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Why K–12 Students Need to Be Taught to Guard Their Data Online

A recent McAfee survey of 1,000 college students and recent graduates ages 18 to 25 revealed some startling statistics on how little this tech-savvy cohort knows about data security. As many as 80 percent of students surveyed said either they or a friend or family member had been affected by a cyberattack. Despite that, 43 percent said they believed that they wouldn’t ever be a victim of a cybercrime. The consequence? Shockingly poor data hygiene. Just over half (53 percent) of students surveyed had security software on their computers, only 37 percent had smartphone protection and an even lower number, 14 percent, had some security installed on their tablets.

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The College Network

The College Network® is a global eLearning company dedicated to serving the needs of post-traditional learners through innovation in online learning. Since 1992, The College Network has offered educational solutions that help adult learners advance their education and training with college degrees and professional certificates from highly acclaimed universities. The College Network also provides full-scale online program development services and employee education solutions to a variety of forward-thinking universities and businesses.

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Education Technology

21 Fastest-Growing Edtech Startups (2021)

Article | July 14, 2022

This is a list of growing startups in the education technology space. Overall, VC funding in the edtech space grew by 94% last year, reaching $13 billion. Big names like Udemy, MasterClass and Teachable might get all the attention. (And we will cover many edtech unicorns on this list.) But there are plenty of smaller, fast-growing Edtech startups to keep an eye on in 2021 and beyond. Without further ado, let's dive into the list. Teachoo 5-year search growth: 7500% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2014 Location: Pune, India Funding: Undisclosed What they do: Teachoo is an education platform that hosts a variety of online courses designed for English speaking students in India. Current course offering include tax preparation, Microsoft Excel and math. Outschool 5-year search growth: 6300% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $240.2M (Series D) What they do: Outschool has created an educational platform for small live classes designed for homeschooling. Specifically, students and parents can choose from over 1,000 live classes designed for children, including ballet, drawing, STEM skills and anthropology. To date the company has had 500,000 students take at least once class and a total of 140,000 classes. Outschool now has a valuation of $3 billion and teachers have generated a reported $45 million from the platform. Preply 5-year search growth: 3200% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2012 Location: Brookline, Massachusetts Funding: $50.6M (Series B) What they do: Preply is an online marketplace for finding tutors in a variety of different languages. The Preply platform also contains a "structured learning" option for those that want a tutor to help them take a more organized route. In addition to rankings, Preply also ranks tutors based on a machine learning model. The company reports that they have over 100,000 students on their platform. Labster 5-year search growth: 575% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2011 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Funding: $103.5M (Series C) What they do: Labster hosts several "virtual labs" for doing experiments in VR. Specifically, students use VR and AR software to practice lab techniques virtually. The major benefit is that students can practice in a safe environment. And prepare them for real-world lab work. Labster currently has over 150 virtual labs on its platform and boasts over 1,000 University clients. Cambly 5-year search growth: 99X+ Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2012 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: Undisclosed (Series B) What they do: Cambly is an on-demand video platform for finding English language tutors. Includes features for lesson recordings, chat translations, courses and certifications. Cambly has a plan specifically for organizations that want to learn English. Lessonly 5-year search growth: -4% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2012 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Funding: $29.1M (Series C) What they do: Lessonly is software to help facilitate in-house staff training for companies. In other words, it's a learning platform for the B2B market. Their software comes with plug-and-play modules for training customer service reps and sales staff. Along with interactive tools that help employees practice scenarios they'll face in the real world. Embrace 5-year search growth: 1900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 1999 Location: Highland, Illinois Funding: Undisclosed What they do: Embrace is a tool for helping teachers document student performance in the classroom. The tool is designed to save educator's time when creating lesson plans and documenting results. Embrace reports that their tool cuts down reporting time by about 50% compared to traditional methods. GoPractice 5-year search growth: 0% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2013 Location: Simpsonville, South Carolina Funding: Undisclosed What they do: GoPractice is an online training program for learning how to grow a customer base. Unlike some of the other edtech companies on this list, GoPractice doesn't offer a variety of courses in different areas. Instead, their 12-week course is designed to help startups find product market fit, launch, and scale their product. GoPractice includes lessons on product management, systems thinking, and data analytics. BetterUp 5-year search growth: 600% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2013 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $569.8M (Series E) What they do: BetterUp is a coaching and training platform designed to boost employee engagement and productivity. Focused on enterprise companies, BetterUp is technically SaaS. But also delivers coaching services through its platform. The company is currently valued at $4.7 billion and has raised $600 million. CuriosityStream 5-year search growth: 273% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: Silver Spring, Maryland Funding: $279.7M (Post-IPO Equity) What they do: CuriosityStream is "Netflix for educational content", like documentaries and educational series. Plans range from $2.99/mo for HD video to $9.99 for 4K quality. CuriosityStream's advisory board includes notable names like Glenn Close, Don Henley, and Michio Kaku. In Q3 2021, CuriosityStream posted $18.7 million in revenue and grew their direct subscriber count by 50% over the past year. Udemy 5-year search growth: 223% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $311.4M (Secondary Market) What they do: Udemy is a platform with 130,00 courses on dozens of different topics, from marketing to singing. In addition to à la carte course offerings, Udemy also has a "Udemy for Business" plan. This a subscription service that allows unlimited access to 5,000 courses. Lingoda 5-year search growth: 900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2013 Location: Berlin, Germany Funding: $79.1M (Private Equity) What they do: Lingoda is an online language school. The startup’s platform offers group or 1-to-1 classes in English, German, French, or Spanish. Also, Lingoda develops its own learning material in-house, which helps standardize the methodology. The company reports that they have 70,000 students and 1,400 teachers. GoStudent 5-year search growth: 4900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2016 Location: Vienna, Austria Funding: $345.4M (Series C) What they do: GoStudent is an online tutoring platform. The website helps find tutors across 14 different school subjects, from math to English. The site claims to have more than 10,000 students. In November 2021, GoStudent became the highest valued K through 12 education technology platform in Europe with a valuation of $1.6 billion. Brainly 5-year search growth: 2000% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2009 Location: Kraków, Poland Funding: $148.5M (Series D) What they do: Brainly is a social learning network. Users can ask questions about a range of different school subjects. And help their peers in order to receive points. The number of Brainly users grew from 150 million users in 2019 to 350 million a year later. Cuemath 5-year search growth: 300% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2013 Location: Bengaluru, India Funding: $64.5M (Series C) What they do: Cuemath operates a live-class platform for learning math and coding. Classes are held on Cuemath’s own platform with access to video calls and personalized worksheets. Parents can track the progress of their child on the app, which updates after each class. Quizizz 5-year search growth: 1328% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: Bangalore, India Funding: $47M (Series B) What they do: Quizizz is a gamified learning platform for children and employees. Teachers can create quizzes or use a library of existing content for student assignments. Employers can create polls or quizzes to support employee training (during presentations, onboarding, etc.). Reports are available in the product with instant feedback on class performance. Photomath 5-year search growth: 470% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2014 Location: San Mateo, CA Funding: $29M (Series B) What they do: Photomath is a mobile application for solving mathematical equations instantly. The app uses the smartphone's camera to scan math problems and provide solutions with step-by-step explanations. Photomath has more than 220 million downloads from App Store and Google Play. Mursion 5-year search growth: -38% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2014 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $35.1M (Series B) What they do: Mursion is a VR training platform for workplace training. Specifically, developing "emotional quotient" (EQ) skills. Their product delivers personalized simulations with the use of AI and human specialists. The company has offers training programs for leadership training, healthcare, and more. SplashLearn 5-year search growth: 4900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2010 Location: Gurugram, India Funding: $25M (Series C) What they do: SplashLearn is a gamified math learning product for elementary school children. Their content library includes more than 4,000 games designed to explain math concepts. RangeForce 5-year search growth: 700% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2015 Location: Manassas, VA Funding: $18M (Series A) What they do: RangeForce operates a cloud-based learning platform for cybersecurity training. The startup's product offers a cyber attack simulator for employees to improve their skills. Managers can track the team's performance with reporting features. CoachHub 5-year search growth: 99X+ Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2018 Location: Berlin, Germany Funding: $133M (Series B) What they do: CoachHub is a B2B digital coaching provider. This startup creates personalized talent development programs for employees to hone their skills and delivers them remotely via video. Employees and HR teams can measure performance within the application. CoachHub has more than 2,500 business coaches in its network. Conclusion That completes this list of 21 Edtech startups with significant growth in 2021. What stands out about many of these companies is the fact that they cater to completely different markets, from schoolchildren all the way up to executives that spend most of their time in B2B boardrooms.

