In this article, we’ve brought up all the key facts that shape the success of online school education these days.Online platforms like Swa-Adhyayan are highly powerful, adaptive and comprehensive e-learning, assessment and sharing platform for students to identify their learning style and build progressive proficiency. Such a platform serves all groups involved in student education, viz., school, teachers, parents and students.

mediaimage
The most influential system of education at present is online education. With obvious reasons (ongoing pandemic conditions) for acceptance, the e-learning system of education is picking up popularity in schools too. In this article, we’ve brought up all the key facts that shape the success of online school education these days. Let’s check them out!

An enduring system of education

As per a published data by Forbes magazine, it is evident that online education in the United States is going to hit a fantastic $325 billion by the year 2025. Online education is the technological development that removes all geographical barriers, eventually delivering quality education right at your place.

Since 2020, online school education has set a new record as more and more schools are opting for this system of education as it helps in the continuity of the school education, no matter what. Online platforms like Swa-Adhyayan are highly powerful, adaptive and comprehensive e-learning, assessment and sharing platform for students to identify their learning style and build progressive proficiency. Such a platform serves all groups involved in student education, viz., school, teachers, parents and students.

As online education is an innovation that is going to stay in our lives forever, it is better to get into this system of education at once.

Similar learning outcomes

Online school education has similar learning outcomes that one attains in a traditional classroom system. Rather, online learning is better at some places as it offers customization, time and cost-cutting and self-assessment. Moreover, a student can study at his pace and place without any compromise on the learning.

Quality education delivered to all

When you adopt the system of online education in your school, you can rest assured about delivering quality education to all, irrespective of where they live presently and what’s their financial status. That is, online school education offers a learning system to the society as a whole.

Not one form of online teaching

As platforms like Swa-Adhyayan are adaptive, you do not have to follow a single form of teaching. Bring in your own ideas and you’re free to implement them in this system of e-learning. In fact, there’s a provision of adding third party content on such platforms, if in case that party permits. Hence, the platform of online teaching through such an online platform offers broader learning/assessing features. All you need to start with it is to SIGN UP and take a FREE DEMO session. Once you know the basic features of the platform, you can instantly buy the services!

Instills maturity

We often hear that you need to be self-disciplined to get into an online system of education. This is actually true. Once you propose this platform to the school students, they learn how to get into self-study and self-assessment along with project submission. In fact, their concentration level is also improved to a great extent.

Economical altogether

Pick up an efficient platform of online education like Swa-Adhyayan and you’re free from additional expenses like costs for commuting, school infrastructure, printing and other expenses. Along with saving your precious time, such a platform is easily accessible from anywhere. Thus, it is definitely economical in all the ways!!

Not an end to traditional education

As per George Couros—educator and author of The Innovator’s Mindset, “Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational.” This is what we mean at this point. While an e-learning platform of education is definitely picking up the pace of teaching nowadays, it is not marking the end to the traditional system of education. In fact, merging up the two systems will bring outstanding results. All in all, there must not be any dispute between both the teaching models. Jointly, they can do wonders.

“Embellish your professional aspirations and earn a solid academic foundation in one of the diverse career-training courses at ACI Career College today!”

mediaimage
Situated in beautiful Modesto, California, ACI Career College rewards graduates with fine educational foundations in a variety of fast-growing career choices. Whether you elect to pursue professions in health information, medical assisting, massage or other associated health modalities, rest assured that ACI Career College can help you achieve your professional goals.

Choose from day or evening classes when you pursue your diploma in massage therapy at ACI Career College (in about 36 weeks). In addition to anatomy and physiology, and massage theory and history, students enrolled in the massage therapy course learn Swedish massage, chair massage, integrative techniques, complementary bodywork, myofascial release, spa techniques, and CPR and first aid, among other in-depth studies.

Another 36-week course at ACI Career College is the medical clinical assistant program. Students gain professional placement as a medical assistant, medical office receptionist, or medical secretary after you earn your academic diploma from ACI Career College in medical clinical assisting. In addition to medical law and ethics, students enrolled in this course of study learn about anatomy, physiology, computers in healthcare, pharmacology, laboratory and clinical procedures, and more.

