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Education and Coronavirus: Lessons From Emergency Remote Teaching

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Education and Coronavirus: Lessons From Emergency Remote Teaching

By Matthew Rascoff

In recent months, almost every university in the world has shifted to emergency remote teaching—a kind of “first aid” for higher education in a pandemic.

When the Chinese government closed all higher education institutions in early February, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) in Kunshan, China, was among the first universities to make this switch. 

A sister to Duke University in North Carolina, DKU is a startup institution with about 600 undergraduates in two classes. A joint venture with Wuhan University, DKU faced an enormous challenge in its crisis response. 

How Duke Kunshan University adapted 

Under normal circumstances, our Online Duke team would spend months building an online course using the principles of backward design. In the midst of a public health crisis, though, we didn’t have time to do this. 

Over three weeks in February, we managed to transfer Duke Kunshan’s courses to remote delivery. That turned out to be an early drill for an even greater challenge that Duke and thousands of other educational institutions would face the following month, as the Covid-19 epidemic spread to the United States. In support of this effort, Duke’s Learning Innovation team and DKU’s Center for Teaching and Learning quickly partnered with Coursera to implement the Coursera for Campus platform for DKU.

Emergency remote teaching—not online learning 

We call what we’ve been doing the past few months “emergency remote teaching” because it doesn’t represent the full potential of online learning. We accelerated processes that would usually be more deliberate and collaborative. 

As we continue to adapt, university leaders should be careful about how we frame this work for our communities. We don’t want to set the online learning world back and risk a backlash by letting faculty think this is what online learning really is.   

Five lessons from transitioning to emergency remote teaching

Still, this massive worldwide challenge can help pave the way for more robust, flexible teaching models. We should all be taking notes as we go through this transition together. 

Here are five things we have learned so far at Duke that may help colleagues facing similar crises. 

  1. Over-communicate with stakeholders. We built three websites—one each for faculty, students, and staff—to provide information about Duke’s transition. We wanted each group to have a place where they could get the information they needed.  
  1. Give clear guidance. Our usual mode of engaging with instructors is consultative. In this case, we were more prescriptive. There wasn’t time to develop collaborative solutions, and instructors were under so much stress that they appreciated straightforward steps.
  1. Help instructors curate content. At Duke Kunshan, we’re using the Coursera for Campus platform to accelerate the development of courses and to offer co-curricular learning experiences that complement courses. We encourage faculty to repurpose modular content—sometimes called “courseware”—from trusted sources such as Coursera for Campus.
  1. Give students opportunities for self-directed learning. At Duke Kunshan, we’ve opened the whole Coursera for Campus catalog, which consists of 3,800 courses, and we’re seeing a lot of self-motivated learning across the disciplines. At Duke, thousands of students have signed up for Coursera for Duke, with access to Duke faculty-created courses. 
  1. Mix synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. Because our students are located all over the world, we can’t rely entirely on live sessions. We record live sessions and share them with students who can’t participate. 

These approaches got our faculty and us through the spring. Over the coming months, though, higher education must move beyond emergency remote teaching. We have to figure out how to scale learning design to offer better learning experiences than what was possible this spring. And we have to do this for millions of students worldwide. 

The Duke Learning Innovation team is hard at work on this project, which we are calling Flexible Teaching. We look forward to sharing what we develop with the Coursera community and the wider world. 

The occurrence of a public health crisis, even those of this magnitude, is predictable. We don’t know how this one will end and what form the next one may take. But there are surely more challenges coming for higher education. To be better prepared, and to make our institutions more resilient to inevitable shocks, colleges and universities need to be technologically adept, agile, and resourceful.

For more lessons from Duke’s transition to remote teaching, like how to motivate your team or the importance of triage and feedback loops, tune into this on-demand webinar: Education and coronavirus: Practical steps for taking learning online.

Matthew Rascoff is Associate Vice Provost for Digital Education and Innovation at Duke University. 

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Be The Good | Free Printable Poster

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Be The Good | Free Printable Poster

If you are looking for subtle office decoration, our ‘Be the Good’ free printable poster will be perfect! Spread the positive vibes and remind yourself to always believe there is good in the world. Simple text printable posters are great because they are so easy to incorporate in any room type. No matter if you place it in your living room, office, or kid’s room, it will fit! In other words, such printable is always worth downloading.

It’s available as an 8 x 10 or as a 12 x 12. In addition, it came in four different colors (blue, pink, green, yellow), so ya got a lot of options. It gives a total of eight printable files in one download.

See all versions included in the download package below:

Download ‘Be the Good’ Free Printable Poster

For Personal Use Only.

If you are looking for more printables, make sure to check our free printables library

We would appreciate it if you can share this printable because it helps us a lot! Just click on the buttons below. It is entirely free for you and above all, it helps us grow and produce even more content.

Share and help us grow. Thanks!

Looking for something specific?

Lastly, if you have an idea for printable, let us know in the comments! We are always looking for inspiration. If you decide to print today’s free printable poster, make sure to share photos of your decorated room with us via Instagram or Twitter because we love to see it.

P.S This post includes affiliate links. By clicking them, you are supporting us. Thanks!

Sydney’s Career Story: Turning a Setback into a Step Forward

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Sydney’s Career Story: Turning a Setback into a Step Forward

Being laid off from a job is never easy, and it’s become an all-too-common experience for so many during COVID-19. When it happened to Sydney, she used it as an opportunity to pursue her passion for learning more about marketing. She gained new skills, and began volunteering for a non-profit. Seven weeks later, she’d landed her dream job. She shares her story below:

A little bit about me

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. The truth is, I had very little idea of what I wanted to do when I got out of school. I fell into recruiting by accident, which led to HR, which then turned into community management, which was what allowed me the opportunity to learn more about marketing. Mostly, I’ve been at the right place at the right time, and hungry to learn, not climb a ladder. I had the opportunity at my last job to learn about marketing, but I didn’t actually do much of it myself because of my lack of experience. Being able to take classes has helped me enormously.

