with ease, and learn about their specific views on important questions of the day. Few questions of national import rival the problem and promise of public education in Americatoday.

The United States needs a much better system of public education than it now has. Our American children deserve a superior no! a great public education. In an age of globalization, as we hear so frequently, our daughters and sons will compete for good jobs and positions with the best and brightest from the whole world. However, so many international tests confirm the decay of American public education that we need not debate this depressingfact.

Our young people their health and intelligence, and their educational training are our greatest source of capital. Today we shamelessly gut public education funding, trash the teachers, ignore decrepit buildings, and try to find ways to amend the teachers public pensions. Teachers, like firefighters and cops, know that reform meanscut.

In this climate, it seems important to ask what presidential contender Mitt Romney and his team say about the sorry state of public education in these United States. While Paul Ryans education plan has gotten scrutiny, lets look atMitts.

Harnessing the power of the Internet and Google Chrome, I looked up the ex-governors white paper, A Chance for Every Child, May 23, 2012 (scroll down to A Chance for Every Child). At 34 pages it was quick to print, and, like a thoughtful citizen and longtime teacher, Ive carefully studied Mr. Romneysideas.

Early on in Romneys white paper (page 4), he concedes the pathetic state of public education today: Sadlyacross the nation, our school system is a world leader in spending yet lags on virtually every measure of results. Its true, and actuallytragic.

A Chance for Every Child contends, remarkably, that no new funds are needed for public education in America. Mitt Romney understands that more spending is the last thing our schools need. (Page 34). Mitt presumably would not vote for Proposition 30, a tax to help schools inCalifornia.

What is needed, according to the Romney playbook, is a redirection of the monies the states and the federal government already spend on education: He wants more taxpayer money to go to on-line education, especially for-profit colleges, as well as charter schools and school vouchers. (However, since vouchers have been rejected throughout most of the nation, A Chance for Every Child never uses the term voucher, just constantly impliesit.)

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What About Romney’s Education Plans?

HONG KONG, Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- China Oriental Culture Group Limited (the "Company" or "China Oriental Culture", stock code:2371), is pleased to announce that the Purchaser, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an acquisition agreement with Headwind Holdings Limited (the "Vendor") and Mr. Lu Xing (the "Guarantor") to conditionally agree to acquire Housden Holdings Limited (the "Target", together with its subsidiaries, the "Target Group") on 7 September 2012 (the "Acquisition Agreement").

According to the Acquisition Agreement, the initial consideration for the acquisition of HK$199.5 million will be satisfied by the Company issuing 950,000,000 preferred shares of the Company (the "Initial Preferred Shares") at the issue price of HK$0.21 per preferred share and if the consolidated net profit after taxation of during a profit warranty period stipulated under the Acquisition Agreement reaches RMB40,000,000 and there are 1 million or more registered users of the education platform of the Target Group during such profit warranty period, the consideration for the acquisition will be adjusted upward by HK$199.5 million and 950,000,000 additional preferred shares of the Company (the "Additional Preferred Shares") at the issue price of HK$0.21 per preferred share will be issued to the Vendor in satisfaction of the increment in the consideration for the acquisition. After the Initial Preferred shares and the Additional Preferred Shares were issued in full, the total consideration so paid will be HK$399 million.

The Target Group set a strategic goal of "one-stop comprehensive online learning service", directed the major business focus to the provision of online training and education services, and exerted effort to build a management platform for online learning and services, which integrates online learning public services, intelligent management of online education, and educational resources trading, and will be capable of handling a large number of online users simultaneously. By employing software that supports online sharing mode, the platform is able to provide various training institutes and individual learners with online training management services. With the support of the platform, individual learners are able to conduct self-training and management through the database of course material of the platform. Besides, the platform can also be functioned to provide knowledge trading services for online education training, optimising and integrating course material resources and forming a market for trading those resources.

The Target Group mainly provides training services like preparation for national professional qualifications and professional qualification certificates, online language learning and cross-cultural training, online extracurricular tutoring for primary and secondary students as well as continuing education training for civil servants and professional technicians. The Target Group also offers online training and tailor-made training services to large national enterprises and social organisations. The Target Group has ranked as one of the major comprehensive online education service operators in China.

Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Li Qing, Executive Director of the Company, said: "We are very pleased to have signed the agreement and diversify our business into the online education service market. With the society progressing and continuous advancing of information technology, we have confidence in the prospect of the said business in China. The acquisition is a milestone of the Companys development and will further expand our business. Looking forward, we will look into more potential acquisition projects and further increase our income sources."

About China Oriental Culture Group Limited

The Group is principally engaged in (i) the provision of advertising and consultancy services in respect of placing advertisements on the outdoor billboards and LED screens of the Group to advertisers and advertising agencies.

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China Oriental Culture Diversified into Online Education Service to Expand Income Sources

By Andrew Beasley

Published as a part of Maneater v. 79, Issue 5

While MU adapts to the largest freshman class in school history, expansions are also being made in the virtual campus of Mizzou Online.

Looked upon as an investment, MU is directing $2.5 million to the development of distance education.

The money will be used to help with the development of 10 to 15 new online degree programs within the next few years, said Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost for e-learning. These will add to the 66 programs currently available throughout the University.

With 696 courses, 590 offered online and 106 through off-campus centers, the school provides distance education to all areas of the United States as well as international students, Spain said.

With 2,900 students enrolled in distance programs and 9,000 students taking online courses, the faculty has to find ways to deal with the issue of academic integrity.

We spend quite a bit of time working to prevent academic dishonesty, whether that be through a random question generator or requiring students to take proctored exams, Spain said. For international students well work with international institutions and request their cooperation for proctoring exams.

According to the Mizzou Online website, distance education began more than a century ago with the development of Correspondence Study with the help of the postal service.

Although mail-in courses have since ceased to be offered, the success of the program speaks for itself. MU is ranked second in the SEC for a number of programs offered and third overall in the American Association of Universities, Spain said.

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MU expands online education by $2.5 million

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --USF Health has selected Bisk Education's University Alliance division to assist in developing and delivering online degree programs. Representatives from each organization, both long-time institutions in Tampa, met at Bisk's Sabal Park headquarters on Friday, August 17 to finalize the agreement.

USF President Judy Genshaft, Ph.D., met with Nathan Bisk, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Bisk Education, Inc., and Andy Titen, President and Chief Operating Officer, to sign the contract that will expand the online delivery of USF's highly acclaimed academic programs.

"I believe that providing students with increased opportunities for online learning is imperative to their success," said Dr. Genshaft. "Partnering with Bisk Education is a vital part of accomplishing this goal."

In addition to Dr. Genshaft, representatives in attendance included Dr. Stephen Klasko, Chief Executive Officer of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine; Michael Barber, D.Phil., Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs; John Ekarius, Chief Operating Officer of USF Health and the Morsani College of Medicine; John W. Long, Chief Operating Officer of USF; Hilary Black, JD, Associate General Counsel of USF; Lisa Greene, Director of Strategic Communications for USF Health; and Dana Tirrell, Project Manager.

The first degree to be offered, a Master of Science in Health Informatics, which will launch in early 2013, will be developed by esteemed USF faculty who are dedicated to using the latest technology to educate students.

"Health Informatics combines science, computer science, and healthcare. It's truly transforming the healthcare field," said Dr. Klasko. "USF Health is dedicated to helping our students succeed in this kind of high-tech, innovative field. We are glad that Bisk, our newest partner, shares that commitment and will help us provide that education nationally and internationally."

Bisk Education is the leader in developing and delivering online degree and professional certificate programs for top-ranked regionally accredited universities. Bisk has helped nationally ranked universities expand their reach and advance their mission since 1996. The company's unique value proposition focuses on six areas or principles of excellence that ensure the development and execution of online programs that help universities increase enrollments while maintaining their academic standards and traditions.

"It is an honor to be selected by the University of South Florida," said Nathan M. Bisk, Founder and Chairman of Bisk Education. "Bisk's commitment to delivering academic excellence to students anytime, anywhere takes on a whole new meaning when the university is in our backyard. Not only are we changing the lives of healthcare professionals everywhere, but we're part of the growth and success of a local institution. This is a partnership that Tampa Bay can be proud of."

After finalizing the partnership USF's representatives toured Bisk's corporate campus where more than 750 employees develop the technology and services that make online enrollment and course facilitation possible.

To learn more about Bisk's comprehensive services for creating scalable online learning programs, please visit http://www.bisk.com.

