The Irish Times - Thursday, July 12, 2012

SEN FLYNN, Education Editor

IN A significant development, online education provider Hibernia College is to offer degree courses in computing and business in association with the University of London which is one of the worlds top-ranked universities.

Students will pay 4,980 for the undergraduate degree courses which will be awarded by the University of London. The university has several constituent colleges, including the London School of Economic and University College London.

The Hibernia initiative which has already trained 4,000 primary teachers will test the growing market for private third-level education in the Republic.

Hibernia director Sen Rowland says the chief benefit for students is that they can gain a valuable degree from a top-ranked college without incurring accommodation, travel and other costs.

While the college hopes to enrol about 250 students in the first year of the programme, some observers believe that student demand for the courses could increase dramatically over the next five years.

More students could opt for more flexible, online courses as the student contribution fee for third-level colleges is set to rise to 3,000 by 2015.

There is also concern in some university circles that students here might see degree courses offered by top-ranked international colleges as more attractive than those from underfunded Irish institutes.

The three-year degree programmes on offer include: a B.Sc in Creative Computing; a B.Sc in Computing and Information Systems; a B.Sc in Management and a B.Sc in Business. A one-year diploma course in management for graduates is also available.

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Online college in link-up with top London university

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Career Education Corporation (CEC) (CECO) served on an expert panel focused on online learning during the inaugural meeting of the bipartisan Congressional E-Learning Caucus Wednesday. Judy Komar, CECs Vice President of Educational Technology, shared the early leadership and significant advances by private sector education institutions, notably CEC, in delivering state-of-the-art online learning programs to its students.

Staff for Caucus Co-chairs U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) invited Komar to appear as a panelist to represent private sector higher education institutions and to offer insights into Career Educations substantial investment and leadership in developing an award-winning Virtual Campus and other educational technologies for students of its two flagship universities Colorado Technical University (CTU) and American InterContinental University (AIU).

We have worked to bring together the technological side with the human side to give our students the best possible educational experience, Komar told the caucus during the panel discussion at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. E-Learning is becoming so incredibly popular. The more we have students learning online and the more institutions offer online courses, the more valuable e-Learning becomes.

At Career Education, Komar is responsible for providing innovative technology solutions for students, helping develop content for more than 500 new courses annually and facilitating and integrating educational technologies. Along with CECs Virtual Campus, Komar was the chief architect in developing M.U.S.E. (My Unique Student Experience), which allows students to engage with course content in ways that best suit their preferred learning style. The M.U.S.E. platform recognizes that reading a textbook and traditional linear learning are not the ideal or most effective learning style for every student. Some students best absorb material by watching or hearing it, while others learn best through problem-solving using real-world examples or by practicing an activity until theyve mastered it. M.U.S.E. adapts to and facilitates students distinct and diverse learning styles.

In addition to the Online Virtual Campuses at CTU and AIU, the company is deploying its innovative education technology at its international institutions as well. CECs International University of Monaco recently began offering an online Executive MBA program leveraging the companys technology.

With 20 years of experience in instruction, training, and consulting, Komar is a pioneer in the field of Educational Technology and has applied her Masters in Education and post-graduate work in Instructional Technology to benefit students with flexible, technology-enabled learning platforms. She has presented about online education to audiences around the world, including the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International.

Komar is proud to have been included in the inaugural Congressional E-Learning Caucus meeting representing private sector higher education institutions as well as CEC.

The Caucus will serve as a resource in Congress on using technology to enable all learners from preschool to high school, from college to the workplace to have access to the highest quality instructional materials and best-in-class instructors regardless of location or income level, Noem and Polis wrote in a letter to Congressional colleagues when announcing formation of the Congressional E-Learning Caucus last fall. Our goals in forming the E-Learning Caucus are to promote increased understanding on Capitol Hill about the pivotal role E-Learning plays in our education system, to promote research on successes and failures in E-Learning so that federal education funds are used prudently, and to ensure that policy is aligned with practice.

