"I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back."  - Maya Angelou Beginnings and endings are always ripe opportunities for taking stock. With the launch of our new website I’ve been reflecting on lessons learned. We’re no strangers to large projects, tackling technology and meeting aggressive deadlines. Maybe that’s why we were so calm going into it. But it quickly became evident that this project was different. We were our own client and only accountable to ourselves. At times our ambitious plans were put on the back burner by multiple distractions in the form of our many projects for paying clients. Some days we wondered if we were going to pull it off. Needless to say, we did! Looking back, I think the secret to our success — and we want to hear your thoughts on whether we achieved what we set out to do - comes down to 3 things. In the spirit of Maya Angelou, here’s our "throw back" - 3 tips for launching a successful elearning project. Tip #1: Identify your goals and keep them at the heart of your elearning project Sometimes when you are in the muck of things you lose sight of the big picture. You forget everything you’ve ever known about elearning or project management. You forget how to book a meeting. You forget your middle name. First, take a deep breath, do a couple of downward dogs, or take a brisk walk around the block. Then remember that all projects have a raison d’etre, a reason for being. There is a problem in need of a solution. A goal to attain. And just like in instructional design where you set learning objectives and build a course around them - with a larger project, you set goals and build your project around them. For example, one of our key goals with the website was to ensure that site visitors could easily find answers to their questions. Questions such as: Just who are these eLearning Innovation people? How can they help us? How have they helped others succeed? Once we knew this was our central goal, we brainstormed methods to achieve it. Our Process infographic details common phases in an elearning project, answering, we hope, that oft-asked question: How do you work?  Plan Your Project was designed to guide potential clients through the essential questions for assessing their project’s needs. If your project has lost focus, ask all the stakeholders to summarize the goals in their own words. Talk through diverging viewpoints, using the impetus for the project’s launch to guide you back on track and help you set priorities. Open the floor to ideas and as a group assess how well the solutions are likely to address the identified goals. Remember to keep the tone positive and productive. What strategies do you use for keeping your goals at the heart of your projects? Tip #2: Create a realistic elearning plan What does a realistic plan look like? It contains: Discrete, measurable milestones. An important discussion to have with all stakeholders is: How will we know when a milestone is complete? Make sure that your definition of complete is transparent, and agreed upon, by all involved. Resources (aka people!) attached to each milestone. Identify who is responsible for the milestone and ensure that they have the bandwidth and the tools needed to get the job done in the time allotted. Dependencies. Identify tasks that depend on another task being completed. Allow some buffer time. Again, ensure that all stakeholders understand the flow of work and how their work impacts others. Risks. What are the risks? Not all risks can be mitigated but you should plan for those that can be. One common risk is adding tasks to already overburdened resources (ahem, people). If it’s a short-term project, it might be less risky. It’s not uncommon to have to sprint to the finish line. But consider carefully if you are asking someone to sprint through an entire marathon. Do you have anything to add to this list? Share your essentials for a realistic plan. Tip #3: Remember the old adage: Show Don’t Tell We really wanted our site to "show not tell." Showing is more engaging and more active. We could tell you that we are great at what we do, or we can show you. We believe that showing is more authentic. How does this relate to elearning? Plan your elearning to allow learners authentic opportunities to show what they’ve learned, not just tell you what they learned. Activities that requires "showing" can be incorporated into elearning for all audiences and all ages - whether it be a middle school student showing comprehension by paraphrasing a story, an employee demonstrating their understanding of policies and procedures by responding to a workplace scenario, or a grad student designing a robot. For more on authentic assessment, see 27 Characteristics of Authentic Assessment by guru Grant Wiggins.   We hope these three tips help you with your next project. We’d love to hear from you!  Author: Laurie Pulido, President The post Throwing Something Back: 3 Tips For Successful Elearning Projects appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

We are proud to announce that eLearning Innovation was a Bronze Sponsor for last Saturday’s 33rd Annual HRC New England Dinner and Auction at The Boston Mariott Copley Place. View additional sponsors here: HRC Dinner and Auction Sponsor List The post Proud Supporters of The Human Rights Campaign appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

  When trying to put into words the top ten reasons she is thankful, President of eLearning Innovation, Laurie Pulido, compiled the following list: A high quality staff who are reliable and steady characters in the company, carrying out our vision like they are on a mission. Especially those who enjoy taking on a challenge. The families of our employees who support them when we have a crunch, because they understand the commitment we’ve made to this company and our clients. Without them, the company would not be able to grow. An ever expanding and challenging market that continues to offer opportunity after opportunity. But more importantly, because of the opportunities presented to our company, I’m grateful every time I can give a new employee another opportunity. When we started this, the economy was on a downturn and I was able to put people back to work- which felt really good. Repeat satisfied customers, especially those willing to give an endorsement and speak-up on our behalf. Technology partners who have an unrelenting desire to learn new things. The folks that we have who are out of the box and who bring vision, and aren’t afraid to share it. The way people carry out the reputations of the company in their actions every day, and the standard that we hold. No matter how much distance there is with all of us we carry out like we are in the same room. We’ve gained enough traction that people are finding us, and the network that we’ve created has continued to grow this company - naturally and organically. This has allowed us to stabilize the work that we have by diversifying it, making the company stronger. The enthusiasm that people have brought. It has been a domino effect, and with each new person who joins, another level of energy is added. It’s infectious! The Staff at eLearning Innovation also wanted to share what they are thankful for: I am thankful to everyone including co-workers for being patient and extremely helpful as I transition into my role as administrative assistant. - Lisa St. John I am thankful for wine, coffee and chocolate cake (in no particular order). I am thankful for my wonderful friends and co-workers. I am thankful for warm summer days on the beach. Most of all I am thankful for my loving and supportive family. (Oh and am thankful for my holy day of shopping this Friday with no children!) - Gina Limperis Professionally, I am thankful for the variety of EI projects and clients. Every day I learn and develop in my profession and am grateful for the EI culture that supports such growth. Personally, I am thankful for the health and happiness of my wonderful family and friends. I am blessed daily with stories and giggles that melt my heart and help me stay grounded and appreciative of all that life has to offer. -Kristin Koepke I am thankful to be surrounded by so many loving people in my life. I appreciate having a job that allows me to work from home and to be working with people that I consider to be friends. I am also grateful for all of the important things that I have in my life that money can’t buy. -Erin Terry I am thankful for the blessing of each and every new day I have and for the people that I am able to share that day with; especially my family, friends. colleagues and clients. -Janet Shivell I’m thankful to work with clients who are committed to make a difference in the world. Whether we’re developing an elearning program for first-generation college students, creating an online toolkit to support tobacco-free youth, or designing multimedia tools to help students minimize debt, I feel blessed that, in some small way, my work is having a positive impact. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to with committed, caring people who genuinely care about each other, our projects, and our clients. And yes I’m very thankful to work at from home in my pjs.- Kim Zartman I’m incredibly thankful each and every day our clients entrust us to assist their learners. Whether it is offering learners the convenience of training anywhere at any time, creating strong young community advocates or coaching teens through their college years I am truly grateful for the opportunity to reach so many people in meaningful way. -Magen Leighton I am thankful for working with coworkers and clients who are so supportive and willing to put in the work to reach a successful product that we can be proud of. - Rebecca Walmer I am thankful for our clients who take time our of their busy schedules, and find pleasure in creating curriculum, that is not only challenging, but also relatable to real-life experiences that any person may face within their work place. The courses created at SNHU truly promote hands on experiences for students to utilize for any occupation and/or subject area. - Heather Marino I’m thankful to have been given an opportunity to be part of this amazing company. Having worked in Higher Education for the last decade, focusing my career path toward what I got my degree in is not only energizing, but completely fulfilling. I’m also thankful that it allows me to work from home and spend more quality time with my family, avoiding what was my typical 1+ hour commute each way for the last ten years! - Christina Young I’m thankful for the chance to honor old traditions, make new ones, create memories and share good times with family and friends, who I consider family! - Katherine Meyer I am thankful for working with such a great group of people. Working in such a collaborative and supportive environment is truly rewarding. - Nicole Marino I’m thankful to work for a company that truly values innovation, to be part of a virtual team that understands I’m not at my best at 9 am (or even 10 am or that matter), and to live with an incredible man who brings me coffee and sustenance when I’m stuck in my chair! - Sylvia Eastman I’m thankful for those dear friends who are always "there", even if not in proximity, and we can laugh and be in the moment no matter where we are in our lives, happy or sad; lonely or in love; in illness and in health. - Annesa Hartman   The post Why eLearning Innovation is Thankful this year… appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