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Education Technology

Data Analytics for eLearning

Article | July 15, 2022

The rapid shift to eLearning has raised questions regarding the remote usage of online tools by students and teachers and the impact digital instruction is having on student engagement. CatchOn’s detailed trend reports reveal how and when students and teachers across the nation are using their EdTech applications and school devices, both inside and outside the classroom. CatchOn has generated these reports based on actual usage data from districts using CatchOn.

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Education Technology, Continuing Education

Best VR Apps and Games to Help your Kids Learn in 2020

Article | August 8, 2022

The best educational VR games and apps turn the world into a classroom. These incredible experiences encourage children to explore new cultures, conduct experiments, create dynamic artwork, challenge their minds, and visit places they may never see in person. Our top choice, Google's Tilt Brush, encourages creativity without ever feeling like work: the ideal for child-centric content. This guide lays out the best VR-based activities, field trips, brain-bending games, and thought-provoking films most likely to inspire and educate your kids.

Read More
Education Technology

EdTech in 2021: Three Key Trends Shaping the Use of Technology in Education this Year

Article | December 21, 2021

The combination of education and technology is a hot topic in 2021. Virtual classrooms and e-learning have become the new norm, and new technologies start to determine early education. The discussion about trends in educational technology has never been more lively, and it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. It’s worth asking: what's driving today's education and technology integration in schools? Let’s check which EdTech trends are evolving right now in the industry and how they will dictate the future of the entire sector. Technological optimism in the teaching profession The first trend occurs on the institutional level: More and more schools are looking to integrate technology into the curriculum. Worldwide, teachers and schools have been seeing the positive sides of integrating technology. As a result, they have started demanding new, technology-based methodologies to overcome the challenges of traditional education. This curiosity is stronger and louder than ever before. At the same time, EdTech tools such as Google Classroom allow teachers to train themselves in technology-based teaching more quickly. Former three-day teacher conferences now happen periodically in many schools via distance discussions and practical peer review sessions. In those meetings, educators share their knowledge, tools, and ideas on matching technology with their curricula. It is a good sign that technology is penetrating further into the professional development of educators. Teachers understand that students’ development depends on their own development and are finally keen to attend workshops and conferences that address technology-based learning. The rising interest in technology-based education is also reflected among students. As the McGraw-Hill Education study points out, 53% of U.S. college students prefer classes that use and teach digital technology over traditional textbook lessons. Virtual reality facilitates learning in schools The second trend is how augmented reality and virtual robots change teaching and learning. One of the most exciting developments is the vast potential that simulations and virtual robotics offer to school education. For some time, augmented reality and virtual simulations have been on everyone’s mind. However, only recently have we started recognizing the immense possibilities that virtual reality (VR) carries to improve learning experiences. Today, preschool children can explore insects in actual size and authenticity via the Google search engine. Computer simulations, such as VR, can bring distant or abstract experiences into the classroom and make them technically accessible every day. And with simulations, students can examine “what-if” situations and learn how to test hypotheses and develop scientific rigor early on. In this way, students strengthen their practical skills and logical reasoning and develop their creativity. Some application examples are phenomena like the functioning of the solar system, explosive reactions between chemical substances, or progressions on how CO2 emissions will affect the ecosystem by 2050. Even if it’s not as obvious, simulations are valuable for linguistics, history, architecture, and other educational fields. Let’s take drones as an example. Students can program a drone and use the simulation to explore the features of bridges and monuments worldwide by doing expeditions with drones. Artificial intelligence drives personalized learning You cannot miss the immense opportunities artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have brought to the EdTech sector. The principles of AI and IoT and their integration into students’ learning experiences continue to proliferate in school and at home. Tools such as voice assistants and AI tutors help diversify and personalize learning experiences and boost self-regulated learning. Software like Duolingo teaches children new languages based on what they’ve learned before and what they still find challenging. Such software also integrates voice recognition and responds in real-time, allowing users to simulate a real-world language learning experience. Moreover, AI-driven learning platforms collect student data and analyze where a student might need help, send a study reminder, or gather additional material on specific topics for the individual student. On those platforms, teachers can regularly review students’ learning data and take the proactive recommendations provided by AI into account. The personalized learning experiences that AI creates are crucial to improve students’ motivation and learning success. The goal is to support students in the same personal learning stage and give teachers accurate information on the student’s progress in specific areas. Personalized training makes sure that not a single one is left behind or slowed down because of underwhelming materials. The year 2021 as a window of opportunity Not only did AI and simulations open up new learning opportunities, but 2021 also brought sweeping changes at the grassroots level of technology and education. Schools, parents, and teachers have now understood the importance of technology for successful personal development. We are in the ideal moment to continue transforming teaching and learning through technology. Now, it is only a matter of creatively using the essential tools and integrating new devices–and marking a bright educational future for everyone.

