Home > Resources > Articles > Understanding the science of E-learning & why it would work for your organization

Understanding the science of E-learning & why it would work for your organization

Digitization has reshaped learning to a great extent and has revolutionized traditional learning into a much a deeper and interactive approach through e-learning solutions. According to the Docebo E-learning market trends & forecast 2014 – 2016 report, the growth of the e-learning industry has been up to 900% since the year 2000 and according to Ambient Insight 2012 – 2017 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market, 42% of companies said that e-learning has led to an increase in revenue. In the training industry, we usually refer to such trends and data to prove the effectiveness of e-learning, while we leave out analyses of the biochemical systems that initiate the learning process in the first place.

Spotlight

SchoolMint

SchoolMint provides a cloud-based student enrollment and school choice platform to PreK-12 school systems worldwide. Since its founding in 2013, close to 6000 schools have chosen SchoolMint to streamline all aspects of student enrollment - student registration management, application, lottery, and school choice management, and digital forms and document uploads. Available online and on mobile devices, SchoolMint integrates with leading student information systems (SIS) and transforms the end-to-end enrollment experience for school staff and parents.

OTHER ARTICLES
Education Technology

Computer Science Guide: Learning Opportunities in COVID-19

Article | July 27, 2022

The pandemic has only increased businesses’ acceleration towards digital transformation and underscored the power of technology and computer science skills to help overcome economic disruption across industries.Download our free computer science guide for an overview of key computer science learning opportunities, from cloud computing to cybersecurity, in today’s unusual economic landscape. Whether you want to explore computer science for the first time, advance your career, or earn a degree, there’s a path at edX for you.

Read More
Online Education

3 Inclusive Classroom Strategies to Use for Higher Student Enrollment

Article | July 19, 2022

In 2021, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that student enrollments were at an all-time low. Community college enrollment dipped by 11% while post-secondary enrollment saw a dip of 4.2% year-on-year. The impact of the last two years’ events clearly demonstrates the strain faced by all levels of educational institutions. The shift to the virtual classroom setup also saw parents and students recognize the importance of teaching and learning online. The significance of a virtual classroom is emphasized more than ever. It has forced schools to improve their online teaching infrastructure so that they can keep growing. But this has also affected inclusivity. According to UNESCO, school closures during the pandemic affected 1.2 billion children in 186 countries. In this article, we discuss why virtual learning is in dire need of inclusivity and inclusive learning practices. Why Does Inclusive Learning Matter in the Era of Zoom Classes? Edtech is a booming industry. In 2019, edtech investments reached a whopping US $18 billion. Further, the online education market is estimated to cross the $350 billion mark by 2025. There is no doubt that learning institutions are investing heavily in online learning. But inclusivity is still lagging far behind. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that 25% of secondary school-aged students from underprivileged backgrounds lack a computer. The writing on the wall is clear. Virtual learning is bound to widen the divide, and its impact will be felt most by underprivileged students. For educational institutions, delivering a positively inclusive learning experience online is essential to attracting students who do have access to educational technology. “In the higher education space, most schools were, and still are, predominantly focused on that in-person campus visit to do all those same things, but it’s expensive and it means only students and parents who travel to campus can get that real-life feel and experience.” - Matthew Pellish, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at CampusReel Bringing Personalization to the Virtual Classroom Although virtual learning has stripped away the human touch that accompanies a classroom setting, there are ways to make it more engaging and meaningful. Engage students even before the class starts. This can be done by setting an agenda for the session beforehand and asking students to send in their queries and expectations from the session. Turning the greeting into a short discussion is a great way to engage everyone right off the bat. Tools like Zoom make it simpler to personalize every class with features like backgrounds and notes. Use the chat feature generously. Teaching and learning online has to be a one-sided flow of information for it to be effective. However, the chat feature empowers teachers to break the monotony. The best way to keep students attentive is through personalization. Attentiveness can be achieved by asking many questions, even if they are simply yes-or-no questions. It enables teachers to keep a check on engagement and pivot when needed. Simulating a Sense of Community A discussion on an inclusive learning environment is incomplete without mentioning student community building. Online teaching and learning is limited in its ability to provide a sense of community. Since students are physically separated from their peers, one-on-one connections are lacking. Despite the distance, there are a few solutions you can use to reduce the distance virtually. Identify the type of community you want to develop. Whether you’re offering synchronous or asynchronous courses, it is crucial to keep the student-peer-instructor link active. Create a loop of feedback between teachers and students to enable community building. Modern tools offer a number of ways to seek feedback that provides insight on teaching style and the general classroom environment. Create a classroom forum online. Forums offer the best of two-way interactions with a platform outside of the online class. This ensures constancy and inclusive learning even after the class is over. For those who weren’t able to attend due to technical difficulties or poor connectivity, they never lose track of what’s going on. Cultivating Two-Way Interaction Two-way interactions are an integral part of engaging learning experiences. Inclusive classroom activities online may not completely replace them, but much can be done to build a more involved form of communication. One way to design such activities is to use the Kanevsky and Keighly framework to engage students with the five Cs: choice, challenge, control, complexity, and care. Use screen sharing and remote access tools. Physical classrooms offer avenues for students to present to their peers. In a virtual classroom setting, this can be achieved with screen sharing. Empower students to retain better by making them present their perspective and understanding of different concepts. This gives other students the impetus to do the same. Initiate group discussions through your course management system. Inviting students to design the resources and collaborate on group projects will jumpstart in-depth discussions. Many course management systems allow students to share their notes with each other. This creates inclusive learning environment. Finally: Why Will the Online University Experience Will Attract More Students Although learning institutions are beginning to open up for the in-person learning experience, the effectiveness of a virtual classroom is undeniable. Like remote working, remote learning is gaining ground, and inclusive online teaching is inevitably important. A Cengage survey revealed that 68% of students prefer hybrid learning: a combination of online and offline course delivery. In addition, the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) found that the number of students who enrolled in online-only programs rose from 3.5 million during the fall to 5.8 million. Fostering meaningful, hands-on learning similar to that in a classroom is difficult. Even though student enrollment in online courses is rising, learning institutions are facing the challenge of delivering a highly engaging learning experience. But with an understanding of the learning outcome and the right tools, institutions can develop robust, inclusive classroom activities that every student will want to benefit from. Frequently Asked Questions Do students and teachers prefer online teaching and learning? According to a recent survey by Cengage, about 73% of students prefer some courses to be delivered fully online. In addition, 57% of teachers said they prefer teaching hybrid courses over online-only courses. Is online teaching and learning a growing trend? Yes. Online learning platform Coursera experienced a huge spike in enrollments. In 2021, enrollment increased by 32% and peaked at 189 million. What are the principles of inclusive education? The principles of inclusive education are: Togetherness Participation Acceptance Equality