Komar was joined on the panel by: Michael Kowalski, Administrator, Online Campus, Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools; Scott Jenkins, Director of External Relations, Western Governors University; and Becky Takeda-Tinker, President of Colorado State University Global Campus.

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Career Education Corporation Joins Congressional E-Learning Caucus Inaugural Meeting

irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 17:40

Sen Flynn, Education Editor

The online education provider Hibernia College is to offer degree courses in computing and business in association with the University of London, one of the worlds top ranked universities.

Students will pay 4,980 for the undergraduate degree courses which will be awarded by the University of London. The university has several constituent colleges including the London School of Economic and University College London.

The move by Hibernia will test the growing market for private third level education in the Republic and is a significant move.

Its director, Sen Rowland says the major benefit for students is that they can gain a much valued degree from a top ranked college - without incurring accommodation, travel and other costs.

While Hibernia hope to enrol about 250 students in the first year of the programme, some observers believe that student demand for the courses could increase dramatically over the next five years.

More students could opt for more flexible, on line courses as the student contribution fee for third level colleges is set to rise to 3,000 by 2015. There is also concern in some university circles that Irish students might see degree courses offered by top ranked international colleges as more attractive than those from under funded Irish colleges.

The three year degree programme on offer include a B.Sc. in Creative Computing; a B.Sc. in Computing and Information Systems; a B.Sc. in Management and a B.Sc. in Business. A one year diploma course in management for graduates is also available.

Hibernia is also offering 20 scholarships on the degree programmes to sports people from Gaelic games, rugby, soccer and tennis in Ireland. Todays launch was attended by several prominent sports stars including rugby international Tommy Bowe and Dublin footballer Bernard Brogan.

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Hibernia to offer business degrees

OPINION: In higher education, weve been talking about e-learning for years. But, in practice, we have mostly been teaching in the same way just through different mediums; that is, delivering one-way lectures online, posting digital lecture notes and occasionally innovating with quizzes.

Instead of students passively learning from a lecturer, imagine immersive online serious games where students can learn through practice.

Virtual patients now allow medical students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to develop diagnostic and clinical skills through online scenarios. They can learn from their mistakes with no adverse consequences for real life patients and without the need to be at the university.

This is the kind of big leap in higher education that adaptive e-learning can provide.

New generation of thinking

Its funny to think that the same basic idea that lets online gamers score points by shooting weapons in sci-fi worlds is the same that can now help medical students learn how to save real lives online.

Many of the next generation of our graduates will have honed their skills in simulated learning environments in much the same way that pilots train on simulators before they fly.

New technology is enabling students to learn in an interactive way, which will leave the YouTube clips and web course papers of todays online education light years behind.

Rapidly evolving online technologies, ubiquitous connectivity and powerful mobile devices mean educators all over the world are now scrambling to understand the profound disruption web-based mass online learning is ushering in.

And Australian universities are no exception. At UNSW, were starting to use an Adaptive e-Learning Platform which allows students to learn exactly the same things they did in a conventional laboratory, but more conveniently and cheaply. Teachers can now create their own lessons in interactive virtual worlds with different online scenarios.

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Online universities are the future of higher education

Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Oklahoma City Public Schools will open the doors to a new school this fall, and as many as 700 students could enroll.

But the doors are digital. The classrooms aren't in a building.

The district is opening a virtual school, a project that has been in the works for more than a year. The new school will be called Innovations K-12 Virtual Institute.

This is something that can really help a lot of students, said Verna Martin, associate director of secondary schools for the Oklahoma City district.

Starting this fall, state law requires all school districts to provide online courses when it's educationally appropriate.

Growing popularity

In Oklahoma, online learning is growing in popularity.

About 4,500 Oklahoma students took online courses in the 2010-11 school year, according to Evergreen Education Group, a national education consulting firm.

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Oklahoma City district to open online school

LA CROSSE, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Real Estate School Online (RESO), an industry-leading provider of web-based real estate licensing and continuing education courses, today announced the launch of its new website, http://www.realestateschoolonline.com.

