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Empower, Knowledge Elements Partner To Provide Data Management, Online Course Delivery

BINGHAM FARMS -- Bingham Farms-based ComSpec International Inc., developer of the Empower Student Information System, along with Knowledge Elements, a Franklin, Tenn.-based provider of Christian online learning services, last week announced a partnership to integrate their services.

"For years, we've been looking for a partner who shares the philosophy of serving students and institutions through technology," said Brian Shaw, CEO and president of Knowledge Elements. "It makes sense for both our company and our clients."
 
Using Atheneo, Knowledge Elements' online course delivery system, schools can develop their own online courses, enhance existing programs and access online courses developed by other schools. Empower is complementary to Atheneo because it easily handles the complexities of online course administration, even those courses that start each hour and extend beyond normal semesters and terms.

Such courses typically present challenges to financial aid, records and billing departments, but are resolved smoothly by using Empower.

To marry their products and maximize user efficiency, both Atheneo and Empower developed an interface that passes course, student and instructor information from Empower to Atheneo. This simplifies the administrative process and makes deploying online courses easier for everyone.
 
"This is an ideal solution for Empower clients who want to start offering online learning," said Robert Brender, president of Empower. "But Knowledge Elements is more than a learning management system. They also offer resources to teach courses, help launch degree completion programs, and assist with accreditation approval and assessment of student learning outcomes."
 
It wasn't just the systems' compatibility that sparked the partnership, though. Brender says Knowledge Elements' flexibility, integrated features, and student- and higher education-centered approach to business mirrors Empower's philosophy.

"We line up on the technical side, but we line up on the human side, too," he said. "This is truly exciting for both of us."
 
More at www.empowersis.com.

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