Read More
Education Technology

Using Project-Based Learning to Develop 21st Century Skills

Article | July 20, 2022

In today’s learning environment, students need more than academic knowledge to thrive in college, careers and beyond. As a result, educators are dually tasked with increasing core subject comprehension and developing 21st-century skills, especially in STEM. Project-based learning (PBL) is designed to do both. By inviting students to solve real-world challenges in their own community, we can draw the connection between these modern skills and the changing world around us.

Read More

3D-printable cases for the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera

Article | August 26, 2020

How do we know you love it? Because the internet is now full of really awesome 3D-printable cases and add-ons our community has created in order to use their High-Quality Camera out and about…or for Octoprint…or home security…or SPACE PHOTOGRAPHY, WHAT?! We thought it would be fun to show you some of 3D designs we’ve seen pop up on sites like Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory, so that anyone with access to a 3D printer can build their own camera too!

Read More
Education Technology

5 Powerful and Free Virtual Reality Applications for Schools

Article | July 27, 2022

The pandemic has only increased businesses’ acceleration towards digital transformation and underscored the power of technology and computer science skills to help overcome economic disruption across industries.Download our free computer science guide for an overview of key computer science learning opportunities, from cloud computing to cybersecurity, in today’s unusual economic landscape. Whether you want to explore computer science for the first time, advance your career, or earn a degree, there’s a path at edX for you.