Written by: Sylvia Eastman Trust, talent, agility — they’re the core factors that Southern New Hampshire University’s Tracey Osborne and Amy Stevens credit to the success of their multi-year partnership with eLearning Innovation. Trust Osborne, now SNHU COCE’s Assistant Vice President of Instructional Design, and Laurie Pulido, now President of eLearning Innovation (EI), originally began as coworkers at SNHU in 2006. Their time spent as colleagues created an easy transition when eLearning Innovation took on SNHU as a client in 2010. As demand for SNHU’s programs and courses continues to surge, and eLearning Innovation’s capabilities continue to expand, the partnership — and the trust — grows with it. "We know we can continually count on eLearning Innovation," says Osborne, "EI is our right arm." Steven’s, SNHU COCE’s Associate Vice President of eLearning, says: "Whatever we throw at EI, they can handle. They proved this on the grade book project." Pulido elaborates, "It was the spring of 2012, and most of our work until then had been new course development. Amy called one afternoon with an urgent project that required us to work within a tight timeframe, updating about 150 courses for the impending term, and making related changes to the grade center in Blackboard. It was a real challenge as the changes required a nuanced understanding of the instructional design underpinning each course, so we had to make a quick but highly accurate assessment and then implement it." Team members from eLearning Innovation and SNHU worked hand-in-hand, with EI’s instructional design and production team making the necessary updates and SNHU setting priorities and facilitating academic approval of the changes. Talent eLearning Innovation is an essential partner in SNHU’s course development process, with a devoted team of course and project managers, editors, administrators, and instructional designers. Osborne describes EI’s strengths: "Talent, experience, customer service." Having a skilled and responsive team is always at the forefront for Pulido and EI continually hires and develops the talent required to provide quality service to SNHU. Pulido explains: "We’ve designed a comprehensive internal training program. The training ensures that the growing team working on the SNHU project can benefit from the years of experience EI has devoted to the partnership. So new team members are exposed to that depth of experience. And beyond that, we are always learning from SNHU — high student engagement, strong alignment, authentic assessment — SNHU courses have many strengths. We hope we are contributing to those strengths but we are also learning from them and that learning cycles back into our team training, which feeds into our ability to provide excellent service." Steven’s agrees: "We love the training that EI has put together to support their team. It’s truly a win-win." Always thinking ahead, Pulido’s using the internal training as a testing ground for a new elearning solution that capitalizes on EI’s strengths in integrating sound pedagogy with technology. Agility "SNHU has to stay 3 to 5 years ahead of what students’ want and need for their career. We are ever-changing and EI has held on to that agility and keeps coming back for more," says Stevens. "You think of agile as being able to move quickly and easily and that’s true," notes Pulido, "but you need the structures in place to support that. For starters, you have to have a talented and devoted team - and we have that, but we also cross-train people to allow flexibility with work assignments." On EI’s SNHU team for example, instructional designers are trained to serve as managers and editors are trained to double as IDs. "Second," Pulido continues, "we have a high regard for transparency. When you have to act quickly, you make better decisions when you have all the facts, when all the cards are on the table. Third, we foster an environment of collaboration and cooperation. Getting a course designed and delivered on time and with a high degree of quality is everyone’s job. If something impedes that then it’s all hands on deck until we’re back on track." The last ingredient is the ability to listen. Pulido says, "We strive to truly understand our clients and their needs. If you understand what a client wants and have the structures that support agility in place, you are willing and able to adjust your process to theirs." Osborne sums it up nicely: "EI bends over backwards for us, no matter what."   The post Our Partnership with SNHU appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

eLearning Innovation, LLC, a provider of instructional design services is pleased to announce the acquisition of their long-term partner, Advanced E-learning Solutions (aelearn). The acquisition adds depth to eLearning Innovation’s existing offerings, extending EI’s instructional design services to offer clients custom elearning tool development, elearning systems integration, LMS hosting, remote administration, and helpdesk support. eLearning Innovation, LLC, a provider of instructional design services is pleased to announce the acquisition of their long-term partner, Advanced E-learning Solutions (aelearn). The acquisition adds depth to eLearning Innovation’s existing offerings, extending EI’s instructional design services to offer clients custom elearning tool development, elearning systems integration, LMS hosting, remote administration, and helpdesk support. Laurie Pulido, President of eLearning Innovation says, "We’ve been partners with aelearn since 2001. By joining forces we can provide two key benefits to our clients. One, we can bundle services to better serve their needs and budgets and two, by having more technical depth on our bench, we can help our clients increase learner engagement and enhance the overall learner experience." eLearning Innovation’s client base includes higher ed, K-12, corporate, government, and non-profit organizations. Pulido says, "Regardless of where they come from, all of our clients have a common goal, they want engaged learners. With elearning, the recipe for successful engagement has several key ingredients: solid pedagogy, critical and creative thinking, and effective use of technology. Aelearn brings a depth and breadth of experience with all technical aspects of elearning that will allow us to enhance our ability to engage learners and ultimately provide better ROI for our clients." Eric Eberhardt, aelearn’s former President and now Chief Technology Officer for eLearning Innovation, adds, "In elearning, technology underpins everything,  from ensuring a seamless experience for a learner signing in to an LMS to developing interactive lessons to giving stakeholders data about learner success." Pulido notes, "Our services and skill sets are truly complementary. It’s a value-add for both EI’s clients and aelearn’s as well." Eberhardt agrees: "We can offer aelearn’s existing clients instructional design services, confident that the service is backed by one of the most experienced providers in North America. For example, EI has a multi-year relationship with one of the biggest schools in elearning, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). That’s a testament." Pulido knows 2015 will be a definitive year, "Aelearn’s expertise adds great depth to our elearning solutions toolkit. We’re in a stronger position to provide  clients with the best combination of pedagogy and technology, not just for their current needs but for their future needs as well.  Because eLearning Innovation isn’t just our name, it’s what we do." About eLearning Innovation eLearning Innovation, LLC, provides instructional design services to higher ed, K-12, corporate, government, and non-profit organizations. Specializing in experiential learning, eLearning Innovation creates active learning environments that inspire and educate. (elearninginnovation.com) Institutions and organizations interested in learning more about eLearning Innovation’s custom elearning solutions can contact Laurie Pulido at 1-844-435-3276 or visit www.elearninginnovation.com.   The post eLearning Innovation, LLC Acquires Advanced E-Learning Solutions appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

eLearning Innovation is excited to announce that President, Laurie Pulido, will be attending the Madworld Conference in April, as a guest speaker. eLearning Innovation has worked closely with conference sponsor, MadCap Software, Inc., and is looking forward to the collaboration, networking, and knowledge-share that is bound to take place. Scheduled from April 13-15 in San Diego, CA, this multi-day conference is the premier technical communication and content strategy conference for technical writers, documentation managers, and content strategists. MadWorld 2015 is a conference that is extremely valuable for existing MadCap Software customers because a large majority of the attendees are existing users, who can share knowledge, experiences, insights, etc. The conference makes the conscious effort to offer sessions that are not specific to any one tool or work flow, but rather best practices for any tech writer, documentation manager, policy writer, content strategists, and much more. There is an emphasis placed on networking, so the events are designed to give people the opportunity to connect throughout the conference. The events to take place are as follows: SUNDAY | APRIL 13, 2015 WELCOME EVENT 4:00 - 6:30 PM A TASTE OF SAN DIEGO CRAFT BEER Join us Sunday for a special selection of local craft beer from some of San Diego’s premier craft breweries. We’ll enjoy a selection of light hors d’oeuvres, beverages and craft beers with the backdrop of Mission Bay. MONDAY | APRIL 14, 2015 MISSION BAY CRUISE 6:00 - 8:30 PM Enjoy a San Diego sunset on the Bahia Belle, a beautiful 74-foot, 3-story sternwheeler that offers an observation deck to view the sites of Mission Bay. We’ll enjoy a private cruise around the bay with music, food and drinks. TUESDAY | APRIL 15, 2015 HAPPY HOUR ON THE BAY 6:00 - 8:30 PM After two full days of learning, it is time to sit back and relax with a happy hour on the bay. We’ll enjoy a selection of hors d’oeuvres, Mai Tais and other beverages as we close out the conference. You can read one review from last year’s conference here: http://www.madcapsoftware.com/articles/CommunicatorArticle2014PC.aspx In order to find speakers for the conference, MadCap Software, Inc. conducts the call for papers in early July, inviting anyone in the industry to submit sessions for consideration. The variety of requirements for speakers includes, but is not limited to, conference speaking history, background, topic of submission, industry/vertical and creativity. This year the selection committee placed an emphasis on case studies and real world examples of people and companies solving complex challenges, as this was a topic noted by last year’s participants in the survey after MadWorld 2014. Additional topic areas or interest to the committee were translation, elearning and multimedia. As a speaker for MadWorld 2015, the conference committee promises exposure, public speaking experience, networking opportunities, and of course, the chance to visit San Diego. Pulido is looking forward to the conference, and hopes to make many new connections while there. For those who are not familiar with the sponsor, MadCap Software, Inc., they are a trusted resource for thousands of companies around the globe that rely on its solutions for single-source multi-channel authoring and publishing, multimedia, and translation management. Whether delivering technical, policy, medical, marketing, business, or human resources content, MadCap’s products are used to create corporate intranets, Help systems, policy and procedure manuals, video tutorials, knowledge bases, eBooks, user guides, and more to any format, including high-end print, online, desktop or mobile. MadCap services include product training, consulting services, translation and localization, and an advanced developer certification program. Headquartered in La Jolla, CA, MadCap Software is home to some of the most experienced software architects and product experts in the content development industry. For more information, visit their website at: www.madcapsoftware.com The post It’s a Mad, Mad World… appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

As mentioned in a previous post, eLearning Innovation is excited to be a part of the 2015 MadWorld Conference hosted by MadCap this coming April. Recently interviewed by MadCap regarding their work with flare, CEO and Founder, Laurie Pulido shared how EI relies on MadCap Flare to streamline the process of delivering HTML5-based online courses that capture analytics. We encourage you to read up on how Flare allows us to seamlessly program content from the software, to the server, and then to the LMS seamlessly. EI’s ability to provide faster content customization is highlighted in the following case study and press release. Madcap Case Study Madcap Press Release The post eLearning Innovation Relies on MadCap Flare to Streamline the Process of Delivering HTML5-based Online Courses that Capture Analytics appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

