(DIRECTOR’S DESK)

By Angela Bole, IBPA Executive Director —

IBPA members can login to OpenLearning here. If you don’t yet have login credentials, please email Mimi Le to request them.

Happy spring! If you’re like people throughout most of the country, I bet you’re excited to be climbing out of one of the longest and coldest winters we’ve seen in a while. Spring is a time for freshening up and knocking down cobwebs. How about using your welcome boost of sunny energy to reengage with IBPA’s online education, now featuring an innovative online learning portal care of OpenLearning.com??

You’re sure to learn a lot as you foster an even stronger connection with your IBPA community.

We could never have anticipated the degree to which online learning would change when Publishing University Online kicked off back in 2006 with “How to Build a Better Book Contract,” taught by IBPA’s general counsel, Jonathan Kirsch. Today, innovative, cloud-based e-learning platforms exist that integrate social media techniques—including chatting, posting comments, blogging, and sharing materials—with quality content designed to help students learn from experts in the field as well as from each other.

IBPA is pleased to have partnered with one such platform, OpenLearning, to bring our members a branded e-learning portal that can, among other things, record a member’s progress through a number of different courses. You can check out a quick video tutorial here and embedded below. IBPA members can login to OpenLearning here. If you don’t yet have login credentials, please email Mimi Le to request them.

The folks at OpenLearning operate on the premise that “students and teachers worldwide struggle to learn in an environment that focuses on delivering content with little room for community or creativity,” which is why its mission is “to give you the freedom and the flexibility to form a community, express your creativity, and discover yourself through education.” We love this!

Last month, all current IBPA members received personal logon credentials for IBPA’s private online learning portal on OpenLearning. New IBPA members will be assigned their credentials within 48 hours of joining.

Logging into IBPA’s online learning portal gives you access to a variety of options, and I feel sure most of you will find immediate value in the free IBPA Webinars. (Each Webinar is posted 90 days after it occurs live via IBPA’s ongoing Webinar series.)

In addition, the very popular IBPA member benefit Ask the Experts Online has been migrated to the online learning portal for more transparent and user-friendly access to the experts. No more waiting for the IBPA staff to log your question and seek out an appropriate expert. By posting through the online learning portal you’ll be reaching the experts’ inboxes directly.

And, of course, there are additional innovative online courses developed by experts in writing and publishing. As you’ll see, these courses cover a range of topics including book design, marketing, publicity, industry standards, e-book development, and distribution options.

Check out this video tutorial of IBPA on OpenLearning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IaBCsNhkZE

As a membership association, IBPA has always encouraged engagement, sharing, and collaboration. Our new educational portal on OpenLearning evolves this benefit to the next level. We sincerely hope you profit from it. As always, please send your thoughts and feedback to angela@ibpa-online.org.

Happy learning!

Top Five Reasons for Learning at IBPA’s Institution on OpenLearning

1. You can take a course anytime, anywhere you have Web access.
2. You can learn from instructors across the country, broadening your perspective.
3. You can enhance your ability to communicate effectively through the latest technology.
4. You can network with IBPA members from a wide range of backgrounds and locations and learn innovative strategies for virtual teamwork.
5. You can get access to instructors almost immediately through chat, discussion thread, or email.

—Adapted from a Franklin University Website

About the Author:

Just before Angela Bole became IBPA’s Executive Director, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG), which fosters conversation and consensus across all sectors of the book business. Before that, Angela served for two years as BISG’s Associate Director and two years as its Marketing and Communications Manager. Angela also serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of IDPF, the International Digital Publishing Forum.