Signal Fall 2017 Newsletter

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College students now have many options for whether or
how to earn their degree, and there are just as many
resources to help. Whether you’re going the traditional site-
based route, taking an online direction, or a combination
of the two, these sites can help you reach your higher
education goals.
Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
rankings?int=999208
This comprehensive list of the best online education programs
comes from a respected source— U.S. News and World Report
—which has been putting out similar rankings for traditional
degree programs for many years. Check to see where your selected
school falls or start your search here.
Saylor Academy is an online learning site with courses available
in many areas of study including business administration, pro-
fessional development, and sociology. The site is not meant to
offer degrees, but enables you to work at your own pace to
supplement a degree program.
Rate My Professors
Getting to know your prospective professors is key to a good
education. This site makes it easy to find instructors you’re
considering taking classes from or to rate them yourself. Rank-
ings include helpfulness, clarity, and easiness. Search by school
or professor name.
StudyStack
Few learning tools are as tried and true as flashcards, and this
site lets you use existing decks on a variety of subjects, or cre-
ate your own. The interface is easy and you can study from
anywhere with the StudyStack app. To begin, just create a free
account and start creating cards immediately.
The Rise of Gamification
“Gamification” is the use of game-like elements—such as
leaderboards, badges, trophies, point systems, and levels
— in other areas of life. These elements are showing up in
such fields as business and medicine. Educators at all levels
are also quickly learning how they can be used to increase
student engagement andmotivation. Of course, these elements
are easily incorporated into online environments but they
can be used offline as well.
Instructors can use gamification to encourage slower learners,
provide immediate feedback, or simply make the learning
process more fun. For example, an instructor could set up a
way for students to go through an online learning module,
picking up points and bonuses, leveling up, and climbing the
leaderboard along the way. A similar concept can be used
to encourage behaviors that aren’t strictly academic such as
attendance, completing homework, collaboration, or participat-
ing in class. Early studies show that gamification can be highly
effective, depending on how it’s used and who’s using it.
Many Roads Can Lead to College Success