September 22nd, 2011 by Robin Green

Earlier this month, President Obama gave his “jobs” speech and stressed the importance of education.

Last week, the White House announced the creation of Digital Promise, a new, non-profit national center that will “support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.”

Bipartisan Support and Prominent Leadership

Digital Promise has the support of both sides of the chamber, along with some pretty heavy hitters from the education and technology sectors.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appointed, by recommendation of Congress, a group of industry leaders who will steer the ship. They include John Morgridge (Chairman Emeritus of Cisco), Larry Grossman (former President of NBC) and Eamon Kelly (President Emeritus of Tulane University) to name a few. The group will endeavor to “work with leading educators, researchers, technology firms, and entrepreneurs on a number of key challenges.

Three Key Challenges

According to the Digital Promise Fact Sheet, the three main challenges are:

• Identifying Breakthrough Technologies: developing educational software that will transform learning from the “cradle through a career”.
• Learning Faster What’s Working and What’s Not: development of new approaches that will rapidly determine what works and what doesn’t.
• Transforming the Market for Learning Technologies: Update school district procurement systems so new learning technology and private sector innovations can be effectively utilized.

What Does This Mean for Online Learning?

Digital Promise is in its infancy, but we can hope that it will not be a “No Child Left Behind” scenario that will only focus on pushing kids through the school system. The possibilities for e-learning are endless, and if a government agency can shine a light on how valuable it is, the future will certainly be much brighter.

———————————————————————–

Coggno.com is a LMS software platform.

September 16th, 2011 by Robin Green

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and continue your education online. Now the problem is, where do you sign up? Here’s where you have to be extra-careful not to get sucked into one of those bogus online “diploma mills” that are accredited in fantasyland. Translation: a diploma from one of those outfits isn’t worth the bytes it will take up on your hard drive, not to mention the paper it would be printed on.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed

The first thing to do before you submit your credit card information or sign up for a curriculum is to check the accreditation status of the online institution you wish to take courses at. Verify the institution by Google-ing it, and reading all available information. Two Web sites we’ve found to be extremely helpful in ascertaining the authenticity of online degree programs are GetEducated.com and CounterfeitDegrees.com. Both sites are useful for ferreting out the fakers and for finding online institutions with bona-fide e-learning courses as opposed to those that just want to rip you off. By the way, you get all this information free of charge.

Don’t Get Fooled By Sophistication and Savvy

Many of these “bogus” online diploma mills look for all the world like real institutions of higher learning. Many of their online advertising campaigns rival those of legitimate schools, so it’s easy to get fooled. Behind the facade is a scheme to reel you in with a “get educated quick” ploy that will promise you a degree in as few as 7 days. Don’t fall for it. Also beware of degree programs that promise to take into account your life experience, professional experience and workplace experience. Some even promise to take your hobbies into account. Yes, we all want to believe that what we’ve done with our lives outside the world of academia counts for something; it does, but not when there is minimal effort required. The bottom line is, these bogus institutions try (and succeed) in getting you to believe that you can earn a degree at any level - including a doctorate. That just ain’t so.

Legitimate Degree Programs Lose, Too

The proliferation of diploma mill scams has had an adverse effect on legitimate online degree programs offered by venerable colleges and universities. Many distinguished institutions have realized the potential of offering distance learning curricula to online students, only to be steamrolled by all the fraudulent online entities. Federal and state governments are woefully remiss in enacting anti-fraud legislation that would weed out the fakers, so it is up to students to literally do their homework to find a legitimate program that will give them the education they need to compete in the workplace.

Do Your Homework and Shop Around

Everyone should be familiar with the Latin expression “Caveat Emptor”. That means, “Let the buyer beware”. Keep that in mind when you are shopping around for an online degree program that suits your needs. As with everything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That is especially true of e-learning courses and schools that will tell you you can get an education while you sleep.

———————————————————————-

Coggno.com’s online LMS provides e-learning to anyone, anywhere.

