Learning.com Offers Adaptive Curriculum, Launches Student Technology Literacy Beta Program
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Online curriculum and assessment provider Learning.com has announced a partnership with Sebit. The agreement will allow Learning.com to provide Sebit's Adaptive Curriculum Activity Objects through the Learning.com Digital Learning Environment.
Activity Objects--a middle school math curriculum--provides educators with a store of interactive lessons and real-world simulations that are aligned to state and national standards and can be customized to suit individual student needs. When used through Learning.com's Digital Learning Environment, teachers can create and manage content, as well as assign and track student work. As an added benefit, The Web-based materials can be used in conjunction with a classroom projector or interactive whiteboard, intended to promote class participation.
"This partnership offers teachers the best of both worlds--the ability to access high-quality math instruction from Adaptive Curriculum, while taking advantage of the intuitive management features offered by the Digital Learning Environment," said Ahmet Eti, CEO of Sebit, LLC, in a prepared statement.
While pricing hasn't been released, Learning.com says Activity Objects will be available for fall 2008.
In other Learning.com news, the company has announced a new technology literacy assessment, aligned to refreshed ISTE standards, and said to include a portfolio assessment feature that provides teachers with projects and assessment rubrics that help gauge students' conceptual mastery of technology.
According to the announcement, the tool has been designed to allow states to customize the features to align to their individual standards, helping reduce the costs associated with assessment.
"With our newest technology literacy assessment, Learning.com will be able to provide state-specific, valid summative technology proficiency assessments," says Kathryn Brant, Director of Product Management, in a prepared statement. "And because the new assessment is aligned to the newest ISTE standards and is broad enough in its scope, we will be able to construct a state-specific test very quickly and in a highly cost-effective manner."
The tool will include multiple choice, and interactive items, comprehensive reporting features, as well as data on state-standards compliance, aggregated from every district administering the test.
Learning.com will begin beta testing in the fall of 2008, with a minimum of 5,000 students participating nationwide. It will be available for purchase a year later, in fall 2009.
In related news, Texas Education Agency (TEA) has selected Learning.com for a two-year pilot program that will help the state assess the technology proficiency of its students using Learning.com's. current online tool, TechLiteracy Assessment.
Using multiple-choice questions, mixed with interactive, performance-based items, the test is delivered in a single class period and, according to the company, provides districts with the information they need to meet state and federal requirements.
According to Learning.com, participating districts will test approximately 7,200 students over the two-year period, which began in April of 2008, and will run through December of 2009.
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About the author: Chris Riedel is a freelance writer based in Florida. He can be reached via e-mail here.
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About the Author
Chris Riedel is a freelance writer based in Illinois. He can be reached here.