Of SMEs and IDs: Partners in Design By: Kim Zartman, Lead ID at EI I’ve been an ID (instructional designer) for more than 20 years, and my parents are still not quite sure what I do. Since many of our new clients are equally unclear about the role of the ID, I’d like to explain what we bring to the elearning table so you can decide if your project needs an ID. In a nutshell, my job is to systematically develop instructional experiences that help learners efficiently and effectively reach their learning goals. Lots of buzz words, I know, but the most important part of this definition is experiences. Instructional design is not about making content pretty, but rather creating appealing, memorable learning experiences that engage learners with the content in meaningful ways. For example, in one recent project, rather than simply explaining factors to consider when choosing a college, we began with a "College Cash" game followed by a story-based interaction featuring several high school students. In this scenario, learners read student bios, reviewed financial aid awards, and researched costs of attendance, so they could make an informed choice for each of the characters. One of my favorite parts of being an ID is the opportunity to constantly learn about new subjects. I’ve worked on everything from accounting to zoology, and that’s not an exaggeration. My parents laughed - perhaps a bit longer and louder than necessary - when I mentioned the online apprenticeship program I was designing for plumbers. After all, my maintenance skills are limited to changing a light bulb - and that’s on a good day. But as an ID, I’m content neutral; I can apply my skills and knowledge to virtually any subject. That doesn’t mean I don’t need content expertise; indeed, I would typically be lost without my partner-in-design, the SME. The SME, the Subject Matter Expert, knows the subject of the training inside and out. We work together closely to determine instructional objectives, select content and materials, and develop relevant, real-world activities. I enjoy working with SMEs; they are experts in their field and are passionate about what they do. However, because they are so knowledgeable, they tend to think EVERYTHING is important. My task is to keep us laser-focused on what’s important for this particular course or training. It can be painful to whittle down the SME’s well-loved content, but this process is essential for an effective course. Because of their expertise, SMEs often struggle to make the content understandable to their audience. In the plumbing course, my lack of maintenance skills was actually a plus because I could easily identify the SME’s "expert blind spots." Working together, we simplified definitions, added key background information, and broke down the information into small, snack-sized bits that students could easily digest. And thanks to my SME, I can now tell an elbow fitting from a coupler and a T-joint from an L-joint. (The opportunity to learn new things is a fantastic perk of my job!) So is an instructional designer always necessary when developing an education or training project? If you just want a nicely designed presentation or well-written content with a few questions at the end, you probably don’t need an instructional designer. And some learners will be successful no matter how poorly designed the content, learning in spite of - not because of - the material. But to help as many learners as possible reach the learning outcomes, you probably need an instructional designer on the team. In the earliest stages, the ID can help articulate exactly what the learners need to know or do as a result of the training. (Without this upfront analysis, your training may be headed in the wrong direction altogether.) Then working backwards from your destination, the ID can help identify or develop content and resources that help learners reach this goal via the shortest path. And when it comes to elearning projects, I believe the ID’s role is even more critical. Development can be expensive, so the stakes are often higher, and it’s easy for the instructional focus to get lost in the latest technology. Too often the result is a gorgeous, even cutting-edge program, but one that has little impact on learning. The right ID, however, can ensure the technology is used to support learning, not as an end itself. If you’re planning an elearning project, I’d love to hear about it and share how our talented IDs can help make it a success!   The post Of SMEs and IDs: Partners in Design appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

  If we asked you why it is you do what you do, like most universities, students would likely be your first answer, right? Because without your students, what is it that a university stands for? We agree with you. And servicing those students, providing a well-rounded, thought-provoking, and genuinely-supported experience for each one is probably also at the top of your goal list, right? We thought so. eLearning Online Course Support provides excellent Helpdesk Services to universities across the United States. Our goal is to provide high-quality support that is personalized and effective. As a client, you’ll be provided a dedicated Online Course Support (OCS) Center, which is a dynamic site that we encourage users to access in order to submit tickets, conduct system checks, or access self-help knowledgebase articles 24/7/365. Each client is also assigned a dedicated support team that is tasked with learning about your organization and specific protocols. Who are our clients? We have the pleasure of partnering with a wide variety of colleges and universities, who have joined us in the movement of putting users first! Oklahoma City Community College, San Mateo Community College District, USA-Gymnastics, United Methodist Communications, American Sentinel University, and Cornerstone University are just a few of our clients who understand the importance of student satisfaction and the role it plays in retention and university adoption. Our clients understand that supporting their students doesn’t have to be a hefty investment of resources, time, or commitment from their current staff. If you are currently thinking about how to support your ever-growing online course demand in a way that is affordable, effective, and efficient, then let’s talk! What’s it really costing you? Looking at your current support structure, how are you differentiating the support you provide online to the support you provide on campus? The packages that eLearning Online Course Support offers hold a variety of support hours to cover the needs of your online users. With our premium package, your users will get around-the-clock support from certified technicians who are trained to represent you and your users in a personalized, professional, and comprehensive way. Your dedicated Online Course Support Center will put the control in your users’ hands—they’ll be able to do things like access self-help tools, view available channels of support in real-time, submit tickets, and review open and past cases 24/7/365. If you are currently providing Helpdesk Support in-house, review what it’s actually costing you. How many students do you have working the program? How many advisors? Are any of the advisors or administrators who are tasked to providing support also tasked to the everyday operation of the university? Does providing Helpdesk internally actually take away time that could be spent in improving success in other areas? Additionally, under the model you are currently providing, how long does a student wait for a response? Can you guarantee your response time? Can you provide support 24 hours a day? How much is spent on training? What are you paying for infrastructure, ticket management, and FAQ management? To hire one qualified full-time employee at $10/hour, it would cost an average of $20,000/year. That one resource would be limited in how much time that one employee could commit and how many cases the employee could resolve at a single time. Not to mention the cost of training and management needs. With our Helpdesk services, you get an entire team (3-7 Level 1 Reps, 1-3 Level 2 Reps, a Helpdesk Director, and an entire Quality Assurance and Documentation team), many of whom work simultaneously to provide your users with help. Additionally, our team members are FERPA- and security-certified as well as trained in advanced Learning Management Systems and the use of hundreds of desktop applications all geared to support your eLearning environment. Want more information? If you like what you’ve read so far and think that eLearning Online Course Support could be just what your college or university needs, contact us today to set up the initial call/consultation. We’ll walk you through our process, step-by-step, work to find you a package that accommodates your needs, and get you that much closer to better supporting your students. Email us today at: helpdesksales@elearninginnovation.com or call 1-844-4elearn (1-844-435-3276). Additional information can be found at our website: www.elearninginnovation.com. The post Why Do Your University’s Online Programs Need Helpdesk Services? appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

In today’s day and age, more and more companies are considering telecommuting practices: how they affect their staff’s morale, effectiveness, and ability to produce. eLearning Innovation is proud to state that we’ve been a virtual workforce since 2003, fully taking advantage of the benefits telecommuting offers. Unlimited Talent Pool Not only are we able to tap from talent across the United States, but our employees have been able to work from around the world as well. We have employees located in New England, Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, Ohio, Indiana, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, and even Canada. There have been times in the last year that employees have worked abroad from Australia and Switzerland as well. There aren’t concerns regarding a commute, or even the cost of living. Our employees create a schedule of hours that is agreed upon with their supervisor, and that works to accommodate our clients. This flexibility provides such an important work-life balance it has been a true test of retention and recruitment for EI employees. In fact, as we’ve scaled the company over the last few years, we’ve been able to hire talented people through current employees who are so happy with their jobs at EI that they have recommended a position at EI to others and we have recruited through their advocacy. Nature Of The Job Some might argue that telecommuting only serves its place in certain fields, and as eLearning Innovation is an online learning solution provider, it would make sense that our company is particularly suited to host a virtual workforce. However, so often we meet others in different fields who also feel they might benefit from working from home. Though some may argue that face-to-face meetings are more productive than a conference call, we would beg to differ. For instance, tools such as Go-To Meeting and Skype both offer video conferencing on which real-time face-to-face meetings can be held. Look at how many meetings you’ve had in the last week and ask yourself if being in the same room with others really put you at an advantage—or was it merely just a convenience? Could the meetings have been just as successful if held via Skype or over the phone? At EI, there are elements to our work that need to be done in person with clients, such as introductions, initial meetings, or trainings, but other than those standard operating procedures, most of the rest of the work can easily be done virtually. Further, all our documentation is stored in shared Dropbox or Google docs, and this cloud-based storage allows us easy access to all employees without the need to host a server. This ability to work virtually offers an important perspective for our Instructional Designers and Technical Developers who spend the majority of their time creating courses online. It provides a unique understanding of what it means to be online, and the importance of producing engaging and interesting material. The Obvious Work-life balance is by far the most obvious benefit from having a virtual workforce. At EI, employees work with their supervisors to determine the hours that accommodate their schedules best. For instance, we employ parents who might need to get their children off the bus at 3pm. These employees might log-on at 7am, work until the kids get off the bus, and, if need be, handle whatever additional needs came up while they were away after the kids have gone to bed or the next morning when they log-on again. All EI employees understand that flexibility is honored as long as it doesn’t affect the relationship with the clients, and all employees have accommodated the clients in a way that this sort of schedule has rarely, if ever, initiated any conflicts. The ability to throw a load of laundry in between meetings isn’t going to affect anyone’s productivity level. On the contrary, we have found that this very flexibility has created a sense of loyalty and efficiency because our employees are able to work everyday life needs into their work schedules.   Want to Work Virtually? Are you a creative thinker who is highly motivated and self-directed? In your spare time, are you learning new things? Do you believe a virtual working world is expansive? Do you want to help a passionate leader and her innovative team challenge the world of online learning? eLearning Innovation has open positions listed on the Career Page of our website. If you have any interest in getting involved with EI in a full-time or contractor position, please contact hr@elearninginnovation.com. The post Why A Virtual Workforce? appeared first on eLearning Innovation.