How I found Coursera

Just before I got laid off in response to COVID-19, someone shared an article on Facebook titled, “Here are 450 Ivy League courses you can take online right now for free.” I remember thinking, “wow, this is amazing,” and I reposted it thinking, “One day, I may use this. I don’t have time right now, but maybe someone else can find some value.” 

Fast forward a few weeks, and I was without a job, and I had a lot of time on my hands. As someone who thrives on having a schedule, I immediately thought back to this article and dove in to see what classes were available, and if any of them would help me advance my marketing career. That’s how I found Coursera. I liked the platform from a UX perspective, so I decided to consolidate and use this tool for all of my classes. I originally signed up for the free version but ended up purchasing the certificates to boost my credibility and LinkedIn profile.

What I learned

I signed up for three courses:

I took the brand management course out of a desire to learn more, but not a need or requirement. It’s been challenging, but I’ve learned a lot. A few weeks into the course, I found an opportunity through LinkedIn to volunteer my time on a marketing committee for a local non-profit. Within a week, they asked me to put together a global marketing strategy, and guess what knowledge I’m using? Everything I learned in the brand management course! 

It was so awesome to immediately see the fruits of that labor. I went back to my notes, rewatched some of the videos, and put together an entire deck for them using my newly established skills. Fast forward a few more weeks, and someone I connected with on Linkedin saw my background and asked if I wanted to talk because she thought I would be a great fit for their team. I started my new full-time dream job 49 days after I got laid off. And I can say with absolute certainty the skills I learned in courses on Coursera helped me get this job.

What’s next

I want to establish myself in the marketing field for a company that is trying to leave the world a bit better than they found it. I’m not chasing a title, just looking to get my foot in the door and continue learning and empowering others. I really love to make other people shine.

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Our commitment to address racial inequality through education

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Our commitment to address racial inequality through education

This is the first time, as a company, we’ve spoken about the Black Lives Matter movement – for this we can only apologise. The reason we’ve taken our time is intentional because we know our house isn’t in order, and we want to deliver action, not just words. As Chief Executive, speaking on behalf of the company, I’m going to explain what we’ve done in the last three weeks and what we are committed to doing beyond that. 

Everyone at FutureLearn abhors racial discrimination. We were all sickened by the murder of George Floyd and the awful acts of violence against black people that preceded and have followed it. We’ve also been greatly moved by the protests these recent incidents have catalysed and by the unlocking of discussion about racism that has been prompted. Indeed, this has led to a greater awareness for all of us that racism is something that has been talked about (and not acted against enough) for a very long time. 

I would not normally comment in this way myself, but I have witnessed and heard the strength of feeling within FutureLearn itself on this issue and I recognise the hurt and distress it is bringing to our black community, as well as to many others who feel deeply that they want to see change. The black community within FutureLearn has fed back to me that we should stand more visibly with our black colleagues and indeed our community of black learners around the world and I now understand the importance of this. 

FutureLearn is an education company whose purpose is to transform access to education, and that is the contribution I believe our public response can make – to help people find and access high-quality education that will help them understand, react, and respond to what they are encountering in traditional and social media. 

However, when we examined our portfolio, we did not find as many courses relevant to black history, black culture, or anti-racism as we hoped to see. Over the years, we have not prioritised these courses and our partners have not prioritised developing them. 

 We have decided therefore that it is time to act, to do more as an education platform, as a global partnership of educators and as an organisation ourselves.  

 

Financial support for courses on black history & culture and anti-racism

We have launched an access fund to help initiate a response from existing and new partners, to help them produce courses in important areas where currently we have gaps that relate directly to black history, systemic racism and racial inequality. The value of the fund is £50,000. We also plan to waive fees for new partners who can create relevant content or bring new perspectives to our output. 

 We’ve already reached out to over 25 potential partners; and while we’re not in a position to make any announcements yet, conversations are going well and we will have courses on our platform soon. Ideally, we’d like some of these courses to be aimed at teachers, schoolkids, and employees because we feel these are key areas where education can make a serious difference. 

 

Diversity and inclusivity on our courses 

We’re also updating our course guidelines to ensure our partners deliver more diversity and inclusivity within the courses on our platform. The whole education industry has a huge opportunity here to lead by example and we call on all of our partners to consider who their lead educators are on courses and if they are representative of all our learners. 

 We are proud of the impact we have already had in opening up access to the world’s leading universities for people who could not otherwise have dreamt of studying there; and we would like to do more to help people take the next step, beyond short courses, and gain access to study undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. We believe we can do more to widen access to the world’s top universities and can work with our partners to help grow the number of black students studying and succeeding with them. 

 

FutureLearn itself

We are also reviewing our people initiatives with a view to identifying and addressing gaps in current policies, being transparent about the progress we are (or aren’t) making, and setting out our commitments more clearly. This must include improving the lack of representation at the most senior levels of our company. But immediately, we are doing our very best to ensure the wellbeing of our black staff. 

Thank you for reading this. I’m fully aware that, as a company, we haven’t got this right. But we’re now working hard to change that. We hope to have more news on new partners and courses soon, but in the meantime, I’d like to direct you to this blogpost which includes educational resources from and for the black community that could be invaluable in the effort we must all make to educate ourselves.

Simon Nelson

 

Category Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter – Resources

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Black Lives Matter – Resources

In recent weeks, protests have erupted across the globe in response to the killing of George Floyd by four police officers in Minneapolis, USA. The death of Floyd acted as a tipping point for centuries of pent-up anger at systemic injustice and racism to boil over, not just in America but across the world.

What started as a movement protesting police brutality in the States has evolved into a global reckoning with white privilege, racism, and colonialism.

FutureLearn stands with our black colleagues and learners. We are striving to make ourselves more inclusive and diverse, as well as to host more courses on black liberation, and improve black access to education. Read our CEO Simon Nelson’s statement.

