May 2nd, 2012 by Robin Green

If you’re not quite ready to embrace a full-scale Learning Management System, why not dip a toe in the water by trying flipped learning?

What is Flipped Learning?

Flipped learning is a great way to “try on” an LMS platform because it eases learners into the scenario of not having someone droning on in front of them for hours on end. The concept was originally introduced in rural schools to help students who had issues with class attendance due to extra-curricular commitments, and too much distance from the next-nearest school they could attend classes at in order to make up missed work. To keep students from falling behind in their work, teachers took advantage of Power Point technology, added voice and supplemental annotations and distributed the videos online so students could easily access them from home or on other devices.

From there, lessons and lectures were recorded using screen capture software and made available online on YouTube. Some schools now have their own YouTube channels so students can access classes they’ve missed due to illness or other reasons. Pilot programs in some schools have shown that these “flipped” classes have increased student interaction and enhanced the role of the teacher in this interactive scenario. This method has “virtually” reduced class size, allowing students to learn the material at their own pace, as opposed to getting lost in shuffle of a large classroom. Teachers can better assess academic performance and organize tutorial groups, if needed, to address the needs of students who are not grasping the material.

While some educators are concerned about how flipped learning could affect the culture of learning, developers of this system believe that it has a positive effect on students, giving them learning goals as opposed to just striving to complete assignments. They come to truly understand the material instead of just viewing it as a stepping stone on the way to another topic. Flipped learning also gives students the ability to better focus, due to less classroom distraction and more engagement with the material they are working with.

Flipped Learning Can Also Benefit Learners in the Work Place

While students at all levels are reaping the benefits of flipped learning in schools, businesses that are considering a Learning Management System can try out a flipped learning scenario before heading full boar into an LMS platform. Corporate learners can acclimatize themselves by watching mini lectures and short training presentations to get used to the format of online learning. Learners obtain answers to questions, discuss examples, put what they’ve learned in context, debate, explore, and extend their knowledge. Instead of passively listening to a boring instructor, they actively engage the material. Instructors focus on helping learners understand things and coaching individuals. These activities can take place online, and people can learn from one another in virtual communities and support groups.

In all, flipped learning can be a “win-win” as an effective precursor to a more comprehensive LMS commitment.

Coggno.com is a leading provider of high quality Learning Management Systems

February 9th, 2012 by Robin Green

As technology evolves at an ever-increasing pace, it is now taking education along for the ride. Those who scoffed at online learning back in the 90s and early 2000s are now embracing the trend; more than embracing it, actually – the naysayers who once scoffed are now becoming the biggest proponents of electronic educational opportunities.

DelMarVa Leading the Way

The DelMarVa Penninsula (the mid-Atlantic region that encompasses Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia) is one of the “smartest” areas of the United States. Naturally, this region is embracing online learning and putting to rest the dubious concerns about taking online courses. According to Phil Tran, a Virginia public relations consultant and owner of the Chesapeake Liason, education will look much different come 2025, but there are changes abreast right now that are making it more accessible to students who lead very active lifestyles who do not have time to sit in a traditional classroom.

According to Tran, “We will begin to see more online courses in college and even in high school. People are busier than ever and they will need college and graduate courses that are flexible and tailored to their schedule. High schools will even start to implement online components to many courses and even offer exclusively online courses. It is happening as we speak.”

Right now, Prince William County in Virginia has one online high school. Others in the area are offering online courses to help students catch up with their curricula if they have difficulty keeping up. Tran envisions high school becoming more flexible than the current seven-hour classroom marathon. He cites studies which have shown that students do not stay engaged for such a prolonged period of time; they are in need of other forms of learning that will stimulate their senses, rather than put them to sleep behind their desks.

Older Students and Professionals are Also Taking the Online Learning Plunge

Flexible class scheduling and less time spent in traditional classrooms have also become attractive alternatives to older students and professionals. The old night school grind of working an 8-hour day and then spending another 2-3 hours in a classroom at the local community college has all but become obsolete. Working folk are crying out for alternative methods of receiving necessary training and education that fits into their schedules. Online learning can make that a reality. Many people work flexible schedules which allow them to fit in online coursework; staggered hours and telecommuting are more common now than ever, allowing employees to pick up their education on a more convenient timetable.

