BOSTON, MA, (February 16, 2017) — Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to learning innovation, Penn Foster Education Group announced today the launch of the Penn Foster Experience (PFx), a competency-based mobile learning platform that integrates self-paced learning and adaptive feedback to allow faculty and administrators to focus on helping students build career-ready skills, and to empower students to manage their online education.
After a successful pilot with 2,500 students, PFx is now available in select Penn Foster programs including Penn Foster High School and new career programs such as Guest Services Agent and Home Health Aide and will roll out to additional students through 2017, including students enrolled via partnerships with employers, organizations and other academic institutions.
"We want our learning platform to meet the needs of today's students and employers by providing an experience that goes far beyond a traditional learning management system," said Bobby Babbrah, chief digital officer, Penn Foster Education Group. "With a laser focus on student outcomes, the new platform leverages data to create granular learning interactions, improve student engagement and provide a personalized learning experience for our on-the-go students. PFx is a cloud-based 'open' platform that enables rapid interoperability with partner organizations to provide a complete outcomes trail from education to employment."
PFx offers innovative instructional design that blends self-paced interactive courses with a multi-layer support system that includes webinars, peer-to-peer discussion, and access to personal success coaches, teaching assistants and expert faculty.
"When we say that 'PFx' stands for the 'Penn Foster Experience,' we declare that as a promise to our students," said Dara Warn, chief outcomes officer, Penn Foster Education Group. "The emphasis is on a superior learning experience for students, providing them confidence in their everyday lives thanks to the skills they develop and the preparation for careers they train for. The platform also enables us to deliver on our promise of outcomes to be employment-centric."
PFx combines content in quality, short bursts on an intuitive, mobile and social platform with "surround sound" support services via email, text, phone and chat to ensure learner success. The goal is to underscore Penn Foster's longstanding commitment to academic integrity with unique instructor insights and an unyielding emphasis on outcomes.
Randall Shorter, a Penn Foster student who participated in testing the platform this summer, said PFx made getting a high school diploma less stressful and more personalized. "Working on getting my high school diploma has been challenging, but the instructions and format make it easy to follow. Plus, it is really helpful that I can do this all on my own time," he said.
About Penn Foster Education Group
Penn Foster Education Group, Inc. is an organization dedicated to developing and acquiring industry leading technologies, tools and resources to support alternative pathways for opportunity youth and adult learners. Focused on enabling education tied to workplace competencies and learner needs, Penn Foster Education Group is at the forefront of design and development of learning platforms and educational content. Penn Foster Education Group is a corporate affiliate of Penn Foster, Inc. which operates three schools -- Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster Career School and Penn Foster College. Learn more at www.pennfostereducationgroup.com or http://partners.pennfoster.edu/.