Award-winning LMS developer eLeaP® has launched a new performance management platform for employers that incorporates both AI and automated capabilities.

The Performance Management Platform (PMP) includes a suite of modules that have been designed for accessibility, integrating with communication channels, existing HRIS, Slack, Google, and Teams.

Regarding feedback and data collection, the PSP contains customizable AI-powered survey templates and reporting tools for performance improvement, and a data tool called PulsePoint Personal Check-Up System, which offers immediate insights into employee performance and engagement that employers can track and monitor.

“Our platform is a game-changer, bringing the future of workplace learning and employee engagement to the present.”

The company has been in operation since 2005 and has won a string of awards for its work in LMS and other learning programmes, including the Capterra Award, eLearning Industry’s Top 10 LMS Designs Award, and Featured Customer’s Top Performer for Corporate LMS Award.

Earlier this year, eLeaP introduced new Skills and Competency Management features to its LMS platform. These features, as well as the PSP, build on the company’s goal of creating more engaging and personal management tools for organizations and businesses.

 Featured image credit: eLeaP. 

If you liked this article, check out SEO: 4 Skills You Can Learn At Home. 

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Pearson and its online public school program, Connections Academy, have announced their partnership with The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program to introduce high school students to careers in the trade industry.

Through the partnership, Connections Academy will connect high school students, their families and recent graduates to The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program.

The initiative includes the Path to Pro Skills Program which offering on-demand courses designed to prepare participants for six trade-based careers, including electrical, drywall, paint, plumbing, HVAC and general construction.

Free resources for students

Casey Welch, Pearson Virtual Schools VP for Careers, said: “At Pearson’s Connections Academy, we want to meet our students where they are, whether they want to attend college or go immediately into the labour market, as a growing number have told us that they would like to pursue alternative pathways and more direct routes to employment after high school,”

Interested students can explore free programs developed by experts in the construction profession. Once eligible, they can build a free profile in the Path to Pro Network to showcase their skills, upload a resume, apply for more than 2,500 jobs and connect to millions of Home Depot Pro customers looking for skilled workers.

Job opportunities and security

These professional contractors are a part of the U.S. construction industry, which annually must fill nearly three-quarters of a million jobs due to retirements, job changes, and other forms of turnover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In less than a decade, this sector is projected to grow by another 250,000 jobs that typically pay family-sustaining salaries.

To date, The Home Depot has enrolled nearly 9,000 people in the Path to Pro Skills program and more than 13,800 in the Path to Pro Network. Connections Academy will share Path to Pro with 4,000 students and families this school year with plans to expand to Connections Academy schools nationwide in the future.

To help build the next generation of trade professionals to fill this gap with qualified talent, Connections Academy and The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program will:

• Introduce students to countless rewarding careers in the trades;
• Deliver the valuable training and education they need to realize these careers; and
• Connect them to trade professionals looking to hire early talent.

The partnership is the first of its kind with a learning company for The Home Depot and the first corporate employer partnership in Connections Academy’s recently announced expanded slate of college and career readiness offerings for middle and high school students.

The initiatives offer an innovative new tri-credit approach where courses can deliver high school credit, industry-recognized micro-credentials, and eligibility for college credit toward over 150 U.S. bachelor’s degree programs.

Welch added: “The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program is a great fit because it is all about providing high school students early pathways to training and education in rewarding fields. And the connections and relationship building in the industry will be a win for those looking to enter the labor market – not to mention for the many professional contractors that need to find a new generation of talent.”

Featured image: Pearson and Home Depot Path to Pro. 

If you found this article interesting, check out Microlearning: Bite-Sized Lessons for On-Demand Knowledge.

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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced $41.3 million in grants for 280 humanities projects across the U.S.

These grants will support a number of projects, including; a documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson on the life of jazz legend Sun Ra, the creation of a set of linked online dictionaries of early Mayan languages; and an analysis of pigment traces on the statuary at Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral that will be developed into a 3D model depicting the original colours of its medieval façade.

NEH will use this third round of funding, the last for this fiscal year 2023, to support vital humanities education, research, reservation, and public programs.

