StraighterLine Releases Podcast Addressing Rise In Online Education And Internet-Based Instruction

StraighterLine (www.straighterline.com), a new online education solution that provides students a high quality, better supported, and lower cost way to obtain college credits through regionally accredited colleges and universities, has announced the release of a podcast discussing the rise of online education and Internet-based instruction. In the podcast, Ryan Busch, director of StraighterLine, addresses the prevalence of online education and Internet-based instruction within traditional college institutions, the benefits of SMARTHINKING tutoring and the specific information related to the newly launched online education solution, StraighterLine.

In order to offer students the most convenient way to earn a degree, distance education and internet based instruction has become increasingly common in traditional college institutions. In the public sector, now about 88 percent of 2-year and 86 percent of 4-year institutions offer online courses.*

With StraighterLine, students can select to take a single course for $399 or use the "StraighterLine for $99" model which allows them to access all SL courses for $99 per month with no start-up costs and no time limit for course completion.

StraighterLine also represents the only online education source providing up to 24/7 on-demand instructional guidance. The program leverages SMARTHINKING’s online tutors, which to date have provided more that 1 million tutoring sessions to college students. SMARTHINKING, founded in 1999 and the parent company of StraighterLine, is an award-winning market leader in providing online tutoring and academic support to students. It launched the StraighterLine division in May 2008.

Currently StraighterLine offers six entry-level college courses, including College Algebra, English Composition I, Accounting I, Accounting II, Economics I: Macroeconomics and Economics II: Microeconomics, and two developmental courses, with more planned. StraighterLine’s list of affiliated partner schools includes the following regionally accredited institutions:

• Fort Hays State University (www.fhsu.edu)
• Jones International University (jonesinternational.edu)
• Potomac College (www.potomac.edu)
• Grand Canyon University (www.gcu.edu)
• Ellis University (http://ellisuonline.com)
• Charter Oak State College (www.charteroak.edu)

The podcast is now available for download at http://www.mmimarketing.com/files/riseinonlineeducation.mp3.

Related Links:
http://www.mmimarketing.com/files/riseinonlineeducation.mp3
www.straighterline.com
www.smarthinking.com
www.mmimarketing.com/blog/?author=straighterline
www.mmimarketing.com

Quotes:
"According to Eduventures, an education research company, and the Department of Education, enrollment in online education is growing by 20 percent each year," said Busch. "At the same time, enrollment in traditional colleges is growing, but only by a rate of about two percent per year."

About StraighterLine:
StraighterLine provides students with a new online option for obtaining required college credits from accredited colleges and universities. StraighterLine’s affordable courses are the first to include up to 24/7 live, on-demand instruction. StraighterLine offers six entry-level college courses, including College Algebra, English Composition I, Accounting I, Accounting II, Economics I: Macroeconomics and Economics II: Microeconomics, and two developmental courses, with many more planned. StraighterLine students may choose to receive credit from StraighterLine’s regionally accredited partner colleges. Student-earned credits may also be transferable to non-partner colleges that recognize StraighterLine’s partner’s courses as equivalent programs. There are no set due dates for StraighterLine courses. Students may start and stop at any point with up to six months of access. StraighterLine offers two remarkable pricing programs; individual courses cost only $399, include 10 hours of one-on-one instructional support, and allow up to six months of access; and the StraighterLine for $99 program: a $99 per month subscription with no additional start-up costs which includes unlimited access to any and all courses one at a time, plus 10 total hours of one-on-one instructional support, with no minimum or maximum time limit for course completion. For more information, visit www.straighterline.com or call 202-507-7020 or 1-877-str8erline (1-877-787-8375).

Tags:
SMARTHINKING, StraighterLine, Ryan Busch, Burck Smith, Online Education, Online Tutoring, Education Technology, Online Academic Support, E-structor, e-Scholars, McGraw-Hill, Blackboard, Whiteboard, Online Learning, College Accreditation, Partner Colleges, Accredited Institutions,

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
PR Firms Raleigh, NC

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