I can only be in one room at a time so for many of the breakout sessions, I’m just going to be able to post the info that was shared with me.

Education initiatives deployed or planned at the state level have great potential to drive the value derived from broadband connections and to leave unconnected citizens a bit further behind.  What are these applications and how will they change the way education is delivered and accessed?  How is the lack of connectivity at state broadband goal levels hindering the deployment of these education innovations? Moderated by Bill Coleman, Community Technology Advisors

• o Marc Johnson, East Central Minnesota Educational Cable Cooperative (ECMECC)
• o Michael Olesen, Rural Information Technology Alliance (RITA), MNSCU
• o Bob Rubinyi, Office of eLearning, Center for Educational Innovation, U of MN

Get Marc’s slides online

Questions:

How is industry accepting “certificate of completion” versus an official degree?

• In Brainerd the certification is important and will get you an interview. In Hutchinson and Willmar, not as much. In the TCs, the certificate is nice to have but not as important as the degree.

What is completion rate for online classes?

• MOOCs is slow – but that’s almost all voluntary. Online education rate is close to regular rate of completion.
• It’s not necessarily the technology – but the student. If a student is in a school setting that helps. But a student with other distractions might be more difficult. Graduation rates (K12) for 100 percent online classes is not as high as the rest of the population.