The government body awarded the peer-reviewed grants in addition to $65 million in annual operating support provided to the national network of state and jurisdictional humanities councils.

Specifically, the grants have been split into 17 categories, these include;

• Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities. 16 grants, totaling $1.57 million.
• Digital Humanities Advancement Grants. 13 grants, totaling $2.48 million.
• Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities. Four grants, totaling $909,429.
• Scholarly Editions and Translations. 21 grants, totaling $5.5 million.
• Media Projects: Development and Production Grants. 11 grants, totaling $5.25 million.

Dangers and Opportunities of Technology grant awards will support research on the relationship between technology, culture, and society. Funded projects include a book examining the cultural and ethical implications of digital technology and the resulting “spontaneity deficit” as well as a convening of educators to develop resources on the use of AI technologies in teaching art history and media studies.

This round of funding also includes a $500,000 cooperative agreement with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition to digitize and describe 120,000 pages of records from federal Indian boarding schools in conjunction with NEH’s partnership with the Department of the Interior on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.

“These 280 new grant awards underscore the wide range of exemplary, fascinating, and impactful humanities work that scholars, practitioners, and institutions are conducting in all corners of the country,” said, Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), NEH Chair.

To see the full list of grants awarded, click here.

If you found this article interesting, check out Linewize Named Preferred Technology Provider for Texas Schools.

Featured image credit: National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Linewize, a division of the safety technology provider, Qoria, has announced that it is the preferred vendor partner of Texas’ Technology Alliance for Statewide Initiatives (TASI).

Under the preferred vendor arrangements, Linewize and TASI have agreed to work together to promote and support the rollout of Linewize’s suite of services to Texas Education Service Centers (ESCs) and K-12 districts.

Inside the Partnership

Through this partnership, Texas’ ESCs and school districts will have access to premium tools with transparent pricing and the support they need to cater to the challenges of today’s schooling.

“We are grateful to have been chosen, through a competitive process, as a preferred vendor for the Texas school systems. We’re truly excited by the opportunity to partner with TASI to support innovation and student wellbeing in Texas,” said Stephen Mirante, vice president of strategic relations at Linewize.

“By working closely with the TASI team and their district membership, we seek to honor our mission to protect and support every child’s digital journey.”

About Linewize

Built by a global team of education experts and former school IT administrators, Linewize offers a web content filter, a student wellbeing and culture platform, threat detection tool, classroom management solution, and a proprietary online community program that provides resources and expert information on safety and digital wellbeing for parents.

These solutions harmonize to form a cohesive strategy, enabling school districts to better address the challenges of today’s connected learning environments.

If you liked this article, take a look at 4 Great Careers in Social Work. 

Featured image: Linewize. 

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Multisensory math program, TouchMath, has released a dyscalculia screener and individualized intervention guide aligned to American Pschiatric Associations The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), called DySc.

Dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental learning disorder estimated to affect 3-7% of the worldwide population and goes widely undiagnosed, according to a 2018 study.

Early screening for dyscalculia and evidence-based interventions are critical to addressing the learning disorder’s short- and long-term educational, personal, and social impacts.

The screener

The DySc can detect early math difficulties and provide targeted interventions.

The tool addresses the need for an accessible and efficient dyscalculia screener that can be used as early as age three and throughout adulthood.

Looking at areas of mathematical performance outlined in the DSM-5-TR, like calculations and problem-solving, the screener can spot key problem areas that learners struggle with.

After the screener and a survey with the learner, DySc will create a report representing four outputs:

• Results of the DySc screener.
• Copy of the DySc educator/guardian survey.
• Recommended action plan.
• Recommended intervention plan based on the learner’s results.

Accessibility

School-based professionals, early childhood educators, and parents can use the tool for young students, specifically in the K-12 range.

The screening takes 15 minutes and is currently available in English, with TouchMath launching a Spanish version this Fall.

“Similar to the effectiveness of routine screenings for hearing, vision, and dyslexia, we firmly believe that schools should prioritize early math screening to unleash the potential of every child,” said Dr. Sandra Elliott, the CEO at TouchMath. 

