The College Network Support

How will you impact the future of nursing?

We hope you've enjoyed our tribute to influential nurses throughout history in honor of Nurses' Week 2013. These extraordinary women accomplished great things to change the face of healthcare as we know it today. How will you make an impact on the future of nursing?

• LPN/LVN to RN
• LPN/LVN to BS in Nursing
• RN to BS in Nursing
• RN to MS in Nursing
• MS in Nursing

Are you ready to take the next step in your nursing education?

Call us at 1-800-395-1014 or

click here for more information.

If you're thinking about pursuing an online nursing degree, there are many steps you can take to journey toward success. An article recently published on nursetogether.com offers some helpful advice for surviving nursing school. Here are four tips to help you succeed in your pursuit of online education:

1. Stay organized. Use a calendar to keep track of reading assignments for yourself and to schedule your exams. When you log in to The College Network Resource Center, you will see a calendar for just this purpose on the left-hand side of your screen.
    
2. Discover your learning style and use it. People learn in many different ways, but there are typically three major learning styles: tactile, auditory and visual. You can take a learning styles survey in our Center for Learning Empowerment to find out which learning style works best for you. Once you know your optimal learning style, organize your studying around that style to maximize your chance of success.
    
3. Seek assistance if you need it. If you are having trouble with a particular concept, don't hesitate to ask for help! Our Academic Support team is available seven days a week to lend a helping hand.
    
4. Take care of yourself. In order to succeed as a nursing student, it's important to pay attention to your health. Make sure to get enough sleep and to eat a balanced diet so that you feel your best when studying and taking your exams. It's also a good idea to get regular exercise to keep your stress level low.

To learn more about the opportunities for advanced nursing education available through The College Network, visit our nursing degrees page or fill out our information request form.

Online education can be a little daunting, especially if traditional classroom education is the only experience you’ve had. One of the biggest concerns you might have is whether an online education is the right fit for you. Consider whether you agree with any of the following statements:

• I have goals and am dedicated to reaching them.
• Furthering my education will provide me with further opportunity in my career.
• Education is important to me.
• I am organized and self-motivated.
• I work well independently.
• I feel comfortable asking questions.
• My schedule or circumstance makes it difficult for me to commit to traditional on-campus learning.
• I am ready to devote time in my schedule to furthering my education.
• I have people around me who will support my goals and the efforts I make to reach them.
• I have regular access to a computer with Internet access and am comfortable accessing information online.

For each statement, give yourself one point if you agree, zero points if you disagree.

7-10 points: You are an ideal candidate for online learning! You are motivated and prepared to reach your goals and we're ready to help you get started. Click here to begin your journey!

3-6 points: You have the desire, but you may need some help with tips for staying disciplined throughout the process. Call 1-800-395-3276 and speak with a Program Advisor who can help you determine the program that best fits your goals and help you discover the tools you need to be successful.

0-2 points: Online learning may be a challenge for you, but we're ready to help you overcome any barriers you may have to earning your advanced degree. We will support your goals and help make online learning a great fit for you! Contact us today to speak with a Program Advisor and find out how The College Network can offer you the flexibility and support you need to achieve your personal and professional goals!

Interested in learning more about valuable traits for online learning? Read more here.  

Are you tired of working for someone else? Have you thought about starting your own business? Owning your own business requires a lot of creativity, strategy, and determination. Below are six tips to help you start your own business: 

1. Know your customer – Understanding your target audience is vital to starting your own business. The more you understand your audience, the better your chances of creating products they want to buy.
2. Test your idea – Find out who would buy your product. Be sure to test your idea before you spend too much money and time on it.
3. Pick a sales strategy – It is important to know how your product will be marketed and sold to your consumers. If sales is not your specialty, find the right person (or people) to market and sell your product.  
4. Write a business plan – Writing a business plan requires research. When writing a business plan, it is important to determine your market factors, starting costs, job responsibilities, organizational structure, and the vision for the business.
5. Find good people – Take time finding the right people who will be willing to work hard for you and your business.
6. Mind the money – Do not underestimate your expenses. Think about how you are going to fund the business and how you are going to support yourself until the business is up and running. 

