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.

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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.

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

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!

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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.

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

June 8th, 2011 by Robin Green

Online learning isn’t just for college students, but adults seeking to learn the universal business language of software skills.

If you’re in the job market, you’ve probably seen many ads that read something like “Computer skills are a must” or “The ideal candidate for this position is computer savvy.” You might be expected to use database software, or Microsoft programs like Outlook, Excel, or Access. Desktop online learning offers the most needed skills in the job market today.

What kind of learner are you?

If you are a learner who gets more out of watching and hearing than reading a textbook to learn a computer skill, you might want to check out online learning for desktop skills. Content providers like Kallience offer self-study training videos both online and on cd, for business software skills including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Access, and Quickbooks. For designers there are also courses in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, and others.

What does online learning offer that face-to-face classroom doesn’t?

My experience in a face-to-face web design course wasn’t all negative. I met a couple of interesting classmates and enjoyed the cookies and even the coffee that the institute offered during the break. However, there were many downsides. Two students didn’t complete the course because they felt bad about raising their hands and pausing the activity or the teacher’s instruction so often. I myself raised my hand quite a bit to interrupt and ask questions, but soon stopped as I sensed it was wearing on the other students’ pacience.

The fact is, in a classroom full of students, learning is never done on your own terms. There are things you miss because the teacher must move on. There are concepts you didn’t understand and in a face-to-face classroom, there’s no returning to a previous lecture or activity. What’s lost is lost, and the class will continue on whether or not you’re sick or unable to make the class for whatever reason.

After finishing the course, I wished I had taken it online, where I can still experience learning in a dynamic way with e-learning tools like video, audio and podcast features. However, if I need to stop to make tea or go for a jog, the class waits for me to return.

What are the most essential business software skills?

Start with Microsoft software. Many learning management systems and other content providers offer great courses that are affordable as well. For example, featured Coggno content provider Kalliance has created a series of e-learning courses making it easy and enjoyable to master the most complicated Microsoft software applications in a cost effective, timely and efficient way.

While there are many software programs out there that can perform all the same tasks, the Microsoft bundle of software applications are still the most widely used and expected of job-seekers.

Do some research and find the best fit for your schedule. Talk with students who have already taken the course to see how they felt about the quality and effectiveness. Check out Microsoft software online learning programs and others in Coggno’s marketplace.

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Coggno.com provides world-class training.

June 1st, 2011 by Robin Green

Online learning, or distance education, is growing not only among full-time college students, but is increasingly used by adults working full-time jobs who like its flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Even though the economy is supposedly back on its feet, many are still without employment or, not much better off, in a position that isn’t ideal only because they believe it will be too difficult to find a better one. Are you one of these people? If so, consider doing what many of us do: gain new skills via online learning.

The great thing about online learning is that you can fit it into your daily schedule without interfering with the job you have now. You can keep your job and gain new skills while weighing your options for the future. That way, when the market really does pick up again, as it’s bound to eventually, you are more marketable to land the position you’d really like to work in.

How do you start online learning?

The first step is to do research on online learning programs, whether they be provided by academic or corporate instititions. To guide you through your options, use a targeted online search engine. Take notes, weighing pros and cons of the courses you find.

Weigh the factors

While doing research, make a list or a google spreadsheet to organize your findings. Be sure to include factors that are important to you, such as the level of knowledge on the topic that you’re expected to already have, the course length, instructor involvement, and cost.

Relevance to your career goals

How relevant the course is to your professional goals is a huge consideration in choosing an e-learning course. You might decide to enroll in an online certification course or an LMS training program. Remember, obtaining new skills or refreshing old ones is the first step on your way to better opportunities. Take advantage of the flexibility if e-learning to gain the skills and certification that will propel you where you would really like to be.

Tech-Savvy courses

One great option for people trying to get back into the game of the job market is an online course that increases skill level in a software or other tech-related skill that can help you reach your professional goals. Courses in eco/clean technology, programming, and software are all highly compatible with the online education format.

Software knowledge in programs such as Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Word and Excel are a good start, but why not pick up a course in Powerpoint or Dreamweaver? The more fleshed out you can prove your computer skills to be, the better your chances at hiring time.

Of course, when job-searching, having pursued any online course shows that you are a self-disciplined and self-motivated person.

Coggno is one learning management system (LMS) with a simple interface and a variety of professional skill-building online courses. Enter Coggno’s marketplace and discover LMS online courses for developing and/or obtaining highly marketable professional skills.

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Coggno.com offers high quality e-learning courses.

