Tag: Online Education

University View Academy Leap into Learning Pods

University View Academy, Louisiana’s largest school, embarked on a groundbreaking initiative by venturing into the realm of learning pods after conducting 13 years of exclusively online education, as per this article from The Advocate. This strategic shift positioned UVA as the third charter school operator in the state to openly embrace this innovative concept. Learning pods, characterized by smaller, personalized settings that blend online and face-to-face instruction, have gained momentum among charter schools in Louisiana, offering a viable solution to extend educational access beyond traditional geographic boundaries.

Dr. Quentina Timoll, the superintendent of University View, emphasized the institution’s commitment to adaptability and responsiveness to the evolving needs of students and the community at large. With approval to accommodate up to 4,000 students, UVA aims to establish specialized pods tailored to address specific educational gaps and preferences within different localities. The decision to adopt learning pods was also driven by financial considerations. Unlike virtual charter schools, which receive only 90% of public funding, students in learning pods are entitled to 100%, making it a more financially sustainable model for UVA.

The inception of learning pods traces back to Charter Schools USA, the leading charter school network in Louisiana, which spearheaded the concept and advocated for its legislative endorsement in 2021. However, the emergence of learning pods prompted regulatory scrutiny, as evidenced by a critical audit conducted by TenSquare, prompting policymakers to refine regulations governing these alternative educational models.

Despite the challenges and complexities associated with this transition, University View Academy remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation and expansion. Timoll highlighted the imperative of continuous adaptation to sustain relevance in an increasingly competitive educational landscape, characterized by the proliferation of alternative schooling options such as education savings accounts.

The genesis of UVA’s pod initiative stemmed from grassroots demands, with parents seeking a more cohesive educational experience for their children. Through meticulous planning and stakeholder engagement, UVA aspires to offer specialized pods catering to diverse interests, ranging from aquaponics to music, thereby enriching the educational experience for students.

As University View Academy embarks on this transformative journey, it views the pod initiative as a pilot program aimed at refining future expansion endeavors. Timoll emphasized the pivotal role of innovation in navigating the evolving educational terrain, underscoring the imperative of staying attuned to shifting paradigms and emerging competition.

The collaborative efforts of parents, students, teachers, and community stakeholders underscore the inclusive nature of UVA’s pod initiative. By soliciting input from various stakeholders, UVA ensures that its educational offerings are not only relevant but also responsive to the diverse interests and aspirations of its student body.

As University View Academy embarks on this transformative journey, it remains guided by a steadfast commitment to innovation and excellence. Through ongoing refinement and evaluation, UVA seeks to optimize its pod initiative to maximize educational outcomes and enhance student experiences. Quentina Timoll’s leadership underscores the institution’s proactive stance towards innovation and adaptability. With the flexibility to accommodate up to 4,000 students, UVA is well-positioned to establish specialized pods tailored to address specific educational demands and preferences within different localities across Louisiana.

In essence, University View Academy’s embrace of learning pods signifies a bold step towards redefining the future of education in Louisiana. By fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, UVA sets a precedent for educational institutions nationwide, demonstrating the transformative power of adaptability and vision in shaping the educational landscape of tomorrow.

In conclusion, University View Academy’s foray into learning pods signifies a paradigm shift in education, marked by adaptability, innovation, and responsiveness to evolving societal needs. As the institution charts its course towards future growth and renewal, it remains poised to navigate the dynamic landscape of education with resilience and foresight.

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Four Nicholls Online Programs Received National Recognition

This past year has brought a large wave of Academic acclaim for the online degree programs offered by Nicholls State University, according to various press releases from the school. Just throughout the month of April alone, the school has received top national and state-wide rankings for its online programs for Health Sciences, History,Sociology, and English.

The national recognition for each online program comes from various academic outlets, and the awards and rankings serve as a testament to not only the strength of the Thibodeaux University’s notorious online degree infrastructure and program but also the University’s successful pivoting and refocusing on online learning in the past year due to the state’s stay-at-home measures.