Read more at: http://www.kiplinger.com/article/business/T049-C006-S001-six-steps-to-starting-your-own-business.html?page=2

If you're interested in setting your own schedule and working for yourself, contact The College Network to learn more about opportunities for starting your own business as an independent Program Adivisor. Opportunities are available nationwide. 

Would you like to help individuals achieve advanced education? This is your opportunity to help nurses achieve the increased professional recognition and financial rewards that come with earning 2 and 4 year degrees. Helping people earn their college degree is a rewarding and fulfilling experience!

·         Appointment Coordinating 

·         Information Technology

The College Network provides full time employees with a comprehensive benefit package including: medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401(k), disability and life insurance. If you are interested in a pursuing a career at The College Network please apply directly on our website!!

https://collegenetwork.tms.hrdepartment.com/cgi-bin/a/alljobs.cgi?qty=25&older=jobs.timedate%20DESC

Spring officially arrived on March 20, ushering in what some may say is truly the most wonderful time of the year. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season a distant memory, it's time for the scrape and scrub of the spring cleaning season!

If you're anything like me, you love the sweet satisfaction that comes after you've successfully cleaned the house, washed the car, organized the garage, uncluttered the nightstand or even emptied your email inbox. The idea of starting anew with a bright, clean slate is invigorating and motivating. It's like the first sign of sunshine after a powerful, cleansing rain.

Most people associate spring cleaning with household chores, but have you ever thought about doing a spring cleanup of your work life? There are many steps you can take to move toward a brighter professional future. You can start by getting organized, prioritizing your goals, and purging negative thoughts about the status of your career.

The Chicago Tribune recently published an article about how to spring clean a career, and it advised professionals everywhere to cleanse themselves of bad work habits like being apathetic, worrying, and trying to do it all alone. If you want to see progress, you must care about your work and your future, you must face your professional fears, and you must allow others to help you reach your goals.

If you're proud of your work and ready to spruce up your career with an advanced education, do it this spring! Going back to school as an adult can be a scary prospect, but you can't let your fear hold you back. One of my favorite childhood authors, Judy Blume, once said, "Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it." You also must remember that you aren't  alone. The College Network can help you earn an online degree or a certificate from one of our professional partners through self-paced education and training. And our Academic Support department is here to assist you with every step of the journey.

Kick-start your spring cleaning with The College Network, and we'll help you dust away the educational barriers!

As you work through your online degree program, do you share your success with friends and colleagues?  Do you announce on your Facebook or Twitter account that you have passed an exam?  If you do, you probably have people who congratulate you on your success and ask you about your degree program. 

Since you are inspiring others with your success, are you also helping them to advance their education?  The College Network's EARN program is for people like you who want to achieve their dream of an associate's or bachelor's degree and also help others. If you are a nurse who works in a hospital or long term care facility, I'm sure there are other nurses who would benefit from an online LPN to BS in nursing program or those who dream of obtaining their associate of science in nursing.  

EARN stands for the Educational Ambassadors Resource Network™. It's comprised of people who have referred their friends and colleagues. One of the best things about this network is that enables people to start their own study community while they support their own education.

As a customer of The College Network®, when you refer someone and that person enrolls in a degree program, you will receive $200.  And on your sixth referral, remaining balance on The College Network portion of your loan will be paid in full. So while you support your education, inspire others to achieve the same success and create your study community. You will be recognized for your efforts.

Want to learn more about the EARN program? Go here to find out more about how it works and for a complete list of rules and guidelines. And if you are already to refer someone today, you can go to our online referral form.  Keep up the good work, and keep inspiring others! 

Let’s face it—most of us have been out of school quite a long time. The prospect of returning to school can be exciting, and a bit scary. Especially if the last time you were in school you sat behind a desk and are now looking at your computer, wondering how it’s all going to work.  Well, don’t worry.  We’re here to help calm your nerves, help you get started and keep you motivated as you work through your online degree program.

Once you enroll in your degree program with help from The College Network—what's next? The steps below outline what you will experience and hopefully take some of the anxiety out of what you might be feeling.  Use this as your guide and you'll be well on your way to earning your degree.