Read More
Online Education

Creating SEL Awareness Among Parents

Article | July 19, 2022

In 2021, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that student enrollments were at an all-time low. Community college enrollment dipped by 11% while post-secondary enrollment saw a dip of 4.2% year-on-year. The impact of the last two years’ events clearly demonstrates the strain faced by all levels of educational institutions. The shift to the virtual classroom setup also saw parents and students recognize the importance of teaching and learning online. The significance of a virtual classroom is emphasized more than ever. It has forced schools to improve their online teaching infrastructure so that they can keep growing. But this has also affected inclusivity. According to UNESCO, school closures during the pandemic affected 1.2 billion children in 186 countries. In this article, we discuss why virtual learning is in dire need of inclusivity and inclusive learning practices. Why Does Inclusive Learning Matter in the Era of Zoom Classes? Edtech is a booming industry. In 2019, edtech investments reached a whopping US $18 billion. Further, the online education market is estimated to cross the $350 billion mark by 2025. There is no doubt that learning institutions are investing heavily in online learning. But inclusivity is still lagging far behind. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that 25% of secondary school-aged students from underprivileged backgrounds lack a computer. The writing on the wall is clear. Virtual learning is bound to widen the divide, and its impact will be felt most by underprivileged students. For educational institutions, delivering a positively inclusive learning experience online is essential to attracting students who do have access to educational technology. “In the higher education space, most schools were, and still are, predominantly focused on that in-person campus visit to do all those same things, but it’s expensive and it means only students and parents who travel to campus can get that real-life feel and experience.” - Matthew Pellish, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at CampusReel Bringing Personalization to the Virtual Classroom Although virtual learning has stripped away the human touch that accompanies a classroom setting, there are ways to make it more engaging and meaningful. Engage students even before the class starts. This can be done by setting an agenda for the session beforehand and asking students to send in their queries and expectations from the session. Turning the greeting into a short discussion is a great way to engage everyone right off the bat. Tools like Zoom make it simpler to personalize every class with features like backgrounds and notes. Use the chat feature generously. Teaching and learning online has to be a one-sided flow of information for it to be effective. However, the chat feature empowers teachers to break the monotony. The best way to keep students attentive is through personalization. Attentiveness can be achieved by asking many questions, even if they are simply yes-or-no questions. It enables teachers to keep a check on engagement and pivot when needed. Simulating a Sense of Community A discussion on an inclusive learning environment is incomplete without mentioning student community building. Online teaching and learning is limited in its ability to provide a sense of community. Since students are physically separated from their peers, one-on-one connections are lacking. Despite the distance, there are a few solutions you can use to reduce the distance virtually. Identify the type of community you want to develop. Whether you’re offering synchronous or asynchronous courses, it is crucial to keep the student-peer-instructor link active. Create a loop of feedback between teachers and students to enable community building. Modern tools offer a number of ways to seek feedback that provides insight on teaching style and the general classroom environment. Create a classroom forum online. Forums offer the best of two-way interactions with a platform outside of the online class. This ensures constancy and inclusive learning even after the class is over. For those who weren’t able to attend due to technical difficulties or poor connectivity, they never lose track of what’s going on. Cultivating Two-Way Interaction Two-way interactions are an integral part of engaging learning experiences. Inclusive classroom activities online may not completely replace them, but much can be done to build a more involved form of communication. One way to design such activities is to use the Kanevsky and Keighly framework to engage students with the five Cs: choice, challenge, control, complexity, and care. Use screen sharing and remote access tools. Physical classrooms offer avenues for students to present to their peers. In a virtual classroom setting, this can be achieved with screen sharing. Empower students to retain better by making them present their perspective and understanding of different concepts. This gives other students the impetus to do the same. Initiate group discussions through your course management system. Inviting students to design the resources and collaborate on group projects will jumpstart in-depth discussions. Many course management systems allow students to share their notes with each other. This creates inclusive learning environment. Finally: Why Will the Online University Experience Will Attract More Students Although learning institutions are beginning to open up for the in-person learning experience, the effectiveness of a virtual classroom is undeniable. Like remote working, remote learning is gaining ground, and inclusive online teaching is inevitably important. A Cengage survey revealed that 68% of students prefer hybrid learning: a combination of online and offline course delivery. In addition, the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) found that the number of students who enrolled in online-only programs rose from 3.5 million during the fall to 5.8 million. Fostering meaningful, hands-on learning similar to that in a classroom is difficult. Even though student enrollment in online courses is rising, learning institutions are facing the challenge of delivering a highly engaging learning experience. But with an understanding of the learning outcome and the right tools, institutions can develop robust, inclusive classroom activities that every student will want to benefit from. Frequently Asked Questions Do students and teachers prefer online teaching and learning? According to a recent survey by Cengage, about 73% of students prefer some courses to be delivered fully online. In addition, 57% of teachers said they prefer teaching hybrid courses over online-only courses. Is online teaching and learning a growing trend? Yes. Online learning platform Coursera experienced a huge spike in enrollments. In 2021, enrollment increased by 32% and peaked at 189 million. What are the principles of inclusive education? The principles of inclusive education are: Togetherness Participation Acceptance Equality

Read More
Education Technology

6 Technology Trends That Redefine Data Analytics in Higher Ed

Article | July 20, 2022

In today’s learning environment, students need more than academic knowledge to thrive in college, careers and beyond. As a result, educators are dually tasked with increasing core subject comprehension and developing 21st-century skills, especially in STEM. Project-based learning (PBL) is designed to do both. By inviting students to solve real-world challenges in their own community, we can draw the connection between these modern skills and the changing world around us.