The new website serves as an interactive social hub for real estate agents and brokers, allowing them to network, share information and discuss industry-related news and topics through social networks, blogs, newsletters and other online communication tools.

The new RESO website is a great resource and development tool for all real estate professionals, said Jeremy Gesicki, product manager at RESO. In addition to providing online licensing and continuing education courses, the new website is a virtual meeting place for new and experienced agents, and people considering a career in real estate.

A main feature on RESOs new website is the forum-like blog, Trending in Real Estate. The blog includes personal success stories and industry tips from real estate professionals around the country. A bi-monthly online newsletter is available through the new website and features commentary from the industrys top experts.

The real estate industry faces real challenges as it recovers from the recession, said Gesicki. The online communication tools we have available today are critical resources in a collaborative effort to get the industry back on its feet.

The RESO site is mobile-friendly and accessible on cell phones and tablets.

About Real Estate School Online

Real Estate School Online, part of Kaplan Universitys School of Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), is a real estate education provider that partners with the top real estate schools in the country to provide convenient and affordable state-approved online licensing and continuing education courses for agents and brokers. For more information, visit http://www.realestateschoolonline.com.

PACE helps professionals obtain in-demand certifications, licensing and designations that enable them to advance and succeed in their careers. Through live and online instruction, PACE clients can get advanced designations, accountancy training, business and professional development, and real estate, information technology, health care, and fire and EMS certification training. For more information about PACE, visit http://kaplanprofessional.com.

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Real Estate School Online Debuts New Interactive Website

SCRANTON, PA--(Marketwire -07/09/12)- Penn Foster, Inc., a global leader in online education, today announced the appointment of its new President and Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Gagnon. In this new role, Gagnon is driving an increased focus on student achievement and outcomes by building an integrated new-age learning experience. This new approach is designed to prepare students with relevant knowledge and skills, support them when challenges arise and commit to helping them achieve their goals with next generation technology and personalized service. Gagnon's announcement follows Penn Foster's recent appointment of Frank Britt as its new CEO, Raymond McNulty as Chief Learning Officer and an office expansion in Boston, bolstering the school's presence in the rapidly growing online learning sector.

"Joe brings Penn Foster unparalleled leadership skills and a deep knowledge of the consumer psyche, which is invaluable as we refocus our school on the changing needs of our students and what it takes for them to be successful in today's workforce," said Frank Britt, CEO of Penn Foster. "The depth and scope of the student-focused initiatives and technologies that Joe has already introduced to Penn Foster are providing us with a market leading ability to execute and a roadmap for how Penn Foster partners with its students for long-term success."

Gagnon's entire career has been focused on growing and driving consumer and business demand for products and services. Joe will draw from his consumer retail experience, and focus on how that model can drive student success at Penn Foster.

Most recently, Gagnon came from e-Dialog, a wholly owned subsidiary of GSI Commerce Inc., an eBay Inc. company and the largest B2C email marketing company, where he was President and ran global operations. Prior to e-Dialog, Joseph was CEO of Exit 41 where he focused the company on successfully delivering SaaS-based consumer-facing online, social and mobile ordering solutions for the restaurant industry. Joe was previously vice president, global leader of IBM's Business Consulting Retail Industry leading overall strategy, direction and business operations. He joined IBM when it acquired strategic consulting firm Mainspring, where Joe served as SVP Consulting.

"Education is undergoing many dynamic changes as an industry and I'm thrilled to be part of Penn Foster's leadership team," said Joe Gagnon, President and COO of Penn Foster. "Our goal is to partner with our students from the very beginning to help them achieve success; we will act like a retailer, in a sense, and provide educational programs that fit within their time and budget constraints. We work with our students to understand their needs and motivations and then arm them with the right tools, processes and academic support to see them through their education and onto employment. I look forward to continuing Penn Foster's mission of increasing the ability of every person who so desires to access the knowledge and skills they need in order to fulfill their goals in life."

About Penn Foster Penn Foster is a global leader in online education, providing high school diplomas, career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades through the Penn Foster College and Penn Foster Career School.