All-inclusive training is provided to future pharmacy technicians at ACI Career College. Comprised of core courses in pharmacy practices, the 36-week pharmacy technician program trains candidates in pharmacy fundamentals and principles, antimicrobial agents, hormone and vaccine therapies, nutrition and drug standards, pharmacology, histamines/receptors, stimulants/depressants, patient care management, and externship, and other studies.

In about four months, earn your credentials to become a qualified health information specialist at ACI Career College. Practical training includes medical law, ethics and terminology, medical insurance (coding and billing), directed clinical practice, among other instruction.

ACI Career College participates in a number of financial assistance programs, and extends valuable career services to its students and alumni. What’s stopping you? Embellish your professional aspirations and earn a solid academic foundation in one of the diverse career-training courses at ACI Career College today!

Featured School the Week: ACI Career College

Copyright 2008

The CollegeBound Network

All Rights Reserved

Resource Box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd – Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for SpaBeautySchools.com -part of The CollegeBound Network, an interactive media company that specializes in recruitment lead generation solutions for colleges, universities, and career schools.

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Articulate Storyline is a versatile eLearning authoring tool that allows instructional designers to create engaging and interactive eLearning content. One of the most powerful features of Storyline is its ability to create custom conversational interactions with a rich interface. These interactions can simulate real-life conversations, enhance learner engagement, and improve retention by providing a more immersive learning experience. This article will guide you through the process of creating custom conversational interactions using Articulate Storyline.

Understanding Conversational Interactions
Conversational interactions in eLearning are dialogues or exchanges that mimic real-life conversations between learners and virtual characters. These interactions can be used for various purposes, such as:

Role-playing scenarios: Allowing learners to practice communication skills in a safe environment.
Customer service training: Simulating interactions with customers to improve service skills.
Decision-making exercises: Providing scenarios where learners must choose responses and see the outcomes of their decisions.
Benefits of Using Conversational Interactions
Increased Engagement: Interactive dialogues capture learners’ attention and keep them engaged.
Enhanced Retention: Simulated conversations help learners retain information better by providing practical applications of knowledge.
Improved Skills: Role-playing and decision-making exercises enhance learners’ communication and critical thinking skills.
Realistic Practice: Learners can practice real-world scenarios without the risk of real-world consequences.
Steps to Create Custom Conversational Interactions in Articulate Storyline
Plan Your Interaction
Before you start building your interaction in Storyline, it’s important to plan it out:

Define the Objectives: What do you want learners to achieve through the interaction?
Outline the Script: Draft the dialogue, including all possible learner responses and feedback.
Design the Flow: Create a flowchart to map out the different paths the conversation could take based on learner choices.
Set Up Your Storyline Project
Create a New Project: Open Articulate Storyline and create a new project.
Add Scenes and Slides: Organize your project by adding scenes and slides. Each scene can represent a different part of the conversation, and each slide can represent a dialogue exchange.
Design the Interface

Add Characters: Use Storyline’s character library or import custom characters to represent the virtual interlocutors.
Insert Backgrounds: Set the scene by adding relevant backgrounds. This could be a virtual office, a customer service desk, or any setting relevant to your scenario.
Add Text Boxes: Place text boxes on the slides for dialogue and learner responses.
Create Interactive Elements
Buttons for Responses: Add buttons for each possible learner response. These buttons will allow learners to choose their reply.
Triggers for Navigation: Use triggers to link buttons to different slides based on the learner’s choices. This will create a branching scenario where each choice leads to a different outcome.
Variables for Tracking: Use variables to track learner choices and provide customized feedback. For example, you can create a variable to count correct responses or to store the selected responses for later feedback.
Add Audio and Visual Feedback
Record Voiceovers: Add voiceovers to make the interaction more realistic. You can record your own voice or hire professional voice actors.
Insert Animations: Use animations to bring characters to life. For example, you can animate a character to smile or frown based on the learner’s response.
Provide Feedback: Add visual and audio feedback for each response to guide learners and reinforce learning points.
Test and Refine

