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

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • 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.

  • Florida Gulf Coast University Selects Builder for New Academic Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it has selected development and construction firm Skanska to build a new academic and health sciences building, according to a news release. Marieb Hall South will become the campus’ largest academic building at 158,040 square feet.