For black people globally, this has been yet another emotional and traumatic time – both due to systemic oppression finally being surfaced and seeing institutions and colleagues trying (and often failing) to belatedly grapple with the issue.

There are resources out there that can help black learners feel supported – and non-black learners to become better allies. We’ve collected some of the most useful below.

 Support your mental health

According to the Mental Health Foundation, black people are more likely to suffer mental health issues than their white counterparts, and also more likely to face discrimination in mental health services. 

This is largely due to a legacy of institutional racism and oppression that leaves many black people not only locked out of economic systems – but also adequate healthcare.

Donate

Donating to causes fighting to help improve the lives of black people in the community – as well as in the penal system – is a good way to contribute. 

Sign petitions

If you’re unable to donate, signing a petition might be the next best thing. We’ve highlighted petitions calling for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor (murdered by a police officer in her sleep in Louisville), and Belly Mujinga, a transport worker who died of COVID-19 after being spat at in London.

Black Lives Matter also collect new petitions on their site. Read the BLM statement on George Floyd and why black people have a right to not live in fear.

Educate yourself

Whether you want to learn more about the rich history and culture of black people, or you’re looking to learn more about the history of oppression black people have suffered – and the inspirational opposition to it through the ages – there’s a wealth of books, films, and courses that can expand your understanding. 

Books

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

This book on the reality of structural racism in Britain has shot to the top of the best-seller charts  – making Eddo-Lodge the first black author to top the charts in the UK. 

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala

Musician, activist, and academic Akala charts the historical legacy of British racism and colonial oppression.

Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Author Coates explores American racism in the form of a letter to his 14-year-old son.

Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis

A groundbreaking exploration of the intersection of related oppressions – how the system works to keep down women, blacks, and workers, all at once.

Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene Carruthers

Exploring the history of black liberation back to the Haitian Revolution, Carruthers appeals to her readers to make black liberation more queer, more feminist, and more radical.

Films

13th by Ava DuVernay

In this documentary, director DuVernay contends that slavery in the United States was replaced by systemic oppression of black people – through the prison system, the war on drugs, and longstanding police and public violence.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 by Göran Olsson

A collection of news footage – shot in the late 1960s and early 70s by Swedish national television – that acts as a unique portrait of the black activists at the forefront of the radical civil rights movement. Featuring interviews with Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, and Huey P. Newton.

I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck

This documentary collects author James Baldwin’s observations on American history and racial injustice, including his thoughts on civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Courses

Understanding Diversity and Inclusion from Purdue University

Unconscious bias is as much a factor in discrimination as overt racism. On this course, you can learn to tackle ethnocentric mindsets and create inclusive environments.

Cultural Diversity and the City from the European University Institute

This course explores the importance of racial and cultural diversity in shaping the identity of a thriving city.

Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism from the University of Exeter

The University of Exeter’s short, free course examines the British Empire, including how it exploited race, religion, and propaganda to hold sway over a third of the Earth’s population.

 

Category Black Lives Matter

How to Add a Navigation Menu in WordPress

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How to Add a Navigation Menu in WordPress

How to Add a Navigation Menu in WordPress - tutorial

The menu is one of the essential elements of every website and blog. Usually located somewhere at the top of the site, gives your visitors easy access to the most important parts of the content. This tutorial demonstrates how to add a navigation menu in WordPress in a few easy steps.

Adding a Navigation Menu in WordPress

Depending on the theme you are using, you may have more than one menu slot. Printscreens for this tutorial was made using one of our Premade themes which comes with two main menu slots.

#1 Access your WordPress

Firstly, you need to login to your WordPress Dashboard and hover over the ‘Appearance‘ tab on the left. From the drop-down options pick one called ‘Menus‘.

WordPress Dashboard menu option

#2 Create a navigation menu in WordPress

In the new window, go to section titles ‘Menu structure’ and enter your menu name. This name is not displayed on your site, so pick something short that will help you locate this menu if youcreate more of them.

For this example, I have called my menu ‘New Menu.’

Creating a new menu in WordPress

#3 Add your buttons

Adding menu buttons is easy with WordPress. All you need to do is pick elements from the list on the left (number 4 on the image below) and click on the ‘Add to Menu‘ button.

As you can notice, there are few sections for this list. Pick items from your pages, posts, categories, plugins, or manually add a custom link.

You may need to select a ‘View All’ link if you do not see all of your pages and categories.

The most popular options are pages and post categories.

Adding buttons and setting display location for a new WordPress menu

When the buttons will be ready, pick the ‘Display location‘ for your menu (5) and hit the ‘Save Menu‘ button (6).

Keep in mind that the number of your display location depends on the theme you are using. For this example, I use Daphne, which has two menu rows available.

That’s all! You have now learned how to add a navigation menu in WordPress.

For more tutorials, make sure to check our WordPress tutorials library!

Additional menu buttons options

After you add buttons to your menu, there are few additional options that are quite useful. I have listed four of the most important ones below the following image.

Additional menu buttons options
  1. Use the small arrow on the right side to reveal more settings for the menu button
  2. Change Navigation Label to make the button appear with a specific name. For example, change the Homepage to Home if you need more menu space.
  3. Use the ‘Remove’ option in the bottom left corner to remove the button from the menu
  4. Drag and drop your buttons under already existing ones to create a drop-down menu options

Designer Blogs offers an add-on option to stylize your menu with different fonts, link colors, background colors, and images. So if it is something we can help you with, check our Blog Accessories page.

If you have any questions about adding a navigation menu in WordPress make sure to let us know in the comments below.

Collar the Cat!

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Collar the Cat!

Traditional bird conservation efforts cannot counteract a cat’s primal instincts. For my Eagle Scout project, I constructed a 14-foot tower that nests about 40 chimney swifts (a threatened bird species). Considering it was built in a neighborhood that houses an estimated 50 cats, my hard work has likely not resulted in any net increase of the bird population. Yet, attempting to muzzle our pet with a stay-at-home order is not a practical, long-term solution for cats.