Online Education Will Be “Home School” Without the Stigma

Tran believes that by 2025, “everyone will be home-schooled to a certain extent.” This does not mean that school-aged children will be deprived of traditional extra-curricular activities; it means that they will spend less time in classrooms, but still acquiring the education they need to become contributing members of society. He believes teaching will improve as a result of these changes, even though many educators might need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future.Teachers themselves will be able to embrace alternative opportunities they would otherwise be cut off from, if they continue to spend long hours in traditional classrooms.

The future is certainly bright for online learning once we call all truly embrace the advantages it has to offer.

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of high quality Learning Management Systems

February 2nd, 2012 by Robin Green

Unfortunately, violence in the workplace is a reality. It can also be a fiscal liability and a disaster in the making if management and human resources do not address it with the appropriate safety training.

Many Violent Incidents Can Occur in Any Workplace

According to the Society of Human Resource Management Workplace, two-thirds of HR professionals reported some sort of violence at their place of business over a three year span. Those acts of violence included verbal abuse, sexual harassment, fighting, stalking, robbery and others. About $55 billion a year is lost to litigation, plus more when lost productivity is factored in after an incident occurs.

Employers Need to Address Workplace Violence with Appropriate Safety Training

Many employers are negligent when it comes to addressing violence in the workplace. By not meeting the challenge head on, the problem will only escalate when it is combined with everyday pressures and managerial concerns. It will fall by the wayside and eventually affect company morale and turnover, leading employees to feel that their environment, as well as their jobs, could be unstable.

Companies that do not address workplace violence usually do not have strict policies in place regarding safety and are negligent in providing the necessary training to avoid serious incidents. Companies that have an effective workplace violence policy, consistent training and a good security program are shown to have the lowest rate of violence in the workplace, based on a study by the U.S. Department of Justice.

An LMS Platform Can Provide Accessible, Effective Safety Training

Providing safety training to employees does not have to be a complicated endeavor. There is no need for off-site seminars or expensive consultants to teach employees how to avoid violent encounters and keep the workplace safe for everyone.

A learning management system is a straightforward, cost-effective solution to giving employees the safety training they need, not just to curb workplace violence, but to avoid other work-related injuries that could be prevented with the proper information. An LMS platform gives every employee the opportunity to learn at their own pace, at the office, at home, or anywhere it is convenient for them. Safety training courses can be obtained from outside sources, or they can be created for a company’s specific needs. Having an in-house LMS platform gives any organization the flexibility it needs to meet every employee’s needs, keeping them safe, and ensuring they have the knowledge to be as productive as possible.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners

December 29th, 2011 by Robin Green

Since this is the last blog entry for 2011, I thought it apropos to wax optimistic for the new year, in the hope that it will bring positive changes to the way we educate and train ourselves to make the most of our short time here on Earth.

A Personalized Approach is Key

Right now, things are not looking so rosy from an educational perspective in the United States. According to Stanford professor Daphne Koller’s essay, published earlier this month in the New York Times, the U.S. currently ranks 55th in quality when it comes to elementary math and science education, 20th in high school completion and 27th in the fraction of college students receiving undergraduate degrees in science and engineering. With numbers like those, we should be worried; very worried.

Prof. Koller is part of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford, so naturally she’s a proponent of investing more in forms of education that are technologically advanced. She’s also a big believer in personalizing the educational experiences of students, rather than continuing on the tradition of the “standard lecture environment.” She cites the success of the Khan Academy, a site that offers short video lessons, many of them with graded exercises, along with her own institution’s offering of online computer science courses, which garnered an enrollment of 300,000 students. That was only in the first four weeks of their availability.

