Maryland Historical Society Teams Up with CourseArc to Deliver Free Online Education

BALTIMORE, April 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CourseArc, a user-friendly digital content authoring and management platform, and the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) announced today that they have teamed up to deliver free online education courses on the rich history and culture of Maryland through their Historical Investigations Portal.

Since 2018, CourseArc has been an invaluable partner to the Maryland Historical Society, supporting the development of their Historical Investigations Portal (HIP). HIP was designed as an interactive resource for K-12 educators. In response to school closures, and in an effort to enhance online learning opportunities for students, the Maryland Historical Society has packaged lessons thematically in weekly e-newsletters to educators and has made lessons and resources free to the general public.

To date, eight counties and one independent school have integrated HIP into their Learning Management Systems, while six counties and one independent school have otherwise distributed public access links to their teachers. Over 25,000 students have accessed HIP lessons during the current school year already.

"The Maryland Historical Society was already well-positioned to disseminate the curriculum to our K-12 audiences, informing not just classroom teachers, but the district level Social Studies coordinators who are also facing significant pressure to facilitate instruction during these times," said Director of Education, David Armenti.

The Maryland Historical Society is also developing new versions of their lessons to accommodate wider audiences. A new set of modules was designed for families to make it less intimidating for parents not familiar with curricular jargon. Families can explore the activities together, encountering dynamic visuals, characters and stories from Maryland and United States history. New lessons are expected to be released on a bi-weekly basis.

"Our ability to produce HIP and develop it for this 'new normal' is all because of CourseArc. The ability for CourseArc to integrate with and deliver content directly to districts' Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard and Schoology, as well as public access links to lessons has greatly enhanced our capacity to reach educators around the state and nation," said Director of Education, David Armenti.

Sample lessons from the Historical Investigations Portal include "Free African American Experience in Antebellum Maryland" which is part of the curriculum for fourth and fifth graders, and as well as eight and twelfth graders. "Life Then & Now" is a new interactive lesson designed for families to enjoy together.

"When we developed CourseArc, we did it with the intention of empowering educators to integrate better methods and technologies into their classrooms. I am proud that CourseArc has been able to make a small contribution to the digital resources that many rely on as we face this unprecedented challenge," said CourseArc's CEO, Katie Egan.

About CourseArc: CourseArc is a digital content authoring and management tool which allows for easy creation of engaging, interactive, and accessible online content. CourseArc is a resource for educational institutions, companies and content publishers to create high quality content that is WCAG 2.1 AA compliant and integrates into any Learning Management System (LMS). Headquartered in Baltimore, Md., CourseArc customers include encompassing K-12 school districts, state-level K-12 virtual learning organizations, community colleges, four-year institutions, graduate programs, nonprofits, and other training organizations. For more information, visit https://coursearc.com.

About the Maryland Historical Society: The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) was founded in 1844 and is the state's preeminent center for Maryland history, focusing on educating the public through its vast and unique museum and library collections. MdHS collects, preserves and interprets the historically significant art, objects, documents and images from prehistoric Maryland to the present. Within dynamic exhibitions and diverse programs, the institution connects the collections with those who may benefit from the lessons and stories they portray. The Maryland Historical Society educates people of all ages about the rich history and culture of Maryland and the nation. Visit https://www.mdhs.org to learn more.

Contact: Christine Tobar
christine@coursearc.com

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SOURCE CourseArc