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Reinventing the College Prep and Higher Education Wheel

Posted on May 23, 2012 - 06:00 AM | Education Reform | Comments (0)

Change moves quickly today. Technology that was hot just a few years ago is passé now; sites that were hot just a few months ago can struggle for visitors. Viral videos last for days and the news cycle is less than 24 hours long.

The way we consume information is being revolutionized faster than I can type this sentence, but education continues to move at a snail’s pace. That doesn’t mean, of course, that change isn’t coming. In fact, in man ways, it’s already begun:

Consider these facts:

77% of colleges offer online courses
98% expect to offer online classes by 2020
65% of students at colleges with online courses take them
39% of college students wish their professors used more technology in the classroom

New Technologies in Education

Online classes or distance learning. This is the most sweeping change: classes that can be conducted any where in the world and if you have Internet connection. Students and the general public are torn over their effectiveness, but like the cost and flexibility. College presidents and the Department of Education have concluded that online courses are slightly better than traditional classes. Regardless of this disagreement, in a few years these classes will be standard. Students need to know how to learn online.
Video tutorials. Learning on film used to a substitute teacher’s mainstay, but now educational videos are all over the web. RSC’s students benefit from 150 videos, or Knowledge Nuggets, specifically devoted to your college prep needs.
Ebooks. Ebooks and e-textbooks have made great strides in the past few years. Students love the fact that they’re readable, interactive and searchable. RSC offers our students 7 handbooks, one for each grade level 8-12 and two on financial aid, complete with worksheets that can be completed right online.
Searchable databases. Easy access to information is the greatest benefit to new learning tools. Instantly find the help you need with a keyword or two. RSC’s handbooks, worksheets and videos are entirely searchable so that you don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for the one piece of information you need right now.

Blended Education

It’s most likely that online education won’t be the future’s only option. After all, not all traditional forms of education are bad. Some have been around for thousands of years, and problems with e-learning have been well documented. But stopping progress is like holding back a tidal wave with a teaspoon. It’s not going to happen. Students want it and the means to deliver it are at our disposal.

If we can download music and movies is seconds, why not the best in online education? Great education can’t be done in 160 characters, and it certainly can’t be accomplished in seconds, but college prep can be both fast and effective.

No matter how slowly the college system moves.

For a complete look at our online program, view our Comparison Chart or sign up for a FREE financial aid web event today.

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