Log in to Resource Center—This is your learning portal.  You will go to the online Resource Center to find your course materials, discussion boards where you can post questions to other students, the resource library and to online chat which you can use to converse with our academic support team when you have a question.

Find out your learning style—As adults, we learn differently than we did when we were younger. It's important to know if you are an auditory learner, a tactile learner or a visual learner. Our learning style survey will help you identify your unique learning style so you can study more effectively. 

Complete your Academic Guidance Call—Our customer support team will contact you to review your learning style so you understand more completely how to be successful in your studies.  You will also work with them to develop a study plan for your program and review all aspects of the resource center.  If you have any questions about working through your degree program, they will be able to guide you. 

Set a goal for taking your first exam— Having a specific date in mind will help to keep you on track and be motivated to succeed. With self paced education, it's easy to put other things ahead of studying. We want to make sure that you stay focused on your goal of earning your degree. After you pass your first exam, schedule the rest of your exams so that you have a calendar to work from. 

 Set a weekly study schedule—With our busy lives and work schedules, it can be hard to find the time to study. If you approach your study time like you would a part-time job with a set schedule, you will be able to commit to this time and make weekly progress toward your goal.

Create your support network--Use the Resource Center to find others in your area that are working through their program.  Or ask around at work to see if any of your colleagues are also pursuing their degree. It's also a good idea to include your family and friends in your pursuit of a degree so they will support your goal.  They can be your biggest motivators! 

So are you ready to get back to school?   We offer the support you need to get started and the motivation to keep you going.  Call us today at 800-395-1014 to learn more about our degree programs and our support team. 

We are officially in the holiday season. It's a time that most of us look forward to seeing our family and friends, while enjoying the feeling of contentment we get from being around those we love. But it can also be really stressful. We try to manage our work, our shopping, our studying, our volunteering, our family--it's overwhelming at times.  

Because of everything going on in your life, you might think that it's a great time to stop studying, put aside your online education and take a break.  I want to encourage you not to do that.  Be sure that as you are scheduling your holiday get-togethers, you are also scheduling your study time.

Why not take a break?

Here's why. You will get to the first of the year and wish that you had studied so that you were further ahead in your associate degree in nursing or your RN to BS in nursing program. We want you to reach the first of the year, look back at 2012 and be happy with how much you accomplished. If for some reason you feel like you won't be able to do that--call us. 

The College Network's academic support team can work with you to help you get back on track and move forward. We can make sure you have a study plan and help you chart your course to make your degree attainable--for you. We know that you can do it, and everyone needs some help now and then. 

You can reach our academic team at 800-634-1443. Or call one of our program advisors at 800-395-1014 to learn more about our other online programs and what is the best fit for you. 

…seek learning conditions that enable each individual to reach the highest level of learning possible for her or him.

—Benjamin Bloom, Hastings, & Madaus

Ascend

Over 50 years ago, between 1949 and 1953, a group of more than 30 university-level educators began meeting to discuss the development of a framework to outline the different levels at which learners are required to process information. The result of their combined efforts was a book that presented the framework to the world. The framework was named after the editor of the book, Benjamin Bloom, and is referred to by most educators as Bloom’s Taxonomy. In 2001, David Krathwohl, a member of the original group, and a group of colleagues published an updated version of the taxonomy that better represents what we know today about the highest levels of thinking and learning (Anderson et al. 2001).

Nearly two decades ago I discovered for myself what a powerful tool Bloom’s Taxonomy is for educators in that it ensures that instructional objectives, content, and test or quiz items are aligned. But I also realized it would be just as powerful, if not more so, for learners if they understood the levels of cognitive processing represented by Bloom’s Taxonomy. As learning professionals we should support our learners in applying Bloom’s Taxonomy to their individual learning processes by explaining to them what takes place cognitively at each of the six levels and providing examples of what it would look like to operate at the higher levels of the taxonomy. In some cases it might be useful to provide examples specific to the material they are studying. It should be our hope that if they encounter courses later in life that were not designed with the appropriate levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind, they will be able to effectively navigate the material using their personal knowledge of the model. If we take our commitment as learning professionals seriously, it should also be our hope that our learners will utilize this valuable model when engaged in workplace learning and job performance as well. Although few can state why from the cognitive perspective, employers are generally big fans of employees who can effectively operate at the appropriate cognitive levels while engaged in their day-to-day professional endeavors. Clark (2008) states that an advantage of any organization competing in a global talent pool is innovative and creative expertise. The ability to effectively utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy allows learners and employees to continue learning beyond what we attempt to teach them and enables them to reach their highest level of learning and performance.