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USF Health Selects Tampa's Bisk Education to Expand Online Degree Offerings

HERNDON, Va.and GREENSBORO, N.C., Sept.6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --K12 Inc., the nation's leading provider of proprietary curricula and online education programs for students in kindergarten through high school, and VISNET, an online learning and professional development consortium supported by independent school associations, today announced they have expanded access to a broader suite of online learning options to independent schools in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110113/PH29436LOGO )

VISNET, the Virtual Independent School Network, provides its member schools with access to top quality online resources, such as online courses, blended learning content, learning management systems, and academic support, as well as professional development opportunities. As part of its suite of online offerings, VISNET makes available to its schools K12's award-winning online catalog, the most extensive in the K-12 industry, including full-time online programs, credit recovery, coreK-12 courses, world languages, AP, and high school electives.

Last year, VISNET served more than 50 independent schools in North Carolina, with over 1,800 enrollments in online and blended course options. For the 2012-2013 school year, VISNET is expanding its services to meet the growing needs of independent schools in three additional states. In addition, VISNET has enhanced its online course offering in all four states with Middlebury Interactive Languages, a joint venture that combines Middlebury College's proven language pedagogy with K12's expertise in online learning. Member schools benefit from a selection of robust online offerings that have been vetted by the VISNET staff of experienced independent school educators, as well as program development and other support.

"Technology has taken away the boundaries of time and space and given our schools the capacity to customize and personalize instruction like never before. It's time to rethink independent education and VISNET is here to help. Our resources, tools, and training can give schools, and more importantly, students a competitive advantage in today's world," said Linda S. Nelson, Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools. "We are very pleased to offer proven, thoroughly researched curricula from K12 as a key part of our resource offering."

"VISNET is providing independent schools a highly valuable service by making resources, tools and support for online learning programs easily accessible, in a cost-efficient way," said John Olsen, Executive Vice President of Operations for K12. "VISNET's rigorous vetting process ensures that schools can tap into the highest quality online learning resources available to help them meet the needs of more of their students."

Through VISNET, independent schools can access the following K12 curricula:

K12 provides schools and districts the industry's most complete continuum of proprietary kindergarten through high school online learning solutions for full-time virtual, blended, and traditional classroom learning environments. Over the past decade, the company has served more than 2,000 districts and delivered over 4 million online course enrollments from its award-winning portfolio. MDR's market research service EdNET Insight recently reported that K12 is the leading provider of online curriculum to school districts across the United States.

About VISNET

The Virtual Independent School Network (VISNET) is an online learning consortium supported by independent school associations designed to provide member schools with affordable online learning options, digital content, instructional tools, and professional development opportunities to support innovative teaching and learning. Developed by independent school leaders in reaction to market demands, VISNET offers comprehensive array online learning opportunities. For more information about VISNET and information about offerings and partners, please visit: http://www.vis-network.org

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VISNET and K12 Inc. Expand Access to Online Learning Curricula, Tools, and Support to Independent Schools across Four ...

BLOOMINGTON Indiana University will invest $8 million over the next three years to help develop online courses at its eight statewide campuses and extend the school's global reach through online technologies.

The IU Online education initiative will build on IU's 15 years of experience in online education by creating undergraduate and graduate degree programs, providing online options for high enrollment undergraduate courses and exploring new education methods, officials said Wednesday.

IU's new Office of Online Education will oversee and coordinate all of the university's online activities, which IU President Michael A. McRobbie said will result in "a major expansion" of the university's online education programs by tapping into new technologies that are reshaping higher education.

"We will bring the same energy, enthusiasm and commitment to IU Online as we devote to on-campus education," McRobbie said.

The $8 million will be used to hire additional designers and technicians, expand computer systems and fund an Office of Online Education. Money also will go to academic units on all campuses to develop online programs.

Part of IU's new push will include developing programs that can help Indiana boost its workforce and reduce the time it takes students to complete degrees. IU's regional campuses will jointly develop and deliver undergraduate degree programs, particularly those oriented toward workforce development.

Online graduate degree and certificate programs will be offered primarily by IU's Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses through programs promoting their distinctive academic strengths.

By fall 2013, IU officials expect to increase online undergraduate degree and certificate programs in areas such as business, technology and the liberal arts and sciences.

At the graduate program level, every IU professional school has developed, or will begin developing, at least one online degree or certificate by fall 2013. The university also expects to offer several new online courses by summer 2013 for undergraduates or high school students.

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Indiana University unveils $8 million plan to expand online education