Online Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences

The University’s online Bachelor’s Degree program for Health Sciences received critical acclaim and a top ranking in the state from TradeCollege.org, which ranked the school’s Allied Health Sciences program number 1 in both “Most Popular Online Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Louisiana” and “Most Popular Online Trade Schools in Louisiana.”

Claire Bourgeois, the program coordinator for Nicholls’ Health Sciences program reacted to the acclaim by saying, “It is an honor to be recognized as the Most Popular Online Degree. This would not be possible without the hard work and commitment of our faculty members and students. The faculty always goes above and beyond to provide a quality education to a diverse group of students.” Nicholls’ Health Sciences Program offers students two concentrations for its online Bachelors degree program: Pre-Professional and Health & Wellness. More information about Nicholls’ Health Sciences program can be found here.

Online Bachelor’s Degree in History

Nicholls’ History online Bachelor’s Degree program for History received a Top 40 ranking from Intelligent.com, with the site naming the program No. 35 in the nation and highlighting the school as having the best focus on modern history.

Dr. Paul Wilson, the department head for Nicholls History and Geography said of the program, “although we’re a small program, we do emphasize the importance of modern history to give students a greater understanding of the world around them.” Intelligent.com also ranked the university’s in-person History program as No. 17 in the nation back in March 2021, particularly highlighting the graduate school’s preparation as one of the best in the nation. More information about Nicholls’ History program can be found here.

Online Bachelor’s Degree in English

Nicholls University’s online Bachelor’s Degree program in English was named one of the best undergraduate English and writing programs in the United States by College Cliffs.

Dr. Robert Alexander, Nicholls’ English, Modern Languages, and Cultural Studies department head credited the program’s success to the “faculty’s commitment to offering a variety of excellent courses in a timely manner so that students can progress efficiently toward their academic and professional goals.” Study.com compiled its Top 15 list by including online degree programs from the “most prestigious” schools across the nation, with Nicholls being one of only two Louisiana schools making appearances on the list.

Online Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology

The university’s online Bachelor’s Degree program for Sociology was recently named as the No. 18 online sociology degree program in the country from Study.com, with the school being one of only two Louisiana universities on the list.

Tina Granger, an instructor and Sociology program coordinator for the university attributed the program’s acclaim to the structure of the curriculum by saying, “we have uniquely structured our degree to provide individuals with real-world knowledge of the social forces, facts and global issues that shape our daily lives.” More information about Nicholls’ Sociology program can be found here.

While the University is no stranger to receiving various awards, critical acclaim, and national recognition in the springtime, it cannot be undervalued or understated that this awarding of four separate online degree programs from four separate outlets in the same month is a credit to not only the school’s academic achievement, but also it’s long-standing commitment to its student body, as evidenced by their flexibility in how to earn its highly-valued degrees- be it in person or online.

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Two Nicholls’ Programs Ranked by Online Publication

Recently, Intelligent.com released a 2020 College Rankings Guide that ranked the best online degrees from colleges and universities across America. They researched which colleges are the best at teaching online and which colleges are doing the best in the top degrees.  Nicholls Online health science and history programs made it into this list. The health sciences program was ranked number 40 and was the only Louisiana school to place in the health sciences ranking. The program was also listed as a Pre-Professional focus for a stand-out detail.

The history program ranked number 30 and was the top school from Louisiana on that list, followed by Northwestern State University at number 48. This program was listed as having the best focus on modern history.

The guide by Intelligent.com was based on an assessment of 1,604 accredited colleges and universities. Each program was then evaluated on the quality of curriculum, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. Also considered in the rankings was student engagement and potential return on investment, among other evaluations.

Intelligent.com aims to help students connect to the best resources and provide the best advice in a way that is easy to analyze and digest. They do this by connecting students to schools that best meet their needs.

Nicholls health sciences degree works to prepare graduates for advanced educational and clinical practice options. This pre-professional concentration prepares students for graduate programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and other professional programs in healthcare careers.

