Small College Big Leader in Mobile Learning for Depolyed Military Personell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 7, 2006 -- As early as April 2003, Coastline Community College began migrating complete digital courses to handheld devices. "Recognizing the increasing difficulties of actively deployed military students to continue working towards their educational goals, we hope that the PocketPC will provide a viable option for deployed military personnel to continue their studies without �short changing� them on features or content� stated Shawn Mann, lead developer of the PocketEd program at Coastline.

�We�ve taken all of the features and content of an online course and of our Emmy Award winning Telecourses and migrated it to the PocketPC environment. That type of compression, simply, was not possible when we first envisioned this method of delivery; but as these devices become more robust, standardized and with greater memory and faster CPUs, we�re finding that this method of delivery is extremely effective. It's effective not just for deployed Armed Services students but for any student who might be trying to balance a career and life while trying to attain their educational goals.�

One course, for example, has over 100 screens of content, 75 full motion video interviews and instructional video clips and 23 audio reviews of textbook readings. Some courses contain an amazing 13 hours of video content in addition to support screens, navigation tutorial videos and interactive exercises. All of that content is stored on a postage stamp sized SDRAM card that can either be read on the PocketPC or on any standard desktop or laptop computer running a Windows OS.

The resounding success of these 4 courses led to the production of 10 full courses offered to armed forces personnel throughout the world. As of early 2006, over 300 students (115 USCG, 128 USMC, 60 Navy & NCPACE) have enrolled in these PocketPC courses, and the popularity and enthusiasm surrounding this unique delivery mode has led to exponential growth. In January of 2006, Coastline launched a beta run of the program with their partner college, Central Texas College, in the NCPACE (Navy College Program Afloat College Education). Based on this beta run, the PocketEd program will soon be available to all branches of the Armed Services.

The greatest benefit to military education initiatives and military students, in particular, may be that Coastline puts valuable course content and tools in any environment--be it on a ship deployed at sea, on the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan, or in the comfort of their home. Coastline feels this is the very essence of 'Anytime, Anywhere' learning.

More information can be found at their website http://military.coastline.edu/pocketed/. Coastline College is located in Fountain Valley, California.