Read More

3D-printable cases for the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera

Article | August 26, 2020

How do we know you love it? Because the internet is now full of really awesome 3D-printable cases and add-ons our community has created in order to use their High-Quality Camera out and about…or for Octoprint…or home security…or SPACE PHOTOGRAPHY, WHAT?! We thought it would be fun to show you some of 3D designs we’ve seen pop up on sites like Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory, so that anyone with access to a 3D printer can build their own camera too!

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

SchoolMint

SchoolMint provides a cloud-based student enrollment and school choice platform to PreK-12 school systems worldwide. Since its founding in 2013, close to 6000 schools have chosen SchoolMint to streamline all aspects of student enrollment - student registration management, application, lottery, and school choice management, and digital forms and document uploads. Available online and on mobile devices, SchoolMint integrates with leading student information systems (SIS) and transforms the end-to-end enrollment experience for school staff and parents.

Related News

Corporate Learning Systems

Vector Solutions acquires PATHWAYos to close skills gap for students entering the workforce

PRWeb | October 25, 2023

Vector Solutions, the leading provider of training and software solutions dedicated to helping schools make their communities safer, smarter, and better, today announced it has acquired PATHWAYos, the leading platform for connecting K-12 schools and students to work-based learning opportunities. The acquisition expands Vector Solutions' footprint at the intersection of education and industry with a move into the Career and Technical Education (CTE) market. The transaction brings together two companies passionate about providing best-in-class technology to support building a stronger and more successful workforce. As the lines between education and employment increasingly blur, Vector Solutions and PATHWAYos aim to support students on their chosen career paths and bridge the gap between education and workforce-ready skills. Today, Vector Solutions provides skills and safety training to over 2,000 industry customers, who use that training to ensure their workforce has the necessary skills to perform their jobs effectively. Together with PATHWAYos career-connected learning software, Vector Solutions will be able to offer CTE courses, industry-recognized credentials, and safety training content to K-12 students, districts, intermediaries, state agencies, and colleges. In the future, Vector Solutions plans to use the PATHWAYos platform to connect its industry customers with trained talent, supporting customers in addressing skills gaps and labor shortages by providing a direct 'skills-based' talent pipeline. Our acquisition of PATHWAYos reaffirms our commitment to helping students excel on their chosen career paths, said Jonathan Cherins, Chief Executive Officer of Vector Solutions. The combined power of our offerings will serve to bridge the skills gap between students seeking more training and work-based learning opportunities and industry customers looking to build a skilled workforce. PATHWAYos was established in 2017 with a mission to unlock work-based learning opportunities for all. Its mission is to change how students view their options, how educators see their workload, and how the industry considers its growing talent pool. Work-based learning (WBL) prepares students for the job market and helps build a pipeline of skilled workers, all while lowering recruitment and training costs for employers, and expanding economic development in local communities. The company's WBL programs have impacted over 800,000 students across 2,000 schools in 30 states, leading to more than three million work-based learning hours logged. "Joining forces with Vector Solutions catapults us to an ambitious new era, where we can serve as an unrivaled catalyst for Career and Technical Education," said Cecilia Retelle Zywicki, CEO of PATHWAYos. "Our aim is nothing short of empowering students at scale by unlocking paths towards the future they want, and granting access to economic mobility that often is reserved for an exclusive subset of students. Together, we aspire to impact countless students, breaking barriers between education and the workforce, and reshaping the landscape." Vector Solutions serves over 24,000 customers and thirty-one million end users across the Education, Commercial, and Public Sector markets. With an increased focus on CTE, Vector Solutions will accelerate its presence in this critical market. The company will support students no matter what path they choose to take into the workforce and enable industry customers to access a pipeline of skilled talent. Post acquisition, PATHWAYos will be a product under a new business unit within Vector focused on CTE. The combined expertise and resources will strengthen Vector Solutions' CTE offerings and solidify its position as a leader in the industry. About Vector Solutions Vector Solutions is the leading provider of impactful technology solutions dedicated to driving safer, smarter, better decision-making in the world's most critical industries. Embedded into daily workflows to drive improvements in compliance, safety, performance, and preparedness, our software includes training management, industry-focused online course libraries, EHS management, workforce scheduling, risk communication, operational readiness, and more. Vector's unique combination of information and technology - delivered when and where it is needed - is integral to our more than 34 thousand clients looking to achieve better outcomes and safeguard lives. Vector is committed to providing resources to support those who need them most and launched a collection of free courses on critical mental health and safety topics through Vector Cares. For more information, visit http://www.vectorsolutions.com. For access to free Vector Cares courses visit https://www.vectorsolutions.com/about-us/vector-cares/. About Vector Solutions for K-12 Education Vector Solutions for K-12 Education is a leading provider of training, software and professional development solutions committed to creating safer, smarter and better school environments. Trusted by more than 5,000 K-12 districts in the United States, Vector's award-winning suite of products save administrators time, improve compliance, and streamline administrative processes. Vector trainings on imperative topics like safety and compliance; inclusive instruction; mental health and well-being; diversity, equity and inclusion; and cybersecurity enable students and teachers alike to make schools safer, more inclusive, and more effective places to work and learn. For more information about Vector Solutions for K-12 Education, visit http://www.vectorsolutions.com/k12. About PATHWAYos PATHWAYos® is the innovative software at the center of all career-connected learning. School districts, states, and career centers can now collaborate with businesses to expand work-based learning programs. The software streamlines processes while allowing partners to provide numerous opportunities that enhance the development of skills required by the workforce of the future. The world-class platform is quickly becoming a household requirement for innovative school districts.

