Fresno Pacific University Partners with The Great Courses to Create Three New Professional Development Courses For Teachers

FRESNO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fresno Pacific University has partnered with The Great Courses to create three new graduate-level courses. These new continuing education courses provide teachers a chance to earn professional development credit while learning about topics in education, social studies and science.

The decision pairs the expertise of The Great Courses in creating robust content and engaging videos with Fresno Pacific University's decades of experience providing continuing education for teachers and offering educators the chance to earn graduate-level professional development credit.

The new courses will launch Oct. 1, 2019. All three are offered by Fresno Pacific University online. They are:

•     The American West
•     How We Learn
•     Life in the World's Oceans

Teachers should visit the Fresno Pacific University website to enroll. The cost of the three-unit graduate-level courses is $460. During the enrollment process and throughout the class teachers can expect the same level of support and guidance they receive from all Fresno Pacific University continuing education courses.

"This adds a new, exciting element to what we've offered teachers for decades," said Peggi Kriegbaum, M.A., Executive Director of Continuing Education at Fresno Pacific University. "We're very excited about working with The Great Courses. They specialize in making outstanding, informative and interesting video content, and we think it's the perfect combination with the unique professional development engagement we offer."

Fresno Pacific University offers graduate-level, accredited courses to teachers, helping them to earn the professional development credits mandated by most school districts. These courses, available online, cover hundreds of different topics. FPU also offers certificates in topics such as classroom technology, digital innovation, and STEM teaching.

The Great Courses specializes in creating compelling online course videos that are engaging and educational. For the three courses with Fresno Pacific University, the company has created 24 to 30 lecture videos for each course. Each 30-minute video features stunning visuals to complement the lessons.

Andrew B. Herrick, PhD, CHES, Director of Academic Development for Continuing Education and Adjunct Professor at Fresno Pacific University is an instructor for two of the classes. "These new courses offer a wonderful opportunity for teachers to learn the latest about history, science, and education from leading authorities in the field. The courses leverage the best-in-class content and state-of-the-art videos to deliver a learning experience that is engaging and high quality. Through reflective discussions and applied assignments, the teachers finish the course with an action plan to better serve their students in the classroom," Herrick said.

Each course has an embedded comprehensive video library, so students in the course can rely on the instructor's expertise as well as having award winning content from The Great Courses in which to access and learn from.

While there are knowledge checks and assessments built into the courses, there are no textbooks to purchase. Students do receive a free companion guidebook.

About Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University is the only accredited Christian university founded in the Central Valley. FPU connects every student's untapped potential with unlimited opportunity for professional, personal and ethical growth. FPU offers undergraduate, graduate and seminary programs that stress solid academic preparation and a strong ethical foundation to more than 4,100 traditional and adult students on the main campus in southeast Fresno and regional campuses in North Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and Merced as well as online. The university also reaches about 8,000 students through professional development studies. FPU has the highest four-year graduation rate of any Central Valley college or university, is a Hispanic Serving Institution, with a Hispanic student population of 47 percent. FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and ranked in the top tier among western universities—master's category by U.S. News & World Report. Both U.S. News and Washington Monthly include FPU on their "Best Value" and "Best Bang for the Buck" lists, and Money magazine places it at 11 among 50 Best Colleges for Transfer Students. FPU is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church, and all employees express a personal Christian commitment and support the Christian mission of the university. A description of the unique quality of FPU as an academic community can be found in the Fresno Pacific University Idea at https://www.fresno.edu/about/our-mission/fresno-pacific-idea.

About The Great Courses
The Great Courses is the nation's leading developer and marketer of premium-quality media for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. Delivered in engaging, expertly produced video and audio (in convenient online, digital, video on demand and disc formats), these carefully crafted courses provide access to a world of knowledge from the most accomplished professors and experts. The content-rich, proprietary library spans more than 750 series with more than 15,000 lectures designed to expand horizons, deepen understanding, and foster epiphanies in the arts, science, literature, self-improvement, history, music, philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, business and professional advancement. Creating unique learning experiences since 1990, The Great Courses is the premier brand of The Teaching Company, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, which is owned by Los Angeles-based Brentwood Associates. More information can be found at http://www.thegreatcourses.com.

SOURCE Fresno Pacific University

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