Instructure Canvas is quietly building what could become one of the dominant platforms in online education, from academic to vocational and lifelong learning. In this post I want to focus on three indicators that show Instructure’s growth in different verticals of the market and the overall potential the Canvas Network has for institutions and for-profit education. 1) Canvas nibbles away on other LMS’ market-share According to edutechnica, Instructure managed to attract several institutions to switch their LMS platform from Moodle and Sakai to Canvas which had rarely been the case before. Canvas has also overtaken Desire2Learn in terms of number of enrollments. ⅕ of institutions that currently run Sakai seem to be willing to switch their LMS and have set up tests with either Blackboard Learn or Canvas. 2) Instructure Canvas would be the backbone for Indiana University’s "edX Killer" Michael Feldstein and Phil Hill gathered and analyzed very interesting information about Unizin, a new learning ecosystem planned by Indiana University under the management of its CIO Brad Wheeler. These are as always fascinating reads and I recommend you to check them out over at e-Literate. The interesting part for today’s post is that Unizin chose Canvas as mean of distribution for its consortium. Most universities who are on the list of potential partners in the consortium currently use Blackboard and Sakai. Only two institutions on the Unizin consortium list are currently using Canvas, the University of Utah and the University of Maryland, with a third, the University of Texas, currently moving on from Blackboard. Through Unizin, Canvas could add Colorado State University (Blackboard), Indiana University (Sakai), Oregon State University (Blackboard), Purdue University (Blackboard), University of Florida (Sakai, with some use of Canvas), University of Michigan (Sakai) and University of Wisconsin (Desire2Learn) to its customers. In his second post on Unizin, Michael Feldstein explains why Unizin could become a threat to edX. "So if the medium-term ambition of Unizin is to create a MOOC portal, who is threatened by that? I don’t think it hurts Coursera too badly. They now have enough eyeballs that I think even schools in other coalitions are likely to hedge their bets and put a course or two on that platform. edX is another matter, though. Assuming that Unizin could succeed in making a big media splash and attract students to their course catalog, I don’t see what edX offers that Unizin on Canvas couldn’t do better, and the value to administrators of getting all MOOC and non-MOOC courses on the same supported platform shouldn’t be underestimated. If I were Anant Agrawal, I would be very worried about Unizin poaching my customers." Instructure latest announcement fits snugly into this storyline. 3) Instructure announces Canvas Catalog The latest product by Instructure is Canvas Catalog, or as the team calls it on the company blog "brilliance struck". Canvas Catalog is based on Canvas Network, the company’s answer to the MOOC hype, launched in late 2012. Canvas Catalog adds a whitelabel storefront solution to Canvas Network, enabling its customers to add registration, enrollment and payment features to a individually branded web portal. The potential for such a platform is quite big. Based on Canvas Catalog and Canvas Network someone could create the next lynda.com or Udemy and the product is of course also relevant to projects in academia like the aforementioned Unizin. We also need to take into consideration that Canvas, like Open edX, is an open source project which enables institutions as well as edtech entrepreneurs to modify, add and build upon the Canvas source code. All of these factors make Instructure Canvas one of the edtech startups to keep an eye on constantly.

4.0 Schools, a non-profit incubator program with locations in New Orleans and New York City announced its 9th cohort. In this post we take a look at the edtech startups that form this year's 4.0 Launch Summer Class. The teams have been selected from a total of 126 applications in the focus areas edtech and the future of school. The participants in this cohort represent bigger underlying trends including creation and personalization, professional development and skills. In alphabetical order the nine edtech startups startups are Aecern Aecern is a mobile learning startup that aims to blend technology and exploration in order to create exciting learning experiences in the classroom and beyond. The app challenges learners to develop so called higher-order-thinking-skills by connecting the dots between everyday events and experiences and thus taking learning beyond the traditional curriculum. By encouraging students to share their learning experiences Aecern adds a social layer on top. According to the startup teachers and students in grades K to grade 12 have used the technology in a variety of scenarios ranging from a classroom setting over field trips to distance learning. The app is available for both Android and iOS. Video Links aecern.com | Twitter | Facebook BrightLoop Boston-based startup BrightLoop created a web based app that empowers teachers to personalize the learning experience of each individual student in their class by helping them to capture and collect student performance data, review individual student goals, notes and to create report cards and also facilitate lesson planning. BrightLoop’s app is accessible from any tablet device or computer. Video Links brightlooplearning.com | Twitter | Facebook MARV Founded in 2010 MARV’s daylong workshops assist future college students in picking the right college and finding the right courses for them based on each student’s individual educational journey. The course is structured into four units and participants will learn about the steps of how to pick the right college, how to write the college essay, learn about their personal strengths and decide on the courses most appropriate for them. A one day workshop with MARV costs $150. Links findmarv.com | Twitter | Facebook NobleMinds Noble Minds founded by Dr. Vera Triplett takes the approach of whole child learning and will launch its institute in the fall of 2015 focusing on delivering Academic and Therapeutic services for students who have a documented behavioral/emotional disability or for families who simply want a more nurturing and therapeutic environment for their student. Links Twitter Parents as Partners According to 4.0 Parents as Partners is creating literacy at-home instruction for parents of low-income students using annotated book guides delivered through schools. Links Twitter Root (ed) 4.0 describes Root(ed) as a personalized learning experience grounded in responsiveness to community problems for middle school students, utilizing a culturally-relevant, entrepreneurial education curriculum. Its founder Jonathan Johnson is also among six teachers nationwide who have been named finalists for the 2014 Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice. Links Twitter [operation] SPARK Operation SPARK is a pilot project being developed and conducted at youth community centers around New Orleans to teach young adults how to build simple mobile video games and apps with the aim of igniting the pursuit of an employable passion. Students will learn about application design, game mechanics and user experience, visual and sound design, computer engineering of various sorts, project, product and cost management, content management and public relations of all kinds as well as effective means of communication and conflict resolution. Links Twitter | Facebook VersedU VersedU wants to tackle alleged disengagement and apathy in Higher Education by bridging the gap between classroom learning and real world experiences. The team develops a tailored curriculum for each student and then assigns them a mentor. VersedU currently offers three of its classes for credit priced at $349.67 per credit hour for regular classes which brings a full semester’s tuition with 15 credits to $5,245. Besides, there are options for so called sponsored classes which come at a price of $899/class. VersedU states that the average tuition and fees at private institutions was at $30,094, $8,893 for in-state students, and $22,203 for out-of-state students at public institutions in the 2013-2014 academic year. For a free two-week trial of VersedU you can sign up for the "Online Journalism" beta. Links versedu.co | Twitter VidCode Winners of Startup Weekend NYC a couple of weeks ago, VidCode aims at a young audience, specifically girls, and wants to spark their interest for programming by allowing them to transform videos into art using specific filters. The objective is to encourage teens to start and code these filters themselves instead of only using them. Links vidcode.io | Twitter

The global market for social networks and communities targeting researchers and scholars is getting more and more competitive. Over the past months we saw multiple deals in the space, from Mendeley's acquisition by Elsevier, over sizeable funding rounds for Academia.edu, Piazza and ResearchGate to new startups like MyScienceWork and Function Space. [member] Now Mumbai-based startup InvenZone, a platform for researchers and scholars to discover intellectual knowledge, has raised Angel funding from VentureNursery accelerator with participating angel investors Amit Patni, Anand Ladsariya, Arif Ali, Arihant Patni, Bharat Banka, Samir Shah, Neeraj Goenka, Ravi Kiran, Sanjay Mehta, Shravan Shroff, Vishal Maheshwari. Further details of the funding round remain undisclosed. InvenZone is one of the four startups chosen of 250 applications that graduated from VentureNursery’s fourth badge in March 2014. Co-founders Vinay Kumar and Deekshith Marla launched the platform at IIT Bombay in 2013 and now aim to sign other renown institutions. InvenZone claims to have built the product based on principles of advanced data mining and machine learning and has indexed a total of 23 million research papers equal 40% of the global database. It lets users search by keyword, does the weightage for the individual keyword and then searches the global database. By doing so InvenZone wants to take the complexity out of searching for data, help make searches more efficient and ease the discovery of relevant data sets through its technology. InvenZone is far from being alone in its ambitions to become the one-stop-shop for higher science education and research online. The vertical in higher education that InvenZone targets is a highly competitive one, both worldwide and in India itself. On EDUKWEST we wrote about Academia.edu closing a $4.5 million funding round in December 2011 and Gates-backed Research Gate and its $20 million venture round in May and June 2013. Also Indian startup Function Space raised a Seed Round from Nexus Venture Partners in April. In the same week Luxembourg-based MyScienceWork, the blog-turned-communication-platform for scientists, announced their $1.1 million Venture Round. And in late February 2014 Piazza, the social network for engineering students founded Pooja Sankar, disclosed their $8 million Series B and the launch of Piazza Careers. Another younger competitor from India is Knimbus Online, also an online community that targets researchers. Knimbus raised an angel round of more than $500,000 from a group of six to seven business angels according to VCCircle. Further Reading VentureNursery angels back networking platform for scholars and researchers InvenZone | VCCircle Network For Researchers & Scholars InvenZone Secures Angel Funding | NextBigWhat VentureNursery announces the four startups it backed in batch 4 | YourStory Links invenzone.com | AngelList [/member] Related Academia.edu raises $4.5 Million for Researcher Social Network | EDUKWEST The Facebook for Scientists ResearchGate apparently raised $20 million | EDUKWEST Bill Gates took part in the $20 million ResearchGate Funding Round | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: Piazza launches Piazza Careers, announces $8 million Series B | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: Function Space raises Seed Round from Nexus Venture Partners | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: MyScienceWork raises $1.1 million Venture Round | EDUKWEST Europe Picture "scientist-minifig" by Maia Weinstock, Some Rights Reserved