September 8th, 2011 by Robin Green

Education is a “hot-button” issue for many people, especially when the conversation turns to the cost of a college education. I hate to keep beating the horse here, but higher education is pricing out many students and cries to the government seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Texas governor Rick Perry, who seems to be gaining momentum in the Republican race to become the candidate to challenge President Obama, has made some interesting remarks about the state of education in the United States, particularly in his home state of Texas.

What is Governor Perry Proposing?

According to an article published last month in the Washington Post, Perry is attempting to “re-engineer Texas’s leading public universities to become more like businesses, driven by efficiency and profitability.” Part of his business plan, unveiled at an education summit he held back in 2008, is to challenge the state’s top colleges to come up with a four year degree costing no more than $10,000.00.

Although Perry is the longest serving governor in Texas history, his critics seem to think that he loves to “make a splash” when it comes to big political ideas. Sure, academia in all 50 states can stand to trim some fat, but is it logical to believe that a corporate mentality can rescue the sorry state of education in America? It hasn’t worked for the government, so why should we believe it will work for education?

A “Stripped Down Degree”

The Chronicle of Higher Education published the details of Perry’s plan, which proposes “statewide online courses, more opportunities for students to spend their first two years in community colleges, and accelerated and self-paced course formats.”

Perry has rattled the chain in a big way and sparked a passionate debate about whether his idea is crazy or genius. Of course there are opinions on both sides of that argument.

The average tuition at a state university in Texas in 2010 was about $26,000.00 for an undergraduate degree. With books and other fees, the number probably topped out closer to $30,000.00. Sure, a quality education for a third of that figure seems a bit far-fetched, but as the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas, including ideas.

E-Learning Would Play a Significant Role

In-demand degree programs with coursework offered online would help students better manage their time, in addition to extending the time frame of course offerings outside the traditional semester system. This would allow students to work at their own pace and potentially graduate faster with year-’round learning options. Proponents of Perry’s plan also want to see stronger student advisement, perhaps through social media and other methods which would give students the support they need.

For another interesting take on Governor Perry’s plan, read the September 5 installment of the New York Times “Room for Debate” here.

————————————————————-

The LMS offered by Coggno.com is a quality learning management system for learners and publishers alike.

September 1st, 2011 by Robin Green

If hurricane Irene taught us anything, it’s that preparation is key when it comes to dealing with potential disasters. Knowing what to do in a disaster, natural or otherwise, is knowledge we all should have.

How Can We Get Prepared?

If you want to learn the basics of Disaster Management, it can be achieved online with 15 to 40 credit hours of coursework. You can complete this within 6 to 12 months. You’ll obtain an online disaster management diploma that will document your skills in meeting the needs of those affected by disasters, disaster preparedness, public safety and hazard mitigation.

Disaster Management Can Be a Viable Career Option

Those looking to pursue a career in disaster management will need an undergraduate degree to obtain the skills necessary to seek employment at the local level, or perhaps even a more high-profile job with a federal agency like FEMA. Typical coursework will include introduction to emergency management, disasters and psychology and hazard mitigation in disaster management.

Other potential industries for disaster management specialists include hospitals, power generation and distribution companies, natural resource extraction companies, and community organizations like food banks and housing programs.

Employment of individuals with disaster management training is expected to rise by approximately 13 percent over the next decade. With climate becoming more and more unpredictable, it is important that we all do our part to understand what it means to be prepared for the worst.

E-Learning is the Best Option

There are many accredited e-learning programs that offer disaster management training. Whether you are personally interested in obtaining this knowledge, or are part of a corporation that wants to improve its skills when it comes to being prepared, there are options that can be pursued individually, or via an LMS platform. The worst may never happen, but common sense dictates that we know what to do if it does.

—————

Coggno.com provides a robust Learning Management System platform for users all over the world.

August 25th, 2011 by Robin Green

A college education is becoming unattainable for many without the financial means to make it happen. The U.S. government is proposing cuts to financial aid and unsubsidized student loans, leaving many out in the cold when it comes to obtaining the college degree that will help secure that well-paying job.