The history program at Nicholls provides students with a solid foundation on varieties of regions and cultures. Students will be able to write coherently and practice critical thinking about complex societies and issues. The program is student-oriented and flexible for a variety of students, both traditional and nontraditional.

Nicholls State University was also recently ranked by Great Value Colleges in the top 50 Colleges for Students with Disabilities.

Nicholls ranked in at number 44 and was the only Louisiana based school on the list. They were selected for their commitment to providing accessibility and services to allow each student from every background to achieve academic success regardless of their unique needs.

This ranking acknowledges Nicholls for its Bridge to Independence Program, which enables students with autism and other intellectual disabilities to acquire employable skills. It’s currently the only program in Louisiana of its kind and is certified by the Department of Education.

Nicholls also houses the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders, and Dyslexic Advantage gives the college 10 stars out of 10.

Great Value Colleges chooses its rankings by researching several lists that help students with disabilities pick their ideal college. After they’re done looking through these lists, they find which colleges have consistently performed well and then conduct their own research to ensure the colleges are truly disability-friendly.

Nicholls State University is a student-centered regional institution located in Thibodaux, Louisiana. They offer accredited degree programs and unique learning experiences with a goal to prepare their students for life beyond the classroom and to have a successful career. They are dedicated to the education of their diverse student body while also providing a rich cultural and educational environment.

“Nicholls supports the educational, cultural, and economic needs of its service region and cultivated productive, responsible, and engaged citizens.”

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Nicholls In Top 25 Affordable Online Programs

Nicholls State University was recently listed as on of the top 25 affordable online programs.  Online education has radically changed the landscape of education. We’re learning in a new and more efficient environment, one with endless opportunities for students of every kind. The virtual learning environment (VLE) is innovation that is replacing an office-building’s worth of administrators, teaching assistants, file cabinets, and paperwork. VLE such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Renweb extend both the classroom and the administrator’s office. Automatically handling teaching and administrative duties such as gradebooks, auto-scoring, attendance sheets, enrollment, updating class lists, auto-sending emails for absent students, notifying people of unpaid bills, and tracking payroll and accounting information.

Along with the convenience and efficiency, online learning is moving more toward heavy use of mastery learning which requires students to master a concept or skill before moving ahead. Instead of treating a 60 or 70 as a “passing grade,” students have to demonstrate mastery in that topic by answering all or almost all of the questions correctly.

Our own Nicholls State University has been ranked one of the top 25 Most Affordable Online Business Bachelor’s Degrees by College Choice (CollegeChoice.net) which is an online resource that aims to help students and their families as they research and compare colleges to find one that fits their interests and needs based on its research and analysis.

Nicholls earned the 25th spot out of 30 and is one of four to make the list from Louisiana. College Choice analyzes several factors to come up with their list including the cost of the degree, the value of the degree and the convenience of the degree.  Nicholls charges no out-of-state fees to distance learners and  “there are no set login times for online classes; it’s important for students to be independent and self-motivated.”

Nicholls has been ranked among the nation’s Top Public Schools  and Best Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News and Worlds Report.

Students say that Nicholls does a great job of incorporating Project Based Learning (PBL) despite the challenges that online education present.  Online PBL programs cover all the main learning outcomes while also training students to share and organize responsibilities.  Students would be responsible for tasks such as: giving peer review, working in teams, engaging in self-directed learning, breaking down projects into smaller parts, and solving complex problems. To be successful, online ed students must stay plugged in to the process and will need to learn how to communicate with peers and be a good team player. A great deal of your online education success in a PBL setting depends on your ability to work with other students.

PBL helps to avoid the isolation that many online ed students face in poorly-designed programs.  It’s easy for online ed students to drift through their studies as strangers who never truly engage one another. Fortunately, Nicholls has made great strides to implement collaborative online learning strategies to confront this challenge.

In online education, collaborative learning is carried out by various programs and platforms to allow for video conferencing, texting, email, teleconferencing, and workflow programs. Chances are, you will use these programs and skills later on in your professional life as well.  Students claim feeling much more prepared for their careers after being trained in an online degree.

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