When it comes to opportunities in technology, hip-hop and rap artists seem to be ahead of the curve compared to fellow musicians. MC Hammer is well known for his appearances at tech conferences, may it be as a panelist, speaker and often main act at the afterparty. All of the major players in the rap business have some kind of commercial relationship with one or several tech brands. And then there is Dr Dre who just sold his headphone business to Apple and who will take on an executive role at the tech giant as the most recent and arguably most prominent example. Therefore it makes sense that we are now seeing the first moves into education though, for now, most investments are not for profit oriented. Nas already is involved in the space through his commitment in General Assembly’s Opportunity Fund, he now invested a six-figure sum in a scholarship fund for higher education that also carries his name. [member] Seattle-based edtech startup Koru has received a $100,000 investment from rapper Nas to establish a special fund called the Nas Scholarship Fund. Nas made the investment through his investment company Queensbridge Venture Partners. Koru previously raised $4.35 million in funding from Maveron, Battery Ventures, First Round Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. This brings the total investment raised by Koru to $4.56 million as reported by GeekWire. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 50 percent of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. Koru created an immersive, experiential education program launched in late 2013. The coaching program aims to help young college graduates to land their first job. Participants can practice the skills relevant in today’s workforce and learn from established executives in real-life work scenarios. At the same time they start to build their professional network and thus get the chance to land a job interview and potentially be hired by a top company. Partner companies participating in the program include Smartsheet, REI, Julep, Zulily and others. About his motivation to set up the scholarship fund Nas states "I’m inspired to to support Koru participants because I know how hard it can be to carve out your path and purpose in life." He also wants to involve himself directly in identifying worthy students and coach these. "I can’t wait to work directly with them and share what I’ve learned through my own life experiences." Two of the first recipients of the Nas Scholarship Fund have already been chosen. They are Steeve Simbert, a Georgetown University class of 2015 graduate with a major in Government, and Marixa Rodriguez, an Occidental University class of 2014 graduate with a double major in History and Spanish. Both will take part in the June program. Koru’s 13 founding partner colleges include some renown institutions like Brown, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University among others. According to Forbes a total of 100 students completed the program, and Koru aims to double that number by the end of the summer. Currently all programs take place in Seattle, but Koru plans to offer classes in San Francisco after the summer reports billboard. Koru’s monthlong programs come with a price tag of $2,750, and Koru decides on a case by case basis about the possibility for a scholarship. The startup also makes money when a student gets hired by a company affiliated with Koru as that company agrees to pay Koru a certain fee. This business model is very similar to what we currently see in tech education, i.e the Flatiron School operates the same business model for graduates of its coding classes. This isn’t the first time we hear news from Nas in connection with an educational initiative. Just over a month ago EDUKWEST reported on the Opportunity Fund announced by General Assembly, a scholarship program in partnership with Microsoft, Google, Hirepurpose and Nas. The Opportunity Fund offers generous scholarship funds to help veterans, women, and minorities become less underrepresented in the tech industry. Video Further Reading Nas and Koru Team Up To Better Prepare Tomorrow's Workforce | Forbes Hip hop icon Nas invests in education startup Koru, pledges support of grads | Geekwire Onvia co-founder raises $4.35M for Koru, helping college grads find impactful jobs | Geekwire Rapper partners with educational firm Koru to provide scholarships, real-world coaching for college grads. | Billboard Links joinkoru.com | Twitter | Facebook | CrunchBase [/member] Related HEDLINE: The Flatiron School raises $5.5 million | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: General Assembly announces Opportunity Fund | EDUKWEST

Chegg announced that it has agreed to acquire InstaEDU, an online platform for on demand tutoring sessions, for $30 million in cash. InstaEDU’s co-founder and CEO Alison Johnston Rue will join Chegg as head of its tutoring business. Key Takeaway Founded in 2012 by Alison Johnston Rue, her brother Dan Johnston and Joey Shurtleff, InstaEDU quickly grew to over 3000 individually screened tutors (August 2013) covering more than 2500 subjects ranging from high school and standardized test prep through advanced college concepts. The main premise of the service is that students who get stuck can get immediate access to a tutor who is available on the platform at that moment. When we last talked to Alison the average waiting time to get connected was under 30 seconds. The pricing for students is at around $0.40 per minute, tutors on InstaEDU earn $20 per hour with the difference going to the platform. According to the press release Chegg expects to generate revenue with InstaEDU as early as next year. "Students have been coming to Chegg for years to get homework help using our Chegg Study service when they've been stuck on a subject or need help mastering a concept. Now, they'll have the ability to connect any time, day or night, with an expert tutor who can provide personalized assistance on practically any subject," states Dan Rosensweig, Chairman and CEO of Chegg in the press release. The acquisition follows Chegg’s strategy to become the one-stop-shop for students and lifelong learners. Over the past couple of years Chegg has acquired Zinch, Notehall, Students of Fortune, and Cramster. InstaEDU raised two rounds of venture funding. In May 2012 a $1.1 million Seed Round led by Social+Capital Partnership followed by a $4 million Series A in August 2013 led by Battery Ventures with participation of The Social+Capital Partnership. Before founding InstaEDU, Alison and Dan Johnston founded and ran Cardinal Scholars, an in-home tutoring service which they sold to Course Hero in 2012. "We started this business because we recognized the opportunity to bring greater efficiency to a $60 billion global market through technology that makes one-on-one tutoring fundamentally more affordable and accessible for students anywhere" states Alison Johnston Rue in the press release. Further Reading Chegg Agrees to Acquire a Leading Online Tutoring Network, InstaEDU | PR Newswire Exciting news: InstaEDU is joining Chegg! | InstaEDU Blog Chegg to buy online tutoring matchmaker InstaEDU for $30 million | San Francisco Business Times EduTech Team-Up: Course Hero Buys Cardinal Scholars In-Person Tutoring Business From InstaEDU | TechCrunch Related Chegg is Beginning to Connect People through the Student Graph | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: Chegg Career Center to launch later this month | EDUKWEST Who is going to be Chegg's next acquisition? Here are three Options. | EDUKWEST A Tutor Cloud in a MOOC World - InstaEDU raises $4 million | EDUKWEST InstaEDU: On Demand Tutoring When You Need It Most | EDUKWEST Links instaedu.com | Twitter | CrunchBase

In today’s EdTech Startups Japan Edition we take a look at three startups that are based in Japan, two of which founded by immigrant entrepreneurs from the US. Translation platform Gengo surpassed 200 million translated words, Eigooo wants to teach English via text chat to shy students and Mana.bo wants to disrupt the $10 billion Japanese cram school industry. Gengo surpasses 200 million translated words Founded in 2008 by Robert Laing and Matthew Romaine, Tokyo-based translation service provider Gengo surpassed the milestone of 200 million translated words. Gengo has a network of over 10.000 translators across the globe who now translate about four words per second. According to an interview with Tech in Asia, Gengo plans to reveal even more service related data in the future to add more transparency to the translation market and to show the effectiveness of Gengo’s platform. The translation market is getting quite competitive with companies like Smartling which recently raised a $25 million Series D, Duolingo which builds its business model on crowdsourced translations through language learning, or Microsoft and Google who heavily invest in new, automated translation technologies. Further Reading Gengo cracks 200 million mark for words translated | Tech in Asia Smartling Raises $25M to Help Companies Translate Anything Digital | WSJ Links gengo.com | Twitter | Facebook | CrunchBase Eigooo wants to help shy Japanese students to learn English Eigooo, another Tokyo-based startup, aims to help Japanese English learners who feel too shy to practice the language with strangers through a text chat app. Founded by English teacher Peter Rothenberg, Eigooo lets students and teachers communicate via text chat. Teachers can correct spelling and grammar directly in the app. According to Tech in Asia, the service signed up over 10.000 users since launching in February and has currently 1.500 active monthly users. Other than the last startup in this list, Eigooo does not want to compete with classic language schools but rather sees itself as a supplement to other ways of learning English. Further Reading This English conversation app says no to video and focuses entirely on text chat | Tech in Asia Links eigooo.com | Twitter Mana.bo wants to disrupt Japanese Cram Schools Mana.bo aims to disrupt the established Japanese cram school market, a $10 billion USD industry, by moving the lessons on the Internet. Sounds familiar? US-based InstaEDU followed the same approach and just got acquired by Chegg for $30 million. Of course, Mana.bo’s founder and CEO Katsuhito Mihashi took notice of the deal. InstaEDUがCheggに買収された！！！ http://t.co/eDOqoe2ps3 — katsuhito MIHASHI (@katsuhito384) June 3, 2014 Like almost any edtech startup that aims to disrupt an established industry, Mana.bo is focused on convenience and price. According to Tech in Asia, monthly fees in brick and mortar cram schools are between $500 and $1000 USD, Mana.bo charges between $100 to $200 per month. Like many services in Asia, Mana.bo has a heavy mobile component. Students can take a picture of a math problem with their smartphone and send it to a tutor. Sessions take place in a virtual classroom environment with shared whiteboard. The startup partnered with Japanese textbook publisher Benesse and is currently exclusively available to Benesse’s clients. Video Further Reading Mana.bo wants to shake up the $10 billion Japanese cram school industry with online tutoring | Tech in Asia The Emergence of the Japanese Juku Industry | openpop.org Links man.bo Picture "Postcard Tokyo" by Les Taylor, Some Rights Reserved