Students are Beginning to Rack up Credits Online

In an article that appears in today’s online edition of the New York Times, Tamar Lewin addresses the fact that online e-learning entities are gaining not only steam, but credibility, in today’s uncertain economic climate. Students are looking for ways to obtain the education they need, as inexpensively as possible, while gaining the experience they must have to survive in the workforce. Lewin compares e-learning to Wikipedia and iTunes for initiating the same type of paradigm shift that has given us a different perspective about encyclopedias and music. Many students are becoming hip to the fact that they can complete coursework online for a fraction of what it would cost at a traditional college or university, parlaying those credits into advanced degrees and better-paying jobs.

Students Young & Old are Taking Advantage of E-Learning

The article cites examples of traditional college-age students, as well as students in their 30s with full-time careers and family commitments, taking advantage of e-learning courses to facilitate career changes or increase their knowledge bases to obtain certifications to better their chances at earning higher salaries. The tuition savings are substantial, and some online outlets provide mentoring to keep students motivated to complete their studies.

Traditional Institutions Scoff at E-Learning

Chester E. Finn, Jr., a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute believes an emphasis on e-learning does not give students the same quality education they would receive in a traditional college environment: “Instead of a full entree of four years in college, it’ll be more like grazing or going to tapas bars…with people piecing together a postsecondary education from different sources.”

Meanwhile, a study conducted by Teachers College at Columbia University tracked 51,000 community college students in Washington State for five years, found that those with a good number of online course credits were not likely to go on to transfer to traditional four year institutions or obtain degrees.

Learning is What You Make of It

Of course the traditional higher learning crowd is going to claim that e-learning will never replace the student-professor relationship that can only be found in a classroom. The problem is, not everyone can afford to spend four years in a college atmosphere, especially as funding to public universities gets slashed to the bare minimum, and the tuition at private universities continues to skyrocket. Despite all the scoffing, academics are eventually going to need to accept that online coursework is likely to become the only means of obtaining an education for many American students if our educational system does not undergo some significant changes.

—————–

Coggno.com offers a wide variety of e-learning  courses for users worldwide.

August 18th, 2011 by Robin Green

The clinical and administrative realms of healthcare are in a constant evolutionary state in order to keep up with demand and global development. This means that continuous professional development has never been more vital for physicians and administrators. Hectic schedules and training don’t often mesh well; many healthcare systems are investing in e-learning tools to facilitate necessary training and avoid the negative impact under-staffing has on patient care.

The Present State of Continuous Professional Development

Right now, there are several options available: Experts travel to facilities to conduct training of  clinicians and administrative staff; a group of staff members travel to off-site seminars and conferences to receive training; the “Train the Trainer” method is utilized by sending one or two staff members representative of a group to receive training and then pass it along to others who did not attend sessions. These methods are outdated; not to mention costly and and inefficient. Absent staff members impact productivity and stress those left behind to care for patients.

The E-Learning Solution

Medical professionals and administrative support staff must not only keep current with licensing and accreditation, they must also be aware of global development. Today’s patient is willing to seek care anywhere in the world, and this means domestic facilities must keep abreast of global best practices in order to accommodate patients. Internet access is virtually everywhere, and it is crucial to keeping track of the latest procedures and technologies.

The Internet offers a training alternative to clinicians and administrators in that they can complete necessary coursework anytime, anywhere. Staff members can complete training during slow periods at the office, at home or just about anywhere. This avoids staffing issues and allows facilities to keep their level of care consistent. Extra staff requirements and shortfalls can be avoided by keeping employees on-site, rather than having them travel to inconvenient conferences and seminars.

Physicians can take advantage of e-learning tools to get up to speed on new surgical techniques, procedures and medications, giving them the ability to pass the latest information on to their patients without having to attend costly seminars.

E-Learning Can Improve Care

High quality e-learning courses combined with an LMS platform will ensure that participants understand the material and educators are satisfied with their comprehension. Documentation can be provided to validate training, making patients aware that clinicians are well-versed in the type of care they seek.

E-learning is the most economical, efficient alternative to traditional training that will keep medical professionals apprised of cutting-edge technologies, procedures, pharmaceutical products and management techniques.