“With the DySc, we’re equipping educators and parents with a comprehensive screening solution that not only identifies dyscalculia but also provides evidence-based interventions to foster students’ mathematical development.”

If you enjoyed this article, check out The Role of PhDs in Education Leadership. 

Featured image credit: TouchMath, iStock.

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Near-Life has partnered with Spike Technology to represent the interactive video and VR authoring tool in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Near-Life recently voted one of the UK’s leading EdTech companies, supports content creators to make an interactive video, VR and gamified content easily. This type of immersive learning has been proven to improve knowledge retention by as much as 90%”

Globally, the immersive training market was valued at $26.05 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $463.7 billion by 2026.

With a growing global presence, Near-Life launched its partner programme to improve and expand its relationship with users in key territories.

CEO and founder Mike Todd explained:

“Interest in immersive learning continues to grow. And people are looking for the freedom to create immersive content quickly and easily. They also want to be able to embed and share that content within their existing learning platforms. We make that possible.

2023 has been a big year for us so far and we hope that our strategic relationship with Spike will further cement our position as a leading content authoring tool. They have a proven track record of working with global brands in the European market.”

Spike CEO Guillaume Van Genk added:

“Near-Life definitely offers something new and different in the elearning software space. Their intuitive and user-friendly software makes the creation of interactive projects very simple. Whether it is to create decision-based branching scenarios or more complex gamification projects – you can do it quickly and easily using either 2D video or VR.

We’re delighted to be working with the Near-Life team to support the product’s growth and introduce its exciting capabilities to our existing network and new users.”

Featured image: Near-LifeTM.

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BetterLesson, a leading provider of high-quality virtual and in-person K–12 professional learning, announces a partnership with Kikori, a community-driven platform that provides experiential social-emotional learning (SEL) activities and curriculum for schools and districts. Together, the partnership provides educators with self-directed SEL professional learning opportunities that incorporate the activities and tools created by Kikori.

According to the Education Week Research Center, 47 percent of educators said that to date, the professional development they’ve received surrounding SEL was only “somewhat effective” and just 12 percent of educators described the opportunities as “very effective.”

SEL Tools for Educators Nationwide

“Our partnership with BetterLesson brings SEL-focused professional learning opportunities to educators across the country,” said Kendra Bostick, CEO of Kikori. “Educators recognize the importance of SEL, but don’t always have the time or resources to implement meaningful change. To address this challenge, we’re partnering with BetterLesson and providing self-directed professional learning around SEL with step-by-step support.”

Kikori provides educators with engaging activities that involve active play and intentional reflection, organized into daily calendars and planners to make implementing SEL easy, relevant and fun for educators and students alike. With more than 1,000 community-building activities, educators can access impactful supplemental or comprehensive curriculum right at their fingertips.

Kikori helps educators build relationships with their students from Daily Greeting to Closing Circle through team building and leadership activities, with a focus on prevention rather than a reaction to classroom behavioural needs.

Meaningful and Comprehensive Tools for Teachers

Through the partnership, Kikori’s lesson plans are available to educators using BetterLesson’s BL Connect, a library of research-based on-demand courses designed to provide every educator with the tools and resources needed to create a student-centred classroom. Leaders and instructional coaches can access a comprehensive dashboard to see the outcomes their teachers are working toward and their professional learning progress.

“At BetterLesson, we’re always searching for new ways to provide meaningful professional learning opportunities,” said Kari Horn Lehman, Director of Partnerships at BetterLesson. “Through partnering with Kikori, teachers of all grade levels can now create an SEL-focused curriculum and receive the support needed to put Kikori to work in their classrooms—connecting teachers with their students more than ever before.”

BetterLesson provides 1:1 virtual coaching and small-group professional learning to help educators create classrooms where students drive their own learning, exercise choice and ownership and develop the personal agency they need to succeed. They provide job-embedded support across a wide range of topics including instructional leadership, responsive and inclusive practices, flexible instructional models and curriculum and academic content.