Preview the Interaction: Use the preview function to test your interaction and ensure that all triggers and variables work as intended.
Gather Feedback: Share the interaction with colleagues or a test group to gather feedback.
Refine and Improve: Make necessary adjustments based on feedback to improve the interaction.
Best Practices for Creating Conversational Interactions
Keep It Realistic: Ensure that the dialogues are natural and realistic. Avoid overly complex language or scenarios that learners might not encounter in real life.
Provide Clear Instructions: Clearly explain how the interaction works and what learners are expected to do.
Use Branching Wisely: While branching scenarios are powerful, they can become complex. Keep the branching manageable to avoid overwhelming the learner.
Incorporate Feedback: Provide immediate feedback for each learner response to guide them and reinforce learning.
Monitor and Update: Regularly review and update the interactions to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
Conclusion
Creating custom conversational interactions with a rich interface using Articulate Storyline can significantly enhance your eLearning courses. By following a structured approach and leveraging Storyline’s powerful features, you can design engaging, realistic, and educational dialogues that captivate your learners and improve their learning outcomes. Embrace the power of storytelling and interactive conversations to transform your eLearning content and drive success.

Whenever we are talking about Developed nation, suddenly education comes to picture with other major indicators. The recognition of this fact has created awareness on the need to focus upon literacy and elementary education programmes, not simply as a matter of social justice but more to foster economic growth, social well-being, and social stability. In this article we have put some light on elementray education in Orissa.

mediaimage
“For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation.” This is the part of the speech of Dr Abdul Kalam in Hyderabad. Whenever we are talking about Developed nation, suddenly education comes to picture with other major indicators like the growth rate of the economy, birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate (IMR), and literacy rate. These indicators are all interconnected with each other and the literacy rate has been the major determinant of the rise or fall in the other indicators. There is enough evidence even in Orissa to show that a low literacy rate correlates with high birth rate, high IMR, and decrease in the rate of life expectancy. The recognition of this fact has created awareness on the need to focus upon literacy and elementary education programmes, not simply as a matter of social justice but more to foster economic growth, social well-being, and social stability.

The Constitution of India casts an obligation on the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14. The literacy rate in Orissa during 1951 was 15.8% against the all India average of 18.3%, which increased to 63.6% in 2001 against the all India average of 65.4%. While the male literacy rate of 63.1% in the State in 1991 increased to 75.9% in 2001, the female literacy rate increased from 34.7% to 51.0%. There has been a steady improvement in the literacy rates of the State over successive decades, which is a result of expansion of educational infrastructure both quantitative and qualitative.

In 1950-51, there were 9,801 Primary Schools with 16,525 teachers and 3.15 lakh students. There were 501 Upper Primary Schools with 2,569 teachers and 40,000 students. Also there were 172 High Schools with 2,247 teachers and 16,000 students. Since 1950-51, there has been a considerable expansion in the number of educational institutions, enrollment and number of teachers at all levels during successive plan periods. In 2003-2004, there are 44,416 Primary Schools with 52.54 lakh enrollment and 97 lakh teachers in the State. There is one Primary School for every 3.5 Sq.Km area. The state government has established 14, 233 Upper Primary Schools for each 10.94 km area in the State.

Issues of Concern

Education is the key to social & economic development of any society. It encompasses every sphere of human life. Level of literacy has a profound bearing on the level of human development. There are major issues, which are directly or indirectly concerned with the education in Orissa. First, the dropout rate in primary and upper primary schools is become a major issue of concern. In the same time dropout rate become a major setback in the increasing literacy rate which was at the primary stage 33.6%. But if you compare girls dropout rate with boys, the dropout rate for girls was 35.4% and for boys 31.9%. Dropout rate at upper primary stage was 57.5% in 2003-04. Out of them 56.5% boys dropped out in upper primary stage while 58.6% girls dropped out in the same year. Second issue is infrastructure of school buildings, which are in bad conditions. And the old or unsafe school buildings of our state are inadequate to meet the needs of school children. Many of them one-room (or even open-air) operations with poorly paid teachers.

