Should higher education go digital?

Online Education

Article | July 19, 2022

With so many competing districts and schools, getting an education grant can be a tough nut to crack. However, crafting an effective strategy can make the process simpler. Here are five strategies to adopt to ensure you’re on track to win that education grant your school needs. Aligning School Needs with the Education Grant Funder’s Vision When applying for an education grant, it is essential to be aware of the grant funder’s vision. Ask yourself, do you understand their mission and vision? Is the particular grant and ideal match for your school? Most people forget to take into consideration the funder’s vision when making a plan, making a critical mistake in the process. Ensuring the Plan Conforms with the School’s Long-term Plan Your school’s long-term plans must align with the project or plan you’re seeking the grant for. Providing a substantial basis for your grant request is bound to create the right impression. Funders want to know if their grant still makes sense for your school a few years down the line. Defining the Outcomes that the Grant Will Serve Your students are at the heart of your school and highlighting how the grant will benefit them, why it will benefit them, what type of students it is going to impact and the achievements and learning they will experience will help demonstrate your school’s desirability to be the grant recipient. Outlining the Team Capabilities, Contributions and Expertise The right team can make or break your proposal. This is because when you have the right people on the team, you’ll be able to make a better case for the support and tools you need to empower them to do their best. Emphasizing the right mix of people is an important part of a grant request, whether it's for financial help or tools for professional growth. Highlighting How Technology Will Benefit All Stakeholders Instead of focusing on the technology you need, give emphasis to your plans and their outcomes in the long run. Many schools make the mistake of preparing the grant proposal as a wish list instead of illustrating why they need what they need. Mentioning how the technology will support your plan leaves a lasting impression. One Last Tip Proceed with the grant criteria in mind when you craft the proposal. This will ensure that every plan you include addresses the grant’s goal and will bump up the chances of making a successful proposal.

Education Technology

Article | July 15, 2022

Many factors can influence academic success and your strategies won’t differ too much from face-to-face studies to online learning. But who wouldn’t want some tips to ensure that they are successful in their online learning studies? So, with that in mind, here are some factors that impact your online learning success. Internal factors These are the factors that come from your head and your heart, which you can control if you pay attention to them: Active, timely participation in the course. Lecturers were interviewed in a study and asked what was likely to predict a student’s successful completion of an online course. By far the most common answer was that “the most successful online students participate early, participate often, and allow enough time in their schedule to ensure effective completion of all aspects of the course.” (Mandernach, Donnelli and Dailey-hebert, 2006). This means you need to manage your time and get involved by asking lots of questions early on. Personal initiative and motivation. Although motivation is essential in all aspects of studying, online learning requires a lot more independent effort because of the physical distance between educators and peers. This means to study online you should examine your commitment to the course or programme and make sure you remember “why” you started. Digital literacy. The ability and confidence to navigate technology will mean that you have more time to spend on the actual course content, rather than spending all your time learning how to use the new tech. If you are not comfortable in this arena, spend some time doing a digital literacy course. Reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Being able to read and write with comprehension will set you up for success. The necessity to explain what you have learned is essential in all learning spaces, in the online space however, this extends to the discussion forums and emails to your lecturer. Being clear and succinct will mean you get the help you need quickly.

Education Technology

Article | August 4, 2022

Last month, we partnered with Zollege and Snap Medical Assistant Academy to provide over $250,000 in scholarships to aspiring medical assistants. Through their applications, we got the opportunity to learn more about why they want to pursue a medical assistant certification, their goals and how this program can help achieve them, and the impact they hope to have in the healthcare field. Below, we have just a handful of some of our favorite responses!

Article | July 10, 2020

Arizona is home to many things: the Grand Canyon, the Arizona Cardinals, and Arizona’s best online high school—ASU Prep Digital. Founded in 2017, ASU Prep Digital has quickly become Arizona’s best online high school, succeeding in bridging the gap between high school and college, equipping part-time and full-time students with the tools they need to earn their diploma, and helping them get on an accelerated path to university admission.