BetterLesson has partnered with more than 30,000 educators across 47 states as well as D.C., Puerto Rico and 5 countries internationally. The company hosts a growing library of evidence-based strategies with 500,000 average monthly users. BetterLesson values the pursuit of educational equity and is dedicated to ensuring every student—regardless of race, income, national origin, gender identity, ability or location—has access to an excellent education.

Kikori is an award-winning, female-founded, Public Benefit Corporation committed to democratizing experiential education and helping youths connect with themselves, others and the planet. Kikori was founded by University of New Hampshire Doctoral student, Kendra Bostick and Expeditionary Learning School Adventure Coordinator, Bryn Lottig.

Featured image: tatianazaets, iStock. 

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Vocabulary.com, the leading educational destination for mastering words, has announced its newest personalized learning product, VocabTrainer. VocabTrainer uses Vocabulary.com’s award-winning adaptive engine, insights from billions of data points and gamified instruction, to help learners boost their word knowledge.

Mastery over memorization

With each question a learner answers, VocabTrainer evaluates vocabulary proficiency on a 20-level scale and identifies gaps in knowledge. It then uses those insights to craft a personalized plan of daily exercises that incorporates the words the student is ready to learn.

As learners answer questions correctly and progress toward mastering a word, VocabTrainer adapts to pose harder questions that build on their knowledge. Students are tested on the definitions, peripheral meanings and nuances of terms, enabling them to cultivate an understanding of words from every angle.

Additionally, VocabTrainer provides personalized reporting that tracks progress and proficiency and lets students compare their growth to other learners around the world. As learners progress through rounds of questions, they receive updated reports that show how their score and vocabulary knowledge has changed over time.

Learners who want to improve their vocabulary can try out ten VocabTrainer questions per day. The full benefits of VocabTrainer are available to learners who have purchased a subscription and are included in Vocabulary.com classroom and school licenses for all teachers and students.

“Focusing on mastery instead of memorising words is fundamental to how Vocabulary.com builds lasting literacy skills. To that end, we created VocabTrainer as a systematic and engaging way for learners to attain a deeper understanding of words through personalized and gamified instruction,” said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning, Vocabulary.com’s parent company. “Whether you are an independent learner looking to build a more robust vocabulary or an educator striving for classroom excellence, VocabTrainer provides daily exercises that continuously develop word knowledge and help students succeed.”

How schools and independent learners use Vocabulary.com

In addition to VocabTrainer, Vocabulary.com offers even more instruction, review and assessment activities. The Flashcards and Practice features expose learners to new words in multiple contexts and provide students with additional opportunities to boost their vocabulary independently. Other tools, including Vocabulary.com’s dictionary and Word of the Day, provide approachable definitions and a daily dose of vocabulary that broaden literacy skills. The platform also provides English language learners with a variety of study materials and activities that build a well-rounded vocabulary. As students complete assignments, detailed reporting makes it easier for educators to see each learner’s performance and uncover class trends.

Additionally, learners can use Vocabulary.com’s adaptive test prep plans to master the words they are most likely to see on the SAT and ACT exams. Vocabulary.com also hosts the Vocabulary Bowl and Vocabulary Jams, which educators use to gamify instruction and inspire students to master words beyond what was assigned.

Vocabulary.com’s award-winning platform helps learners systematically improve their vocabulary. Adaptive, individualized and interactive, Vocabulary.com seamlessly integrates with any school curriculum, helping students master the academic vocabulary they’ll encounter in literature, textbooks and standardized tests. The Vocabulary.com dictionary teaches more than 16,000 words and provides approachable definitions that make them more interesting to learn. To date, nearly 4 million learners in 56,000 schools worldwide have answered more than 7 billion questions on Vocabulary.com. Vocabulary.com joined the IXL Learning family in 2020.

Featured image: Focus_on_Nature, iStock. 

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Medius, a leading provider of AP automation and wider spend management solutions, today announces the appointment of Henrik Rosén as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

As CTO, Rosén will drive Medius’s innovation activities, delivering] the established Medius product suite, developing new products, and doubling-down on providing value to the customer base. Rosén will lead the Research & Development (R&D) and the Customer Support organizations, and in addition also manage the Cloud Operations and the Security organization at Medius.