Susan Willson of St. Lawrence University offers an alternative. By placing vividly colored collars on cats, Willson found that birds were much more likely to spot cats before it was too late. Consequently, collared cats killed up to “19 times fewer birds than uncollared cats.”

Collar scrunchies are a noiseless, effective alternative to the traditional “cat bell,” and still allows cats to exercise their instincts on real pests. These colorful scrunchies are effective with birds but not on colorblind rodents.

It’s not a cardinal sin to let cats be cats, but a simple colored collar around the neck will help offset their feline instincts. Plus, more cat videos sporting stylish scrunchies is something none of us could ever refuse.

Works Cited

Brulliard, Karin and Scott Clement. “How Many Americans Have Pets? An Investigation of Fuzzy Statistics.” The Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2019.

Lepczyk, Christopher A., et al. “What Conservation Biologists Can Do to Counter Trap-Neuter-Return.” Conservation Biology, 2 Nov. 2010.

Sommer, Lauren. “The Killer At Home: House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators.” NPR, 18 April 2020.

Willson, S.K., et al. “Birds Be Safe: Can a Novel Cat Collar Reduce Avian Mortality by Domestic Cats (Felis catus)?” Global Ecology and Conservation, Elsevier, 20 Jan. 2015.

Zimmer, Carl. “Birds Are Vanishing From North America.” The New York Times, 19 Sept. 2019.

Skillsoft – An Analyst Perspective

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Skillsoft – An Analyst Perspective

This is a story about a one-time giant in the 3rd party off-the-shelf content providers. A behemoth, impressive and at the same time, seen in an “Evil Empire” perspective among other vendors in the mid-2000s.

This is also about a vendor who lost their way.  A vendor who made not only poor business decisions with the likes of Percipio, but also with the monumental blunder of acquiring SumTotal. 

The buy was a bad relationship in the making, one where the owner – “Skillsoft” and ownee “SumTotal” never seemed to get on track with one another.  Where SumTotal salespeople never pushed Percipio as an add-on or addition to SumTotal Learning, even referring it an an “afterthought” as one senior sales executive once told me.

Where I learned from a senior sales exec at SumTotal that SumTotal salespeople sold less than one percent of Percipio, and he never understood the reason that Percipio was created, because Degreed was the dominant leader in the LXP space. 

It is where Skillsoft was eventually acquired by a PE firm (Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP) in 2014, and while the PE firm also, therefore, owned SumTotal, there was clearly a communication challenge between Skillsoft and SumTotal.  Not uncommon with some companies that own two different learning system brands if you will, but in this case, it seemed that SumTotal was the driver and Skillsoft the secondary. 

It just wasn’t a good marriage as they say, to such an extent there were rumors at one point that a spin-off of SumTotal was in order (At least one company received a “letter of interest”).  It failed to materialize.

Layoffs meanwhile started at Skillsoft Corporation in November 2019, February 2020, and most recently in early June 2020. 

Employees at Skillsoft were notified in May 2020, that a reorganization of debt was occurring, a method that usually means the company is trying to avoid filing for bankruptcy.

The truth of the matter is that Skillsoft started to enter forbearance agreements, before the end of April 2020, because payments totaling 42 million dollars to first and second lien-holders, was due by April 30th, 2020. (360 Law).

Skillsoft Corporation Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Skillsoft Corporation and all their subsidiaries are part of the bankruptcy including SumTotal Systems LLC, Accero, Inc., Amber Holding Inc., CyberShift Holdings, CyberShift, Inc., Mindleaders Inc., Pointwell Limited, SSI Investments I limited, SSI Investments II Limited, SSI Investments III Limited, Skillsoft Canada, Skillsoft Ireland Limited, Skillsoft Limited, Skillsoft U.K. Limited and ThirdForce Group Limited. 

Agreed to a deal with their lien holders, but the deal still needs approval, by the court, to exit bankruptcy.

According to Skillsoft the goal is to cut over 1.5 billion dollars from their current debt of two billion dollars.  They reported assets and liabilities between 1 billion and 10 billion dollars.

The deal that was agreed upon (pre-packaged plan) by their lien-holders are as follows (according to 360 Law and Personnel Today)

  • First lien holders would receive shares of $410 million in new term loans for their nearly $1.4 million in claims along with 96% of the reorganized company’s equity
  • Second lien holders would receive 4% of the new equity and additional warrants for their $670 million in claims. They would also have the opportunity to purchase up to 15% of equity in the re-organized Skillsoft.
  • Unsecured creditors would be fully paid
  • Current equity holder claims would be wiped out

If the pre-packaged agreement is approved, Skillsoft’s debt would drop to 410 million. (Reuters)

“.. liabilities exceeding assets by more than 18-fold currently, with debt maturities looming both this year and next year. That debt-to-equity ratio would fall to 5.2 times under the plan.” (360 Law, )

Furthermore, if the plan is approved, Skillsoft’s liquidity will be “around 50 million dollars” (Reuters).

Skillsoft – What went wrong from a learning perspective

Percipio was, well, to say it politely an unmitigated disaster, a result of poor business decision making by Skillsoft.   It wasn’t due to the product per se, rather it was the approach Skillsoft decided upon when it came to Percipio.

When the rolled out the system ways back (at a trade show), it was missing quite a bit, and from my perspective should have been held until it truly was ready for prime-time.

It was never noted during that rollout that Pericipo wouldn’t follow a “standalone” approach when it came to selling the system.  Yet, that is exactly what happened, i.e. not as a standalone.

Do you wanna buy Percipio? (as of 6-22-20)

Well, you are fortuitous because it only requires you to purchase some content from the Skillsoft library. That’s it.

Once you buy the content, Skillsoft will give you Percipio for free. Albeit, there were salespeople on the SumTotal side who actually sold Percipio (not from the buy content you get it free angle, either). 

If the buy content you get Skillsoft system sounds familiar you are correct because the same approach was taken with Skillport, an LMS from Skillsoft, which was really a stripped-down version of the old Element K system back in the day.