——————–

Coggno.com is an Learning Management System platform that offers a wide range of online courses.

August 11th, 2011 by Robin Green

E-learning has changed the educational landscape and opened up a world of new opportunities for educators. Those who no longer want to teach in the traditional classroom can put their skills to use in challenging and exciting positions outside the usual academic grind.

What Types of Jobs are Available?

Currently, there are a wide variety of e-learning positions. The most in-demand are instructional and curriculum designers, along with training consultants who help coordinate LMS platforms at the corporate level. Regardless of which position you choose to pursue, the traditional educational skill set must be augmented with technical knowledge that will allow for use of Web tools and applications. The science of learning must be combined with strong business skills, as well as the ability to be flexible.

Prepare for a Paradigm Shift

Most e-learning positions are not permanent. If you can shift your thought process to embrace a career as an e-learning contractor, you’re halfway home. Many e-learning positions are temporary,  but require a commitment to see them through to their completion. If your area of interest lies in working with companies to develop LMS strategies, you’ll need to possess vision, creativity and the ability to get the job done in the allotted time frame. Today’s corporate culture wants to keep costs in line while getting the biggest bang for their buck. Many are looking for professionals who are “specific generalists” that are not locked in to a specific job description.

Be the Total Package

Updating and increasing your knowledge base is always worthwhile. Many e-learning and LMS professionals have advanced degrees in education, as well as various certifications. Developing a strong stable of personal contacts is a must; networking through your personal connections is where the opportunities lie. Attending conferences and seminars is crucial, as is joining professional organizations and familiarizing yourself with the latest technology. Keep in mind that educational design principles tend to remain static, but technology moves at a much faster pace. It is always prudent to keep up with it.

Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; update your resume; use Web tools to facilitate your job search. Search engines are today’s classifieds, and they can lead you to a wealth of opportunities. Most importantly, keep an open mind and embrace the possibility of change. It could lead you to a career you never thought was possible.

Good luck!

—————–

At Coggno.com you can choose a variety of specialized e-learning courses that are created by industry experts.

August 4th, 2011 by Robin Green

Many school districts are beginning to realize the benefits of e-learning for their students. But, what about the benefits for teachers, or so-called “life-long learners”? School boards in many states have professional development requirements that educators and staff must adhere to in order to keep their certifications and licenses valid. E-learning makes the task of updating certifications and indulging a passion for learning that much easier.

E-Learning Helps Defray Costs

Let’s face it; continuing education can be expensive. E-learning courses are cost-effective for both school boards and teachers because they eliminate the need for attending classes at expensive colleges and universities. Looming government budget cuts will be slashing funds for students wanting to embark on graduate level degrees, eliminating many government subsidized education loans. E-Learning allows students and teachers who cannot afford to attend traditional schools to continue their education, whether its required for professional development, or if it is pursued voluntarily.

“Virtual Attendance” is Convenient

In addition to saving money, e-learning helps teachers make better use of their time. Instead of traveling to an inconvenient campus to sit in a classroom, distance learning can be accomplished from almost anywhere. This allows teachers to obtain the training they need without having to take time away from lesson planning and actual classes. Educators remain where they need to be - in their own classrooms, instead of having to turn them over to substitute teachers.

Seminars and Presentations are Evolving into Webinars

The traditional professional development seminar is evolving into a Webinar. As with continuing their personal education, teachers no longer need to leave the classroom in order to attend important seminars and events that are crucial to keeping certification and licensing up-to-date. These events can be attended “virtually”, which is another cost-cutting measure for many school boards. Many professional development providers are already on-board with e-learning, and more are joining every day. Making good use of technology not only broadens audiences, it allows educators to focus on their jobs while still being able to achieve their career goals.

Now is the time for students and providers to consider the benefits of e-learning. The new school year is upon us; considering implementing an e-learning program will not only save time and money, it will provide a fresh and rewarding approach to education by embracing technology.

———————-

Coggno.com offers a variety of online courses for users world wide.