Bisk Education Partners With Villanova University to Present at Sloan Consortium Annual Conference

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With the increasing demand for online education, more and more traditional, campus-based universities are looking for ways to fulfill their mission and engage potential students. But what are the key elements to ensure a successful e-learning experience?    

On November 20, 2013, Dr. Robert D. Stokes, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Villanova University and Dr. Judith Dwyer, Chief Academic Officer at Bisk Education, will reveal a number of insights at the 19^th Annual Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning. The Consortium is the leading professional online learning society devoted to advancing quality e-Education.

The session, "Fostering Dynamic Learning Communities," will highlight how strategic alliances between e-learning organizations and universities provide a beneficial structure for serving online students.

"Over the past 12 years, the partnership between Bisk and Villanova has grown from a single certificate offering to a robust selection of undergraduate, graduate and non-credit certificate programs," said Dr. Dwyer. "We continually build on that relationship to deliver world-class education and meet changing student needs through our e-learning community."

The conference presentation will cover elements of the successful online learning model, and demonstrate the role of community for students learning online. The session will also explore:

• Faculty modeling and its importance
• Differentiation between primary (foundational), secondary and tertiary student services
• Potential community issues that are similar to campus classes
• Expectation that student services match campus-based services

"By understanding the need for layered student services and monitoring the community development process, we've shown that it is possible to have dynamic learning environments online," said Dr. Stokes.

While a lack of community can result in poor student retention and negative perception, Dr. Stokes and Dr. Dwyer will share the positive outcomes created by the Bisk-Villanova partnership, such as increased student satisfaction, retention and graduation rates.

To learn more about Villanova University's online programs, call 855-300-1473 or visit www.VillanovaU.com.  

About Villanova University   
Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's five colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Villanova as the #1 Regional University in the North for 20 consecutive years.

About Bisk Education, Inc.
Founded in 1971 by Nathan Bisk, Bisk Education is the world's leading provider of professional education online. The University Alliance (UA), a division of Bisk, facilitates the promotion and online delivery of associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees as well as professional certificate programs from the nation's leading traditional universities and institutions. Powered by UA's technology and support services, our university partners have surpassed 450,000 online enrollments – making UA the largest facilitator of e-learning in the country. University partners include Villanova University, the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, Florida Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, University of Florida, University of South Florida, Valparaiso University, New England College, University of St. Thomas, University of San Francisco, Jacksonville University, University of Vermont, The University of Scranton, and Dominican University. U.S. News University Directory, part of the Bisk network, provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983.

Contact Information
Sandy Levine, VP of Marketing Services
Bisk Education/University Alliance Online
9417 Princess Palm Avenue, Tampa, FL 33619
813-621-6200, ext. 328
Email

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