Pearson Unveils OpenClass.

Entertainment Close-up October 18, 2011 Pearson made a move to increase access and collaboration in higher education by launching the beta version of OpenClass.

According to a release, a key component of Pearson’s vision to increase access, achievement and affordability, OpenClass offers institutions and instructors the ability to engage and interact with their students using the collaborative technologies that students are embracing-at no cost.

OpenClass is a new kind of learning management system (LMS) delivered from the Cloud. There are no hardware, licensing or hosting costs, thus enabling widespread adoption of new learning approaches that encourage interaction within the classroom and around the world.

“Now, educators and students are able to communicate and collaborate in new ways across institutions and around the globe-providing a richer, more personal and more connected learning experience. At no cost,” said Matt Leavy, CEO of Pearson eCollege. go to site google apps for education in our site google apps for education

OpenClass integrates with Google Apps for Education and will be available starting this week in the Google Apps Marketplace, Google’s online storefront for Google Apps products and services. With single sign-on and a unified navigation bar, instructors and students can launch OpenClass from within Google Apps or access their Google applications from OpenClass. Launching OpenClass in the Google Apps Marketplace provides institutions with the easiest path to adoption and an avenue to reach institutions already familiar with the benefits of cloud-based solutions.

“We’re excited to have OpenClass in the Google Apps Marketplace,” said Obadiah Greenberg, Google’s Business Development Manager for Education. “OpenClass is tightly integrated with Google Apps for Education, our free suite of communication and collaboration applications. Through the Google Apps Marketplace, schools will have access to OpenClass. We are happy to offer this complementary learning management system to the millions of students, faculty and staff already using Google Apps.” “OpenClass has huge potential for higher education,” said Adrian Sannier, Senior Vice President of Learning Technologies at Pearson. “OpenClass accelerates what technology will do for learning with a free, open and innovative platform that easily scales and lets students work via social media, with an intense focus on learning that elevates achievement.” More information:

www.joinopenclass.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))