Gale, part of Cengage Learning, US, has announced a new programme, ed2go for public libraries, which brings turnkey online training and education solutions to the public library market. ed2go, also part of Cengage Learning, provides online training courses for the adult education, career, and corporate training markets through partnerships with colleges, universities, community-based organisations and now through public libraries.
The ed2go for public libraries programme, developed as a result of Cengage Learning’s unique position within the library, classroom and adult learning markets, will offer patrons access to hundreds of instructor-led online courses covering everything from health and wellness to digital photography, computer programming, GED test preparation and much more. ed2go courses are developed by expert instructors, many currently working at universities around the country, and use Cengage Learning’s proven pedagogy to ensure classes are engaging and informative.
Each individual course is offered online for six weeks and features 12 lessons with online discussions, homework, quizzes and a final exam. Though these are not college equivalent courses, certificate programmes are available for careers in the medical field, project management and computer networking.
ed2go for public libraries features a subscription model designed specifically for libraries – librarians purchase access to a catalogue of ed2go courses which are then offered free to patrons, who can select specific courses to enroll in. Libraries in turn get robust product administration and usage reporting capabilities enabling the easy tracking of successful patron outcomes.
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System recently piloted the ed2go programme as part of its eCampus initiative to address lifelong learning in its community and deliver workforce development resources, programmes and services. The results have been highly successful.
