AUTHOR CHAT TRANSCRIPT
About.com offers a the chat transcript from a chat with Dr. Carlette Jackson Hardin, author of the book, 101 Things Every Adult College Student Ought to Know. Also available are the transcripts from a chat with author Carole Fungaroli, author of “Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students”. Carol offers advice regarding accelerating the degree process, distance learning, and financial aid.
EXAM WEB TO OFFER ASSESSMENT TOOLS
ExamWeb, a site featuring online exam preparation, has announced a partnership with EduPoint and will create a set of limited-use assessment tests that will be available on EduPoint’s site. The new modules will offer users a tool that will give them an accurate assessment of their ability to score high on exams (the GMAT, GRE, Bar, and CPA). After taking the sample exam, users will be able to purchase full ExamWeb preparation courses through the EduPoint.com site. — Source: Internet Wire.
CYBERU LAUNCHES CORPORATE EDUCATION SYSTEM
The platform creates a customized knowledge portal for each employee which provides access to a personalized catalog of relevant online courses, training events and a corporate knowledge bank. CyberU will partner with leading edge content providers to supply to its customers. In addition, the company provides individuals with thousands of educational resources and over 17,000 online courses for personal and professional development.
BLACKBOARD LAUNCHES MULTI-CHANNEL E-LEARNING PORTAL Blackboard has announced the launch of a comprehensive e-Learning Web site with three unique channels providing customizable, subject-specific academic resources; global, interactive communities for students and instructors; and online course creation capability.
Users of the new site can access three separate channels: CourseSites for creating and taking online courses; (2)Resources for customizable, educational content; and (3)Communities for interacting with peers in specific academic subjects and in areas of professional interest. —Source: PR Newswire.
E-SIGNATURE LAW TO SPEED UP ONLINE LOANS DELIVERY
The new law will allow students who submit their financial aid applications online to sign them with a digital signature. As a result, students will get their money faster. — Source: EdFund.
WORKING ADULTS LIKE ONLINE EDUCATION
A telephone survey of working adults conducted by Opinion Research showed that 54 percent believe that college courses delivered through the Internet are the future of higher education.
The report found that although respondents see education as a top priority, busy schedules (42 percent) and family and travel commitments (10 percent) are often preventative in continuing their education. One-third cited high costs as an impediment. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) were interested in continuing their education, and 32 percent reported they would rather take courses through the Internet than go to a classroom, citing the savings in commute and the ability to work at home as benefits. Source: Cyber Atlas.
INTERNET ‘TOO BIG’ FOR SEARCH ENGINES, STUDY FINDS
The Internet has grown so fast that sophisticated search engines only scratch the surface, according to a new study.
The report, prepared by BrightPlanet (a South Dakota Company that has developed new software to plumb the gold), estimates the Web is 500 times larger than the information provided by popular search engines. Search Engines are falling behind as they aren’t indexing an increasing amount of information stored in evolving, giant databases set up by government agencies, universities and corporations. BrightPlanet’s software, “LexiBot,” not only searches the pages indexed by traditional engines, but delves into the databases and retrievest the information in them. And even better: about 95 percent of the information stored is free. However, the software itself costs money: $89.95 after a free 30-day trial. For another, a search can take 10 to 25 minutes to complete, and could require up to 90 minutes for the most complex requests. Although it is not for the average user, the company expects LexiBot to be particularly popular in academic and scientific circles. Reviewer’s of the software warned that Lexibot could be too overwhelming. “The World Wide Web is getting to be so humongous that you need specialized engines. A centralized approach like this isn’t going to be successful,” predicted Carl Malamud, co-founder of Invisible Worlds. — Source: The Nando Times.
STUDENT ADVANTAGE LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE
Includes an Academic Search Engine (search URLs in 25 academic disciplines), Reference, and QNotes (electronic notemaking software) downloadable for free.
STUDENT LOAN ENTRANCE COUNSELING ONLINE
Federal regulations require all recipients of Federal Stafford Loans to complete a loan entrance counseling session before receiving any loans. Several banks have now made it easy for students to make that requirement any time from any computer. More information on loan counseling can be found at Mapping Your Future.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE ADULT STUDENT
Check out our special report on organizations that aid adults returning to college. Available for immediate download.
