Can you believe that we are 10 years old?  Neither can we!  It is exciting to know this month represents our 10th birthday as a company.  Would you like to know where it all began?  Yes, it all started on Interstate 65 driving under Lakeshore Dr in Homewood, Alabama.  The acronym READI came to Dr. Mac Adkins as he contemplated what to call the online readiness tool.  Shortly after arriving safely home, he purchased the URL and registered READI.INFO. That my friends is where it all began.  So what's happened in the past 10 years?  A LOT!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's post "Top 10 Milestones of the Past Decade". 

Happy 10th Birthday SmarterServices

As reported this week in The Washington Post the Encyclopedia Britannica has stopped the presses and will cease production of its print based books.   After 244 years of production of one of the world’s most respected information resources, the publisher must now change its way of doing business.  When I first heard this news it evoked some sentimental sadness.  I remember the great joy each time that my family would get a new set of encyclopedias or the annual edition of the Year Book.  OK, so I was one of those geeks who enjoyed learning.  Well, I still enjoy learning, but it is rarely in the form of a book that I hold in my hand.  After going down memory lane for a couple of minutes I was then jolted back to reality by the realization that as a business owner, I must realize that no business – however well-established or well-respected, can continue doing business the same way forever.  Visions of Woolworths, Oldsmobile, and Polaroid flashed through my mind. 

So what are we at SmarterServices doing to remain relevant?  We are listening.  Listening to you.  We are listening to the expressed needs of our clients and then envisioning services that can be done in a smarter way.  The evolution of all of our services has been prompted by the suggestions of our clients.
•    Just over ten years ago we listened as there was a need expressed by the US Army for an online learning readiness assessment.  Now over 1.25 million students have benefitted from the SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator.
•    Then as distance learning exploded we listened to schools as they needed an efficient way to find online faculty.  Now over 12,000 online faculty have created searchable profiles in SmarterFaculty.
•    Next we listened as schools needed a smarter way to collect student perception data.  Now over a half million course evaluations have been submitted through SmarterSurveys.
•    Most recently we listened as schools requested a way to ensure online student authenticity and learner integrity.  We will soon be releasing SmarterProctors. 

What will we be doing next?  We are not sure, but we are listening to you to find out.  Let us know how we can help you be smarter as you educate learners.

Reflections from Company President - Dr. Mac Adkins

Members of our team have just arrived back on land from a string of conferences, exhibiting, presenting, shaking hands with clients, and meeting new friends.  Beginning on the west coast in Long Beach, California, Tara Boozer attended the eLearning 2012 conference put on by the Instructional Technology Council.  While there, Tara delivered our newest presentation about the extensive research conducted by schools using SmarterMeasure.  Then Julie Owen hit the southwest stopping at the 12th Annual Texas A&M Assessment Conference in College Station, TX. Presenting on SmarterSurveys and the power of SETE, Julie and Dr. Mike Simmons educated the group on the premier solution in end of course evaluations.  Passing in mid air flights, Jeff and Mac waved to Julie on their way to Corpus Christi, TX for the TAIR Conference. It was a pleasure meeting current clients and experiencing the beautiful scenery of Corpus.  Not to leave the east coast out, Angela Cantrell headed to the ABHE conference in Orlando, FL and enjoyed the warmer climate while meeting potential clients interested in student readiness.  Finally Alan Manley headed north to Philadelphia to the Innovations Conference put on by League for Innovation in the Community College.  Presenting on the readiness of students for online learning, Alan focused on recent research that has connected SmarterMeasure scores to retention and improving failure rates. 

Enjoying a short reprieve, we'll be hitting the road again in a few weeks.  We look forward to meeting you. To see our full conference schedule click here.  Make plans to stop by our booth and attend our presentations.  See you there!

Busy Conference Season

We are so excited to announce the launch of our brand new SmarterMeasure website!  The new design is intuitive, colorful, and informative. It replaces the old site  with an organized layout and the latest research, as well as highlighting our client base, and case studies.  Click here to experience it firsthand! We'd love to add your testimonial to the site about our service or how your school has benefitted from SmarterMeasure. Email Julie@SmarterServices.com and share your experience today!

SmarterMeasure Launches New Website

Via: OnlineSchools.org

The History of Online Schooling