Additional Notes:

In a post dated April 8, 2011 and titled Don't Settle for More of the Same I suggested that learners should ask and answer the following questions:

-- What does it take to complete the assigned learning tasks?

-- At which level does the assigned learning task align with the 6 levels of learning?

-- Am I just doing more on the same level or am I improving my ability to achieve more advanced thinking/learning? 

If you're a learner and you can't respond confidently to these questions when studying I still highly recommend that you call The College Network (1.800.395.1014) so that we can help you ensure that you get a great return on the time and money you invest in your education. We can help by showing you a better way to earn online degrees from top universities while becoming a more effective learner overall.

Take Care,

cd

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my job. I am a business analyst at The College Network and unlike most people who are thankful for getting a paycheck; I am thankful for so much more of what The College Network has to offer.

My job is teaching me how to serve and be humble, how to be calm and even how to be happy despite the circumstances or the economy. It is proving to be an incredible opportunity for learning. It turns out that this position is instrumental in transforming me. The College Network is helping me become who I want to be. Rather than something I have to endure, it is providing me with growth.

The people who surround me every day lift me up an make me a better person. From accounting to sales to product development and the wonderful customer support staff, they support me on the dificult journey of excellence, even when I fall short. Be it internal or external, I hope you have an opportunity to meet some of these outstanding individuals willing to go above and beyond for you. They will ensure you succeed.

Name: Stefanie
Email: Kinsey
City: Camel
State: IN
 

Although the unemployment rate increased slightly in October-going from 7.8% to 7.9%-the United States still added 171,000 new jobs. Amongst the top industries contributing to these new jobs was health care with 31,000 new positions added.

If you are unemployed or just looking for a more stable career, health care is an excellent choice, and The College Network can help get you started down this new path. We have several different programs for you to choose from to earn an online degree in the health care field:

Associate's Degree Programs

• LPN/LVN to RN
• Paramedic to RN

Bachelor's Degree Programs

• LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• RN to BS in Nursing
• Health Care Administration
• Health Information Management
• Healthcare Management

Master's Degree Programs

• RN to MS in Nursing
• MS in Nursing

The College Network offers academic support for our portion of these degree programs from leading universities, so when you enroll with us, you are never alone. Your success is just as important to us as it is to you, and we will work with you as much as you need our help to ensure that you master the knowledge you are learning. There has never been a better time to begin a career in the healthcare industry, so if you would like more information on our online degree programs call 1-800-395-1014.

It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. 

— Charles Darwin

There are many self-help books on the market today to assist people in changing their lives, careers, bodies, or relationships. Anyone who has made major changes in life and managed to sustain those changes over time knows that while it isn’t easy, it is possible. When it comes to learning, in order to ensure success in achieving sustainable learning, learners must be able to adjust their approach based on who they are as learners, what they need at different stages throughout the learning process, and whether, or not, they are on target to reach their learning goals. The Adjust Stage of The College Network's AcaciAa™ Model addresses what is necessary on the part of educators in order to support learners success in this stage of the model.

A group of teaching and learning professionals have discussed the value of self-regulation for decades. While there is still relatively little widespread support for the practice of varying instruction in the traditional classroom, many agree that students who become empowered to control their own learning experience become transformed as individuals and therefore more engaged in their own learning process (Boyer 2009; Moore & Kearsley 1996; Lane 1997; Palloff & Pratt 1999). Through the increasing use of online and eLearning courses we can better serve our learners in their development of the ability to monitor, manage, and adjust their approach throughout their learning experience. P.T. Northrup states that…self-regulating one’s own learning is an important aspect of online learning… students need to monitor their progress in an ongoing fashion and adjust their strategies for learning based on their progress (Northrup 2009). 

