NC State Distance Education Partners with the Governor’s eLearningNC.gov Initative

Gov. Perdue Launches eLearningNC.gov:
New Web site offers one-stop-shop for online learning opportunities
On Nov. 16 Gov. Bev Perdue announced the launch of   eLearningNC.gov, the entry point to all the eLearning resources North Carolina has to offer. The new Web site will provide an easy one-stop-shop for any North Carolinian, from K-12 students to life-long learners, who wants to take advantage of online learning such as the NC Virtual Public School, online courses from community colleges or universities, and online career building.
North Carolina State University is excited to participate in eLearningNC.gov because online courses are a major component of our programs, providing our students with 24/7 eLearning opportunities. North Carolina State University currently offers hundreds of online courses and 48 degrees, certificates, and teacher licensure programs. That number is continually growing as we respond to our students’ demand for learning anytime, anywhere. You can identify our online courses and programs via our Web site at distance.ncsu.edu, or go to eLearningNC.gov for identifying resources across the state.

“Over the last 10 years, technology has revolutionized the way we live and work – and I’m committed to using it to revolutionize the way we teach and learn,” said Perdue. “With the click of a mouse, anyone in North Carolina will be able to access online learning through this new Web site. A highly-educated workforce, highly-proficient in technology, is key to keeping North Carolina competitive in the high-tech global economy.”
eLearningNC.gov was created by a partnership between the Office of the Governor, the North Carolina Education Cabinet, and the North Carolina eLearning Commission.
“As Chair of the North Carolina eLearning Commission, I am excited about the launch of the K-20 eLearning Web site,” said Lt. Governor Walter Dalton. “This Web site is a testament to North Carolina’s leadership in using technology to enhance educational opportunities, and it will provide easier access and navigation to a wealth of educational eLearning resources. My hope is that this Web site fosters a culture of life-long learning for all the citizens of our state.”
eLearning provides every citizen, no matter where they live or their economic situation, with the ability to take online courses that would normally not be available to them in their community, providing the opportunity to learn new skills through retraining or continuing education. North Carolinians of all ages are encouraged to take advantage of the resources compiled at eLearningNC.gov including links for K-12 eLearning and College eLearning, and a Career eLearning section for those adult learners, who want to continue their education. The Facilitating eLearning section provides links to best practices and staff development on how to create eLearning courses. The About eLearning section covers everything else, from learning about eLearning, to how to pay for eLearning.

About K-20 online education in North Carolina:
The NC Virtual Public School offers 106 online courses and has more than10,600 high school students enrolled in Fall 2009. The UNC System offers more than 200 online degree, certification or licensure programs across 17 institutions, while North Carolina Community Colleges offer more than 138 online degrees, certifications, programs and diplomas through their 58 campuses statewide. In 2008-2009 more than 74,000 students enrolled in eLearning courses in our 17 UNC System institutions and more than 131,600 students enrolled in eLearning online courses in our 58 community colleges, many students taking more than one online course per semester.

DELTA’s staff supported the development of eLearningNC.gov. Kay Zimmerman, DELTA Associate Vice Provost for Marketing and Partnership Development, co-led the development of the eLearningNC.gov ePortal project. Additionally, Heather Barbour’s photo is on the Web sitel home page because she is completing her graduate degree in Project Management online.