EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Brainly | April 21, 2023
Post-pandemic, schools grapple with teacher shortages, frustrated parents and declining student test scores. And now, we are heading into the most stressful time of the school year. Brainly, the leading global learning platform for all school subjects and grades, announces help is on the way: new AI-enabled features that provide homework help where and when students—and their parents—need it. AI-powered products explicitly developed to assist teachers will be released later this year.
These newest features build on Brainly's Knowledge Base of over 250 million high-quality and accurate answers, generated from its moderated student and expert communities. The AI powering the new capabilities, developed with OpenAI's GPT-4 technology, uses that Knowledge Base to provide an even more dynamic, personalized and effective learning experience.
Learners now have the option to “Simplify” or “Expand” answers and “Ask a Follow-up Question” and receive personalized content based on their understanding of a topic. Also debuting is Ginny, Brainly's digital mascot, who is always at the ready to guide students and parents to ensure they get the AI-powered help they need.
Personalized help for all students
“This time of year is always stressful for parents, students and teachers,” said Bill Salak, Chief Technology Officer at Brainly. “Instead of arguing whether AI belongs in education—a moot point since it's already here—let's use AI to help mitigate those stressors. With these latest additions to our feature suite, we put AI-powered learning tools in the student’s pocket, enabling them to get the homework help they need to deepen their understanding of a topic. It's about getting students the help they need when they leave the classroom.”
Learners can now ask for simplified answers to their questions or opt for more in-depth solutions that explore complex topics. They can also ask follow-up questions for more information, clarification of a response or a step-by-step solution to a problem.
For example, a student may ask, “What are organic compounds?” After receiving an answer, they may want to ask a follow-up question, such as, “Why are they vital to living things?”
“This is just the first of the new AI-powered features we are releasing as we move forward on our vision of giving every student access to personalized learning,” said Salak. “Stay tuned for new product releases that will bring our AI-powered technology to teachers, enabling even more students to benefit from our learning platform.”
About Brainly
Brainly is a leading learning platform worldwide with the most extensive knowledge base for all school subjects and grades. Hundreds of millions of students, parents and educators rely on Brainly as the proven platform to accelerate understanding and learning. Based in Kraków, Poland, with offices in New York City and Barcelona, Brainly apps and websites are visited by users from over 35 countries. Brainly is backed by Prosus, Point Nine Capital, General Catalyst, Runa Capital, Learn Capital and Kulczyk Investments.
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ONLINE EDUCATION
PRnewswire | March 31, 2023
The Ellucian Foundation, established in 2020 by the leading higher education technology solutions provider Ellucian, today announced that the 2023 Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope (PATH) Scholarship Program will accept applications March 27th – May 12th for U.S. institutions and March 27th – May 26th for eligible institutions outside of the U.S. Now in its fourth year, the PATH Scholarship provides grants to higher education institutions globally to support students facing economic hardship and educational disruptions. For 2023, the PATH Scholarship Program will focus on providing grants to 2-year public colleges in the U.S. and eligible higher education institutions in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
"Students across the globe cite lack of financial resources among the biggest obstacles to achieving their educational goals," said Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian. "We are proud to support students through The Ellucian Foundation's PATH Scholarship program, helping those facing financial hardship stay in school and complete their program of study."
• "Receiving the Ellucian PATH Scholarship means that I will be able to prioritize and focus on my education rather than worrying about how to finance it." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Pacific University
• "Funding with my bills will take some of my worries and stress away so I can concentrate and finish school, which will be a dream come true." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Central Carolina Technical College
• "This program provided invaluable support to students who were needing additional assistance...because of this award, our students are edging closer to achieving their goal of earning a degree." - an administrator from Our Lady of the Lake University. • "With the allocation of these funds, I can complete my degree this year. If I was not awarded...I would have had to remain on an academic registration hold, restricting my enrollment in Spring semester classes." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Pacific University
"In the U.S., two-year public colleges play a vital role in providing access to higher education for underserved students, offering an affordable and flexible learning pathway to a better life," said Jen Welding, Executive Director of the Ellucian Foundation. "We are honored to continue this program and support students at these institutions and other higher education institutions around the world through this year's PATH Scholarship program, providing much-needed financial relief to help students facing hardships stay in school and achieve their educational and career goals."
In 2020, Ellucian partnered with the Business-Higher Education Forum and pledged an initial $1 million to create the PATH Scholarship. Now administered by the Ellucian Foundation, the program will award block grants to higher education institutions in $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000 (USD) amounts. The institutions will then distribute the scholarships to students in financial need, with a maximum award of $1,500 (USD) per student. Students can use these funds to help cover items such as housing, tuition and food. Since its creation, the program has distributed over $1.6 Million in scholarships to 1,900+ students.
For 2023, The following types of higher education institutions are invited to apply:
• In the U.S., public two-year institutions that are eligible to participate in the Federal Title IV Student aid programs. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are strongly encouraged to apply.
• In Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico and the United Kingdom, not-for-profit higher education institutions that are approved by the country's ministry of higher education (or other national government ministry) to provide associate's or bachelor's degrees.
An independent judging committee will select the institutions chosen to receive a PATH Scholarship award. Recipient institutions in the U.S. will be notified in mid-July and those outside the U.S. in mid-September.
ABOUT ELLUCIAN
Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries, serving 22 million students. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Globenewswire | April 26, 2023
Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, today announced the introduction of CPArescue™ and CMArescue™, custom-tailored exam preparation coaching programs specifically designed to transform a student’s accounting certification journey from failure to passing.
“Surgent is acutely aware of the many challenges professionals face in entering the world of accounting and finance, which include the difficulty of the exams and time it takes to study and pass,” said Liz Kolar, Surgent’s executive vice president. “CPArescue and CMArescue were built to ease that journey, providing a custom learning solution for students who need support in just one or two sections or have struggled to pass the exams using other providers.”
The introduction of these programs comes on the heels of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy announcing it amended the Uniform Accountancy Act to extend the CPA pass window from 18 months to up to 30 months from the date a candidate’s score on the first section of the exam is released. State boards need to adopt the amendment before an individual can take advantage of the longer window, but the decision is another step in the right direction to address the CPA shortage.
The CPArescue and CMArescue programs, now available on Surgent.com, use a 3-Step Coaching Success Formula:
1. Initial assessment: An expert Surgent exam strategist conducts a detailed analysis of the student’s initial assessment results, allowing for the identification of specific areas needed for support. 2. Tailored study plan: Working closely with the student, Surgent’s coach develops a customized study plan needed to achieve the required score, taking into account circumstances of the student’s personal life and their individual goals. 3. Adjust and pass: Surgent’s coach helps the student make any necessary adjustments to stay on track while studying, empowering the student with knowledge, skills and all the support needed to pass the exam.
The CPArescue package includes six one-on-one coaching sessions with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam Study Strategist; Surgent’s A.S.A.P.® Technology adaptive learning software, ReadySCORE™ exam-readiness indicator, and MyMCQ™ study content optimizer; 8,200 multiple-choice questions; 400+ simulations; 350+ videos; study companion app; unlimited practice exams; e-books and lecture study notes; ultimate customer and technical support; and a 100% pass guarantee. Course access is also provided until the student passes the CPA Exam.
The CMArescue package includes four one-on-one coaching sessions with a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam Study Strategist, Surgent’s A.S.A.P.® Technology adaptive learning software, ReadySCORE™ exam-readiness indicator, and MyMCQ™ study content optimizer; 4,000 multiple-choice questions; 60+ essay questions; 60+ videos; study companion app; unlimited practice exams; e-books and lecture study notes; ultimate customer and technical support; and a 100% pass guarantee. Course access is also provided for 18 months.
"Like our A.S.A.P. and ReadySCORE technologies, these programs are a reflection of Surgent's commitment to continuous innovation and to delivering a superior educational experience that takes real-time learner feedback into consideration,” said Kolar. “We look forward to introducing additional new offerings later this year."
About Surgent Accounting & Financial Education
Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, is a provider of the high-impact education experiences that accounting, tax and financial professionals need throughout their careers. For most of the company’s 35-year history, Surgent has been a trusted provider of the continuing professional education (CPE), continuing education (CE) and skill-based training that professionals need to maintain their credentials and stay current on industry changes. More recently, Surgent became one of the fastest-growing certification exam review providers, offering adaptive learning-based courses that help learners pass accounting and finance credentialing exams faster.
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