The University System of Georgia is offering new tools for all residents to take various courses, ways to help parents homeschooling and access textbooks for free, an effort officials say they fast-tracked because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The intention is to try to help people learn in different ways for different periods of their lives,” Tristan Denley, the system’s chief academic officer, said in an interview. “What we want to do is give easy access to learners throughout the state.”
Denley said system leaders decided to speed up this effort, called "USG Learning Everywhere," as the system closed campuses to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and moved to virtual learning for the rest of the spring semester.
USG Learning Everywhere, available on the system’s website, will include educational resources for students from kindergarten through 12th grade as more parents homeschool their children during the pandemic.
There will also be courses that anyone can take and get a completion certificate. Denley said the courses could be a pathway for adult learners who have or may lost their jobs now interested in pursuing a degree to bolster their future job prospects. The courses include protecting your business from cybersecurity threats, classes for entrepreneurs and a Six Sigma skills class.
The USG has also included other tools online for the system's 330,000 students and its faculty to improve virtual learning. Most University System schools began virtual learning Monday.