And yes, there were salespeople who ignored the buy content get Skillport for free, by selling it, on top of a client buying the Skillsoft content. 

The weirdness of the whole Percipio strategy includes having a swath of content in the platform, including from their partners, on top of the content you initially purchased. Thus if you want to read, view, listen to the other pieces of content, you pay. 

Percipio was late to the game in adding content partners, with the system initially having only Skillsoft content.  On the other hand, it had IBM Talent Watson in its system, before SumTotal did.

SumTotal’s Learning’s home learner page? It is from Percipio.

Could you as a client purchase Percipio as the standalone? You could, but the number of folks who did was infinitesimal.

At this year’s Skillsoft virtual conference, all attendees received free access to the entire Percipio system, and could view a wide amount of content, but in my test, not every piece of content was made available, although a couple of pieces of content was about the Percipio system (reminded me of a sales angle).

I will concur it was a nice plus for Skillsoft to do that, and no doubt the end game was to get folks to use Percipio for the long-term, which again, because the standalone angle isn’t the preferred selling method, Skillsoft content had to be the driver.

Another weird component to the entire Percipio business strategy, is that the system continues to add feature sets, and thus R&D, even though the content-first approach exists.

In the history of buy content first and get the system for free approach, it is rare to sustain it for a long period of time, this is due to the R&D factor.  I know of only one vendor who follows a content-first strategy, get system for free business approach, although they will sell their system as a standalone (which is very rare). 

Other vendors who went content-first and system is free, ended up scuttling the approach, with the eventual sell the system and we will toss in the content OR sell the system, you get some content for free, but then have to pay for any other content.

The biggest vendor to try to the content-first strategy that failed in the long-run  (which resulted in them selling the system first)? Grovo, which eventually was acquired by Cornerstone. And I should note burned through 73 million dollars. 

Skillsoft content

A totally mixed bag, still.  Some of it is quite good, and some, as you might expect isn’t. For fans of micro-content it does exist, but the vastness of their library is the common longer duration of time (albeit you can use a TOC to follow a non-linear methodology, which is the best way to go).

Remember when I noted that some vendors saw them as the “evil empire?” This was due to the buying spree that Skillsoft conducted in the early to mid-2000s where they bought up quite a few 3rd party off the shelf vendors including NetG (a big player back then) and Element K (strong player back in the day). 

Skillsoft also does partnerships with numerous learning system vendors, which means, that you can buy Skillsoft content in the vendor’s marketplace, and have it in your system (actually it sits on Skillsoft’s servers and is API or some other connector, pushed into your learning system – and again, extremely common with other off-the shelf providers).

Why you may ask, does Skillsoft not try to add Percipio to vendors’ marketplaces, whereas there are LXPs who do?  Which would be a smart business move? Well, you should ask them, because as of now, they have no interest in doing so.  Even though it could open up a new revenue channel for them.

The Floodgates have opened

There are numerous vendors who are offering special discounted rates, a smooth transition from Percipio to their system, and in many cases will work with any Skillsoft client who is stuck in a contract, and wants to exit.

If you are a Skillsoft customer who wants to exit out to another system, or a Percipio customer who wants to switch over – here is a list of vendors offering such deals and transitions as noted.

Switch from Skillsoft Offers (Please contact the vendor directly)

Skillsoft Content Customers who want to switch to another 3rd party content/course provider

  • Skill Pill – Great content follows sort of a bundle pack of content approach, i.e. you get the course, some type of flashcards or similar, workbooks, etc.  – Special Discount Rate and will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.
  • Open Sesame – Equally great content – Special discounted rate and smooth transition
  • Biz Library – Great content – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract
  • SAP Litmos – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.
  • The Access Group – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.

Percipio Customers who want to switch out into another learning system

  • The Access Group, Access LMS – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.
  • EdCast – Special discounted rate, smooth transition will work with you if you are stuck in a contract. 
  • Biz Library – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.
  • Learn Amp – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.
  • Learnsoft – Special discounted rate, smooth transition

Percipio and/or SumTotal customers

  • IMC-AG – Special discounted rate, smooth transition, will work with you if you are stuck in a contract.

Compare Percipio to any of the Learning Systems offering you a deal, OR just to compare them to another LXP or DLP.

With the exception of Learnsoft, every other vendor listed above is in Findanlms.com, you can access immediately, no need to register up-front into the platform.

Additionally, there are many other LXPs in the platform including Degreed and THRIVE.

Bottom Line

The only way Skillsoft survives long-term is that they get acquired by someone.  First, I’d break up the company with SumTotal Systems LLC., as a separate entity, then sell off Percipio, for more of a customer buy, and retain the Skillsoft brand for the courses and content side of the house. 

The end output?  SumTotal as a separate company, Skillsoft Corporation as an only content provider, and Percipio as a sell-off for customer acquisition, then sunset the system. 

That’s my take.

For what it is worth.

E-Learning 24/7

I should note that I reached out to Skillsoft twice last week, requesting any comments, and/or would they will be willing to receive questions from me, and respond accordingly.  Skillsoft never responded.  Nor have they published publicly any messaging to prospective customers to assure that everything will be okay, or that they are committed to current and future clients. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 25 online courses in Pakistan – June 2020

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onlinefreecourse
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Top 25 online courses in Pakistan – June 2020

Online learning is becoming increasingly popular for the people of Pakistan. With a median age of just 23, this young country is perfectly positioned to make the most of the opportunities that digital learning can offer. 

We’ve put together a list of the 25 most popular online courses in Pakistan today, ranging from strategies to help combat the spread of COVID-19, to personal development and English language courses. 

1. COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest global challenges we have ever faced. Pakistan has had 160,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, so understanding how the virus emerged, how it spreads and what we need to do to tackle it in the future is vital.

This course from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explores all of these issues and more, and is one of our most popular courses, across all countries. 