Read More

Education Technology

D2L Highlights New D2L Brightspace Product Features to Help Enhance Accessibility and Ease of Use

PR Newswire | October 19, 2023

D2L, a global learning technology company, today highlighted enhanced Brightspace product features — developed over the past six months — that can help global learners and educators simplify the learning experience by bringing learning solutions together in one place. I'm thrilled to share that D2L continues to invest in its existing solutions and broaden its portfolio of products, partner solutions and services to assist educators, organizations, and learners in their readiness for the future, said Rajesh Talpade, Senior Vice President of Product Management at D2L. D2L's new and enhanced product features can make it easier than ever to offer effective learning in online and blended environments to help see that learners have the opportunity to succeed. New D2L Solution for Businesses Announced in September 2023, D2L introduced a new, all-in-one solution for businesses: D2L for Business. This integrated, easy-to-use corporate solution combines the benefits of an existing network of world-class education providers, skill development solutions, and expert consulting services as an learning experience platform (LXP). Empowering Learners, Educators and Administrators Brightspace functionalities and offerings that can provide customers with tools and resources to help enhance outcomes and save time. Brightspace now offers: Even more Creator+ tools for educators, including: new accessible layouts, expanded types of interactive elements, and a fully accessible hotspot practice question type. This can help enable educators to continue building beautiful and instructionally sound content using familiar Brightspace workflows. An AI-driven, first line of contexual help and support embedded within Brightspace Brightspace Virtual Assistant. More datasets and improved data dashboards to help make it easier for educators and businesses to gain insights and understand metrics in their organizations. Simplifying Workflows Recent Brightspace updates continue to make workflows more intuitive, efficient, effective and consistent. This includes: An improved Quiz experience that can offer support for high-stakes exams with strict time limits, support for synchronous quizzing windows, and other improvements. A familiar and upgraded Discussion experience with workflows to help bring new functionality to educators. New content authoring functionality to help make it easier to manage both the required and optional course materials. In addition, enhancements to the Media Library are now more user-friendly, with new time-saving indicators to track progress and surface common actions. And, new changes to course merging options that can empower educators and save administrative time. New self-enrollment enhancements for Brightspace customers that offer professional development opportunities and allow educators to see that learners are enrolling in the right courses. Uniting a Stronger Ecosystem D2L has also enhanced its robust learning ecosystem by simplifying access to Brightspace and encouraging new interactions among educators, administrators, and learners. These updates, features and tools include: An easier, course registration process through Course Merchant, a modern e-commerce experience, whose front-end course catalog and payment and enrollment system is now offered as a D2L product after more than nine years as a key integration partner. Visualized Brightspace Analytics within Ellucian Experience, help advisors to quickly identify at-risk learners by aggregating Brightspace data with external data to holistically determine appropriate intervention. Early access to D2L Link, which can connect Brightspace with the systems of record clients use every day. The integrations enabled through D2L Link can help minimize manual tasks and see that data is synchronized between systems. D2L's new IntegrationHub, built on LTI 1.3. and launched as a new catalog site that lists partner solutions that are available for integrations with Brightpsace. The IntegrationHub makes it easy for Brightspace users to browse D2L's extensive list of integrated technologies and solutions, such as accessibility tools, student information systems, secure proctoring assessment platforms, and many other partner solutions. For more information on the latest features and updates, please visit What's New at D2L. About D2L D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.

