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Experts Back Up Educational Approach of StraighterLine

by straighterline

One of the great mysteries of the Internet is receiving information from people who are anonymous and thus may not be qualified in putting it out for the world. We here at StraighterLine (SL), an online educational system, not only want to make sure you know who and how we provide our material on our Web site but also the expert endorsements of our approach.

For example, SL’s parent company, SMARTHINKING, Inc., has its Education Department manage and oversee education-related operation for the delivery of SL courses. This includes certifying tutors who serve as the live instructional component for our courses (for more on them, read our “Selection Process for Tutors” blog). The department has successfully overseen more than a million online student-tutor conferences as well.

The processes employed by SMARTHINKING have been documented by several respected authors in books and articles who in turn have been commended for their work. One major example is Preparing Educators for Online Writing Instruction: Principles and Processes (2003) by Beth L. Hewett and Christa Ehmann. In reviewing this book, Kevin Garrison of Texas Tech described the writers as “two of the premier OWI experts in the field” and noted that “the second section of the book serves as an excellent textbook for students of OWI [online writing instruction] training programs, as the examples, exercises, and guidelines offered within are ideal for people unfamiliar with how to approach writing instruction in an online environment.”

Also, a survey of students in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System in the fall of 2007 indicated overwhelming support of SMARTHINKING online tutoring. Results found that 91.7 percent of students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed they enjoyed a positive experience with SMARTHINKING, while exit surveys showed that 93 percent of students would recommend SMARTHINKING to a fellow classmate or friend.

Add to that such honors as SMARTHINKING winning the 2007 CODIE Award for Best Instruction Solution for Students at Home, as well as some 350 educational institutions and libraries across America using the online tutorial service, and it is clear that our parent company’s approach is working and has earned respect in its field. We at SL are proud to have such an esteemed service support our efforts to provide introductory college courses at affordable prices online.

We would suggest that people interested in learning more about what credible sources favor our approach should visit our Web site at www.StraighterLine.com for a full explanation. We have qualified educators who back our efforts to provide students with a top notch education, and we are proud to let you know who they are and what they think.

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