West Virginia University at Parkersburg Partners with Pearson to Grow its Online Learning Programs
PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA (PRWEB) September 09, 2013 -- Community colleges in West Virginia recently experienced seven and a half percent budget cuts across the state. In an effort to reduce costs, maintain accreditation and increase access, West Virginia University at Parkersburg, a higher education institution offering community college programs and bachelor's degrees, today announced it has partnered with Pearson to transition all of its online degree programs onto OpenClass™, a free, cloud-based learning environment. In addition, WVU Parkersburg faculty will work collaboratively with Pearson’s Instructional Design and Assessment team to restructure and enhance up to 220 of its courses with eLearning content and assessment from CourseConnect™.
Four associate degree programs are currently being transitioned to OpenClass™. These programs are in the areas of Business Administration, Business Technology, Multi-craft Technology, and General Education. In addition to adopting Pearson’s CourseConnect™ courses and the OpenClass™ learning environment, students will have access to eTextbooks, live, on-demand online tutoring, MyLab and Mastering products, a 24/7 help desk, and digital assets.
Said Dr. Marie Foster Gnage, WVU Parkersburg President and lead board member,
“As early adopters and design partners for Pearson’s OpenClass™, we are pleased with Pearson’s extensive support services and commitment to innovation. The partnership enables us to increase access to a high quality education for current and prospective students in West Virginia and other states.”
Dave Daniels, President of Integrated Solutions at Pearson North America, said “We’re honored to be partnering with WVU Parkersburg to grow its online and blended learning programs with OpenClass™, an innovative learning environment designed to encourage collaboration and communication for students, faculty, and institutions, in addition to our proven digital content and student support services that have enhanced the learning experience and improved outcomes for millions of learners. This partnership is the latest demonstration of Pearson’s efforts to reduce costs to institutions while enabling greater access and ultimately, better achievement.”
To learn more about OpenClass™, visit OpenClass.com.
To learn more about Pearson CourseConnect™, visit pearsoncourseconnect.com.
About West Virginia University at Parkersburg
WVU Parkersburg is a public institution of higher education, affiliated with West Virginia University, separately accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and operated by the state of West Virginia. WVU Parkersburg is a higher education center offering community college programs and bachelor's degrees. It is a member institution of the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia. WVU Parkersburg is the only public community college in West Virginia accredited to offer baccalaureate degrees. It is the fifth largest institution of higher education in West Virginia. For more information, visit: http://www.wvup.edu.
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO) is the world’s leading learning company, providing educational materials and services and business information through the Financial Times Group. Pearson serves learners of all ages around the globe, employing 41,000 people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit http://www.pearson.com.
Media Contact: Susan Aspey, susan.aspey(at)pearson(dot)com or 800-745-8489
Susan Aspey, Pearson, http://www.pearson.com, 800-745-8489, [email protected]
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