Read More

Online Education

Parkway School District Optimizes Blended Learning Environments with PowerSchool Solutions

PowerSchool | January 15, 2022

PowerSchool, the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education, today announced that Parkway School District in Chesterfield, Missouri, utilizes PowerSchool solutions to create optimal learning environments for students. Through their partnership, Parkway Schools sees benefits from PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool solutions to support district-wide teacher collaboration and student career preparation efforts, respectively. “As a long-time Unified Classroom Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool user, both solutions have played an instrumental role in improving our in-person, distanced and hybrid learning environments,” said Bill Bass, Innovation Coordinator - Instructional Technology, Information, Library Media, and Federal Programs, Parkway School District. “Thanks to PowerSchool's dedication to interoperability and teaching and learning, we have been able to transform our work and foster more meaningful learning experiences for our students and staff. PowerSchool continues to serve as a trusted partner and resource for our district, and I look forward to working with them for years to come.” Parkway Schools cited PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning as an instrumental solution that has helped the district foster improved learning environments over the years, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the district’s ongoing usage of Schoology prior to school shutdowns, the district was prepared to shift from in-person to virtual classrooms in a timely and efficient manner, creating a seamless virtual (and now blended) learning environment for students and staff. Additionally, the district said Schoology’s Assessment Management Platform (AMP) enables educators to collaborate with one another to create improved question-based assessments for students. Prior to partnering with PowerSchool, the district used various learning management systems and realized the need for a comprehensive platform to manage student assessments, district curriculum, e-learning efforts and digital content. Since integrating Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning, Parkway School District has seen improvements related to personalized student instruction, teacher collaboration and student performance. The district has also used Naviance by PowerSchool, providing students self-discovery tools that help them uncover their strengths and interests to make informed decisions about their futures. “Parkway School District’s use of our Unified Classroom Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool solutions truly shows the expanded capabilities educators can have by partnering with PowerSchool. We’re proud to see the continued impact our solutions make for Parkway Schools’ educators and look forward to empowering these changemakers for years to come.” Craig Greenseid, PowerSchool Chief Revenue Officer Parkway School District is a diverse, suburban school district located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The district serves over 17,000 students across 29 campuses within the St. Louis County community. Since its founding, Parkway Schools has received several accolades within the broader St. Louis community, including a designation as a Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Business Health Culture Award from the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition, among others. About PowerSchool PowerSchool is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education. Its mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their full potential, in their way. PowerSchool connects students, teachers, administrators, and parents, with the shared goal of improving student outcomes. From the office to the classroom to the home, it helps schools and districts efficiently manage state reporting and related compliance, special education, finance, human resources, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning, instruction, grading, assessments and analytics in one unified platform. PowerSchool supports over 45 million students globally and more than 13,000 customers, including over 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States, and sells solutions in over 90 countries.

Read More

Corporate Learning Systems

Vector Solutions acquires PATHWAYos to close skills gap for students entering the workforce

