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Pearson Launches Online Learning Platform to Serve Grades 6-12

• By Andrew Barbour
• 06/27/12

Today at ISTE, Pearson announced the launch of GradPoint, an online learning platform for grades 6-12 that offers multiple learning paths to serve a wide variety of student needs. The platform, designed in conjunction with Florida Virtual School and eDynamic Learning, features more than 150 courses that are aligned to state academic standards and are coherent with the Common Core State Standards. In addition, teachers can upload their own courses, materials, assessments, and assignments to personalize the learning experience for their students.

The program utilizes several learning paths, based on instructional-design best practices from Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction, Visual Literacy, and Cognitive Load Theory, that allow students to learn in their own way and at their own pace:

• For students who need to recover credits or need remediation, the platform prescribes only the lessons that still need to be mastered.
• Students who need a structured learning environment can move through a course in a set order; they must display mastery before progressing from one lesson to the next.
• Students can direct their own learning, progressing through course material in any order. This approach works best for self-paced remediation, blended learning support, and supplemental online instruction.

GradPoint's honors, Advanced Placement, and elective courses, provided by Florida Virtual School and eDynamic Learning, provide students with collaborative and project-based learning assignments and assessments:

• The honors courses provide rigorous assignments to challenge advanced students to earn honors credits.
• Advanced Placement courses provide curriculum matched to the College Board's standards to prepare students for AP exams and help them earn college credits before they graduate.
• Electives give students a chance to explore career and topic areas, helping them develop skills and knowledge that will serve them at college or in their chosen careers.

"As more school districts and education leaders look to offer online courses, GradPoint provides that one, simple online platform that will enable them to meet the varied needs of individual students while reducing costs," said Chris Dragon, president of Pearson Digital Learning, in a prepared statement. "By offering a single sign-in for full virtual courses, blended learning, summer school, credit recovery, AP or honors courses, and electives, we're expanding learning opportunities for the whole school community."