The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded the American Public University System, an online degree program institution, $250,000 to enhance learning through the Sakai learning management system.
The grant, awarded through the foundation's Next Generation Learning Challenges program, is designed to help schools explore new ways to use technology to enhance college readiness and completion.
The Sakai learning management system, which the APUS implemented last year, focuses on helping students learn through an open source community. According to the APUS, the use of Sakai will help it monitor student progress and provide additional assistance to students when needed.
Many educational institutions use grants to invest in new technology. Educators have found they can use cutting-edge software in conjunction with an HDTV, LED monitor or
DLP projector to reach more students at once and expand their teaching capabilities.
APUS isn't the only institution to receive funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in recent months. Earlier this year, the foundation awarded New Hampshire nonprofit Measured Progress $1.5 million to research ways to evaluate teachers.