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Penn Foster Names Joseph Gagnon President and Chief Operating Officer

ARLINGTON --

General registration under way at John Tyler

General registration for classes at John Tyler Community College's fall semester starts today and runs through Aug. 17.

A complete list of fall classes may be found at http://www.jtcc.edu/schedule.

Students already enrolled at the college may register online at http://www.jtcc.edu, using the Student Information System found in myTyler. They also may register in person at the Chester Campus, 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway, or the Midlothian Campus, 800 Charter Colony Parkway.

Hours for in-person registration are as follows:

Chester campus: Mondays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Midlothian campus: Mondays through Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuition and fees are $124.50 per credit hour for Virginia residents and $316.60 per credit hour for out-of-state residents. All students must pay a comprehensive fee of $25. Tuition and fees must be paid the week a student registers.

Individuals interested in attending John Tyler but not enrolled at the college must first submit an application for admission. The application for admission may be found online at http://www.jtcc.edu, or it may be picked up at the Chester or Midlothian campuses. There is no application fee.

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Education news for Monday, July 9

New online learning models are bursting from startups and top universities, bridging the educational divide.

We are in the midst of a revolution that will bring high-quality education to hundreds of millions of people who have never had access to this level of learning before.

These tools will reach those in developing cities and countries but also foment a revolution in the U.S. classroom as they change our perception of what learning can be.

Here are the leading new platfoms disupting the education world:

1.Udacity

Sebastian Thurn and his colleagues hit on wild success with their Stanford computer science courses when they opened them up to the online public.The team has left Stanford to start Udacity with venture backing and a new slate of courses. They have hit 150,000+ students in each course, signaling the demand for great online education. Thurn admits that there is no firm business model as yet, but will use the next year to experiment with different approaches.

CNN highlights Udacity's new model.

2. Coursera

Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng founded Coursera to bring high-quality university courses to the masses. They are working with Princeton, Michigan, Penn, Stanford and others to fashion online courses which include video, online testing and peer support. In a recent Forbes article, Koller expressed the hope that "maybe the next Albert Einstein or Steve Jobs is living in a remote village in Africa" Bringing top professors to a global audience can certainly change the game in the education divide.

3. EdX -- MIT and Harvard

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Jack Hidary: The Revolution:Top Ten Disruptors of Education

Online education has come to the fore as an item of discussion at the University of Virginia since last months failed attempt to oust President Teresa A. Sullivan.

It was among the areas of concern identified by Rector Helen E. Dragas as she tried to explain the move, and emails released under Freedom of Information Act requests show that it was a topic many at the top of the university were paying close attention to. In the wake of Sullivans reinstatement, it remains a hot topic among faculty.

Even Gov. Bob McDonnells appointments to the schools Board of Visitors, announced just before the end of last month, could be read to indicate an interest in the subject, with the appointment of the president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council to the board.

In her remarks, Dragas said higher education could be on the brink of an online learning revolution, now that the elite institutions have legitimized it.

In emails between Dragas and former Vice Rector Mark Kington released recently, the two discuss a New York Times editorial by David Brooks that hails online courses by companies such as UDACITY, often referred to as MOOCs, or massive open online courses, as a tidal wave about to hit higher education.

UVa engineering professor Larry G. Richards said the university has been teaching distance and online courses since 1983, offering courses first through the engineering school and later through the Curry School of Education.

First of all, we have been doing distance learning for a long time. We have only been doing online learning for the last five years, Richards said. We have special classrooms that allow us to teach classes all around the world From our view, we are on the cutting edge.

The classes offered through both schools generate tuition and can be taken for degree credit. MOOCs, by definition, do not. The classes are offered for free, do not award credit, and there is no incentive or obligation to complete them.

Mary Abouzeid, statewide director of the Teaching Educators McGuffey Practica Off-Grounds program through the Curry School, said she had seen Brooks pieces and passed them around, but for different reasons.

We read them with a completely different understanding than [Kington and Dragas] did, she said. We read it as, weve got to be careful and you dont want to go out and put junk on the Internet.

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After Sullivan's failed ouster, a question: Is UVa's future online?