GED Academy Articles

Research indicates that inmates who earn a GED in prison are less likely to be re-incarcerated for crimes in the future. As correctional facilities search for solutions to implement low-cost, effective GED programs, technology provides new options.

A recent study, “The Effect of Earning a GED on Recidivism Rates” (http://essentialed.org/research.htm) shows that inmates who earned their GED while incarcerated were up to 14% less likely to return to prison in the next three years. With the cost of incarcerating a prisoner well above $20,000 per year and the number of inmates rising, correctional facilities are focusing on finding efficient ways to reduce recidivism, and implementing GED programs is a promising possibility.

The needs of prison systems are well defined. Correctional facilities often have limited resources… few teachers, little technical support, and little budget for equipment. Their adult learners have difficulty in classroom environments, and each individual has his or her own areas of weakness, gaps in education that need to be filled. It’s challenging.

The problem of creating an effective GED program with limited resources to serve a widely varying population seems daunting, but it is achievable with innovative educational software. The GED Academy software prep program offers a guarantee that adult learners will pass the GED using the program.

The GED Academy’s approach is to combine entertainment with learning, using storytelling to engage people who lack study skills and who function poorly in a classroom. The program uses a simple, cross-platform technology developed for the web. That means it doesn’t need an expensive, top-of-the-line computer. It can run on any system.

The software is simple, flexible, and easy to use. The courses follow a virtual classroom, peopled with adult GED students, including Curtis, an ex-convict trying to turn his life around. The GED Academy wanted to give adult learners people they could relate to, and relate their learning to their real life. How is this going to help me get a job? How is this going to make my life better? Those are the questions students ask.

Software-based educational programs have many benefits. Students can learn independently and receive immediate feedback through electronic quizzes. The costs are minimal, and since The GED Academy provides teacher support both online and on the phone, no teacher is necessary. The main criticism of independent learning software is that learners need to remain motivated to use the software. To counter this criticism, The GED Academy relies heavily on humor and character interactions in the virtual classroom, as well as providing Internet-based forums for group discussion, writing critiques, and support.

Motivation is key. To create motivation in the learner, you need to appeal to what the learner cares about… real life issues, making success possible.