The Redgate Read On Online Learning

I remember it clearly.  It was fall 1985.  I was living in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.  I was managing and co-hosting a nationwide Christian radio talk show.   I was married and had two children at that time.   My educational experience was limited to a three year bible college program.

I knew deep down that I needed to find an accredited and reputable school that would accept the majority of my credits.  But I was really stuck.  Should I explore one of the state schools that were within an hour drive?  Should I consider displacing my family to attend an out of state school?  Sound familiar? Read the rest of this entry »

In recent days I have spoken with two institutions who are hoping to ramp up small but existing online programs.  In fact, one of those schools, from my home state of Virginia, came to Liberty’s campus for a face to face to find out what has made Liberty’s Distance Learning Program so successful.

What I found interesting is that there is a growing appreciation for online delivery.  And that’s all good.  At the same time, there is still apprehension and opposition among the ranks of some traditional academicians.  As a result, these two institutions are focusing most of their attention and time on the academic side of things.  And that’s not so good. Read the rest of this entry »

I have previously posted about the dangers of unaccredited degree programs offered by infamous “Diploma Mills.”  Let me reiterate from a previous post that if you earn an unaccredited degree from one of these diploma mills you are doing nothing more than adding a “time bomb to your resume.”  This hits home with me because I have relatives who have gone this route with no clue what the negative ramifications might be.

I recently ran across a blog by Lisa Neal, Editor of Elearn Magazine titled, “Persuade Me I Need a Degree: How Unaccredited Online Degree Programs Advertise“, her writing pokes fun at some SPAM emails ’selling’ degrees. Here are the top 10 (grammatical and spelling errors included): Read the rest of this entry »

As a college sports nut, I love this time of year.  College basketball’s Final Four — do I need say anymore?  We’ve whittled our way down from 65 teams all the way down to just two.  Memphis and Kansas will do battle tonight and tip-off is scheduled for a little after 9pm EST.  

I must confess that when Xavier and Texas lost my brackets were toast so I am just enjoying the ride at this point.  My wife, Melody, on the other hand is a secret Memphis fan and loves their coach, John Calipari.  Her love for Memphis comes from a New York City trip we were on several years ago when I was EVP at InService America.  One of my clients was the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the finest charities in our land.  Each year they host a men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden and I was fortunate for several years to attend.   I would take my wife with me because not only does she enjoy basketball (I’m so lucky!) but New York City during the holiday season is a magical place to be.   During this one trip, she, being the coffee addict that she is, was in line at a Dunkin Donuts near Grand Central.  She struck up a conversation with the server and told her that she was in New York for a basketball game.  From behind her a man asked, “What game are you here to see?”  Yes - it was Coach Calipari.  She tells me he spent about ten minutes just asking questions about our kids and talking with her about his early coaching days in Virginia.   Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a preliminary decision that rejects all 44 claims Blackboard Inc. made regarding the controversial patent it was granted for an online-learning system. If upheld, the decision could have sweeping ramifications for Blackboard’s competitors and universities that use course-management software. 

Who really knows how this decision will affect the pending litigation between Blackboard and Desire2Learn, whose Learning Management System was found by a federal jury to have infringed on Blackboard patent rights.   What I can say is that competition is good and, as an industry insider, I hope the decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office sticks and that the Blackboard verdict against Desire2Learn is overturned.