Earlier this month, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) announced a new program known as LCTCSOnline which offers students a customized online learning solution by providing access to course materials via the computer or other mobile devices. According to an article posted on the college’s webpage, the school is developing solutions to improve access for students with travel restrictions or scheduling conflicts. LCTCS President, Dr. Joe May commented, “We believe the ability to do some of their course work through the cell phone will be a major draw for individuals. Presently, of the 4.2 million individuals that make up our state’s population, 25% have Internet access while 68% have cell phones. That means there are a large number of individuals to whom we can offer an opportunity to take courses, earn a degree, and have better quality of life in a more convenient way.”
According to the press release on Pearson’s website, Pearson Custom Solutions worked with the faculty at LCTCS to create a customized solution that brings together portions of Pearson’s education offerings. The entire platform including hardware, software, and help desk support, will be managed by eCollege while CourseConnect will deliver the content and online learning. The press release also offers a link to a video which provides a great overview of the program offerings. A third article notes that Pearson will be compensated via a portion of the student enrollment fees.
