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As a market leader in the online orientation industry, we strive to align ourselves with industry leading partners that offer the best services possible for our clients. Last year, we partnered with SmarterServices, whom primarily serves Higher Education and K12, to help improve the Comevo Client experience.
SmarterServices offers a wide array of beneficial products for the education industry. Two of its main products include:
–SmarterMeasure™ Learning Readiness Indicator is an online assessment which quantifies a learner’s level of readiness to study online or in technology rich courses. It measures a strategic mix of variables including life factors, individual attributes, learning styles, and more. Its administrative features allow users to add customized variables, create reports, and view student data at a glance—a huge benefit when it comes to measurability.
–SmarterProctoring™ is a free proctoring management system designed to handle all types of proctoring a school considers appropriate for its students. This product provides a free, LMS integrated interface for organizing all phases of the proctoring process including proctor selection, scheduling, and reporting. The LMS dashboard can be integrated with any proctoring technology currently in use.
SmarterServices not only offers products, but it also consults with clients regarding solutions for implementing student success, student support, and student readiness. It provides annual webinars on topics relating to student success, retention, proctoring, and faculty instruction. Its library of resources for clients include tutorials, supporting documents, informational handouts, slidedecks, case studies, and 24/7 training.
Throughout the past twelve years in the online learning industry, SmarterServices has worked to combat challenges that arise year to year. Julie Owen, VP of Marketing and Operations, noted “In both online and traditional school environments, we are seeing the value of measuring non-cognitive skills in addition to academic measures. A challenge is educating schools on the importance of non-cognitive skills and how they relate to overall student success which includes course completion, honorable GPA, and career success.
Regarding proctoring, Owens has seen schools struggling with the management process. The amount of emails, spreadsheets, web devices, and more are becoming unmanageable, which can be frustrating to faculty. With SmarterProctoring, schools can organize the complete process within a schools LMS, and in most cases its free.
When asked about advice for institutions looking to incorporate technology into their programs, Owens had four helpful tips:
- Determine your end goals, and work backwards from there. Select a software that will help to meet those end goals.
- Try to limit the number of systems you have to accommodate students.
- Software that hasn’t been implemented properly is the same thing as a box sitting on the shelf.
- Consider money you spend on technologies as an investment in your students.