Bolstering R&D

Formerly Senior Vice President of R&D at Medius, Rosén joined the company in 2011 and has been part of Medius’s journey for over 12 years, as the company has grown from a local Swedish software company to a global SaaS business.

Based in Linkoping, Sweden, Rosén will be responsible for a globally distributed technology function, made up of almost 200 people, including the R&D headquarters based in Krakow, Poland, founded in 2009.

Prior to joining Medius, Rosén was part of the R&D leadership team at the ERP vendor IFS as the company grew into a global ERP player which today has 5,000 employees.

Medius’ Billion-Dollar Scale-Up

Henrik Rosén, CTO, Medius, comments: “Sweden has a long history of innovation – home of household technology names like Spotify, Klarna, and Northvolt. Medius is now amongst those top technology actors, drawing on the winning formula of exceptional talent in a relatively small and supporting technology ecosystem, and I’ve relished the opportunity to be a part of the Medius journey.

“In my new role as CTO, I’m excited to accelerate the innovation at Medius, investing in new technology areas which hold ample opportunity to ultimately bring more value to customers in this current economic climate.”

Jim Lucier, CEO, Medius, comments: “As we scale Medius into a billion-dollar growth company, Henrik will continue to play a key role in driving transformational change and spearheading technology leadership within the company – amplifying the importance of product and technology for Medius’s success.”

Medius links invoice capture, processing and payment to replace the worry and wondering of managing AP with calm and confidence. Medius goes far beyond basic automation by using artificial intelligence to do most of the work – so invoices get confirmed, coded and paid; AP teams get to go home and rest easy; and businesses can trust their budgets and forecasts. Medius has more than 2,600 customers across 102 countries and processes $180 billion in annual spend through its system. Visit medius.com to learn more.

Featured image: greenbutterfly, iStock. 

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Spotselfie, the Real-World Social Metaverse, announced their Meta Store feature. The innovative addition will give college students an opportunity to earn income through the platform’s metaverse advertising portal and have the ability to launch Web3 businesses across college campuses.

Spotselfie Meta StoreTM feature empowers individuals to claim digital land on their campus with the built-in option to advertise student organizations and student-owned businesses. Through this feature, students are also able to create their own digital store, sell products and services, and advertise their likenesses.

In addition, this new feature will provide students with the opportunity to earn revenue share with existing advertisers on the Spotselfie platform.

Giving young people a headstart in the Metaverse

“It’s important to get students prepared for the future of the Metaverse. That begins with having the ability to promote their digital twin as a small business before larger organizations gain a foothold in the Metaverse digital landscape” said Ray Shingler, Co-Founder, Vice President, and Director of Product Development for Spotselfie.

“Our aim is to help decentralize the larger players in the Web3 industry and allow organizations of all sizes to participate in its development. The Meta Store will accelerate new entrepreneurial opportunities for students while furthering adoption and ushering in this new generation of Web3.”

A student’s first meta store is free when creating an account. After registering, a student can then go claim a 100-foot diameter circle at a GPS location on campus, where they can then build their augmented reality (AR) meta store. A student can then drop AR immersive advertisements for their own merchandise, or offer services to their colleagues.

Digital autonomy and entrepreneurship opportunities

The owner of the store will retain 100% of all revenue generated from their services within that designated area.

“This new feature will give students an avenue to amplify their shops and services while simultaneously bridging the gap between the traditional business model and the new digital world,” added Shingler. “Students will be able to advertise exclusive resources and goods such as tutoring, tasking, merchandise and their organization’s offerings all within their own metaverse store on campus.

SpotselfieTM is a patented augmented reality real-world social metaverse that allows users to post virtual objects, pictures, videos, stickers, and other digital material geotagged to locations around the globe. Created specifically for live social interaction, this patented technology allows other users on the app to view the posted content in AR via their own phones, as they walk throughout the digital landscape simultaneously.

Featured image: agny_illustration, iStock. 

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