In order to support learners’ abilities to successfully address the Adjust Stage of the model, the following should be considered when designing and developing course materials and activities.

-Post lectures online for repeated use by those who need to hear the information more than once.

-Tie every assignment, lesson, and lecture to objectives that support course outcomes. Instructional objectives can serve as mile markers or landmarks that allow learners to ensure they are headed in the right direction.

-Provide multiple assignment options so that learners are required to make choices regarding how they address or complete course content based on their individual needs.

-Follow an andragogical rather than pedagogical approach to instruction. 

As stated previously in the Attend Stage of the model, designing learning experiences that provide multiple options for learners will initially require more effort but will lead to a better overall experience for learners.

Until Next Time,

cd

There are quite a lot of customers at The College Network who have taken advantage of the EARN program. But, there are also quite a few that haven't yet. And, if you don't know about it--let me tell you the ways that it can help you with your degree program.

The EARN program helps customers create their own study communities by referring their friends and coworkers. There are some of our customers who work together that will meet in the cafeteria every week for a study group.  It helps motivate them and gives them a support system. I think It's always helpful, when you don't quite understand a concept, to hear someone explain something to you from their perspective.  

The EARN program also benefits customers by supporting their education. You see, as a customer of The College Network who is obtaining an associate degree in nursing or working towards a bachelor's degree, you will receive $200 for each person that you refer to The College Network when they enroll in a degree program. And, when you reach your sixth referral--The College Network portion of your program loan will be paid off!  

Need more motivation?  I recently worked with a customer on her success story. She just reached her loan payoff by referring her friends at work. To help them succeed in their program, she gave them the $200 she had received for the referral so they could use it to pay for their first exam. She is motivating them to succeed by inspiring them with her success. And, she has earned every part of it!

Call us today at 866-567-6150 to make a referral or you can also go online--create your own study group and support your education. 

 Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

— Albert Einstein

As both a learner and an educator, it has oftentimes amazed me how easy it is to fall into lazy habits of thinking. Unfortunately, many students have never been taught what it means to think or process information, so they aren’t actually falling into lazy habits; they have simply never been taught proper habits of thinking. The Consider Stage of the AcaciAa™ Model (The College Network's recently released cognitive strategy) continues to assist learners in understanding what it means to be an engaged learner.

One of my professors used to tell us, repeatedly, that telling isn’t teaching. Yet, so often we as educators behave as if dissemination of information is enough to support learners in achieving the required learning. Not so—we must develop instructional experiences that engage our learners and move them along the continuum of engagement. The Consider Stage of the AcaciAa™ model moves learners from attending to information to more deeply processing information by introducing them to the value of three primary functions of basic information processing: reflecting, questioning, and expounding.

Reflection, Questioning, and Expounding

Reflection, in the learning context, is the deliberate act of thinking back on information previously encountered so that as learners take in information they can make meaningful connections between the different pieces and portions of information. So often we as educators conceive of teaching as starting with our knowledge rather than that of the learner. We ignore what may be our best opportunity to change a brain by refining and exaggerating the valuable connections that are already there (Zull 2002). Reflection is a way for learners to tie what they are learning to their life experiences. This also leads to emotional connections to the learning that allow neurons to work together, thus creating the desired connections (Zull 2002). The question posed to learning professionals is this—do you structure your learning experiences so that learners are required to reflect while they learn? As much as I hate to admit it, we have all run into colleagues who seem more concerned with the quantity (which can lead to loosely connected or worse disconnected meaning), rather than the quality, of information they share with learners. 

Even if we are committed to changing our ways, how do we ensure that learners are integrating the act of reflection into their learning process? The answer to this question is so simple that it seems almost ridiculous. The answer? Require learners to stop reading or listening and think. That’s right. Provide activities and assignments that require them to stop and think about or question what they just heard or read. Have them restate in their own words what they’ve read. Once they can do that without too much effort, ask them what they think about what the author or speaker is saying and how it’s being said. Here are a few more items that you may want to include if you really want to be able to support learners in building a strong knowledge base. 