Read More
Education Technology

3 Ways to Recession-Proof the Education Technology Department

Article | July 14, 2022

This is a list of growing startups in the education technology space. Overall, VC funding in the edtech space grew by 94% last year, reaching $13 billion. Big names like Udemy, MasterClass and Teachable might get all the attention. (And we will cover many edtech unicorns on this list.) But there are plenty of smaller, fast-growing Edtech startups to keep an eye on in 2021 and beyond. Without further ado, let's dive into the list. Teachoo 5-year search growth: 7500% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2014 Location: Pune, India Funding: Undisclosed What they do: Teachoo is an education platform that hosts a variety of online courses designed for English speaking students in India. Current course offering include tax preparation, Microsoft Excel and math. Outschool 5-year search growth: 6300% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $240.2M (Series D) What they do: Outschool has created an educational platform for small live classes designed for homeschooling. Specifically, students and parents can choose from over 1,000 live classes designed for children, including ballet, drawing, STEM skills and anthropology. To date the company has had 500,000 students take at least once class and a total of 140,000 classes. Outschool now has a valuation of $3 billion and teachers have generated a reported $45 million from the platform. Preply 5-year search growth: 3200% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2012 Location: Brookline, Massachusetts Funding: $50.6M (Series B) What they do: Preply is an online marketplace for finding tutors in a variety of different languages. The Preply platform also contains a "structured learning" option for those that want a tutor to help them take a more organized route. In addition to rankings, Preply also ranks tutors based on a machine learning model. The company reports that they have over 100,000 students on their platform. Labster 5-year search growth: 575% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2011 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Funding: $103.5M (Series C) What they do: Labster hosts several "virtual labs" for doing experiments in VR. Specifically, students use VR and AR software to practice lab techniques virtually. The major benefit is that students can practice in a safe environment. And prepare them for real-world lab work. Labster currently has over 150 virtual labs on its platform and boasts over 1,000 University clients. Cambly 5-year search growth: 99X+ Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2012 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: Undisclosed (Series B) What they do: Cambly is an on-demand video platform for finding English language tutors. Includes features for lesson recordings, chat translations, courses and certifications. Cambly has a plan specifically for organizations that want to learn English. Lessonly 5-year search growth: -4% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2012 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Funding: $29.1M (Series C) What they do: Lessonly is software to help facilitate in-house staff training for companies. In other words, it's a learning platform for the B2B market. Their software comes with plug-and-play modules for training customer service reps and sales staff. Along with interactive tools that help employees practice scenarios they'll face in the real world. Embrace 5-year search growth: 1900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 1999 Location: Highland, Illinois Funding: Undisclosed What they do: Embrace is a tool for helping teachers document student performance in the classroom. The tool is designed to save educator's time when creating lesson plans and documenting results. Embrace reports that their tool cuts down reporting time by about 50% compared to traditional methods. GoPractice 5-year search growth: 0% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2013 Location: Simpsonville, South Carolina Funding: Undisclosed What they do: GoPractice is an online training program for learning how to grow a customer base. Unlike some of the other edtech companies on this list, GoPractice doesn't offer a variety of courses in different areas. Instead, their 12-week course is designed to help startups find product market fit, launch, and scale their product. GoPractice includes lessons on product management, systems thinking, and data analytics. BetterUp 5-year search growth: 600% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2013 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $569.8M (Series E) What they do: BetterUp is a coaching and training platform designed to boost employee engagement and productivity. Focused on enterprise companies, BetterUp is technically SaaS. But also delivers coaching services through its platform. The company is currently valued at $4.7 billion and has raised $600 million. CuriosityStream 5-year search growth: 273% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: Silver Spring, Maryland Funding: $279.7M (Post-IPO Equity) What they do: CuriosityStream is "Netflix for educational content", like documentaries and educational series. Plans