Learning House Staff Participate in Keynote Panel at ANGEL Conference
The ANGEL User Conference keynote panel, entitled “eLearning – A Catalyst for Economic Development,” engaged five professionals from the field of distance education to discuss eLearning’s financial bearing, with a focus on the state of Kentucky.
(PRWEB) June 15, 2006 -- At the ANGEL User Conference keynote panel, Sharon Edge and Ian Minderman of Learning House, Inc. presented their outlooks and expert opinions on the impact and future of eLearning. The panel, entitled “eLearning – A Catalyst for Economic Development,” engaged five professionals from the field of distance education to discuss eLearning’s financial bearing, with a focus on the state of Kentucky.
The annual ANGEL User Conference was attended by approximately 350 individuals who utilize the ANGEL Learning software to develop and manage web-based learning systems. Joining Edge and Minderman on the panel were Dr. Allyson Hughes Handley, the State of Kentucky’s senior policy advisor for postsecondary economic development; Kim Hennessy, educational liaison in the school-to-career department of Jefferson County Public Schools; and Robert Johnson, director of eLearning for Jefferson Community and Technical College.
Facilitator Jana Hickey began the panel session by asking each participant to expound on their view of eLearning’s economic influence. Edge, vice president/CFO of Learning House, drew from her extensive background in distance learning in Kentucky to bolster her forecast of growing eLearning business for universities and colleges. As more universities and colleges implement online courses and degree programs, and as more students come to expect increased flexibility in education, she said, the revenues from eLearning will continue rapid growth for educational institutions worldwide. Edge initiated, in 1992, one of the nation’s first Distance Learning Library Services programs at the University of Louisville. She has remained integrally involved in the field, particularly in online library services, and currently provides strategic planning for Learning House’s eCourses.
Minderman added specific examples of how eLearning has brought increased enrollments and ease of educating to colleges and universities. As vice president of operations at Learning House, he has enhanced technology infrastructures for the company’s distance learning products and services. One service provided by Learning House, and an example of how eLearning can be a financial boom for institutions, is Online Education Directories (OEDs). Minderman has developed OEDs for Learning House as an easily accessible resource through which its clients’ online degree programs can be marketed to potential students.
For their answers to Hickey’s question, “How might eLearning be better utilized to create and develop Kentucky’s talent force?” the panel members brought their expertise to the local level. Minderman referenced Learning House’s specialized knowledge of eLearning at small colleges, saying, “It is extremely important that our smaller colleges in the state are able to compete.” Through online courses and degree programs, those institutions can reach a student body far larger than that within their immediate regions, increasing enrollments and income for the college, and educating a wider workforce.
Edge answered that she sees the economic impact of eLearning as “a personal matter,” as education and increased knowledge boosts individual quality of life. As eLearning attracts students to Kentucky and provides them with more tools for success, the financial gains for both the colleges and learners will be reflected in how they spend their dollars and time.
For more information about ANGEL Learning and the 2006 ANGEL User Conference, please visit www.angellearning.com.
About Learning House, Inc.
Learning House, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Dr. Denzil Edge. It is a comprehensive eLearning company that develops customized eContent, as well as audio and video products; hosts and leases course management systems; leases or sells eContent; and provides 24/7 Help Desk services, project management services, consultation and research services, editing services, and staff training for its clientele. Learning House, Inc. provides eLearning services to numerous institutions of higher education, professional organizations, government agencies, and businesses.
Source: Learning House, Inc. – www.learninghouse.com
###
|