Enrol today

 

2. Teaching English Online

Learning to teach English online is an incredibly valuable skill at any time, and especially so at the moment, as more learning moves online. If you’re an English teacher, this course will provide you with the knowledge, tools and resources you need to transfer your teaching skills to an online environment.

You’ll receive expert guidance from Cambridge Assessment English (part of the University of Cambridge) and gain insights from other online teachers and learners. 

Enrol today

 

3. Understanding IELTS

IELTS is the world’s most popular English language assessment for higher education, and in Pakistan there are IELTS test centres in Islamabad, Lahore & Karach. The assessment tests the four core language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). This program explores how each of these key skills is examined in the IELTS and what you need to demonstrate to the examiner in order to pass. It’s designed by the British Council and is the perfect way to prepare for the test. 

Enrol today

 

 

4. Understanding IELTS: Reading

This popular course looks exclusively at the reading section of the IELTS exam. You’ll discover more about the format of the IELTS Reading test and develop techniques and strategies to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

You’ll also learn what to expect on the day of the test so nothing takes you by surprise. 

Enrol today

 

5. Driving Value from Data

Businesses all over the world, including Pakistan, and utilising the power of data to make better business decisions. This highly popular course from The Data Lab explores why data is such a powerful tool in the workplace and will provide you with an understanding of the opportunities for data innovation in your own workplace.

Enrol today

 

6. Understanding IELTS: Writing

The IELTS Writing test is a 60-minute exam consisting of two separate writing tasks. The first will focus on graphs and charts, and the second on an academic essay.

On this course from the British Council, you’ll learn more about both sections and how to prepare for them effectively, so you can approach the writing exam with confidence. 

Enrol today

 

 

7. Understanding IELTS: Speaking

The IELTS Speaking test is broken down into three sections — questions about yourself and your family, a specific topic and finally a longer discussion.

On this course, you’ll discover strategies to improve your performance in each section and increase your chance of success. 

Enrol today

 

8. Basic English 1: Elementary

English is often referred to as ‘the global language’ which makes it a valuable skill across Pakistan and many other countries. This course, from King’s College London, will get you started on the basics of the English language, from how to introduce yourself to asking questions and talking about your job.

This course is the perfect starting point for your English language journey. 

Enrol today

 

9. Introduction to Business Management

To be a successful business manager requires a variety of skills, both personal and professional. This course will introduce you to some of the key aspects of business management, from key financial concepts like profit and cash flow, to how to manage people and the importance of good communication.

You’ll also consider your own management style and how to adapt it to different business situations.

Enrol today

 

10. Language Assessment in the Classroom

Understanding how the assessment of language works is an increasingly valuable skill for teachers and educators to possess. This course, from the British Council, will explore the principles of language assessment and the various types of tests that are used in language assessment today.

By the end of the course, you will understand how to design your own language tests using industry-leading techniques. 

Enrol today

11. Teaching English: How to Plan a Great Lesson

Learning English is one of the most valuable skills your students will receive. Through improving your English teaching, you’ll enable your students to get the most from your classes.

This course, designed for English teachers in Pakistan and around the world, will explore the fundamentals of lesson planning and how you can utilise technology to engage and support your students.  

Enrol today

12. English in Early Childhood: Language Learning and Development

English is one of Pakistan’s official languages, so helping children develop their English from a young age is incredibly important.

This course, which has been designed for parents and teachers of young children, explores the way in which children learn languages and how you can communicate most effectively to help them on their journey. You will also have the opportunity to join in discussions with other learners and interact live with experienced educators. 

Enrol today

13. How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students

As uncertainty around Covid-19 continues, and schools in Pakistan remain indefinitely closed, it’s important that teachers are able to adapt and learn to teach online. This course will help you develop new techniques and approaches so you can teach your students online.

It also explores the benefits and challenges of moving from face-to-face to online teaching and provides a space for you to discuss the personal impact of teaching online. 

Enrol today

 

14. The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction

The Sharia and Islamic law have played an important part in Muslim lives in Pakistan and around the world, both historically and today.

On this course from The University of Edinburgh, you’ll work with experts from around the world to learn more about Islamic law and consider the nature of religious law more broadly, including some of the controversies it has provoked, and its place in modern societies.

Enrol today

 

15. Understanding IELTS: Listening

The IELTS listening exam consists of four separate listening tasks, including conversations and monologues. This course will help prepare you for these tasks and explore techniques you can use to cope with any unfamiliar topics that you might face in the exam. This course will boost your confidence ahead of the test and improve your chances of being successful. 

Enrol today

 

16. Exploring English: Language and Culture

English is one of the most widely used global languages and dominates popular culture, from music and films to politics and medicine.

This course will provide you with a better understanding of English as a global language and its origins in Great Britain. You’ll learn about British culture and daily life, and study videos of people speaking and interacting in English.

You’ll also discover the importance of British language, literature and music and the impact they have had across the world. 

Enrol today

 

17. Managing Mental Health and Stress

Maintaining our mental health requires just as much effort, and is just as important, as our physical health. With many of us also now having to deal with varying levels of lockdown due to COVID-19, there is an increased strain on our mental health.

This course will explore the factors that contribute to poor mental health and how you can measure your own stress levels. You’ll also look at managing stress and mental health in the workplace and explore techniques to combat workplace stress. 

Enrol today

 

18. Basic English 2: Pre-Intermediate

This King’s College London course follows on from Basic English 1 described above and will help you advance your English skills to the next level.

You’ll be able to hear people speak English in a variety of real-life situations and cover topics like asking for directions, talking about your daily life and different technologies. You’ll also explore language specifically focusing on shopping and preparing for university. 

Enrol today

 

19. Inside IELTS: Preparing for the Test With the Experts

The IELTS Academic test is for those applying for higher education in an English speaking environment. This course is designed to give you the best possible preparation for that test, including exploring the contents of the IELTS Academic test and what you need to do to get the best score possible.

