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

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.

________________________________

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

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.

________________________________

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

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!

________________________________

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

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.

________________________________

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

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.

Embed this Image on Your Site:
<br /> <href="http://coggno.com/learning-management-system/the-low-down-on-social-media-and-college-admissions"><img src="http://coggno.com/learning-management-system/wp-content/gallery/visual-data/socialmediacollegeadmissions1.jpg"> Created By <a href="http://coggno.com">Coggno.com</a>

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.

________________________________

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

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!

__________________________________________________

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

Last month, the New York Times reported on Stanford’s new venture, which has quietly been operating under the radar for the past five years.  Little did anyone know that the online program was turning out graduates who were themselves getting accepted to top-flight schools just like the one that issued their high school diplomas. Now, other universities are considering coming on board to educate high school students online.

A Significant Development

Although online education is not yet taken seriously by many, Bill Tucker, the director of Education Sector, a non-partisan policy institute, feels this development is “significant,” especially because it is associated with such a highly respected institution. “One of the country’s most prestigious universities feels comfortable putting its considerable prestige and brand behind it,” he said. Prestige and reputation have a lot to do with perception, especially when the program costs $15,000.00 per year.

Other universities are throwing their hats into the online high school ring, although none with as much caché as Stanford. The University of Nebraska, Lincoln and the University of Missouri have awarded a few hundred online high school diplomas over the past few years, and The George Washington University Online High School opened its “doors” in January. Middlebury College worked with a not-for-profit company to develop online language courses for 50,000 students, but the school is not ready to go the Stanford route just yet. “The risk is great and I’d be silly if I said otherwise,” Middlebury College president Ronald Liebowitz said.

Stanford Aiming to Be Online Destination for Elite Students

While the market for online education at the high school level is still in its infancy, Stanford is already angling to be the premier destination for students who are motivated to excel. Of the school’s 75 graduates, 69 of them have gone on to enroll at four year colleges. Eight of them went on to take courses at Stanford, and 25 others are at Ivy League schools and other elite institutions. John Etchemendy, Stanford’s provost said, “I don’t see this for a second competing with quality high schools, but for some people this could be an education they can’t get. I’m quite impressed with it, and they are clearly attracting capable students. It’s something that does make me comfortable making Stanford’s ownership of it more prominent.

An Early Start Can Influence the Future

The earlier our kids get comfortable with online education, the better prepared they’ll be when they enter the workforce. The problem is, how do us older folks increase our comfort level with the medium? When we think about all the technological advances we utilize now, we must remember that today’s high schoolers have have them all their lives. If we can tuck away our memories of what life was like before the Internet and the smart phone and the tablet computer, we can allow ourselves to embrace advances in online learning. Hey – we had to learn “new” math to help our kids with their homework; how would it look if would couldn’t cut it in an online classroom?

________________________________

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

Now that we’re stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner and about to move into the craziness of holiday shopping and the inevitable list of new year’s resolutions, we should also take some time to extend a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T to our fellow colleagues.

Workplace Bullying is More Common Than You Think

We’ve all had to deal with a co-worker who reminds us of the schoolyard bully we thought we left behind in our youth. Some of us have to deal with more than one. Still more of us will let a workplace bully take over our lives to the point where we can’t focus on life outside of our jobs. Not good…

There are quite a few organizations that exist specifically to try to eradicate bullying from the workplace. You hear much more about bullying in schools, but unfortunately, it does not end there. Adults can be just as childish and wreak havoc on their co-workers psyches long after they leave the schoolyards of their youth.

Now more than ever, workplaces need to adopt the culture of respect in order to preserve the sanity of everyone involved. In the best of times we never stop stressing about how to make ends meet and make sure our families are provided for. Add worrying about hanging on to the very job you depend on and it can bring out the worst in all of us. Bullies don’t usually need an excuse, but when things get tough, the claws become even sharper.

LMS Can Help Squash the Workplace Bully

With another new year upon us, companies that utilize an LMS platform can give a very valuable gift to their employees: the training and education they need to put a stop to bullying in the workplace. If you’re already utilizing online training to save money while giving your employees the knowledge they need to succeed, why not supplement their coursework with some practical information on how to identify, prevent and report abusive, manipulative and disrespectful behavior? We’ve all experienced the occasional “melt-down”, or witnessed another co-worker having one, but if you don’t know when yourself and others have crossed the line, things will devolve into a snake pit nobody wants to work in.

Your LMS platform can educate all your employees about the threat of workplace bullying and give everyone a chance to start fresh in the coming year.

________________________________

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