range from $2.99/mo for HD video to $9.99 for 4K quality. CuriosityStream's advisory board includes notable names like Glenn Close, Don Henley, and Michio Kaku. In Q3 2021, CuriosityStream posted $18.7 million in revenue and grew their direct subscriber count by 50% over the past year. Udemy 5-year search growth: 223% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $311.4M (Secondary Market) What they do: Udemy is a platform with 130,00 courses on dozens of different topics, from marketing to singing. In addition to à la carte course offerings, Udemy also has a "Udemy for Business" plan. This a subscription service that allows unlimited access to 5,000 courses. Lingoda 5-year search growth: 900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2013 Location: Berlin, Germany Funding: $79.1M (Private Equity) What they do: Lingoda is an online language school. The startup’s platform offers group or 1-to-1 classes in English, German, French, or Spanish. Also, Lingoda develops its own learning material in-house, which helps standardize the methodology. The company reports that they have 70,000 students and 1,400 teachers. GoStudent 5-year search growth: 4900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2016 Location: Vienna, Austria Funding: $345.4M (Series C) What they do: GoStudent is an online tutoring platform. The website helps find tutors across 14 different school subjects, from math to English. The site claims to have more than 10,000 students. In November 2021, GoStudent became the highest valued K through 12 education technology platform in Europe with a valuation of $1.6 billion. Brainly 5-year search growth: 2000% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2009 Location: Kraków, Poland Funding: $148.5M (Series D) What they do: Brainly is a social learning network. Users can ask questions about a range of different school subjects. And help their peers in order to receive points. The number of Brainly users grew from 150 million users in 2019 to 350 million a year later. Cuemath 5-year search growth: 300% Search growth status: Exploding Year founded: 2013 Location: Bengaluru, India Funding: $64.5M (Series C) What they do: Cuemath operates a live-class platform for learning math and coding. Classes are held on Cuemath’s own platform with access to video calls and personalized worksheets. Parents can track the progress of their child on the app, which updates after each class. Quizizz 5-year search growth: 1328% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2015 Location: Bangalore, India Funding: $47M (Series B) What they do: Quizizz is a gamified learning platform for children and employees. Teachers can create quizzes or use a library of existing content for student assignments. Employers can create polls or quizzes to support employee training (during presentations, onboarding, etc.). Reports are available in the product with instant feedback on class performance. Photomath 5-year search growth: 470% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2014 Location: San Mateo, CA Funding: $29M (Series B) What they do: Photomath is a mobile application for solving mathematical equations instantly. The app uses the smartphone's camera to scan math problems and provide solutions with step-by-step explanations. Photomath has more than 220 million downloads from App Store and Google Play. Mursion 5-year search growth: -38% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2014 Location: San Francisco, CA Funding: $35.1M (Series B) What they do: Mursion is a VR training platform for workplace training. Specifically, developing "emotional quotient" (EQ) skills. Their product delivers personalized simulations with the use of AI and human specialists. The company has offers training programs for leadership training, healthcare, and more. SplashLearn 5-year search growth: 4900% Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2010 Location: Gurugram, India Funding: $25M (Series C) What they do: SplashLearn is a gamified math learning product for elementary school children. Their content library includes more than 4,000 games designed to explain math concepts. RangeForce 5-year search growth: 700% Search growth status: Peaked Year founded: 2015 Location: Manassas, VA Funding: $18M (Series A) What they do: RangeForce operates a cloud-based learning platform for cybersecurity training. The startup's product offers a cyber attack simulator for employees to improve their skills. Managers can track the team's performance with reporting features. CoachHub 5-year search growth: 99X+ Search growth status: Regular Year founded: 2018 Location: Berlin, Germany Funding: $133M (Series B) What they do: CoachHub is a B2B digital coaching provider. This startup creates personalized talent development programs for employees to hone their skills and delivers them remotely via video. Employees and HR teams can measure performance within the application. CoachHub has more than 2,500 business coaches in its network. Conclusion That completes this list of 21 Edtech startups with significant growth in 2021. What stands out about many of these companies is the fact that they cater to completely different markets, from schoolchildren all the way up to executives that spend most of their time in B2B boardrooms.

