Archive for July, 2008

Dozens of Free Opencourseware Classes

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Quavondo Nguyen
A growing number of colleges offer free, non-credit courses online. Although these classes won't show up on your transcript, I've always believed that opencourseware is a great way to learn the basics of a subject or give online learning a risk-free try.
CollegeDegree.com recently published a list of over 70 free online classes, applications, and other resources. They explain:
“While you can't get college credit for taking open courseware classes, [...]

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Top Teacher Blogs

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, bonnie jacobs
If you're looking for the latest thoughts in education, check out this list of 50 Must-Read Teacher Blogs from TeacherTips.com. They explain:
“Both established bloggers and those new to the game like the bloggers listed here can offer some interesting and sometimes entertaining reading material for anyone involved in the education field. Check these new bloggers out the next time you're looking for something educational to read.”
Among the links you'll [...]

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Bookmark Your Online Research with Delicious

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, David Franklin
For years, I've used del.ico.us to organize my bookmarks and online research. Now, the site has a new domain, Delicious.com, as well as improved features. They explain:
“The new Delicious is just like the old del.icio.us, only faster, easier to learn, and hopefully more delightful to use and to look at…
We've completely overhauled our search engine to make it faster and more powerful. Searches used to take ages to return [...]

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Fewer Loans for Online Students in Massachusetts

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Amanda Rohde
Some Massachusetts students may have difficulty securing student loans this year. The New York Times reports:
“The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, which secured more than $500 million in educational loans last year, announced Monday that it would not offer loans for the coming academic year.
The self-financing state authority, known as MEFA, was unable to secure financing for the 40,000 students it services, said Tom Graf, the authority's executive director, in [...]

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Online College Rankings

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Valerie Loiseleux
If you haven't read the OEDb's Online College Rankings for 2008, take a look. They're the first organization to systematically rank online colleges based on accreditation, acceptance, retention, graduation, and other factors.
They explain:
“Online higher education is growing, but a lack of transparency is preventing it from reaching its full potential. Even though online colleges are now receiving increased respect from top employers, diploma mills and the like limit [...]

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Private Online Colleges Booming in Florida

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Günay Mutlu
According to recent statistics, private online colleges are booming in Florida. RedOrbit explains:
“They cost more and often get less respect than public universities and community colleges, but corporate-run colleges are finding a growing niche in Florida's higher education market.
The number of for-profit, degree-granting institutions in Florida has grown from 238 five years ago to 313 this year, according to the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools & Colleges, the schools' [...]

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Employer Tuition Assistance

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

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If you need extra cash for online college, consider asking your boss. Many employers are happy to pay for online degrees that will help their workers excel in the office place.
My About.com article explains the basics of employer tuition assistance programs:
“Employers have a vested interest in making sure employees have the knowledge and skills that will help them succeed at work…
Many employers know that education is the key to [...]

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Google Launches Wikipedia Competitor

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Grzegorz Lepiarz
After months of private testing, Google has finally made its Wikipedia competitor, Knol, available to the public. Now, users can post articles and even receive compensation based on ad clicks.
eSchoolNews reports:
“The service, dubbed “knol” in reference to a unit of knowledge, had been limited to an invitation-only audience of contributors and readers for the past seven months.
Now anyone with a Google login will be able to submit an [...]

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New Bill Threatening Online Student Privacy

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Laurin Johnson
Do you feel comfortable taking a fingerprint scan before doing online coursework? Do you mind being watched by a webcam while taking a virtual test?
Online students may be required to submit to security procedures if the Higher Education Act is renewed this year.
If you're concerned about these new measures, take the time to investigate the issue and talk to your state representatives.

See full article.

Related Entries:
ASU Student [...]

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New Lecture Software From Apple?

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Sean Locke
Apple may soon have an improved software program for displaying video lectures. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:
“Apple already runs a free service called iTunes U that helps colleges around the country manage online offerings, and several companies sell software that helps capture lecture video and slides as well. One unusual feature described in the new patent application, though, is the ability to determine automatically when to run video [...]

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