Tokyo-based adaptive learning and memory management company Cerego announced the launch of free online oceanography courses in partnership with Mission 31, a project by Fabien Cousteau. With Mission 31, Fabien Cousteau takes on the legacy of his grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau. 50 years after the Conshelf Two expedition in which Jacques Cousteau and his team lived for 30 days on the ocean floor, Fabien and his team will go deeper and add one day to the mission. The entire mission is broadcasted live via the Mission 31 website and the team also offers Skype calls to classrooms around the world. Based on Cerego’s adaptive learning and memory management platform, teachers and students will be able to access courses that focus on building fundamental knowledge about factors impacting climate change, ocean pollution, overconsumption and the decline of biodiversity. All courses are accompanied by flexible lesson plans, teachers can access and download the entire curriculum for free. Mission 31 started on June 1st and Cousteau and his team will emerge on July 2nd. Full Release Cerego Teams Up with Fabien Cousteau’s Mission 31 to Introduce Free Online Oceanography Courses Fabien Cousteau Deepens His Commitment to Oceanographic Education Worldwide; Cutting-Edge Cerego Technology Helps Students Learn Faster and Remember Longer May 30, 2014 12:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time MILLBRAE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerego, the essential memory management tool, today announced that they are teaming up with Mission 31, led by oceanic explorer Fabien Cousteau. "Cerego’s technology is exciting and will help us meet our education goals for the mission" Starting June 1, Mission 31 will offer free general-interest oceanography courses online, powered by Cerego. The two teams have been collaborating since March to create a groundbreaking online experience for anyone inspired to learn more about Cousteau’s journey, and the science and technology behind the mission. Mission 31’s online courses will be accompanied by flexible lesson plans for ongoing use. Teachers will be able to access and download the full curriculum for free. Additionally, Cousteau and his team will conduct Skype video calls with classrooms around the world to bring discoveries to life. The relationship with Mission 31 is the latest in a long list of platform deals for Cerego, including integrations with Harvard and MIT’s massive open online course EdX; the K-12 curriculum of award-winning national charter school network Academica; a new adaptive study application for health professionals developed with world-leading scientific publisher Elsevier; and the "Quantified Brain" project with neuroscientific technology company Interaxon and Professor Jan Plass of New York University. The overarching theme for Mission 31 is the human-ocean connection within the lens of exploration and discovery. Cerego, a digitally-savvy advocacy organization, sought a way to engage the Mission 31 community worldwide, not only during the mission, but long after it is complete. "Cerego’s technology is exciting and will help us meet our education goals for the mission," said Cousteau. "The platform is a unique way for us to generate more STEM content beyond the traditional classroom through an intuitive learning system." Mission 31’s courses will focus on building foundational knowledge about factors impacting climate change, ocean pollution, overconsumption and the decline of biodiversity. Each course will be enhanced by Cerego’s patented learning algorithms, which track performance on an item-by-item level, measuring pace, speed of response, and accuracy to predict the best time to review. The result will be an experience optimized for each individual that leads to long-term retention, and a core learning engine that gets more effective the more students use it. More on the science behind Cerego can be found here. "Mission 31 is an opportunity for parents, teachers and students to dive deep into the fascinating world of underwater life. We’re delighted to collaborate with Fabien Cousteau and his team at Mission 31 to help educate students around the world about the importance of the oceans we share," said Andrew Smith Lewis, co-founder and executive chairman of Cerego. "Together we are going to inspire the next generation of aquanauts with an unforgettable educational experience." Mission 31 begins on June 1st. While underwater, they will live and work in Aquarius, the world’s only underwater research lab. This will be the first time a mission of this length has ever taken place in the history of Aquarius, which is deployed 63 feet beneath the sea off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, operated by Florida International University. Cousteau and his team will emerge from the mission, after 31 days, on July 2. This will be Fabien Cousteau’s first saturation dive, making him the first Cousteau of his generation to become an aquanaut. His grandfather and oceanic pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau originally proved the viability of saturation diving with a 30-day journey more than 50 years ago. To learn more about Cerego and Mission 31, visit the Research and Education page here. About Cerego: Cerego is the essential memory management tool. We partner with great teachers, administrators and institutions to amplify growing minds everywhere. Our team is comprised of experts in adaptive learning and memory science. Through our core adaptive learning platform, web application and full suite of mobile applications, we have been helping students to enrich their lives, by learning and retaining knowledge more effectively for over a decade. Cerego is located in San Francisco, CA and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit: http://cerego.com/. About Fabien Cousteau: Fabien Cousteau is an oceanographic explorer, conservationist and documentary filmmaker. As the first grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Fabien spent his early years aboard his famous grandfather’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone; and learned how to scuba dive on his fourth birthday. Today, Fabien continues to fulfill his family’s legacy to protect and preserve the planet’s extensive and endangered marine inhabitants and habitats (www.fabiencousteau.org). Fabien’s nonprofit organization, Plant A Fish is designed to empower communities and children to help restore local water ecosystems through the healthy "replanting" of key marine species with the ultimate goal of planting 1 billion "fish" worldwide (www.plantafish.org). Fabien’s Mission 31 expedition, commencing June 1, 2014, will break new ground in ocean exploration and also coincides with the 50th anniversary of a monumental legacy left by his grandfather, who is also credited with creating the first underwater habitats for humans and leading a team of ocean explorers on the first attempt to live and work underwater. Mission 31 will go deeper, longer and further while broadcasting each moment on multiple channels exposing the world to the adventure, risk and mystique of what lies beneath (www.mission-31.com). Contacts Jones-Dilworth, Inc. John Robert Reed, 512-567-9768 johnrobert@jones-dilworth.com

iParadigms, the company behind the anti-plagiarism software Turnitin and content verification service iThenticate, is to be acquired by Insight Venture Partners and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund for $752 million. Turnitin is used by over 24 million students and 1.6 million educators at 10,000 institutions worldwide according to the company. In 2008 private equity investment institution Warburg Pincus acquired a controlling stake in iParadigms. Insight Venture Partners is also an investor in Udemy, Chegg and OpenEnglish. Founded in 1999 by Dr. John Barrie, iParadigms is headquartered in Oakland, CA with an international office located in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. PRESS RELEASE iParadigms, creators of Turnitin, today announced the company has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired for $752 million by Insight Venture Partners, a leading global private equity firm focused on high-growth investments in the technology sector, and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. iParadigms is a leading provider of cloud-based educational technologies to prevent plagiarism, verify content, and evaluate student learning. Its flagship product, Turnitin, is used by over 24 million students and 1.6 million educators at 10,000 institutions worldwide to improve student outcomes. iParadigms also delivers iThenticate, the leading content verification service for research, corporate and government markets. "We are very excited to be partnering with Insight Venture Partners and GIC as we execute our vision to be the most innovative and effective technology for evaluating and improving student work," said Chris Caren, chairman and CEO of iParadigms. "This partnership will provide the resources and support to accelerate our product investment plans and expand our reach into international markets." "iParadigms operates an incredible business that solves some of the most persistent and universal challenges in education," said Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Venture Partners. "We look forward to working with the team to serve its very loyal customer base and to invest in product innovation that will continue the company’s amazing track record of high growth. " "As a leading global investor, we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to partner with Insight and management to help iParadigms further expand its international footprint," said Eric Wilmes, Head of the North America Direct Investments Group, at GIC Special Investments. "The company, with its best-in-class education platform, is very well positioned for long-term success." Leading up to this transaction, Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity investment institution, played a significant role since 2008 as the majority owner of iParadigms. Mason Slaine, chairman of Interactive Data Corporation, has also been a significant investor since 2006. "This is a great company that does important work to help maintain the integrity of the educational system. We are very pleased by what the management team has accomplished," said Mark Colodny, Managing Director and Co-Head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group, Warburg Pincus. iParadigms will remain headquartered in Oakland, CA with its international offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014, subject to the waiting period under the HSR Act and customary closing conditions. Credit Suisse acted as financial advisor to Insight Venture Partners and GIC. Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal advisor to Insight Venture Partners and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to GIC. Evercore acted as financial advisors to Warburg Pincus. Willkie Farr & Gallager LLP acted as legal advisor to Warburg Pincus. About iParadigms iParadigms is the world’s leading provider of web-based solutions for plagiarism prevention and student feedback. The company’s products include Turnitin, used by educators worldwide to check students’ papers for originality, to enable web-based peer review and for digital grading of student work. iParadigms’ iThenticate solution is the leader in plagiarism detection in research, publishing government markets. The company’s solutions check over 100 million documents annually and are used in 19 languages in over 100 countries. iParadigms was founded in 1999 by Dr. John Barrie, and is headquartered in Oakland, CA with an international office located in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. http://www.turnitin.com and http://www.ithenticate.com. iParadigms Press Contact: Chris Harrick (510) 764-7579 About Insight Venture Partners Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight has raised more than $8 billion and invested in more than 200 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund and work successfully with visionary executives providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. For more information on Insight and all of its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter: @insightpartners. Insight Venture Partners Press Contact: David Satterfield (408) 802-6767 About GIC GIC is a leading global investment firm with well over US$100 billion in assets under management. Established in 1981, the firm manages Singapore’s foreign reserves and is uniquely positioned for long-term and flexible investments across a wide range of asset classes, including public equities, fixed income, real estate, and private equity. In private equity, GIC invests through funds as well as directly in companies, partnering with our fund managers and management teams to help world class businesses achieve their objectives. GIC employs more than 1,200 people across offices in Singapore, Beijing, London, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.gic.com.sg. GIC Press Contacts: May Lah Choon - (65) 6889-6841 Jennifer Lewis - (65) 6889-8383 About Warburg Pincus Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $37 billion in assets under management. The firm’s active portfolio of more than 120 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 13 private equity funds, which have invested more than $48 billion in over 700 companies in more than 35 countries. Since inception, the firm has invested more than $15 billion in technology, media and tech-enabled services companies, including investments in A Place for Mom, BEA Systems, Bharti Airtel, Cobalt, Coyote Logistics, Endurance International Group, FacilitySource, FIS, GrubHub, iParadigms Holdings LLC, MLM Information Services, NeuStar, New Breed, Nuance, RDA Microelectronics Inc., Service Repair Solutions, UGS Capital Corp., and VERITAS Software. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. For more information please visit www.warburgpincus.com.