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Education Technology

3 Pillars of SEL that Every Educator Must Embody

Article | July 15, 2022

The rapid shift to eLearning has raised questions regarding the remote usage of online tools by students and teachers and the impact digital instruction is having on student engagement. CatchOn’s detailed trend reports reveal how and when students and teachers across the nation are using their EdTech applications and school devices, both inside and outside the classroom. CatchOn has generated these reports based on actual usage data from districts using CatchOn.

Read More
Education Technology, Continuing Education

3 Ways K-12 Can Benefit from Classroom Management Software

Article | August 8, 2022

The best educational VR games and apps turn the world into a classroom. These incredible experiences encourage children to explore new cultures, conduct experiments, create dynamic artwork, challenge their minds, and visit places they may never see in person. Our top choice, Google's Tilt Brush, encourages creativity without ever feeling like work: the ideal for child-centric content. This guide lays out the best VR-based activities, field trips, brain-bending games, and thought-provoking films most likely to inspire and educate your kids.

Read More
Education Technology

EdTech in 2021: Three Key Trends Shaping the Use of Technology in Education this Year

Article | December 21, 2021

The combination of education and technology is a hot topic in 2021. Virtual classrooms and e-learning have become the new norm, and new technologies start to determine early education. The discussion about trends in educational technology has never been more lively, and it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. It’s worth asking: what's driving today's education and technology integration in schools? Let’s check which EdTech trends are evolving right now in the industry and how they will dictate the future of the entire sector. Technological optimism in the teaching profession The first trend occurs on the institutional level: More and more schools are looking to integrate technology into the curriculum. Worldwide, teachers and schools have been seeing the positive sides of integrating technology. As a result, they have started demanding new, technology-based methodologies to overcome the challenges of traditional education. This curiosity is stronger and louder than ever before. At the same time, EdTech tools such as Google Classroom allow teachers to train themselves in technology-based teaching more quickly. Former three-day teacher conferences now happen periodically in many schools via distance discussions and practical peer review sessions. In those meetings, educators share their knowledge, tools, and ideas on matching technology with their curricula. It is a good sign that technology is penetrating further into the professional development of educators. Teachers understand that students’ development depends on their own development and are finally keen to attend workshops and conferences that address technology-based learning. The rising interest in technology-based education is also reflected among students. As the McGraw-Hill Education study points out, 53% of U.S. college students prefer classes that use and teach digital technology over traditional textbook lessons. Virtual reality facilitates learning in schools The second trend is how augmented reality and virtual robots change teaching and learning. One of the most exciting developments is the vast potential that simulations and virtual robotics offer to school education. For some time, augmented reality and virtual simulations have been on everyone’s mind. However, only recently have we started recognizing the immense possibilities that virtual reality (VR) carries to improve learning experiences. Today, preschool children can explore insects in actual size and authenticity via the Google search engine. Computer simulations, such as VR, can bring distant or abstract experiences into the classroom and make them technically accessible every day. And with simulations, students can examine “what-if” situations and learn how to test hypotheses and develop scientific rigor early on. In this way, students strengthen their practical skills and logical reasoning and develop their creativity. Some application examples are phenomena like the functioning of the solar system, explosive reactions between chemical substances, or progressions on how CO2 emissions will affect the ecosystem by 2050. Even if it’s not as obvious, simulations are valuable for linguistics, history, architecture, and other educational fields. Let’s take drones as an example. Students can program a drone and use the simulation to explore the features of bridges and monuments worldwide by doing expeditions with drones. Artificial intelligence drives personalized learning You cannot miss the immense opportunities artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have brought to the EdTech sector. The principles of AI and IoT and their integration into students’ learning experiences continue to proliferate in school and at home. Tools such as voice assistants and AI tutors help diversify and personalize learning experiences and boost self-regulated learning. Software like Duolingo teaches children new languages based on what they’ve learned before and what they still find challenging. Such software also integrates voice recognition and responds in real-time, allowing users to simulate a real-world language learning experience. Moreover, AI-driven learning platforms collect student data and analyze where a student might need help, send a study reminder, or gather additional material on specific topics for the individual student. On those platforms, teachers can regularly review students’ learning data and take the proactive recommendations provided by AI into account. The personalized learning experiences that AI creates are crucial to improve students’ motivation and learning success. The goal is to support students in the same personal learning stage and give teachers accurate information on the student’s progress in specific areas. Personalized training makes sure that not a single one is left behind or slowed down because of underwhelming materials. The year 2021 as a window of opportunity Not only did AI and simulations open up new learning opportunities, but 2021 also brought sweeping changes at the grassroots level of technology and education. Schools, parents, and teachers have now understood the importance of technology for successful personal development. We are in the ideal moment to continue transforming teaching and learning through technology. Now, it is only a matter of creatively using the essential tools and integrating new devices–and marking a bright educational future for everyone.

Read More
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Spotlight

The College Network

The College Network® is a global eLearning company dedicated to serving the needs of post-traditional learners through innovation in online learning. Since 1992, The College Network has offered educational solutions that help adult learners advance their education and training with college degrees and professional certificates from highly acclaimed universities. The College Network also provides full-scale online program development services and employee education solutions to a variety of forward-thinking universities and businesses.

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Education Technology, Corporate Education and Training, Continuing Education

Elsmere Education Launches EPaaS: Powering Smart Growth in Higher Education with Streamlined Processes and ROI-Driven Strategies

PR Newswire | January 31, 2024

Elsmere Education, a leading force in online program enablement, announces the official launch of Education Process as a Service (EPaaS). This innovative ecosystem empowers universities to achieve smart growth in their online programs by streamlining operations, maximizing ROI, and catering to the unique needs of non-traditional students. EPaaS encompasses Elsmere Education's proven business processes tailored for an enriched student journey supported by dynamic communication strategies. Our solutions are powered by a curated technology ecosystem that includes omnichannel marketing capabilities and is designed to integrate with a wide range of existing campus systems. Built on Feedback, Designed for Growth The subscription-based model empowers universities to bring essential services in-house efficiently, leveraging a comprehensive suite of 40+ technologies through a single procurement process. EPaaS is intentionally designed to streamline and optimize the entire student lifecycle, specifically catering to the needs of non-traditional and online adult learners. Dan Janick, CEO of Elsmere Education, states: "EPaaS is a game-changer in terms of ROI. We've created a flexible, scalable solution that gives universities complete control and empowers internal teams to be more agile. It's the ultimate enablement model for driving efficiencies, increasing enrollment, and boosting student retention." Addressing Common Challenges Elsmere Education recognizes the challenges faced by university leaders in meeting the unique needs of non-traditional students and online adult learners. EPaaS addresses common challenges, including reliance on campus systems built for traditional students, lack of a CRM platform, and manual workflows hindering efficient student journey execution and monitoring. EPaaS Delivers Tangible Results 360-degree business intelligence: Make data-driven decisions for improved performance across the student lifecycle. Real-time marketing metrics: Optimize your marketing efforts and maximize enrollment yield. Increased staff productivity: Streamline processes and free up your team to focus on student success. Elsmere Education is your partner in online education success. Contact us today to learn how EPaaS can transform your institution.