December 2nd, 2009 by Melissa

Here is what an ‘Invest for Your 401K’ online training can teach you…401k can best be described as a retirement scheme for employees in the United States. Just like any retirement scheme, 401k takes a portion of a salaried individual’s yearly income and puts it away in some kind of a security that adjusts for the time value of money and sometimes for high cash flows as well. The really interesting thing about the 401k scheme is that employees can use it as a tax saving instrument.

This works with a simple principle. An online training teaches you how an employee can actually reduce his or her deductible salary in a given year by contributing just enough to the 401k so that he or she doesn’t fall within a specific tax bracket. In addition, the money that is put away is completely untaxed and only taxed when the money is withdraw – usually, at the age of 59 or so. With the appreciation in asset value due to investment in securities or bonds, this can almost be cancelled out and would make for the perfect nest egg.

This situation would seem to be near perfect but there are some problems in this system – as it was with many high profile cases like the crash of a major energy company. Some of the online training released on the Internet teaches the audience how investments work at a global level. Investments, in any part of the world, are subject to the vagaries of economics and there is sometimes no greater feat than equity valuation and projection in to the future.

In the case of the energy company, the employees of the company were enticed into investing their 401k investments into the company’s own stock. When the company was shut down for fraud, the stocks were worthless along with the hard-earned retirement money of individuals.

The current economic recession just echoes the fears of the past but this time, it would seem that there is nowhere to run to; therefore, it is of prime importance that you put on the investor cap and wall street suit yourself – if not to invest, to understand where your money is going to be for the next decades. A crucial step in this regard is to get online training on the nuances and principles of equity valuation, market dynamics, and retirement planning laws. Each of these aspects is quite weighty but quite logical. The point is not to become the next investment banker; rather, someone who knows where the right markets are when the chips are down.

There are many online training courses available in the subjects of equity valuation, market dynamics, and law. These can be purchased online as complete curriculums or as individual pieces to understand. It is advisable that you invest the time and money in a paid service because the study material is well arranged and you may also have access to experts that you would like to dart questions to.

Even better would be if you could get an online training that allows you to simulate an investment game where you could decide the best markets, instruments, and countries to invest in. These techniques will sharpen your skills the next time global pundits talk about a recession and even survive the current one.

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Coggno.com is a leading provider of premier e-learning education.

November 2nd, 2009 by Melissa

Online training has revolutionized the learning and training experience as we know it. Not too long ago we were still using windows dos, dial up, computers the size of an entire room, and big floppy disks. Now we live in an age where we have streamline laptops, portable computers that we can take with us. We have internet on our smart phones, and wireless internet connection. The internet has slowly but surely become an indispensible resource that most of us use continually throughout the day. It has been created into a streamline convenient instrument for us to gain minute by minute updates, and enable continuous communication with people all over the world.

So if we are able to take the internet with us, why can’t we take learning portable too? This advanced technology has enabled learning to take place in the home with various online training curriculums, whether it is for higher education, organizational or government training. The variety in courses is vast, making it easy to find credible courses that pertain to the need for any specific individual. Some specialty Colleges have based degrees on the online learning platform, and various content creating or eLearning companies are receiving government grants for organizational training as well as school training to educate them on health and safety via online training.

New advances within online training module’s are state of the art, bringing 3D graphics, interactive courses, quizzes, and videos with sound and picture into the mix, as well as 24/7 mentorship with highly trained instructors who are available at the learner’s disposal to ensure full comprehension is achieved. With so many style options that these courses provide, learners are exposed to different types of training that could enhance productivity, comprehension, and creativity.

Among the revolution of online training in the education systems, Organizational training is receiving revisions as well. Organizational training no longer means outdated, long, and uninteresting training videos that are played in an isolated room. Online modules and interactive curriculum enables employees to gain working experience as they learn new systems and make the mundane training something that is enjoyable and effective.

As efficient and convenient online training has proven to be, an additional bonus to this new method of learning is the varietal topics of courses made available on the web. For students looking for higher education, they have multiple options of language courses, science courses and math courses. For those in the IT industry they have various system training courses that stay current as new updates within systems and platforms are created. Certifications, such as A+, Network +, Security + in the IT industry, as well as driver, helicopter, first aid and safety certifications are just a few certifications that are offered.

Online training truly is changing the way we think about learning and the mundane training that normally is included when we enter into new positions in the workforce, new systems are implemented or those annually required safety or corporate training seminars. Just as computers and the internet has been streamlined and made portable, training and education is following suit.

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Coggno.com offers high-quality online training courses.