Learning portfolio platform Pathbrite has raised a $3.7 million Series B led by Cengage Learning with participation of existing investors ACT and Serious Change. This latest round brings the total funding raised by Pathbrite to $11.7 million. Pathbrite will use the funding to expand its sales and customer care team and plans to offer its platform in other markets including Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Key Takeaway Founded in 2012, Pathbrite provides students, teachers or entire schools with a cloud based learning portfolio platform. The service includes features like student portfolios, course planning and delivery, assessment tools and student management. With Pathbrite students can create portfolios for free by either uploading material or embedding 3rd party content from a variety of sources. Teachers can build assignment-based portfolio templates which can be tracked and assessed. Pathbrite also integrates with existing management systems in schools or higher education. Analysis [member] The aim of Pathbrite is to create an alternative to classic résumés by collecting more data around ones education than just test results and transcripts and therefore make it easier for individuals to stand out from the crowd as well as for employers to get a better sense about the qualifications of job applicants beyond test scores. Before Pathbrite another edtech startup offered a very similar service. Zinch, founded in 2009 and acquired by Chegg in 2011, had the tagline "more than a test score". By the time of its acquisition Zinch had 3.5 million users. Today Zinch which is now branded as Chegg Admission Services is used by 75% of college bound high school students according to the Q1 2014 results. David Blake, one of the founding team members of Zinch is currently working on another startup in the same space. Degreed scores and validates a user's lifelong education from accredited and non-accredited sources. Based on its investment in Pathbrite, Cengage Learning will integrate the portfolio platform in its 300+ MindTap courses by fall 2015. Pathbrite also plans to offer services for employers who will be able to build templates for job openings including the skills and experiences needed as well as the responsibilities. Applicants will then be able to run their portfolio against the job opening to get immediate feedback if they have the necessary skill set to apply. Apollo Education is offering a similar service via its new course aggregator platform Balloon. Job candidates can browse job openings on the site and learn which skills are required to apply. They can then search the course database by either the skill they need to learn or the job title. Further Reading Pathbrite Announces $3.7 million in New Investments | PR Newswire Cengage Learning and Pathbrite Partner to Add ePortfolio Solutions to Deliver Today's Most Robust Course Solution | PR Newswire Pathbrite lands $3.7 million for digital portfolios for students | VentureBeat Pathbrite Gets $3.7M to Grow 'Portfolio Learning Platforms' | EdSurge Related Chegg adds another Piece to its Student Graph - Acquires Zinch | EDUKWEST The Future is Digital: Chegg Quarter 1 2014 Results | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: Apollo Education launches Course Aggregation Platform Balloon | EDUKWEST Links pathbrite.com | Twitter | Facebook | CrunchBase [/member]

2U and its partner universities have surpassed 10k student enrollments, the company announced on Wednesday. Since its launch in 2009, more than 2.500 students have graduated from one of the programs offered through the 2U platform. The students come from all of the U.S. states as well as 60 countries from across the globe. 2U just recently announced a cross-university enrollment initiative, enabling students who are enrolled in one of the partner universities to enroll in select courses from other 2U-enabled programs. The average class size in 2U-enabled online graduate degree programs is 10,4 students. Instructors held over 97k live sessions and nearly 3 million hours of field training have been completed by students according to the 2U Impact Report from December 2013. 2U, Inc. and its University Partners Reach Company Milestone of Supporting More than 10,000 Students LANDOVER, Md., June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU), a leading provider of cloud-based software-as-a-service solutions for leading nonprofit colleges and universities to deliver high-quality education to qualified students anywhere, announced today that more than 10,000 students have enrolled in its partners' programs since the first program launched in 2009. This milestone was reached with leading institutions of higher education including American University; the George Washington University; Georgetown University; Simmons College; University of California, Berkeley; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Southern California and Washington University in St. Louis. These 10,000 students hail from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia as well as from more than 60 countries. They are true Trojans, Tar Heels, Sharks and Bears, who, upon graduation, join the vast alumni networks of these preeminent universities. Through 2U's cloud-based software-as-a-service platform designed to support learning and success, students in 2U-enabled programs are attending live small seminar-style classes and study groups and consuming high quality self-paced content. Students are also participating in on-the-ground learning experiences, attending campus graduation ceremonies and receiving degrees identical to those of their on-campus peers. These students, including more than 2,500 graduates, are using their educations to impact society, often contributing in areas of great need. They are social workers dedicated to serving the military, math and science elementary school teachers, public health professionals, entrepreneurs, advanced practice nurses and professionals in many other areas of business and service. "2U's model of delivering our degrees online without compromising our rigor and quality has helped to further our mission at the USC School of Social Work beyond Southern California," says Marilyn Flynn, dean of the USC School of Social Work. "Our relationship with 2U has been critical to extending the presence and impact of highly prepared social workers across the U.S. and the world." "Since UNC enrolled our first students in 1795, we have been committed to providing access to learning," says Doug Shackelford, dean of the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and Meade H. Willis Distinguished Professor of Taxation. "When we explored how to extend that commitment beyond our campus, we found a great partner in 2U. Together we are making it possible for students around the world to benefit from the same transformative education that our on-campus students experience." "A superior education requires a superior commitment and, since 2008, 2U has dedicated itself to serving its university partners and its students," says Chip Paucek, co-founder and CEO of 2U. "I'm so proud of the faculty and staff of our university partners and the 2U staff for reaching this milestone and showing the world that the online programs we enable can successfully help universities reach and teach more students." A 2U Impact Report, which represents 2U-enabled online graduate degree programs as of December 31, 2013, shows average class sizes of 10.4 students, a post-graduation salary increase of 25 percent (compared with pre-enrollment salary), more than 97,000 instructor-led live class sessions, nearly 3,000,000 hours of field training completed by students and a Net Promoter® Score of 68.5. About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) Founded in 2008 by a team of education and technology veterans, 2U enables leading colleges and universities to deliver their high-quality education to qualified students anywhere. Our cloud-based software-as-a-service platform provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure they need to attract, enroll, educate, support and graduate their students. Our mission is to enable the education our clients provide to reach its highest potential so students can reach theirs. To learn more, go to 2U.com. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/2u), Twitter (http://twitter.com/2Uinc) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/2u). Media Contact: Shirley Chow, 2U, Inc. schow@2U.com 858-336-0358 SOURCE 2U, Inc.