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Education Technology, Online Education, Continuing Education

2U Partners with University of Surrey to Launch 15 Online Master's Degrees

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

2U, Inc, the company behind global online learning platform edX, today announced a new partnership with the University of Surrey to launch and support the delivery of online master's degrees and online professional certificate programs. An initial five online degree programs will welcome students in 2024, with a portfolio of at least 15 master's degrees and at least 15 professional certificate programs being delivered by 2026. This will expand access to this highly ranked UK university for students worldwide. Surrey's partnership with 2U will deliver Surrey Online Learning: an acceleration and transformation of the university's provision of online learning. 2U's expertise will help Surrey establish a scalable model and quickly expand its digital capabilities to worldwide audiences. The collaboration aligns with the university's mission to expand access to life-changing education and personal and professional success. "We're partnering with 2U and their edX platform to accelerate Surrey Online Learning provision," said Professor Tim Dunne, Provost and Senior Vice-President at the University of Surrey. "The University of Surrey has global strength in innovation and research, and is renowned for being one of the best universities in the UK for delivering excellence in teaching and employability. Through Surrey Online Learning, we will offer flexible and affordable educational pathways that are compatible with and relevant to modern careers, combining accessibility with strong student outcomes." Surrey's suite of online degrees will build on the success of its on-campus programs, with the online curriculum developed in partnership with LearningMate. The first five degrees expected to launch in 2024 will be in the areas of artificial intelligence, business, psychology, marketing, and sustainability. The professional certificate programs, which will focus on technology, healthcare, business, communications technologies, and sustainability, will provide learners with an opportunity to build and enhance critical professional skills on their way to determining if a full degree in a corresponding subject is part of their educational journey. "2U prides itself in being a digital transformation partner that can support strategic long-term thinking, accelerate innovation, and help drive positive student outcomes across new formats and modalities," said Andrew Hermalyn, President of the Degree Program Segment at 2U. "The University of Surrey has major ambitions to expand its online learning capabilities, and we are honored to be their partner to help build their online presence from the ground up." "LearningMate is honored to partner with the University of Surrey on its transformative online learning initiative in collaboration with 2U. We're excited to contribute to the development of cutting-edge online master's degrees and professional certificate programs that align with Surrey's commitment to excellence," said Prasad Mohare, Senior Vice President at LearningMate. "Our focus on innovation and accessibility will be showcased in the initial offerings. LearningMate is dedicated to supporting Surrey in expanding access to impactful, career-relevant learning opportunities in the evolving landscape of online education." Today's announcement builds on the continued demand for 2U's flexible degree partnership model, which gives universities the choice of selecting different bundles of services according to their needs.

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Corporate Education and Training, Online Education

Academic Partnerships Completes Acquisition of Wiley University Services

PR Newswire | January 02, 2024

Academic Partnerships (AP), a company that assists primarily regional public universities in expanding access and impact by supporting their online programs, today announced that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Wiley University Services, a line of business previously owned by Wiley (NYSE: WLY). The combined company will support over 125 colleges and universities in 40 U.S. states and internationally. "AP is in the business of transforming lives through education, and the acquisition of Wiley University Services better enables us to do just that," said Fernando Bleichmar, Chief Executive Officer of AP. "This is an exciting day as we combine our talent, capabilities, and resources to more effectively meet the growing demand for high-quality, affordable online degree programs and ensure our university partners and their students thrive." AP primarily assists regional public universities with launching and maintaining their online programs. It is committed to expanding access to high-quality, high-return on investment, affordable, and workforce-relevant online education, especially for working and adult students. Wiley University Services works with institutions to deliver career-connected education programs aimed at helping students achieve their goals. With the completion of the acquisition, the combined company will provide universities with a best-in-class partner to support them in delivering programs online so more students can access affordable education, improve their careers, and meet employer and community needs. The combined company will deliver new strategic benefits to university partners and their students, including: Additional resources to support and scale high-demand, affordable online degree programs in critical areas like nursing, teaching, business, technology, and public administration for both regional public and private nonprofit universities; Enhanced infrastructure and technology to serve a diverse student population, including working adults, through graduation; Improved opportunities across the university partner network; and Advanced technology and enhanced support services based on best practices from a combined company.

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Education Technology, Corporate Education and Training, Continuing Education

Elsmere Education Launches EPaaS: Powering Smart Growth in Higher Education with Streamlined Processes and ROI-Driven Strategies

PR Newswire | January 31, 2024

Elsmere Education, a leading force in online program enablement, announces the official launch of Education Process as a Service (EPaaS). This innovative ecosystem empowers universities to achieve smart growth in their online programs by streamlining operations, maximizing ROI, and catering to the unique needs of non-traditional students. EPaaS encompasses Elsmere Education's proven business processes tailored for an enriched student journey supported by dynamic communication strategies. Our solutions are powered by a curated technology ecosystem that includes omnichannel marketing capabilities and is designed to integrate with a wide range of existing campus systems. Built on Feedback, Designed for Growth The subscription-based model empowers universities to bring essential services in-house efficiently, leveraging a comprehensive suite of 40+ technologies through a single procurement process. EPaaS is intentionally designed to streamline and optimize the entire student lifecycle, specifically catering to the needs of non-traditional and online adult learners. Dan Janick, CEO of Elsmere Education, states: "EPaaS is a game-changer in terms of ROI. We've created a flexible, scalable solution that gives universities complete control and empowers internal teams to be more agile. It's the ultimate enablement model for driving efficiencies, increasing enrollment, and boosting student retention." Addressing Common Challenges Elsmere Education recognizes the challenges faced by university leaders in meeting the unique needs of non-traditional students and online adult learners. EPaaS addresses common challenges, including reliance on campus systems built for traditional students, lack of a CRM platform, and manual workflows hindering efficient student journey execution and monitoring. EPaaS Delivers Tangible Results 360-degree business intelligence: Make data-driven decisions for improved performance across the student lifecycle. Real-time marketing metrics: Optimize your marketing efforts and maximize enrollment yield. Increased staff productivity: Streamline processes and free up your team to focus on student success. Elsmere Education is your partner in online education success. Contact us today to learn how EPaaS can transform your institution.