According to Koller, “First, we see that video content is engaging to students – many of whom grew up on YouTube – and easy for instructors to produce. Second, presenting content in short, bite-size chunks, rather than monolithic hour-long lectures is better suited to students’ attention spans, and provides the flexibility to tailor instruction to individual students. Those with less preparation can dwell longer on background material without feeling uncomfortable about how they might be perceived by classmates or the instructor. Conversely, students with an aptitude for the topic can move ahead rapidly, avoiding boredom and disengagement.” Boiled down, Koller is suggesting that education become more like an individualized tutoring session, rather than a one-size-fits-all proposition.

What Works in the Classroom Can Work in the Boardroom

Koller’s personalized approach can work equally as well when it comes to corporate training. What college students call “lectures,” employees refer to as “training seminars.” Both can be equally disengaging and difficult to manage. We know what the solution is: more online education and training to keep learners engaged and costs in line. Students can work at their own pace from anywhere, as can employees who need to upgrade or learn new skills. The important thing to remember is that the world is our classroom, and technology can help us make it a more effective, engaging one.

Here’s hoping 2012 will usher in a brighter future for online education and training. Happy New Year!

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of high quality Learning Management System platforms.

December 22nd, 2011 by Robin Green

You don’t often expect comedy to do anything other than make you laugh. But sometimes, there’s a lesson in laughter, and leave it to comedian Louis C.K. to teach all us LMS geeks a very valuable lesson.

Laugh and Listen

Stand-up comedy is a solitary endeavor – just the comedian and his or her microphone and a roomful of people who buy tickets, abide by the two drink minimum and expect to be compensated with side-splitting laughter. Louis C.K. has been providing that, and making a darn good living at it; and recently, he decided to cut out middleman distributors by selling his latest comedy special directly to his fans via a $5.00 download on his Web site. Fans of the comedian didn’t have to subscribe to a premium cable channel or shell out big bucks for pay-per-view to see his latest special, “Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theater.” All they had to do was fork over a fin via PayPal to download it and watch it as many times as they want.

As of last week, the show was downloaded 175,000 times with 200,000 anticipated, totaling $1 million. The show’s production ran $250,000.00, so that’s a cool $750,000 in profit. No middlemen or distributors got a chunk of that; Louis C.K. gets to keep it all.He proclaimed the venture a success, telling his fans on his Web site, “I’m really glad I put this out here this way, and I’ll certainly do it again. If the trend continues with sales on this video, my goal is that I can reach the point where when I sell anything, be it videos, CDs or tickets to my tours, I’ll do it here [his Web site] and I’ll continue to follow the model of keeping my prices as far down as possible, not over marketing to you, keeping as few people between you and me as possible in the transaction.” He may have ticked off many in the entertainment world, but Louis C.K. used himself as an incubator to teach us something we all needed to learn.

Distribute Thyself

Content creators, I hope you’ve been paying attention. What Louis C.K. did on his Web site is exactly what Coggno provides to creators of online learning and training. We give you the ability to upload and sell your content without all the hassles usually associated with doing so. Our Market Place gives you the ability to expose your course offerings on thousands of different Web sites, reaching millions of potential customers. You control pricing, accessibility and copyright; you can even create coupons and offer discounts on your content. Plus, you also get to keep track of how many times your content was purchased, and even how you get paid for it. You have complete and total autonomy to distribute at will. After all, it is your content. And that’s no joke.

Take a tour of our sales capabilities and we’re sure you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of high quality Learning Management Systems

December 21st, 2011 by Robin Green

Prospective College Students Need to Watch Their Backs When Utilizing Social Media

Colleges and universities are getting hip to the overwhelming percentage of prospective students who use social media as their most common form of communication. The rising trend among admissions offices is to not only consider students based on their applications, SAT scores and extracurricular activities, but on what they post to the most popular social media sites.

Let’s face it: many of us have been burned by one thing or another we’ve tweeted about, posted to our Facebook pages or proudly displayed on YouTube. It can be something as innocuous as a comment on someone’s post, a blog entry we wrote and disseminated to as many sites as we could think to, or maybe it was that drunken photo we took when our parents let us indulge in a fruity cocktail or two at that tropical resort. Regardless of the topic or the situation, students must remember that admissions offices are keeping an eye on them now in more ways than one. So, play it safe and keep it clean when it comes to what you share with the electronic world.

