University Online News: New Online Learning Platform Patented by Harvard University

In recent years, the effectiveness of the “University Online” concept, at least as it compares to traditional, in-class, classroom instruction, has been lauded by educational researchers, professors and university administrators alike. Yet despite the research studies that clearly illustrate, and in fact prove the overall effectiveness of online education, there are still pundits on the “anti-side” who are against the concept of online education, questioning, in many cases, whether or not the universities that offer such programs are qualified to deliver a superior education via the online model. These arguments, for the most part at least, are completely baseless, and rely, perhaps, on outdated information and data regarding the past history of distance learning and its shortfalls, rather than the ever-growing stockpile of recent data that clearly shows that, due to recent improvements in the “university online” model, the glaring problems and shortfalls with regard to the distance education programs of the past have long been corrected.

Online education is continually being modified and tweaked to offer students the best chance at academic success, and one such modification is the new online learning platform that was recently patented by Harvard University. The platform, which was developed by Harvard Medical School professor Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, is called SpaceEd, and is based on recent research findings that indicate a significant improvement in retention when information is presented at repeated intervals, with periodic assessments that test student knowledge.

At present there are approximately 25 free courses available on SpaceEd, in a variety of subject areas and fields ranging from Core Anatomy and Physiology for medical students to a basic theory of music course. The students enrolled in these SpaceEd classes receive a block of questions at predetermined intervals that are based on their own preference. For example, students can request to receive questions once a day, every other day, or once a week. Each block of questions is delivered to students in one of two ways: email or RSS feed, and once the questions are answered they are immediately sent back to the instructor via the same way they arrived. The instructor will then look the answers over, and the ones that were answered incorrectly will appear in future sets. However, when the question is answered correctly, while it will still appear in future sets, it will appear less frequently, and when a question is answered correctly a multiple of times, it will ultimately be retired.

The type and difficulty of the questions each student receives is not identical, but rather tailored to the student using an algorithm that is based on that student’s academic performance and proficiency over time. This allows students who are more successful to be consistently challenged.

The early clinical trials regarding SpaceEd are extremely positive, showing that the program is an excellent adjunct to traditional learning and education. In fact, one study involving Harvard Medical Students showed that Kerfoot’s SpaceEd model improved student retention by over 50% as measured on quizzes and exams.

The SpaceEd program is yet another example of the improvements and modifications that are consistently being developed to improve student learning and expand upon the rapidly evolving “university online” concept.

Taking an Online Course and Stay-At-Home Moms

Taking an online course—or even 2 or 3 courses—is a practice becoming increasingly popular among stay-at-home moms. While it’s true that the majority of those who enroll in online courses are working professionals seeking to advance in their respective companies by earning an advanced online degree (MBA, etc.), there are an increasing number of moms who are utilizing this online educational delivery medium for the purpose of enrichment classes in a particular field of interest. In this article we examine this phenomenon in a bit more detail by outlining some of the reasons why taking an online course is becoming so popular among this demographic, along with some of the primary advantages to studying online as opposed to on-campus.

Taking an Online Course: The Perfect Solution for Stay-At-Home Moms

Many women, after settling down and starting a family, are simply not comfortable with the idea of returning to work and relying on daycare programs and babysitters to watch over—and in some cases, raise—their little darlings. Consequently, there is an increasing percentage of women today are choosing to put their work life and career on hold, opting instead for the title “stay-at-home mom” (at least for the time being) and all duties that are inherent in that title. But this path they choose is not an easy one. In fact, the difficulty associated with being a full-time mom is overshadowed only by the job’s importance, and after spending day after day reading “The Cat in the Hat” and watching “Barney” on a seemingly continuous loop, many moms are discovering that the lack of intellectual stimulation and adult conversation is creating a bit of a void in their lives. This is where taking an online course can really be valuable.

These days there are online courses in almost every subject and field of study imaginable. There are courses that are part of an overall degree program—such as courses in business, accounting or healthcare—as well as courses designed specifically for enrichment purposes—courses such as art or music appreciation, child development and gardening. Whatever subject mom may be interested in, you can almost bet there is an online course that addresses it.

Online courses are perfect alternative for stay-at-home moms, because after a long day with the kids—making snacks, soccer practice and cleaning up endless spills—most mothers will simply not have the time nor the energy to travel to a campus, spend three to four hours in a classroom and finally commute all the way home. Online courses eliminate the need for travel, save for one or two face-to-face meetings with the instructor. They also offer the advantage of intellectual enrichment and stimulation, and present opportunities for regular contact and conversation with instructors and fellow students, all without ever having to leave home. Online courses allow moms to schedule their study workload around their family obligations—and not the other way around. These courses are designed to let moms study at their own pace, and during periods in the day when it’s most convenient to them (evenings, nap time, etc.).

So whether mom prefers an online course in Advanced Physics, Russian Literature or Scrapbooking, either way this type of educational delivery can help save her from the “intellectual doldrums” while still allowing her to spend this very special time in her children’s lives at home—the place she feels she belongs.