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Education Technology, Online Education, Continuing Education

2U Partners with University of Surrey to Launch 15 Online Master's Degrees

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

2U, Inc, the company behind global online learning platform edX, today announced a new partnership with the University of Surrey to launch and support the delivery of online master's degrees and online professional certificate programs. An initial five online degree programs will welcome students in 2024, with a portfolio of at least 15 master's degrees and at least 15 professional certificate programs being delivered by 2026. This will expand access to this highly ranked UK university for students worldwide. Surrey's partnership with 2U will deliver Surrey Online Learning: an acceleration and transformation of the university's provision of online learning. 2U's expertise will help Surrey establish a scalable model and quickly expand its digital capabilities to worldwide audiences. The collaboration aligns with the university's mission to expand access to life-changing education and personal and professional success. "We're partnering with 2U and their edX platform to accelerate Surrey Online Learning provision," said Professor Tim Dunne, Provost and Senior Vice-President at the University of Surrey. "The University of Surrey has global strength in innovation and research, and is renowned for being one of the best universities in the UK for delivering excellence in teaching and employability. Through Surrey Online Learning, we will offer flexible and affordable educational pathways that are compatible with and relevant to modern careers, combining accessibility with strong student outcomes." Surrey's suite of online degrees will build on the success of its on-campus programs, with the online curriculum developed in partnership with LearningMate. The first five degrees expected to launch in 2024 will be in the areas of artificial intelligence, business, psychology, marketing, and sustainability. The professional certificate programs, which will focus on technology, healthcare, business, communications technologies, and sustainability, will provide learners with an opportunity to build and enhance critical professional skills on their way to determining if a full degree in a corresponding subject is part of their educational journey. "2U prides itself in being a digital transformation partner that can support strategic long-term thinking, accelerate innovation, and help drive positive student outcomes across new formats and modalities," said Andrew Hermalyn, President of the Degree Program Segment at 2U. "The University of Surrey has major ambitions to expand its online learning capabilities, and we are honored to be their partner to help build their online presence from the ground up." "LearningMate is honored to partner with the University of Surrey on its transformative online learning initiative in collaboration with 2U. We're excited to contribute to the development of cutting-edge online master's degrees and professional certificate programs that align with Surrey's commitment to excellence," said Prasad Mohare, Senior Vice President at LearningMate. "Our focus on innovation and accessibility will be showcased in the initial offerings. LearningMate is dedicated to supporting Surrey in expanding access to impactful, career-relevant learning opportunities in the evolving landscape of online education." Today's announcement builds on the continued demand for 2U's flexible degree partnership model, which gives universities the choice of selecting different bundles of services according to their needs.

Read More

Corporate Education and Training, Online Education

Academic Partnerships Completes Acquisition of Wiley University Services

PR Newswire | January 02, 2024

Academic Partnerships (AP), a company that assists primarily regional public universities in expanding access and impact by supporting their online programs, today announced that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Wiley University Services, a line of business previously owned by Wiley (NYSE: WLY). The combined company will support over 125 colleges and universities in 40 U.S. states and internationally. "AP is in the business of transforming lives through education, and the acquisition of Wiley University Services better enables us to do just that," said Fernando Bleichmar, Chief Executive Officer of AP. "This is an exciting day as we combine our talent, capabilities, and resources to more effectively meet the growing demand for high-quality, affordable online degree programs and ensure our university partners and their students thrive." AP primarily assists regional public universities with launching and maintaining their online programs. It is committed to expanding access to high-quality, high-return on investment, affordable, and workforce-relevant online education, especially for working and adult students. Wiley University Services works with institutions to deliver career-connected education programs aimed at helping students achieve their goals. With the completion of the acquisition, the combined company will provide universities with a best-in-class partner to support them in delivering programs online so more students can access affordable education, improve their careers, and meet employer and community needs. The combined company will deliver new strategic benefits to university partners and their students, including: Additional resources to support and scale high-demand, affordable online degree programs in critical areas like nursing, teaching, business, technology, and public administration for both regional public and private nonprofit universities; Enhanced infrastructure and technology to serve a diverse student population, including working adults, through graduation; Improved opportunities across the university partner network; and Advanced technology and enhanced support services based on best practices from a combined company.

Read More

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