Steps taken by the State Government

Orissa government has always made concerted efforts to provide education to all. Some major initiatives were taken to offer quality education for a brighter future not only for Oriyas but also for the state, at last for the nation. Some steps were directed towards the reform and renewal of state’s education system. In the same time there has been a considerable expansion in the number of educational institutions, enrolment and number of teachers at all levels during successive plan periods.

The central and state governments have been expanding the provision of primary formal and non-formal education to realise the goal of Universilisation of Elementary Education (UEE). Elementary education is recognised as a fundamental right of all citizens in India. The directive principles of state policy envisage UEE as one of the major goals to be achieved and mandated in a timeframe. As per guidelines adopted at the national level, the State aims at providing access to Primary Schools within one kilometer and Upper Primary Schools within three kilometers from habitations having 300 or more and 500 or more respectively. In order to achieve the goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education and to improve the quality, steps have been initiated to engage more 9,563 para teachers under State Plan.

Government of India’s flagship programme ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ was launched on nation-wide scale to universalize elementary education by providing for community ownership and monitoring of the school system. The objectives of the programme are compulsory Education to all the Children of 6-14 years age group by 2007. Under the programme, there were 780 new primary schools, 2,771 new upper primary schools were opened and. 25,594 Swechasevi Sikhshya Sahayaks were appointed in 2003-04. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme calls for community participation through effective decentralisation – involvement of Village Education Committee (VEC), Members of Panchayat Raj institutions and Womens’ group. It ensures transparency and accountability of the school system to the community. To lesson the burden of Directorate of Higher Education, the state government has been established three regional Directorates in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and Sambalpur. Regional Directors of these Directorates have been vested with similar powers of Director of Higher Education. Today, access to the qualitative education is reducing in Orissa. The reason is a lack of budget, weak governance and decline of physical infrastructure, shortage of teachers and their low salary, obsolete teaching plans, poverty and malnutrition, and absence of parents and society participation.

Huddles to achieve the Goal

Funds become major hurdle for every developmental programme in Orissa. In some cases, it is surplus and government cannot utilize the fund within the required timeframe. In the other side, it is deficit. In every step and in every stage, we extend our hand in front of the Central government, financial institutions for funds. How do you education keep the education aside? The government does not have money for primary education. Well, the fiscal deficit is surely a problem, but that could not be excused during a downturn if it is used for opening up the way to developed nation. The Government of Orissa fully endorses the approach on universalisation of elementary education and the scheme ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ should be given the highest priority. But when we are heading towards success of the programme, we do not have fund to provide the study materials to the students. With the assistance from Central Government, the Orissa Government has been providing the study materials every year. For a state like Orissa, the government needs 3.5 crores books for the students up to VII class.

Generally, the government was sanctioned eight crores every year. In the current year budget, only four crores has sanctioned, whereas approximately 30 crores required for the printing of study materials. Now, It is become routine issue for the government to sanction inadequate fund and demand more money at the neck of the moment when the books should reach at the end user. This is not only creating an obstacle in the time bound programme but also spoil the valuable time of the students for struggling with the course without courseware. Here I have highlighted one issue, which is occurred in every year at the beginning of academic year. Government has been compromising the issue without thinking the future of the small kids. Though it is a routine issue, then why Government is not considering this issue seriously?

Some other issues like educational infrastructure and appoint good teachers with good salary are also taken into consideration. When we are appointing good teachers for this programme, we should think about the other side of the coin (i.e good remuneration). The state government appointed 40,846 Shiksha Sahayaks under several schemes including District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) and Sarba Siksha Abhijan (SSA). Due to deficit budget the Shiksha Sahayaks are compromising with the situation and ready to work in less salary (i.e. Rs 1500 per month), which is less than the wage of a bonded labour. In spite of that the State Government is unable to provide their share at least in time to the Shiksha Sahayaks. How would we expect quality education from a teacher who is struggling to survive in this expensive society? Recently, the State Government has decided to hike the monthly honorarium of the Siksha Sahayaks from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000. This decision was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on October 20. This will cost the State Exchequer an additional Rs 25 crore per year. Obviously, zero percent credit goes to the State Government. Though Central Government is supporting 75 percent of the estimated expenditure, this additional hike will be added to the aided account. If Sarba Siksha Abhijan is become a flop programme, then the credit goes to the state government. The major barrier is deficiency of fund.

