UMGC Adopts Virtual Community Platform for Students

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), an offshoot of the University System of Maryland that focuses on hybrid and virtual courses for adult and military students, has committed to a university-wide rollout of InScribe's virtual community platform.

Previously, UMGC was only test driving InScribe, whose flagship platform acts as a knowledgebase, support dashboard, and private social network for students.

The InScribe pilot had been limited to UMGC's Program and Career Exploration (PACE) module, an entry-level course series aimed at teaching students basic interpersonal and professional skills. Though entry-level, PACE has 8,000 enrolled students from around the world.

Those who used the InScribe platform had a completion rate that was 24% higher than those who didn't use the platform, InScribe said in its announcement.

Given its positive impact on students during the pilot, UMGC has greenlit the global rollout of InScibe's platform, extending its access to all 90,000 students.

UMGC will also use InScribe to collect data on student performance and engagement. "The data UMGC receives from InScribe will also help inform institutional decisions to enhance student success," InScribe said. "Key metrics such as high-priority topics, popular questions and conversations, and patterns of student participation will allow UMGC to identify new ways to support students throughout their learning journey."

For more information, visit the InScribe site.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

Featured

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.