Brian is a scientist-turned-education technology executive. He has founded and led technology companies for more than 20 years and uses his analytical mind and experimental approach to spur growth in small and medium businesses and start-ups. He is passionate about using technology to enhance access to lifelong learning.
If you agree that everyone deserves access to education, then you probably believe that accessibility is important. In physical spaces like classrooms and theaters, accessibility may take the form of ramps, elevators, or special seating. Maybe you have a sign-language interpreter available or offer assistive listening devices. But what about on your website?
Accessibility takes a different and sometimes less visible form in digital spaces, but it is just as relevant. To make learning accessible to everyone, you need a website that everyone can use. That means your website and your registration software need to be accessible too.
Unfortunately, website accessibility isn’t a given. Unless you’ve made a conscious effort to build an accessible website, you probably don’t have one. Course registration software and other online tools can also affect accessibility. Here’s how to make the whole course registration process more accessible.
The myth of learning styles has been haunting education for years. It’s the idea that you can help students learn by adjusting the format of your teaching to match the way students prefer to learn. Despite the popularity of the concept, there’s very little scientific evidence to support it.
If you want to help adults learn, you’re much better off focusing on adult learning theory. Adults seek out education and learning experiences to fulfill a handful of important needs. We’ll talk about each one and how you can use theories of adult learning to help your learners meet their goals.
You may think of creativity as an innate trait, or as something that happens in a flash of inspiration. Brito argues the opposite. She says, “creativity is a series of actions that bring about desired results. The operative word is action — creativity eludes those who sit down and wait for it to come.”
So take your first step toward creativity by reading this article. Inspired by Brito’s new book on creativity, we’ll show you six actions education programs can take to be more creative. Plus, we uncover three core skills you can pass on to your students.
This pandemic will end. It may not be today or even next month, but the end is coming. Already, some adult, arts, and community education programs have moved back to in-person courses. This shift presents yet another decision point for programs: Should online classes be continued after the pandemic?
It might seem like online classes were part of your emergency response strategy and a return to business as usual would mean bringing students back into the classroom. Yet, getting back to normal may not be the right goal. Instead of thinking about online vs in person learning, you might consider how each one supports your learners.
Here are five reasons you might want to keep online classes, plus how to decide whether online classes should be continued after the pandemic ends.
Maybe the student enrollment system for your arts education program is less of a system and more of a loose collection of tools. You lose time and resources with every enrollment and you know something needs to change. Even so, you’re not sure those high-tech online enrollment systems are as great as they claim. You don’t want to invest in one unless you’re sure it’s worth it.
So now you’re wondering: What are the advantages of online enrollment systems? Could they help your arts education program save time, avoid errors, and enroll more students?
We’re here to answer those questions. We’ll explore the five advantages of online enrollment systems to help you decide whether it’s worth investing in one for your arts education program. Plus, we’ll show you how you can integrate your online enrollment system with the patron management and ticketing systems you already have.
Even if workforce training is your primary focus, the latest labor news might seem confusing. That’s because we’ve entered new territory. The pandemic disrupted many of the patterns we’ve come to expect from the labor market and accelerated an evolution that would normally have taken decades. Business and industry have increased their reliance on technology, shifted priorities, and placed new emphasis on soft skills in the workplace.
For administrators of workforce training programs, making sense of the headlines is a vital task. We’re here to help. We’ve sifted through the latest workforce news to find the workforce training classes and skills that are in demand for 2021 and beyond. Offering the following classes can help you grow enrollment and empower students to meet personal and professional goals.
If you’ve been offering classes for any length of time, you may have considered whether it’s time to offer your students course payment plans. We’ve considered this too, and our answer is a resounding, “Yes!”
Over the years, we’ve seen classes ranging from very inexpensive—$5 to $50—to substantial—hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. These “big ticket” courses are wide-ranging: professional credentials, certifications, camps, trips, and longer-term or specialized personal enrichment opportunities. However, these “big ticket” classes can also be financially challenging to students, even if they may be more valuable.
More expensive classes don’t have to decrease your enrollments! You can still fill your classes at the rate you’ve set by offering course payment plans to your students.
CourseStorm is a focused, optimistic, mission-driven, and hard-working team. We believe all types of education should count and that varied educational experiences are necessary to meet students’ diverse needs across a lifetime. We do our best work at the intersection of education, technology, and human connection and are building our company to have an impact throughout the long-term.
CourseStorm is expanding its Board of Directors and is seeking an energetic board member committed to furthering our mission of streamlining access to lifelong learning. We are continuing our high-growth trajectory to increase our impact on students while at the same time, we are focused on building a sustainable, profitable company with a solid base of delighted customers.
When’s the last time you remember being truly bored?
That’s the question Manoush Zomorodi posed to us at the LearnLaunch Conference in Boston last month. Zomorodi, author of Bored and Brilliant, went on to explain that we get our most creative ideas when our mind goes on autopilot—when we’re taking a shower, for example, or driving our car on the way to work. When our brains are allowed to go into default mode, our subconscious makes itself known and makes new connections. In short, boredom unlocks our minds’ creative potential.
There are plenty of marketing options available for educational organizations:printed brochures, take-home flyers, newspaper inserts and more. The challenge is that these options and time consuming and for a budget-strapped organization, are usually out of reach. Rather than spending a large amount of time and resources on a big ad campaign, education providers should consider email marketing. According to Campaign Monitor, email marketing returns $44 for every $1 spent – that’s an amazing return for your time and money!