- What was this passage about?

- Why does it matter?

- To what other information is this passage connected?

- Identify the most important aspect of this topic or concept.

- If it is a concept, ensure you understand all aspects of it and how they are related. 

Notice that none of the items can be responded to with yes/no answers or without serious consideration of the material. These types of items don’t just get learners thinking; they lead them to expound on their initial thoughts. Too often our learners want to check the completed box before adequately expounding on what they are pondering. The reflective process, when done properly, leads to insight and has been shown to affect—and ultimately change—patterns in the brain (Ross 2006; Liggan & Kay 1999). The more a learner can reflect, question, and expound, the better they will be able to connect later in the learning process and avoid lazy habits of thinking. 

Take Care,

cd

As a lead advisor for the Academic Support department with The College Network, I speak with many customers each day regarding all aspects of the online programs that we offer. One reason why I have chosen to stay with The College Network for the last three years is because our company strives to do whatever we can for each of our customer. The Academic Support department prides itself on is caring about our customers and doing our best to ensure each learner’s success.

Our “We Care” attitude is demonstrated in a variety of aspects:

1. Initial Welcome Call: As soon as you sign with The College Network, your Program Advisor will connect you via phone to an Academic Advisor who will welcome you to the program and schedule a Guidance Call appointment.

2. Guidance Call: We strive to complete a Guidance Call for each and every customer. The purpose of the Guidance Call is to connect each learner with a member of the Academic Support team, familiarize the learner with the various aspects of their program, set goals, and navigate through our Online Resource Center.

3. Follow Up Calls: During the Guidance Call we ask each learner if they would like to receive a 45 day follow up call so we can check on their studies.

4. We’ve extended our hours! The Academic Support team is now available 7 days a week to assist learners with any questions or concerns they may have. As a reminder to all, we are available Monday-Friday 8:00am EST to 11:00pm EST and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00am EST to 8:00pm EST. We’re here to address your concerns and assist with your progression when you need us! Also, learners are able to email the Academic Support department 24 hours a day for when questions arise outside our hours of operation.

5. Constantly Improving our Resources: The College Network strives to ensure that the materials and support we provide adhere to educational best practices. Our Center for Learning Empowerment was developed to assist the independent learner and make sure he or she understands and utilizes effective study strategies throughout the program. The Center for Learning Empowerment contains a series of short videos that focus on certain strategies or technique the learner can use to gage the level of learning and preparedness achieved. The Academic Support team undergoes training on these topics in order to provide the best service possible.

Overall, what it boils down to is, we really do care. All of the Academic Advisors have been through college and graduated with Bachelor’s or Master’s level degrees in a variety of subjects. We know what the post-secondary education experience is like and we know that at times it can be rough. Academic Support is not only here to support each learner educationally but also emotionally. We want nothing but the best for all learners, so please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns at our toll-free number 1-800-634-1443. 

When people sign up for online degree programs, they most often site the flexibility of an online education as to why they decided to go this particular path. When you're working and raising your family, finding time to drive to campus at a set time, is hard to do. It's definitely easier to open your laptop and study when and where you can.

All the programs at The College Network are self-paced--meaning that you work through your courses on your schedule. This is a great option for many. But, it can also be the difficult part if you don't develop some online learning skills.

Before you begin, you need to map out your plan on how you are going to succeed as an online learner.  You need to have a comprehensive plan on when you will study, how you will study, when you will take your exams. We can offer you support and guidance, but you have to be the one that commits to keeping on your schedule.  If you wan to earn your degree in 24 months--how can you get there? What is it going to take every week, or every day?  Know what time you can commit to your program, and you'll know not only what you can do but  have realistic expectations on your graduation date.

And take advantage of our support network.  Our academics team can help you with a study plan. You can also read about other's successes to offer you ideas on what might be successful for you.  And most importantly, don't give up. If you have a bad day or week, that's ok. But get back to you study schedule as soon as you can. Earning your degree isn't easy, but if you commit and do the work, you will get there. 

Call us today at 800-395-1014 if you would like to learn more about our online programs,  and we'll help you create your path to success.  