You will also discover more about the skills you’ll require when studying at an English speaking university. 

Enrol today

 

20. Managing COVID-19 in Primary Care

The COVID-19  pandemic has put a huge strain on healthcare systems in Pakistan. If you’re a healthcare professional on the frontline in the battle again COVID-19 then this course could be for you.

It’s led by healthcare experts at St George’s University of London and considers all of the factors associated with the pandemic, including symptoms and signs, as well as current best practice in managing the virus.

Enrol today

 

21. English for the Workplace

English is widely spoken in Pakistan and is heard in a variety of workplaces across the country, and the world. This course has been designed for those looking to boost their English language skills within the workplace environment.

You’ll listen to people speaking English in various working scenarios, like applying for jobs, taking interviews, and communicating with colleagues. You’ll come away with more confidence in speaking English at work. 

Enrol today

 

22. Explore Filmmaking: From Script to Screen

Pakistan has a highly successful film industry, primarily located in its two largest cities – Karachi and Lahore.

On this course, from the UK National Film and Television School, a team of award-winning filmmakers will take you through the full filmmaking process. You’ll learn about the different roles in a film shoot, the differences between story and theme, and the importance of good editing and sound in telling a story on film. 

Enrol today

 

23. Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work

Communication and interpersonal skills are some of the most valuable in your skill set. They are important in almost every workplace context, from working successfully in a team, to networking with clients and suppliers.

On this course, you’ll consider your own communication style and how you apply it at work. You’ll also explore how to deal with challenging conversations and ensure that they still have positive outcomes. 

Enrol today

 

24. Teaching for Success: Lessons and Teaching

Continued professional development is crucial for teachers, as the teaching environment itself continues to evolve. This course is designed for English language teachers and looks at improving how you plan and deliver your lessons, and ensuring that you are making the most of the resources available to you.

You’ll also identify your own development needs and consider how you can address them.  

Enrol today

 

25. Teaching Phonics in Early Childhood

Phonics is a method of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish words in the English language.

On this course, you’ll consider this hotly debated topic and explore the opinions of researchers, teachers and educational bodies. You’ll also discover the importance of phonics in early childhood and strategies for the teaching of phonics. 

Enrol today

Category FutureLearn Pakistan, Creative Arts & Media, IT & Computer Science, Psychology & Mental Health, Wellbeing & Mindfulness, Upskilling, Data Science, Learning, Business and Management, Healthcare & Medicine, Teaching, Digital Skills

Top 25 online courses in Nigeria – June 2020

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onlinefreecourse
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Top 25 online courses in Nigeria – June 2020

Nigeria has the seventh-largest population in the world and the opportunity for online learning is huge and has become an increasingly popular choice of education for many. 

From those looking to boost their professional development to others looking to grow their knowledge in a particular subject area, online learning presents a safe and accessible means of developing your skills. 

To help you find a course that suits your needs, we’ve put together a list of Nigeria’s 25 most popular online courses. 

1. COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge global challenge and cases in Nigeria are sadly still increasing. Understanding the origins of the virus, how it’s spread amongst people and cities, and what measures we can use to limit the spread of the virus in the future is vital.

This course, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, explores all of these issues and more, and is one of our most popular courses, across all countries. 

Enrol today

 

2. Ideas for a Better World: Leading Change Through Policymaking

Global policy has the ability to make the world a better place, so understanding how policymaking works is a valuable skill, both personally and professionally. On this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of policy and who is responsible for policy change.

You’ll develop your own policy-making skills and also hear from global policymaking experts and learn from their experiences.

Enrol today

3. COVID-19: Diagnostics and Testing

As many countries around the world, including Nigeria, still battle to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of diagnostics has been shown to be increasingly important in outbreak control.

On this course, you’ll discover the most up-to-date recommendations on the different COVID-19 diagnosis and testing strategies, and how countries around the world are reacting and evolving to meet the healthcare challenges of the pandemic. 

Enrol today

 

4. Understanding IELTS

IELTS is the world’s most popular English language assessment for higher education and tests the four core language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).

IELTS tests are available in 11 locations in Nigeria: Lagos, Ilorin, Akure, Abeokuta, Enugu, Kano, Abuja, Benin City, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Ibadan. This program explores how the IELTS works and what you’ll need to do in order to achieve success in the assessment.

Enrol today

 

5. How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, and schools in Nigeria remain closed, it’s important that teachers possess the skills needed to teach online and continue providing support to their students.

This course, from FutureLearn, will supply you with the skills required to do this, and take an in-depth look at the differences between face-to-face and online teaching and the impact both have on students. 

Enrol today

 

6. Understanding IELTS: Writing

The IELTS Writing test is one part of the full IELTS qualification, and consists of a 60 minute exam, with two separate written tasks. In Task One, you’ll be working on graphs and charts, and in Task Two you’ll be focused on an academic essay.

This course, from the British Council, will look in detail at the exam requirements and what you need to demonstrate to the examiner in order to be successful.

Enrol today

 

7. Introduction to Business Management

Business management requires many different skills and you’ll be developing them throughout your professional life and career. This course is designed to introduce you to some of these key business management skills, from fundamental financial concepts like profit and cash flow to managing people and the role that businesses play in society. You’ll also consider your own management style and compare it with others. 

Enrol today

 

8. Exploring English: Language and Culture

The English language is everywhere, from popular culture and politics to teaching and healthcare. Nigerian English, as it’s known, is widely used in many environments in the country. This course is designed to provide a background in the English language and its country of origin, Great Britain.

You’ll learn about British culture, take a journey through the British countryside and watch videos of day-to-day life in Britain. You’ll improve both your knowledge of the English language and of Great Britain as a country.   

Enrol today

 

9. Understanding IELTS: Reading

This course focuses on the reading section of the IELTS exam. You’ll discover more about the format of the IELTS Reading test and explore the skills and knowledge required to succeed during the assessment.

You’ll discover the different types of tasks that form the IELTS Reading test, from multiple choice to true, false, and not given.