Singapore-based editing services startup WritePath raised a $525k Seed Round led by B Dash Ventures with participation of Pinehurst Advisors and a group of angel investors. The funding will be used to set up offices in Japan, South Korea and the US. Key Takeaway WritePath’s goal is to become the world’s premier vertically integrated editing and translation service provider. The startup currently runs three services in the editing and translation space: TopAdmit offers editing services for university applicants, TopSCIedit the editing of academic research papers and BizEditors offers editing services to small business owners. Analysis [member] WritePath’s customer come mainly from China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the Ukraine. According to e27, the offices in Japan and South Korea are necessary to set up legal entities in order to collect payments from those countries as global services like PayPal are not broadly used over there. "WritePath is not only a play on technology but a play on the rise of emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, MENA (Middle East North Africa) and India. We like the fact that many of the markets that WritePath is playing in are growing at 8 to 9% a year." states Hiroyuki Watanabe of B Dash Ventures. The founder Charles Chin also told e27 that WritePath has been profitable for the first two years since launch but was in the red in 2013 due to investments in growth and the gain of market-share. Chin expects to break even by the end of this year. "I think investors were encouraged to see a start-up that was not in perennial beta but had already built a service, was profitable and focusing on the blocking and tackling of building a business." Chin states in the press release. Founded in 2009 TopAdmit received orders from 22 countries in the 2013-2014 admission cycle and saw growth of 22% according to TechCrunch. While competitors like EssayEdge are focusing on clients in the U.S. and U.K., TopAdmit builds out its platform to cater to growing markets in Asia, especially China, Japan and South Korea. "The study abroad market globally is growing 8% annually and in many of the markets that WritePath is making strong inroads into, such as Vietnam, year-over-year growth is at 40%. The combination of scale and a rising market means that WritePath is well-positioned for accelerated growth." states Mark Hsu, General Partner at Pinehurst Advisors in the press release. TopSCIedit is used by over 300 researchers and also has signed long term contracts with research institutes. The latest service BizEditors is already in use in 190 multinational companies. Its main competitor is Gengo which just announced a milestone of 200 million translated words on its own. BizEditors sets its focus on the Chinese market, offering translation and editing services from Chinese into all other languages Chin told TechCrunch. Shanghai-based ChaseFuture, another edtech startup that targets the college admission vertical by offering college and grad school applicants personalized admissions consulting, recently raised a $400k Seed Round. easyuni, a search engine and review site for colleges and universities based in Kuala Lumpur signed a partnership with Yahoo Malaysia to provide a dedicated education channel on the country’s Yahoo News portal. Further Reading WritePath raises US$ 525,000 seed funding to speed up global expansion | WritePath [Updated] Singapore’s WritePath secures US$525K led by B Dash Ventures | e27 Editing Services Startup WritePath Nabs $525,000 In Seed Funding | TechCrunch Related HEDLINE: ChaseFuture raises $400k Seed Round | EDUKWEST EdTech Startups Asia: easyuni, MyBusMate, SchoolofTutors and Mettl | EDUKWEST Links writepath.com | Twitter | LinkedIn | CrunchBase [/member]

Chicago-based Learnerator, an online test prep platform for AP exams, raised a $300k Seed Round from Serra Ventures and a group of angel investors. With the funding Learnerator plans to expand its platform into other standardized tests such as the ACT, SAT and GRE. Key Takeaway Founded in 2013 by Luke Liu, Learnerator offers comprehensive practice questions & accompanying explanations developed by expert teachers. Following the freemium business model, Learnerator offers free access to part of its practice questions. Learners who want to practice with harder questions pay $17 per subject per year. Analysis [member] Liu had the idea for the business when he was able to sell practice questions for AP European History in January 2013 with no marketing effort at all according to Crain’s Chicago Business. He then started to recruit experienced AP teachers who develop practice questions for the different subject areas. Those teachers receive royalties from the students who sign up for the different packages. With Learnerator Liu and his team aim to prepare students better for the tests through a more interactive learning path. According to the website, students are often unprepared in a test situation when they are faced with unfamiliar questions that they did not come across in a textbook or classroom. By using Learnerator and its practice questions, Liu and his team aim to build confidence and deeper understanding of the underlying concepts. The platform currently offers over 11k questions with over 2.1 million questions have been answered by Learnerator users to date. Further Reading School software maker ThinkCERCA raises $1.5 million | Crain’s Chicago Business Links learnerator.com | Twitter | Facebook | CrunchBase [/member]

Coursera announced today that it has restored access to the majority of its courses for Iranian students after working closely together with the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control. The General License G now states that US institutions may offer undergraduate-level online courses in the humanities, social sciences, law or business to students in Iran. The sanctions still prohibit the offering of courses that deal with advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Earlier this year Coursera and later edX had to block students coming from Iran, Syria, Cuba and Sudan from accessing the platform due to trade sanctions and a changing interpretation of how these sanctions relate to MOOC providers. Students from Syria already regained access to Coursera and the MOOC platform is working on providing access for students from Cuba and Sudan. Coursera says that about 20.000 students from Iran have taken courses on the platform to date. Further Reading Restoring Course Access in Iran | Coursera Blog Coursera restores access to Iranian students | The Pie News Related Education for Everyone but - Coursera blocks Students | EDUKWEST HEDLINE: edX expands Membership Structure - Has to Block Students | EDUKWEST Links

EdTech Europe announced its second annual EdTech 20 list. The EdTech 20 2014 were judged by a jury of industry experts in terms of innovation, scale, market impact and revenue growth over the past year and selected out of more than 100 entries from 15 countries. The three winners of this year’s EdTech 20 will be announced at the EdTech Europe event in London next week. Listed in alphabetical order, the EdTech 20 2014 are: bettermarks (Germany) Founded in 2008, bettermarks is an adaptive math learning platform. bettermarks offers over 100 interactive maths books covering primary and secondary level (grades 4 - 10; age 10 - 16). The platform is available in different markets throughout the EU and abroad. Links bettermarks.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Brightwave (UK) Brightwave creates learning platforms for companies including the latest technology to get employees more engaged in the onboarding process, compliance training and personal development. Links brightwave.co.uk  | Twitter busuu (UK) busuu is among the largest language learning communities with over 45 million members across the web and mobile applications. Following the freemium model, language learners can access parts of the website and apps for free, engage with other learners and participate in a global community. Links busuu.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Circus Street (UK) Circus Street offers online courses for businesses who need to train their employees on everything related to digital marketing. The courses cover topics such as SEO, mobile marketing and social media. Links circusstreet.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Creaza (Norway) Creaza offers learners an integrated, web-based toolbox for creative work, both at school and at home. Students use the toolbox along with various fully developed thematic universes: historical periods, fairy-tales, fantasy worlds, and current challenges, such as climate/environment. Links creazaeducation.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Dnevnik.ru (Russia) Founded in 2007, Dnevnik.ru is an online network for teachers, students and parents offering distance learning features, document sharing and a social networking. Other features of the platform include gradebooks, a media library and test prep for university entry exams. Dnevnik.ru is free to use. Links dnevnik.ru | Twitter | CrunchBase Docebo (Italy) Docebo is a B2B e-learning SaaS provider that enables organizations of all sizes to plan, deliver and certify online and classroom training activities. Docebo’s Learning Management System has been selected and used by more than 28.000 organizations worldwide. Links docebo.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Educations.com Media Group (EMG) (Sweden) Educations.com is a global meeting point for students and educators in over 210 countries worldwide. EMG helps educators market themselves to the right audience. Links educations.com | Twitter eduPad (France) eduPad builds educational apps in Math and English Language Arts for Elementary and Middle School students. eduPad has more than 2 million users. Links edupad.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Eliademy.com (Finland) Eliademy supports educators and students with free online classrooms that enable them to create, share and manage courses. Started in February 2012, Eliademy is backed by CBTec Ltd, a company founded by ex-Nokia veterans, who possess core expertise in Open Source Technology. Links eliademy.com | Twitter | CrunchBase eSchools (UK) eSchools offer a suite of products to schools, from LMS to a school website, communication and management tools for faculty and parents. Links eschools.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Immerse Learning (UK) Immerse Learning (formerly Languagelab.com) offers online language training, as well as complex corporate and vocational online training in virtual worlds including teaching air traffic control systems for leading airlines to mission critical oil and gas health and safety procedures. Links immerselearning.com | Twitter | CrunchBase ITycom (France) ITycom is a designer of solutions in the fields of Human Resources and Training, offering services around serious games and 3D simulations. Links itycom.com | Twitter KTM Advance (France) KTM Advance SA creates and develops custom e-learning and gaming solutions for professional skills-oriented training. The company delivers computer based training aids through Web-based or distance learning packages on CD ROM or DVD. Links ktm-advance.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Learning Technologies Group (UK) Learning Technologies Group (LTG) has been created with the purpose of building a market leading business of substance and scale within the exciting and fast-growing learning technologies sector. Links ltgplc.com | CrunchBase Lecturio (Germany) Lecturio is an interactive e-learning platform that provides online-courses which are available on the web and mobile devices. The company offers more than 4,000 online courses in the field of Business, Software, Languages, Law, Medicine, Accounting and Leisure Time. Links lecturio.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Quipper (UK) Quipper was founded in 2010 by Masa Watanabe who is also the co-founder of the very successful Japanese mobile social gaming company DeNA. Quipper’s flagship product is Quipper School which enables educators to create educational content and track student performance. Links quipper.com | Twitter | CrunchBase Squla (Netherlands) Squla provides core curriculum online adaptive learning solutions for K-12 pupils through social games on iOS and Android devices. Links squla.com | Twitter | CrunchBase The Student Room Group (UK) The Student Room Group helps 8.5m monthly visitors with a unique blend of social learning, peer-to-peer support and advice on student pathways. The UK’s largest student community - The Student Room - sits alongside social learning websites Marked by Teachers and Get Revising. Links tsrmatters.com  | Twitter Virtual College (UK) Founded in 1995, Virtual College supply training advice, resources and online courses to individuals and organisations across the UK including complete design, delivery and progress support training packages as well as its own Learning Management System. Links virtual-college.co.uk  | Twitter