“ACI Career College promises to offer diverse career-training options in a number of disciplines including health information specialist, medical clinical assistant, therapeutic massage, or pharmacy technician, among others…”

mediaimage
If you’ve ever thought about career transition, or have recently graduated from high school and would like to pursue fast-growing occupational fields, then ACI Career College can provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete in the competitive job market today! Located in Modesto, California, ACI Career College promises to offer diverse career-training options in a number of disciplines including health information specialist, medical clinical assistant, therapeutic massage, or pharmacy technician, among others.

The 36-week diploma course in massage therapy at ACI Career College offers extensive training and education in massage history and theory, anatomy and physiology, massage law and ethics, client communications, medical terminology, Swedish massage, chair massage, complementary bodywork, myofascial release, spa techniques, CPR and first aid, in addition to other associated studies. The field of massage therapy is in high demand, and successful graduates have the potential to earn upwards of $30 hourly.* (Income potential varies depending on education, experience, and location.)

Another educational opportunity in which students can participate is ACI Career College’s three-quarter course (36 weeks) in becoming a health information specialist. Students enrolled in this academic program gain in-depth training and education in medical law and ethics, medical terminology, computer technology in relation to health care, medical insurance and medical billing/coding, clinical practice, and more. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for this particular occupation should be very positive. Successful candidates, who have completed all career training requirements have the potential to earn above $29,000 annually.

Like the idea of working in the medical industry but would like a faster educational route to getting your foot in the door? Becoming a medical or clinical assistant through ACI Career College’s medical clinical assistant program can land you in the job of your dreams. In addition to core classes in medical law, ethics, anatomy and physiology –students learn about subjects including medical insurance, pharmacology and medication administration, clinical setting procedures, medical assistant laboratory applications, and also take part in an externship. An experienced medical assistant can earn more than $36,000 yearly.

In addition to other comprehensive academic programs, ACI Career College provides career services to its students to help develop personal and professional skills, which include workshops in job lead strategies, resume writing, interviewing techniques, and more.

Don’t let another day pass you by when you could be on the road to career success and financial freedom — apply to ACI Career College and pursue your academic goals today.

* Occupational Resource: BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

* Financial assistance programs available

HolisticJunction.com School of the Week: ACI Career College

©Copyright 2008

The CollegeBound Network

All Rights Reserved

CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd – Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com- part of The CollegeBound Network, interactive media company specializing in recruitment lead generation solutions for colleges, universities, and career schools.

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Before you jump into that hot industry, you need to evaluate yourself and prepare for the career change.

mediaimage
The time has come for a career change. You wish to switch careers and it’s the only thing on your mind these days. Bored, fired, low pay or high ambition, there are any number of reasons for a career change. First things first! Don’t fret. A career change is not as bad these days as it was made out to be in the olden days when there were fewer options for employment. But now, with highly paid jobs available and new skills that can be learnt over a few weeks, things have changed drastically. Many people have given up seemingly secure banking, government jobs etc and have opted for software jobs, creative jobs and even freelance options. All you need then is a bit of courage, a dash of self belief and some clarity of thought and you can join the band of people who have successfully changed careers.

If you are on the edge of changing careers, here are a few things you may want to do to get more clarity on your thought process. As always we must begin the process at home i.e. with ourselves. Firstly take an honest look at why you want to change your career. Junk the trash about bad boss, bad conditions etc because these reasons do not help you in your decision making process. Instead identify aspects about the job that you want, about qualities within you that you feel can be commercially and creatively expanded. In simple terms find out what excites you – meeting people, negotiating, writing, traveling, sports, communicating or whatever else. Once you know that this is the one thing you would like to do for your creative satisfaction then we can zero down to further career options. If on the other hand you are seeking to move because you wish more compensation, faster growth, travel etc, look to identify your qualities and experience that could land the kind of jobs you want. For example if you wish to be a software consultant and you have been working as an accountant, there are many finance related software skills that you can add to yourself to find a software career with an accounting background.