Enrol today

10. Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work

Communication and interpersonal skills are vital in the workplace. If you’re able to converse effectively with others, listening as well as speaking clearly and politely, then you’ll be productive at work.

On this course, you’ll learn how to consider your own communication style and whether there are any areas that can be worked on. You’ll also learn the importance of matching your communication style to specific work situations or projects.

Enrol today

 

11. Digital Skills: Digital Marketing

The digital marketing industry in Nigeria is growing fast and incredibly competitive. You can supercharge your digital marketing skills with this course from Accenture.

You’ll discover everything you need to get started on a career in the sector, from display and pay per click advertising to search engine optimisation (SEO) and email marketing. You’ll also learn how to integrate all of these techniques into a powerful digital marketing approach. 

Enrol today

 

12. Introduction to Nursing: The Role of Nurses Around the World

Nigeria is ranked 7th among 57 countries classified as facing a critical shortage of health workers. Thankfully, work is already underway to recruit more nurses in the country, which makes nursing skills highly valuable.

On this course, designed for those who are hoping to study in nursing or healthcare, you’ll examine the role of nurses around the world. You’ll also discover the principles of nursing and learn how nurses can help people and communities care for themselves.

Enrol today

 

13. An Introduction to Screenwriting

According to PwC, the Nigerian film industry is recognised as the second-largest film producer in the world, with a total of 2,500 films made every year.

All good films need a good script, and this is where this course from the University of East Anglia comes in. You’ll learn the basics of good screenwriting and how to apply them in order to write your own screenplay. 

Enrol today

 

14. Health Systems Strengthening

Now, more than ever, healthcare systems are under pressure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On this course, developed in association with UNICEF, you’ll look at how complex healthcare systems work, and discuss issues like health policy, health financing, human resources, supply chain management, quality of care and private sector engagement.

This course would suit middle and high-level health professionals.

Enrol today

 

15. The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction

Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in West Africa, so developing your understanding of the role that Sharia and Islamic law have played in Muslim lives around the world, both historically and today, is valuable.

On this course, designed for anyone interested in learning more about the Sharia, you’ll learn about the nature of religious law, discuss primary sources ranging from prominent poets to Islamic leaders, and assess the impact of colonialism on the Muslim world. 

Enrol today

 

16. Contract Management and Procurement: An Introduction

Contract management is a vital part of the construction process, as it allows all parties to know their rights and obligations. On this course, you’ll learn the principles of contract law and discover the roles of the contract administrator and project manager in a construction contract.

This course, from Coventry University, will be valuable to anyone looking to build their understanding of contract management in construction. 

Enrol today

 

17. Managing COVID-19 in Primary Care

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on healthcare systems in Nigeria and around the world. This course, from St George’s University of London, considers all of the factors associated with pandemic. You’ll explore the background of COVID-19, learn when to suspect infection in primary care, and how to manage patients who have contracted the virus alongside those who haven’t.

If you’re a front-line healthcare professional in Nigeria, and you’re responsible for patients in the current COVID-19 pandemic, then this course is designed for you. 

Enrol today

 

18. Basic First Aid: How to Be an Everyday Hero

Basic first aid saves countless lives across Nigeria, every single day. This 2-week course is designed to introduce you to the basic concepts of first aid, so you can recognise an emergency and how to respond to it.

You’ll discover how to help someone who’s choking, or has passed out and may not be breathing, as well how to manage someone bleeding profusely. This course is for anyone interested in learning first aid, you don’t need any previous medical experience.

Enrol today

 

19. COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application

Unfortunately, no matter how many precautions are taken, there’s no way to totally prevent people from contracting COVID-19. Therefore, it’s vital that healthcare professionals understand how to treat COVID-19 patients in critical care, whilst keeping themselves safe at the same time.

On this course, you’ll learn critical care techniques for patients with and without COVID-19, as well as learning about the required PPE equipment and practices.  

Enrol today

 

20. An Introduction to Coding and Design

Programming in Nigeria has taken off over the last decade, and job growth in the sector is expected to continue to rise. This course will give you an understanding of the basic coding languages, and you’ll learn to use the technologies that power your favourite websites and apps.

You’ll also discover the fundamentals of user experience (UX) and why it’s crucial to effective programming. 

Enrol today

 

21. HR Fundamentals

All major businesses need to have a strong and fully functioning human resources (HR) department.

This course from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (UK), will give you a better understanding of why HR is vital to the successful running of businesses, and introduce you to some of the key principles, like workforce planning, employee recruitment, and employee retention.

Enrol today

 

22. Managing Mental Health and Stress

For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant increased stress and pressure, as our home and workplace routines are disrupted and we have to adapt to new situations. It’s important, during these times, that we focus on our mental health just as much as our physical health.

This course will explore the factors that contribute to poor mental health and what you can do to combat them.

Enrol today

 

23. Start Writing Fiction

Whether you’re writing fiction just for fun or you’re hoping to land that big book deal, this could be the perfect course for you. It doesn’t require any previous experience of writing fiction, and you’ll learn how established writers have penned their masterpieces, from their daily routines to writing habits.

Start your journey to successful fiction writing today! 

Enrol today

 

24. Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture

It’s estimated that the Nigerian fashion market is worth in excess of $4.7billion so it’s no surprise that this course is a popular choice.

It features exclusive input from leading figures from the world of fashion, including designers such as Simon Porte Jacquemus, Christelle Kocher, Paul Smith, and CEOs at Chanel, YSL and Hermès. You’ll also discover the history of fashion and why it’s such a powerful cultural force. 

Enrol today

 

25. Introduction to Cyber Security

As our lives are increasingly dependent on digital technology, the importance of staying safe online also increases. This course, which does not require any previous cyber security knowledge, explores the basics of online security and the steps you can take to protect yourself online.

You’ll learn about concepts such as malware, viruses, trojans and identity theft, and how to make sure you are not a victim of them. 

Enrol today

 

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