1. Affordability - The average cost of a year of college at a public institution is over $22,000, which includes tuition, book, fees, and room and board. Over four years, that's almost $90,000 and if you consider the average salary of most recent college graduates, paying off this debt would seem to take a life time. Cut out the unecessary costs and fees and use TCN's Comprehensive Learning Modules to earn a degree at a fraction of the cost of a traditional institution.

2. Flexibility - Year after year, the average time for students to earn a bachelor's degree has increased with only 57% of students earning a degree within six years. When you're learning at your own pace with TCN's programs and modules, you aren't restricted by the semester structure and can earn college credit on your own terms.

3. Quality - Our Comprehensive Learning Modules are written by subject matter experts in a myriad of fields, allowing us to maintain high-quality content with support from some of the top educators in the nation. If you're interested in learning more, check out the "About the Author" page in your Comprehensive Learning Module.

4. Support - With The College Network, you'll have the support of an entire department dedicated to helping you succeed in your degree program, answering any questions you have regarding content, degree programs, registering for exams, etc. 

5. Online Resource Center - The great thing about The College Network Comprehensive Learning Modules is that you aren't limited to a text book and a classroom. If you have a computer and an Internet connection, you can access the TCN online Resource Center, which puts all of your modules, printable resources, degree program information, exams and quizzes, and other helpful features at your finger tips.

Attention is the first step in this [and every] learning experience. — Pat Wolfe

Where does one begin when discussing/addressing/supporting cognitive strategy?

In my opinion, when it comes to successful learning, it all begins with the learners’ ability to focus their attention. This may seem like an overly simplistic way to suggest someone begin the process of learning and/or supporting a learner's application of cognitive strategy; but anyone familiar with Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction is aware of the importance of attention in the learning process.

In the work titled Principles of Instructional Design, Gagné and his colleagues state that, skill at gaining the attention of students, involving insightful knowledge of the particular students involved, is part of the teacher’s art (Gagné, Wager, Golas, & Keller 2005).  This isn’t just the logical starting point. This initial event of gaining the learner’s attention supports the brain’s reception of information, which initiates the physical process of learning (defined as creation of neuronal networks). 

When training people who are new to the practice of designing and developing eLearning experiences, I often make the statement that reading isn’t learning. When I say this I am not trying to discount the value of reading. Reading definitely plays an important role in the learning process. Instead, I am trying to communicate that if learners are simply reading instructional material without attending to it, they aren’t fully engaged in the learning process. The difference between the two is fairly basic. Many people read without actually processing what they are reading. They see the words and they take them in, but they really don’t process beyond understanding what the words mean. Basically, they approach reading and learning independently of each other—as if it is simply a list of chores to be completed. An engaged learner is one who brings his or her thoughts and questions to a book (Caine & Caine 2006). To continue in the words of Caine and Caine (2006), they read differently than someone who simply surfs the overt meanings of the words. During the Attend Stage, learners should decide as they read what is most and least relevant and direct their attention accordingly.

Those making decisions regarding the design and development of instructional material, as well as the design of learning environments, should keep in mind that relevance is of great importance in engaging learners. Because adult learners don’t want to waste even an ounce of energy directed toward learning, we must ensure that every assignment, passage, and requirement can be tied directly to the lesson and course objectives. In addition, if there is any room for confusion we should continue working on the material until its purpose is crystal clear. This does not mean that you need to oversimplify the content. In fact, according to Wolfe (2006) there are two factors that greatly improve learner recall and understanding, both of which are controlled by the designer of the learning experience. The first is whether, or not, the information has meaning and the second factor is whether, or not, the information has an emotional hook. While designing learning experiences to meet these standards will initially require more effort of the designers, McLaren states that it is very important to acknowledge that learners will have a better experience if they are allowed to complete tasks that engage their minds rather than simply reading and listening to lectures (Hsi & Gale 2003, page 7). Providing learners with multiple options throughout the learning experience to include varying degrees of interaction will more likely ensure that they have a positive experience (Battalio 2009).

Next week, I'll share thoughts on the Consider Stage of The College Network's AcaciAa Model.

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