PRWeb | October 25, 2023

Vector Solutions, the leading provider of training and software solutions dedicated to helping schools make their communities safer, smarter, and better, today announced it has acquired PATHWAYos, the leading platform for connecting K-12 schools and students to work-based learning opportunities. The acquisition expands Vector Solutions' footprint at the intersection of education and industry with a move into the Career and Technical Education (CTE) market. The transaction brings together two companies passionate about providing best-in-class technology to support building a stronger and more successful workforce. As the lines between education and employment increasingly blur, Vector Solutions and PATHWAYos aim to support students on their chosen career paths and bridge the gap between education and workforce-ready skills. Today, Vector Solutions provides skills and safety training to over 2,000 industry customers, who use that training to ensure their workforce has the necessary skills to perform their jobs effectively. Together with PATHWAYos career-connected learning software, Vector Solutions will be able to offer CTE courses, industry-recognized credentials, and safety training content to K-12 students, districts, intermediaries, state agencies, and colleges. In the future, Vector Solutions plans to use the PATHWAYos platform to connect its industry customers with trained talent, supporting customers in addressing skills gaps and labor shortages by providing a direct 'skills-based' talent pipeline. Our acquisition of PATHWAYos reaffirms our commitment to helping students excel on their chosen career paths, said Jonathan Cherins, Chief Executive Officer of Vector Solutions. The combined power of our offerings will serve to bridge the skills gap between students seeking more training and work-based learning opportunities and industry customers looking to build a skilled workforce. PATHWAYos was established in 2017 with a mission to unlock work-based learning opportunities for all. Its mission is to change how students view their options, how educators see their workload, and how the industry considers its growing talent pool. Work-based learning (WBL) prepares students for the job market and helps build a pipeline of skilled workers, all while lowering recruitment and training costs for employers, and expanding economic development in local communities. The company's WBL programs have impacted over 800,000 students across 2,000 schools in 30 states, leading to more than three million work-based learning hours logged. "Joining forces with Vector Solutions catapults us to an ambitious new era, where we can serve as an unrivaled catalyst for Career and Technical Education," said Cecilia Retelle Zywicki, CEO of PATHWAYos. "Our aim is nothing short of empowering students at scale by unlocking paths towards the future they want, and granting access to economic mobility that often is reserved for an exclusive subset of students. Together, we aspire to impact countless students, breaking barriers between education and the workforce, and reshaping the landscape." Vector Solutions serves over 24,000 customers and thirty-one million end users across the Education, Commercial, and Public Sector markets. With an increased focus on CTE, Vector Solutions will accelerate its presence in this critical market. The company will support students no matter what path they choose to take into the workforce and enable industry customers to access a pipeline of skilled talent. Post acquisition, PATHWAYos will be a product under a new business unit within Vector focused on CTE. The combined expertise and resources will strengthen Vector Solutions' CTE offerings and solidify its position as a leader in the industry. About Vector Solutions Vector Solutions is the leading provider of impactful technology solutions dedicated to driving safer, smarter, better decision-making in the world's most critical industries. Embedded into daily workflows to drive improvements in compliance, safety, performance, and preparedness, our software includes training management, industry-focused online course libraries, EHS management, workforce scheduling, risk communication, operational readiness, and more. Vector's unique combination of information and technology - delivered when and where it is needed - is integral to our more than 34 thousand clients looking to achieve better outcomes and safeguard lives. Vector is committed to providing resources to support those who need them most and launched a collection of free courses on critical mental health and safety topics through Vector Cares. For more information, visit http://www.vectorsolutions.com. For access to free Vector Cares courses visit https://www.vectorsolutions.com/about-us/vector-cares/. About Vector Solutions for K-12 Education Vector Solutions for K-12 Education is a leading provider of training, software and professional development solutions committed to creating safer, smarter and better school environments. Trusted by more than 5,000 K-12 districts in the United States, Vector's award-winning suite of products save administrators time, improve compliance, and streamline administrative processes. Vector trainings on imperative topics like safety and compliance; inclusive instruction; mental health and well-being; diversity, equity and inclusion; and cybersecurity enable students and teachers alike to make schools safer, more inclusive, and more effective places to work and learn. For more information about Vector Solutions for K-12 Education, visit http://www.vectorsolutions.com/k12. About PATHWAYos PATHWAYos® is the innovative software at the center of all career-connected learning. School districts, states, and career centers can now collaborate with businesses to expand work-based learning programs. The software streamlines processes while allowing partners to provide numerous opportunities that enhance the development of skills required by the workforce of the future. The world-class platform is quickly becoming a household requirement for innovative school districts.

Read More

Education Technology

D2L Highlights New D2L Brightspace Product Features to Help Enhance Accessibility and Ease of Use

