At ISTE 2012, Pearson Launches Cost-Effective, Comprehensive Online Learning Platform for Grades 6-12
New GradPoint™ Program Offers More than 150 Standards-based Core, Elective, Honors and Advanced Placement® Curricula
San Diego (PRWEB) June 25, 2012
Today, at the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) annual conference, Pearson announced the launch of GradPoint, an online learning program for grades 6-12 that offers multiple learning paths to serve a variety of student needs on a single platform. With GradPoint, school administrators can reduce costs and increase program effectiveness by eliminating the need for multiple curricular resources and programs.
Education leaders, Pearson, Florida Virtual School© and eDynamic Learning© designed GradPoint’s more than 150 courses, which align to state academic standards and are coherent with the Common Core State Standards. In addition, the program’s platform enables K-12 teachers to upload their own courses, materials, assessments and assignments to more fully personalize the learning experience for students.
Several paths for learning are available through the program that build off of instructional design best practices from Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction, Visual Literacy, and Cognitive Load Theory to allow students to maximize personalized learning time at their own pace:
- For students who need to recover credits or may need remediation, the platform prescribes only the lessons a particular student still needs to master.
- Students who need an alternative method to earn credits can participate in all elements of a course in a set order, showing mastery before moving on from one lesson to the next.
- Students can self-direct their learning, progressing through course material openly, in any order, which is best for those seeking self-paced remediation, blended learning support and supplemental online instruction.
GradPoint’s virtual, honors, Advanced Placement® and elective courses, from Florida Virtual School© and eDynamic Learning, foster a student-teacher virtual and blended learning environment. These courses provide students with collaborative and project-based learning assignments and assessments.
- The honors courses provide more rigorous assignments to challenge more advanced students to earn honors credits.
- Advanced Placement® courses deliver curriculum matched to the College Board’s standards to prepare students to take the AP exams and earn college credits before they graduate.
- Electives offer students the opportunity to explore career and topic areas where they may have interest to develop skills and gain knowledge beyond the core level and prepare them for college or career.
“As more school districts and education leaders look to offer online courses, GradPoint provides that one, simple online platform that will enable them to meet the varied needs of individual students while reducing costs. By offering a single sign-in for full virtual courses, blended learning, summer school, credit recovery, AP or honors courses, and electives, we’re expanding learning opportunities for the whole school community,” said Pearson Digital Learning President Chris Dragon.
Available via web browser, GradPoint delivers all of its courses on a simple, intuitive learning platform that allows administrators and teachers to monitor student progress and pace as well as the ability to customize and create courses on their own.
Learn more at http://www.pearsonschool.com/GradPoint or watch the video at http://pdl.wistia.com/m/IK4VuQ.
About Pearson
Pearson has as its mission to work side-by-side with states, districts, teachers, students and parents to ensure that every child is prepared for college and career (NYSE: PSO). http://www.pearsoned.com
For more information, press only:
Kate Miller
Kate.miller (at) pearson (dot) com