Take a good look at this information graphic and make note of some interesting statistics.

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December 15th, 2011 by Robin Green

OK, I’d be lying if I said I never “cheated” in some capacity, but honestly, never in school. Education is too important, and these days, too hard to  come by with exorbitant tuition costs and shrinking government funding. Even so, I’m not at all surprised that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently uncovered some dubious activity at some of the most popular online and bricks-and-mortar for-profit schools.

It’s Just Me and My Computer. Who Cares?

Sure, the temptation to tap dance around a few rules and regulations is greater when there isn’t an actual teacher standing in front of you, but I’d love for some of these for-profit institutions to explain how 12 of 15 students managed to be granted enrollment to some of these schools (the report did not name names) with fictitious diplomas from home-school programs that did not exist, and from high schools that had been shuttered.

In addition to enrollment inconsistencies, instructors were found to be turning “blind” eyes to repeated acts of plagiarism as well as not adhering to grading policies. More than one instructor at four different schools was guilty of this, and still another allowed a failing student to take advantage of a glitch in testing software that allowed students to find the correct answers while taking quizzes.

Despite these embarrassments, instructors at six institutions did do the right thing by correctly following procedures and offering help to students outside the classroom.

Senate Education Committee Chair Requested Investigation

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, requested the GOA investigation due to growing concern about the for-profit schools that have become so popular. The biggest ones, the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University and Education Management Corporation (EDMC) were not mentioned specifically, but all it takes is a few moments of online surfing to get deluged with ads for these schools.

“The findings of this report underscore the need for stronger oversight of the for-profit education industry in order to ensure that students and taxpayers are getting a good value for their investment in these schools,” Sen. Harkin said.

This report comes just one year after the GOA targeted 15 online schools for deceptive marketing practices. The agency used undercover “shoppers” posing as prospective applicants both online and in person.

The lesson we learn? Cheating is never worth it; eventually, you will get caught.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners

December 8th, 2011 by Robin Green

When an organization makes the decision to adopt an LMS platform, it can be a costly endeavor. While the investment is worthwhile, it can come with many unanticipated headaches.

In the spirit of starting fresh in the coming year, we’d like to give you a few reasons why you should consider going with an Learning Management System platform from Coggno, as opposed to one of our competitors. Pay close attention, because you’ll be seeing the words “no cost,” “free,” and “complimentary” much more than you will anywhere else.

Think of Coggno as Your LMS Alternative to TiVo

How did we manage to survive before the invention of the Digital Video Recorder (DVR)? Many of us remember the days of futzing with our VCRs to get them to record our favorite programs so we could watch them at our convenience. How many times did your VCR fail to record when you wanted it to, despite your best efforts to program it correctly? I know; don’t even go there. Now, most of us have DVRs that belong to the cable and satellite companies that provide the services we subscribe to. And, we know how much competition there is for our business; you’re most likely not paying for your DVR because it was provided by the cable or satellite company for free in order to obtain your business.

Think of Coggno’s LMS platform as your training DVR: you get to pick and choose the online courses you need to ensure your employees are learning what they need to know. Our Web site is your “program guide.” With the click of a mouse you download exactly what you want and nothing you don’t. We provide all the support you need to allow your employees to accomplish their training without the hassles and extra costs of additional software, support, administration or hosting. You get it all included in the cost of the coursework.

Coggno Provides the Ability to Create a Customized, Private LMS

Many other LMS providers are guilty of attempting to jam the square peg in the round hole. At Coggno, we give you the ability to create an LMS platform that will serve your organization’s unique agenda. We set up your complimentary platform which you are free to brand and even create a unique Web site for. With that comes the ability to create learning groups, obtain customized reporting and facilitate distribution of coursework. All this is provided at no extra charge beyond the fees for course content. The best part is, your employees can access the materials from wherever they are, whenever it is convenient for them – just like the shows you record on a DVR.

If you’re still on the fence about LMS, we invite you to take a tour of ours. It’s free!

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners