EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
BibliU | February 10, 2023
On February 9, 2023, BibliU, an EdTech innovator democratizing content accessibility, received a contract from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, to provide the company's Universal Learning solution to the college. Lee College is BibliU's largest Universal Learning client, with approximately 8,000 students enrolled.
Utilizing Lee College's Learning Management System (LMS), BibliU's Universal Learning solution provides students with access to content on the first day of class and covers approximately 90% of the booklist. In addition, the solution eliminates many inconveniences associated with acquiring textbooks, including long lines at the bookstore and inaccessibility to course materials once classes begin.
BibliU had to demonstrate that it could provide Lee College learners with electronic textbooks and courseware on the first day of classes while saving students money to earn the contract. In the fall and spring, Lee College offers approximately 800 courses, while around 300 are available in the summer. Nearly 70% of classes require a textbook, and an estimated 18% of those classes also need courseware.
Dave Sherwood, Co-Founder and CEO of BibliU, shared, "Prompted by high costs and the possibility of burdensome debt, many young people are questioning the value of attending college." He added, "I believe that college provides opportunities that should be available to everyone. A digital-first, ed tech solution is a path forward for colleges, offering affordable and available content on the first day of class."
(Source – Business Wire)
About BibliU
New York-based BibliU is a learning enablement platform that is democratizing content accessibility. It facilitates higher education institutions to optimize their textbook and courseware workflows to enhance affordability, student outcomes, and social mobility. The future of higher education will involve securing affordable access to course materials for every student. To accomplish this, the company has partnered with tens of thousands of publishers and developed a Learning Enablement platform dedicated to making education more efficient, equitable, and effective.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Coursera | January 18, 2023
On January 17, 2023, Goodwill Industries International and Coursera announced a collaboration to create the Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate. The very first certificate of its kind will provide educational content developed from 120 years of Goodwill's history of industry expertise to those who are pursuing a career in workforce development and career navigation.
This self-paced course enables development and learning for Goodwill coaches and career navigators by leveraging the power of Coursera's cost-effective online platform. Workforce development resources and tools are also provided to the Goodwill navigators and coaches to enable them to better assist job seekers across the U.S. and Canada. The online training, based on the expertise and experience of local Goodwill career services teams, prepares professionals for employment in the emerging career coaching and navigation profession.
Career counselors and navigators help over one million people find jobs, education, and necessary support service, playing an essential role in Goodwill's mission. Accessible, career-focused learning courses that lead to professional certificates help job seekers find good jobs, earn a living wage, and boost local economies. Aspiring professionals who are looking to upscale their skills and enhance workforce development, including Goodwill's nonprofit and community partners, can benefit from the Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate.
Chief Mission Officer of Goodwill Industries International, Martin Scaglione, said, "Goodwill provides career services to help individuals facing barriers reach their potential through the power of work. Employers in local communities find Goodwill to be a trusted source for talent," He further mentioned, "The Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate not only benefits career services professionals and employers, but most importantly it is a game changer for the individual they both serve, by opening access to opportunity.
(Source – GlobeNewswire)
About Coursera
Launched in 2012 by Stanford Computer Science professors Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, Coursera's mission is to offer universal access to top-notch learning. With 102 million registered learners as of March 31, 2022, it is one of the world's largest online learning platforms. Coursera collaborates with over 250 leading industry partners and universities to provide a diverse collection of professional certificates, courses, guided projects, specializations, and bachelor's and master's degrees. Coursera is employed by organizations worldwide to reskill and upskill their employees, students, and citizens in areas such as technology, data science, and business.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Sophia Learning | February 13, 2023
An online-learning and on-demand platform, Sophia Learning provides general education-level courses to higher education level students and recently announced a partnership with one of the world's leading edtech platforms Labster, for virtual lab and interactive science. The partnership delivers college-level science courses incorporating Labster's simulation content designed to meet the higher education needs of Sophia Learning's students and working adults. Sophia Learning is an associate of Strategic Education, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission to reduce the cost of higher education while increasing student success and job readiness.
The American Council on Education (ACE®) recommends the Chemistry lab course made with Labster for college credit. This signifies that many colleges and universities may accept course credit from it towards a degree. In addition, ACE® is looking at other courses to see if they should be recommended for credit. These courses are a good way to get college-level credits in STEM fields at a low cost.
Sophia's Chemistry Lab course was first launched in December with Labster simulations. Sophia Learning will use Labster's simulations to build four more online lab courses in 2023. To help students finish the lab simulations, the courses will have extra Labster content like lab reports, manuals, formative assessments, and introductory videos. Sophia Learning courses with Labster-integrated labs include Introduction to Chemistry, Microbiology, Human Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II.
Labster allows teachers to use the internet to explore, improve, and add to their science lessons and classroom activities. Labster's STEM-related virtual lab simulations catalog now has more than 300 titles. These simulations can be used in more than 50 academic courses. In addition, the browser based Labster simulations can be performed on a range of the most commonly used devices, from desktop computers to iPad and tablets to Chromebooks.
Independent research and case studies show that the gamification techniques and fun, real-world scenarios of the Labster simulations get students more interested and involved. Learners can explore simulations on their own in high-tech labs through their web browsers, eliminating schools from spending millions building new facilities. Students can try out Sophia Learning courses before signing up for a low-cost monthly plan to take college-level courses. In addition, Labster virtual labs and interactive science solutions are available for free to educators.
About Sophia Learning
Sophia Learning offers high-quality online college-credit courses with a curriculum tailored to students and working adults. In addition, the platform provides lots of online, low-cost general education-level courses for college credit that ACE® recommends. Over 1,000 colleges and universities received Sophia's transcripts. The company was established in 2012 and believed in making personal and professional affordable and accessible at every educational career stage.
About Labster
Founded in 2011, Labster is committed to making fully interactive virtual training simulations. These simulations help students learn more by piquing their natural curiosity and showing them how science applies to the real world. The simulations can be used in various ways, from a complete lab replacement to an additional learning activity. As a result, more than 5 million students in high school universities across 70 countries have used Labster to conduct realistic experiments, practice skills in a risk-free environment and learn key science concepts.
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