PR Newswire | October 19, 2023

D2L, a global learning technology company, today highlighted enhanced Brightspace product features — developed over the past six months — that can help global learners and educators simplify the learning experience by bringing learning solutions together in one place. I'm thrilled to share that D2L continues to invest in its existing solutions and broaden its portfolio of products, partner solutions and services to assist educators, organizations, and learners in their readiness for the future, said Rajesh Talpade, Senior Vice President of Product Management at D2L. D2L's new and enhanced product features can make it easier than ever to offer effective learning in online and blended environments to help see that learners have the opportunity to succeed. New D2L Solution for Businesses Announced in September 2023, D2L introduced a new, all-in-one solution for businesses: D2L for Business. This integrated, easy-to-use corporate solution combines the benefits of an existing network of world-class education providers, skill development solutions, and expert consulting services as an learning experience platform (LXP). Empowering Learners, Educators and Administrators Brightspace functionalities and offerings that can provide customers with tools and resources to help enhance outcomes and save time. Brightspace now offers: Even more Creator+ tools for educators, including: new accessible layouts, expanded types of interactive elements, and a fully accessible hotspot practice question type. This can help enable educators to continue building beautiful and instructionally sound content using familiar Brightspace workflows. An AI-driven, first line of contexual help and support embedded within Brightspace Brightspace Virtual Assistant. More datasets and improved data dashboards to help make it easier for educators and businesses to gain insights and understand metrics in their organizations. Simplifying Workflows Recent Brightspace updates continue to make workflows more intuitive, efficient, effective and consistent. This includes: An improved Quiz experience that can offer support for high-stakes exams with strict time limits, support for synchronous quizzing windows, and other improvements. A familiar and upgraded Discussion experience with workflows to help bring new functionality to educators. New content authoring functionality to help make it easier to manage both the required and optional course materials. In addition, enhancements to the Media Library are now more user-friendly, with new time-saving indicators to track progress and surface common actions. And, new changes to course merging options that can empower educators and save administrative time. New self-enrollment enhancements for Brightspace customers that offer professional development opportunities and allow educators to see that learners are enrolling in the right courses. Uniting a Stronger Ecosystem D2L has also enhanced its robust learning ecosystem by simplifying access to Brightspace and encouraging new interactions among educators, administrators, and learners. These updates, features and tools include: An easier, course registration process through Course Merchant, a modern e-commerce experience, whose front-end course catalog and payment and enrollment system is now offered as a D2L product after more than nine years as a key integration partner. Visualized Brightspace Analytics within Ellucian Experience, help advisors to quickly identify at-risk learners by aggregating Brightspace data with external data to holistically determine appropriate intervention. Early access to D2L Link, which can connect Brightspace with the systems of record clients use every day. The integrations enabled through D2L Link can help minimize manual tasks and see that data is synchronized between systems. D2L's new IntegrationHub, built on LTI 1.3. and launched as a new catalog site that lists partner solutions that are available for integrations with Brightpsace. The IntegrationHub makes it easy for Brightspace users to browse D2L's extensive list of integrated technologies and solutions, such as accessibility tools, student information systems, secure proctoring assessment platforms, and many other partner solutions. For more information on the latest features and updates, please visit What's New at D2L. About D2L D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.

Read More

Online Education

Parkway School District Optimizes Blended Learning Environments with PowerSchool Solutions

PowerSchool | January 15, 2022

PowerSchool, the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education, today announced that Parkway School District in Chesterfield, Missouri, utilizes PowerSchool solutions to create optimal learning environments for students. Through their partnership, Parkway Schools sees benefits from PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool solutions to support district-wide teacher collaboration and student career preparation efforts, respectively. “As a long-time Unified Classroom Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool user, both solutions have played an instrumental role in improving our in-person, distanced and hybrid learning environments,” said Bill Bass, Innovation Coordinator - Instructional Technology, Information, Library Media, and Federal Programs, Parkway School District. “Thanks to PowerSchool's dedication to interoperability and teaching and learning, we have been able to transform our work and foster more meaningful learning experiences for our students and staff. PowerSchool continues to serve as a trusted partner and resource for our district, and I look forward to working with them for years to come.” Parkway Schools cited PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning as an instrumental solution that has helped the district foster improved learning environments over the years, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the district’s ongoing usage of Schoology prior to school shutdowns, the district was prepared to shift from in-person to virtual classrooms in a timely and efficient manner, creating a seamless virtual (and now blended) learning environment for students and staff. Additionally, the district said Schoology’s Assessment Management Platform (AMP) enables educators to collaborate with one another to create improved question-based assessments for students. Prior to partnering with PowerSchool, the district used various learning management systems and realized the need for a comprehensive platform to manage student assessments, district curriculum, e-learning efforts and digital content. Since integrating Unified Classroom® Schoology Learning, Parkway School District has seen improvements related to personalized student instruction, teacher collaboration and student performance. The district has also used Naviance by PowerSchool, providing students self-discovery tools that help them uncover their strengths and interests to make informed decisions about their futures. “Parkway School District’s use of our Unified Classroom Schoology Learning and Naviance by PowerSchool solutions truly shows the expanded capabilities educators can have by partnering with PowerSchool. We’re proud to see the continued impact our solutions make for Parkway Schools’ educators and look forward to empowering these changemakers for years to come.” Craig Greenseid, PowerSchool Chief Revenue Officer Parkway School District is a diverse, suburban school district located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The district serves over 17,000 students across 29 campuses within the St. Louis County community. Since its founding, Parkway Schools has received several accolades within the broader St. Louis community, including a designation as a Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Business Health Culture Award from the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition, among others. About PowerSchool PowerSchool is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education. Its mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their full potential, in their way. PowerSchool connects students, teachers, administrators, and parents, with the shared goal of improving student outcomes. From the office to the classroom to the home, it helps schools and districts efficiently manage state reporting and related compliance, special education, finance, human resources, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning, instruction, grading, assessments and analytics in one unified platform. PowerSchool supports over 45 million students globally and more than 13,000 customers, including over 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States, and sells solutions in over 90 countries.

Read More

Events