Pursue a Nursing or Criminal Justice Degree Online

These days you don’t need a financial analyst to tell you how tough things are with regard to the economy and/or the job outlook; the signs are everywhere. Millions of people are currently out of work, some of whom have been temporarily laid off and others who have been phased out permanently. The unemployment rate is the highest it has been since 1983 and thousands of people have lost their homes due to foreclosure. It’s a dismal time to say the least, but in the midst of all these lay-offs and misery, there are two career sectors that are expected to see growth in the near future rather than cutbacks: Nursing and Criminal Justice. In this article we will explain why these two fields of study continue to be lucrative in terms of employment outlook and earnings, and show you how a degree online will help make you more employable and get you job-ready.

Pursuing a Degree Online: Why Consider Nursing and Criminal Justice?

With the recent popularity of online courses and universities, the number of “degree online” programs has skyrocketed in the past several years. These types of programs benefit both the student and university—the university because it saves costs and the student for convenience. While an advanced business degree (MBA, Masters in Finance, etc.) is the most popular type of degree online program, there are two other fields of study that are close behind and for good reason: Nursing and Criminal Justice.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in Nursing and Criminal Justice are expected to increase through 2016—a statistic that has many students scrambling to get a degree in one of these two fields. But why are these two fields so popular? And how can an online degree improve your employment prospects? Let’s take these questions one at a time:

Unfortunately, there are two glaring facts about individuals and society that have always been constants: 1) People will always get sick and 2) There will always be crime. These facts are indisputable, and because they are, society needs professionals who can help assist these two populations. Nurses are needed in every city and state across the country. They are needed to work in hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices, and the service they perform—from taking histories and vitals to administering shots, IVs and vaccines—is invaluable and in extremely high demand. Those working in Criminal Justice fields are also required to fill a number of important roles in our society. Police officers, Correctional staff, Security Guards and Forensic specialists are needed In great numbers across the country to help deter and solve crimes, as well as look after the millions of individuals who are currently housed in the nation’s jails and prisons.

As for the second question, because there is so much need for these two types of professionals, there is also plenty of competition, so the more qualified you happen to be, the better chance you’ll have at getting employed. Pursuing an online degree in either Nursing or Criminal Justice will help you get “a leg up” on the competition while learning valuable information that will not only help you perform your duties more proficiently, but also help you advance. An online degree looks great on any resume and could be the difference in whether you get hired or not.

Online University and Federal Student Aid

Not so long ago, the words “online university” had a very dubious distinction, bringing to mind images of crooked, for-profit “institutions” issuing degrees and certificates that were not earned, but merely paid for. And while some of these “diploma mills” still exist, the majority of colleges that offer online programs are now universities that are accredited and, at least for the most part, quite legitimate. But what exactly was the genesis for this change? When did the notion of studying via an online university go from “shady” to valid, and why have so many traditional universities now begun to offer more and more courses and degree programs online? Certainly you could point to improvements in technology as a key reason for this shift, but perhaps the primary origin of this seemingly exponential rise in online education was a budget bill that finally allowed for federal student aid for those studying at an online university.

Online University and Federal Student Aid

Prior to 2006, most online universities were of the “for-profit” variety and not very well respected. Most of these schools would require those students who wanted to pursue an online degree to pay thousands of dollars in fees without the benefit of federal student aid. Now during this time, there were, of course, a few legitimate colleges offering accredited degree programs, but these were few and far between, and because of the manner in which most of the online universities operated their reputation took a major hit. In fact, the general rumor was that if a student had enough money he/she could buy any degree they wanted. Businesses also knew of these rumors, but sadly, what many of these students didn’t realize at the time was that most major employers weren’t even recognizing these types of degrees—a harsh fact that left many of these students thousands of dollars in the hole with no way to recoup their losses.

Much of this changed, however, in 2006, opening up a brand new frontier in higher education. It was in that year that, with just a couple of short paragraphs in the budget bill for the US Congress, the rules regarding federal student aid for online colleges would change forever. With the President and both sections of the House firmly behind the bill, and citing advances in technology and budget cuts in education as their primary reasoning, the prior stipulation—a stipulation which formerly required universities to deliver at least half of their courses on a campus rather than online to qualify for federal student aid—was finally removed.

In essence, these few lines in the budget bill had a two-pronged effect. First, because students could now receive federal aid from an online university, thousands of traditional and accredited colleges from around the country got busy creating online degree programs in hundreds of different majors—programs that according to recent studies have been just as effective as those offered in a traditional classroom setting. The second effect this budget bill had was that it drove many of the not-so-legitimate colleges slowly out of business. With so many choices being offered from “real” universities that students actually trusted, the demand for the for-profit colleges diminished rapidly.

Today online universities continue to increase in popularity, affording many students—students who would otherwise be excluded from pursuing higher education due to financial or geographical limitations—the opportunity to continue their education. To date, the availability of federal student aid, coupled with widespread access to new and improved technologies, have allowed thousands of students to pursue and obtain a recognized degree from an accredited online university.