Rasmussen College Recognized For Effective Practices In Blended Learning

The Sloan Consortium to present Rasmussen College faculty with its Blended Learning Effective Practice Award at Annual Conference

Erin Werthman
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Minneapolis (July 2, 2014)–Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, is proud to announce it has been recognized by The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) for effective practices in blended learning. Sloan-C, a leading professional online learning society, will present Rasmussen College faculty with its Blended Learning Effective Practice Award at the 11^th Annual Sloan Consortium Blended Learning Conference and Workshop, July 8-9 in Denver. The award recognizes effective techniques, strategies and practices in online education. Award submissions are peer reviewed and evaluated against Sloan-C’s five pillars of quality online education: access, learning effectiveness, faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction and scalability. Rasmussen College won the award for its blended learning model called Online+, which uses a standards-based approach to hybrid learning.

“It is an honor to be recognized by this prestigious community of online learning professionals,” said Kathe Kacheroski, assistant vice president, academic affairs-program leadership at Rasmussen College. “At Rasmussen College, we use a framework of curriculum, instructional and teaching standards as a way to solve teaching and learning problems on a broad level. The framework is organized into logical questions to be asked at strategic points in the course development process, thereby creating the structure of an innovative learning environment where creativity can flourish through an instructor.”

Kacheroski and Heather Zink, hybrid classroom manager at Rasmussen College, will accept the award on behalf of Rasmussen College. Both played an integral role in the development of the College’s Online+ blended learning model which started in fall 2011. Online+ refers to online courses that have a live classroom component embedded within the curriculum. During the course, online students have the opportunity to interact with faculty and other students in a real-time setting to complete course outcomes.

“Research tells us that hybrid courses appeal to learners who want to capitalize on the benefits of real-time instruction, whether residential or virtual, but also need to process the information on their own through online instructional elements and assessments,” said Zink. “In order to better meet the needs of our diverse student population, Rasmussen College knew we needed a clear standards-based approach to hybrid learning. As a result, we developed an innovative framework for the selection of courses appropriate for the Online+ delivery.”

Standards-Based Approach to Hybrid Learning

The Hybrid Framework outlines the following:

Curriculum Standards (criteria for course selection)
Instructional Standards (thoughtful course design)
Teaching Standards (focused on faculty delivery)

Zink, along with Jennifer Ayotte, School of Design dean and Matthew Otremba, director of training and development at Rasmussen College, will present Online+: A Standards-Based Approach to Hybrid Learning during the Blended Learning Conference and Workshop. The presentation is Wednesday, July 8, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.

To learn more about Rasmussen College, visit www.rasmussen.edu.

ABOUT RASMUSSEN COLLEGE:
Rasmussen College is a regionally accredited private college and Public Benefit Corporation that is dedicated to changing lives through career-focused educational programs and public service. Rasmussen College offers Certificate and Diploma programs through Associate's and Bachelor's degrees online and across its 24 Midwest and Florida campuses in a supportive, student-centered and career-focused environment. Since 1900, Rasmussen College has been dedicated to being a primary contributor to the growth and development of the communities it serves. As a Benefit Corporation, Rasmussen College is committed to helping change lives through education and making a positive impact on society through public service and a variety of community-based initiatives. For more information about Rasmussen College, please visit www.Rasmussen.edu.

This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen University does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Rasmussen College Recognized For Effective Practices In Blended Learning

The Sloan Consortium to present Rasmussen College faculty with its Blended Learning Effective Practice Award at Annual Conference

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