Recapping the Books for Africa Gala

Posted on May 15, 2012 by John Stacey III

Ambassador to Kenya, Elkanah Odembo, speaking at the Books for Africa Gala

So I’ve returned from the Annual Books for Africa Gala that I attended and spoke at last week in Minnesota, and can say that the accomplishments and plans for future achievements were even more impressive than those shared last year. This years gala focused strongly on the need to educate children in reading and writing, so they can be well positioned to benefit from the electronic resources that are becoming available in most African countries. While the power of the Internet and the educational capabilities it provides are unrivaled, students in African nations will only be able to leverage them if they have built a solid academic foundation first.

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Posted in Books for Africa, General Awesomeness, Hand in Health, International Education, Knowledge Drive, Philanthropy | 1 Comment

The Knowledge Drive and the Annual Books for Africa Gala

Posted on May 8, 2012 by John Stacey III

Today marks the second time that I’ll be heading off to attend the Annual Books for Africa Gala. It is amazing to think that it has only been a year since my last trip to Saint Paul, Minnesota, and even more incredible to look back at what we have accomplished. This time last year, the Course Hero Knowledge Drive wasn’t more than a couple months old, and I had yet to meet a single person from Books for Africa. I was hoping to get a minute or two with founder Thomas Warth and maybe a couple pictures to commemorate my first trip to the yearly event. Those hopes were far surpassed, and the people, groups, and organizations that I was able to connect with have been paramount in helping us make the great strides that we have in the year that has just recently passed. Continue reading →

Posted in Books for Africa, Events, General Awesomeness, Hand in Health, International Education, Knowledge Drive, News, Philanthropy | 3 Comments

INFOGRAPHIC: THE COLLEGE TRY

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Course Hero

It’s the end of April: that time of year when the last few high school seniors have to accept  the offer and submit a deposit to the institution they will attend in the fall. For many, this is a time of a lot of uncertainty–what’s the right school from me? What’s the best location? What do I want to study?

Our latest infographic addresses these questions and aims to help you make the smartest decision possible about which school is best for you. Check it out!

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INFOGRAPHIC: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Course Hero

All-nighters, energy drinks, marathon study sessions: many students push themselves to extremes when  preparing for exams. But if you are really committed to doing your best, you may want to put down that Red Bull and pick up a stack of index cards. Yes, Flashcards–one of the oldest study methods around–is actually one of the most effective. And now, with the proliferation of mobile devices, you can take advantage of the same benefits of flashcards in a new digitized form.

So how do flashcards work and why are they so effective? Take a look at our latest infographic, and get ready to ace your next exam.

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Posted in College, Edtech, Exams, Flashcards, Infographic, Technology, Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Making Learning Better: Course Hero Launches 22 Free Online Courses

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Andrew Grauer

E-learning is nothing new. MIT revolutionized online education in 2002 by inviting anyone with an Internet connection to participate in its internationally renowned program. Since MITs OpenCourseware launch, a wealth of other players have followed suit, from world class universities to entrepreneurs to the YouTube educators.

The ability to learn anything and everything we want is at our fingertips, free, and just a mouse-click away. Over the last 10 years, the Internet has evolved into a massive repository of quality educational content as people of all areas of expertise willingly share their knowledge with a growing online audience.

Course Hero is meeting the growing demand for high quality online learning by building a new kind of interactive courses platform that can better deliver this wealth of existing content.  We’ve created and launched 22 free courses that fall under 3 learning paths: Entrepreneurship, Business and Web Programming.

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Posted in Business, Edtech, Educational Games, Entrepreneurship, Fun new things from Course Hero, General Awesomeness, Online Courses, Technology, Thoughts from the CEO, Web Programming | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

INFOGRAPHIC: The Growth of Distance Learning

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Course Hero

For those whom the classroom model was too limiting, online learning has opened up new opportunities to pursue higher education. Distance learning has grown in popularity as the Internet and better technology have enabled increasingly dynamic and engaging learning experiences. Our latest infographic takes a look at the growth of distance learning over the last decade and examines which demographics have benefitted the most from online courseware. Check it out!

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Posted in Distance Learning, Edtech, Infographic, Open Courseware, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

INFOGRAPHIC: Dropout Dollars

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Course Hero

As our public education system faces growing scrutiny, the dropout issues has come to the forefront of the discussion. Earlier this year, President Obama called for the raising of the legal dropout age to 18–the thinking being that the longer kids are forced to stay in school, the more likely they are to graduate, pursue higher education and greater career opportunities. But studies show that raising the dropout age may do more harm than good, adding additional costs to an already struggling system with little promise of return.

This graphic outlines the financial and social costs of dropping out of school and explores the potential effectiveness of the President’s proposed solution. Check it out: Continue reading →

Posted in American Education, Food for Thought, Infographic | Leave a comment

Course Hero Knowledge Drive Delivers Over 44,000 Books to the Gambia

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Brandon Styles

This trip was a life changing one. Over the course of about three weeks in The Gambia and Senegal, I was exposed to an entirely different cultural and educational landscape than what I had experienced in the 13 other countries I have spent time in. While getting to know the educators, students, government officials, and philanthropists in the area, I learned that West African countries are extremely determined to obtain optimal levels of literacy and higher education. However, they definitely have a long way to go and with the help of charitable organizations on a private and government level, they will increase their overall literacy rate and graduate more students to a collegiate status.

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Posted in Books for Africa, Hand in Health, International Education, Knowledge Drive, Philanthropy | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

INFOGRAPHIC: The Cost Of Being Unprepared

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Course Hero

In 2007/2008, the US spent $5.6 billion on remedial courses to catch underprepared high school students up to college level readiness. 2011 data from the ACT indicates that still only 25% of high schoolers are adequately prepared for college, costing some states like California billions on already tight budgets. Many students who take remedial classes end up dropping out anyway, rendering a significant portion of this spend a wasted investment.

With K-12 public education reform a hot-topic for Obama and the upcoming election in general, the massive expense eaten up by remedial education will be at the the forefront. Our latest infographic takes a looks at student readiness and some of the massive cost associated with being unprepared. Check it out.

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Ready, Set, Go: Off to the Gambia!

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Brandon Styles

Robbie and I. She gave me all sorts of goodies (like this mosquito net!) to help prepare for my trip

I’m sitting in the airport, and I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning waiting to open up presents. My heart is pounding. I’m totally sleep-deprived from packing all night. Despite having some gnarly hallucinations from the malaria prescription I’ve been taking, I can’t stop thinking about how excited I am to make my way to The Gambia.

Thanks to a last minute visit with my awesome nurse pal, Robbie, I am fully equipped for any emergency that The Gambia may throw my way. Talking with Robbie over dinner last week, I was reminded of how awesome it is meeting people who are eagar to share their passion for international travel with others.

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Posted in Books for Africa, General Awesomeness, Hand in Health, International Education, Philanthropy | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments