From: technews <technews@ou.edu>
To: "'it-fyi@listserv.ou.edu'" <it-fyi@lists.ou.edu>
Subject: it-fyi: Kaplan Offers On-Line Class for the SAT (Chron of Higher
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 08:21:25 -0600
Kaplan Offers On-Line Class for the SAT
By KELLY McCOLLUM
With more and more university courses being offered on line, why wouldn't
high-school students turn to distance education as they prepare for college?
Last month, Kaplan Educational Centers began offering an on-line version of
its SAT-prep course for $399 -- at least $350 less than it charges for
in-person courses. Students who enroll get a self-paced course with about 20
hours of recorded lectures and interactive animations, as well as practice
tests. Students can ask questions via e-mail and get answers within a day.
Kaplan officials say the on-line course is not meant to replace their
in-person courses, which typically include one three-hour session every week
for 12 weeks. Sharon Miller, vice-president and general manager of
kaptest.com, the company's on-line division, says choosing between an
on-line or in-person course depends on the student. "When students ask us
which course is right for them," she says, "we ask them, 'What's your life
style like? How do you learn?'"
"If you go to high school, you have after-school sports, you have dinner --
the only time you can study for the SAT is at 9 o'clock at night." Some
students also find themselves better suited to learning on their own, she
says. The on-line offering might also be attractive to international
students, she notes. "There are a lot of students who want to come to
American colleges, and they need the SAT," says Ms. Miller.
In September, Kaplan began similar on-line courses to prepare students for
several graduate-level admissions tests. The company also plans to make more
of its courses and other admissions services available on line, says Ms.
Miller.
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1999 by The Chronicle of Higher Education