Identify what excites you the most and find a career that works around your passion. There are as many options as you want these days. If you conduct some research, you will be surprised at the kind of options that are available. From working from home to traveling abroad to setting up event management companies to providing creative consultancy, you can hop on to any career you wish. Normally most ex-jobs (even the most boring ones) leave you with a certain amount of basic skills that come in good stead for your career change. Organizational skills, communication skills, creative skills, administrative skills, leadership skills etc are skills that you can carry along with you to your new job. Identify those skills and work on them in a way that you can leverage them for you new career. This will give you a head start because most principles in business or arts work around a pattern and you can slot it into your pattern.

Find people you know in the new career you would like to get into and meet as many people in that business as you can. Their advise on how the industry works, the skill sets required and so on will be invaluable. Based your research you can narrow down your search to the courses or skills you need to add and where from. The process will also help you meet many new people who could be valuable resources in the new career search. It also helps to gain experience on the side, by working on projects or part time jobs.

A career change can be the one decision that could change your life for the better because it is a decision you would have taken consciously and responsibly. It is a decision you have taken for your own good and therefore you will work at it diligently and carefully and with a lot of love and care. In most cases it is a passion for that kind of work or the result of your work that motivates you and both reasons augur well for you in the career. Thee will be some initial set backs – the cash flows may not be heavy in the beginning, new places and new environments might be daunting but it will all pass. Once you are up and over that learning curve nothing can stop you. Good luck!

Career colleges and technical schools offer the benefits of a targeted education, which leads to increased opportunities for employment.

mediaimage
Do you want to go to college, but are not ready to commit to a four-year school? Do you already know what kind of job you want? With many options such as career colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges or universities, making the decision on where to attend school can seem overwhelming. You might want to consider your options before taking your SAT of scheduling campus tours. While there are strong and real benefits to each kind of education, many people are less familiar with some of the reasons to attend a career college. If you are looking to acquire a marketable degree that leads to a great job but you don’t have the time or money to complete a traditional four-year degree, your best solution may be a career or technical school.

Career colleges and technical schools offer the benefits of a targeted education, which leads to increased opportunities for employment. A career or technical school is essentially a shorter and less expensive, career-driven option to traditional education. This category of schools is attractive to students who desire careers in business and industry or trades for which most traditional learning institutions do not provide training. In most cases, the set of courses at a technical school focuses on a particular program of study, rather than providing an educational overview. These kinds of programs are intended for immediate employment after graduation.

Career and technical schools offer a variety of programs, including 1-2 year diploma programs, technical certificates, and 2-year associate degree programs. Some schools offer short-term courses, continuing education courses, and bachelor’s degree programs. Technical students can choose from many different areas of directed education. Some two year programs include aviation mechanics, computer science, culinary arts, legal assisting, and paramedic training.

There are many benefits to attending career and technical schools. Career and Technical schools usually have smaller classes than traditional universities, which give students the opportunity for individualized attention. These types of schools oftentimes offer night and weekend courses which aim to accommodate to students who work full time. Technical and career schools also offer all of their courses over the summer to make the completion process more convenient.

Most career and technical schools have relatively high acceptance rates. A high school diploma or its equivalent and a minimum age requirement are generally all that is needed for admission to most schools. Submissions of high school transcripts and or an entrance exam may also be required for other schools. Some might even require SAT or ACT scores, or additional entrance requirements for particular programs. There are even some schools that will take any student who wishes to take courses regardless of whether or not they have earned a high school diploma.

When searching for a career or technical school, make sure that you research the programs and majors that are offered and the specific entrance requirements for your desired area of study. Some schools may offer a wide range of options, while others may cater to one or more specific trades. A career or technical college can help you get a marketable degree and assist you in getting a fulfilling career – in very little time.