The GED Academy guides hundreds of test-takers through the GED program. Learners tell the same stories over and over. The first questions everyone asks are: What can I expect? What will it be like? What do I need to know?

The GED is a sophisticated test that measures the most important skills that people should learn in high school. The test is divided into five sections: mathematics, social studies, science, reading, and writing. Most of the sections are in a multiple choice format, and the writing section includes a timed essay. The questions are formulated to test essential real-life skills: problem solving, critical thinking, evaluation, information processing, and making inferences. The GED is a thinking test. The GED Academy calls it a thinking marathon because the GED takes eight hours of almost non-stop thinking.

The analogy is not a bad one. A person who planned to run a marathon would need to train his or her body, and in much the same way, GED test-takers need to train their minds to think in specific ways. Training for a marathon takes time, and runners spend time building up their muscles and lungs every day. In much the same way, The GED Academy recommends that GED test-takers should set aside some time each day to practice. The amount of time adult learners spend in test preparation depends on their current level of learning.

GED test preparation is for a specific purpose. You’re learning a well-defined set of skills, not facts and figures, but skills, like how to think through a problem to come to the right conclusion. It may take a few weeks or a couple of months, but with the right preparation, adult learners are amazingly successful at the GED.

Just like running a marathon requires specific strategies to go all the way, passing the GED also requires strategies for pacing yourself and test-taking skills as well as specific thinking skills. The emphasis of the GED is on measuring test-takers’ ability to reason, observe, and think clearly… skills that adults can learn using the right tools.

The benefits of the GED are difficult to deny. GED graduates can qualify for better jobs and higher education. With a GED, an adult will on average earn $350,000 more throughout a lifelong career. Adults who go on to higher education earn even more. Ormsby credits this, in part, to the real-life skills that students learn to pass the GED. It’s more than just a paper. The GED represents essential knowledge and understanding.

The potential of online learning is especially important for adult learners who were never successful in the classroom. Adults who never earned a high school diploma and need a GED often had trouble in school. High school classes didn’t meet their learning needs. School was frustrating and disappointing, and so people who need a GED are often discouraged and unwilling to start GED classes.

Adult learners who want a GED often suffer from embarrassment in a classroom. They’re afraid to look stupid, or to admit they haven’t learned high school reading or math. Online classes make it easy to study without embarrassment. No one is looking over your shoulder, and online GED classes follow your personal learning pace. If you don’t understand a lesson completely, you can continue studying that area without worrying that you have to keep up with the rest of the class. If you already know something, you can skip through it quickly and move on to the next topic. Because online learning is tailored to you, it can be like having a personal tutor, on your computer.

Adults who need a GED also face problems with their schedules and transportation. Adult learners have families and jobs, and it’s not always easy getting to a GED class. Online learning takes place in your home, on your schedule. You can do your studying after the kids are in bed, early in the morning before everyone wakes up, or during that brief time in the afternoon when you have a few spare moments. You don’t have to worry about a babysitter or taking a bus.

Online learning is an important option for adults who need a GED. GED classes online can target exactly what you need to learn, using multiple learning style. Because they’re interactive, online classes help hold your attention and help you learn. The best online learning helps you learn through understanding, not memorization, by using the multi-media potential of online classes. So, if you’re looking for your GED diploma, consider online learning, a new way to learn.

Throughout the country, individuals, communities, and businesses are recognizing the need for GED programs to develop undereducated adults into a viable workforce. “GED graduates are a vital component of a globally competitive workforce that strengthens existing business and supports economic growth and development in Virginia,” says the Virginia Department of Education. Virginia has created a goal of 20,000 new GED graduates per year, recognizing the problems raised by a staggering 30 million American adults without a high school diploma.

The level of support for adult education varies widely, from the high level of commitment found in Virginia to areas where community groups are struggling to find funding sources. Educational programs need to take advantage of technology to compensate for the funding gap.

The new practice test is a perfect example of how technology can help under-funded programs. The test is Flash-based and built for the web, so it can run on nearly any computer that can browse the Internet. Built according to the guidelines of the American Council on Education, the two complete half-length practice tests in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies have the same content as traditional pen-and-paper practice tests.

The difference is the need for support to take the test, score it, and understand the test results. The online test gives immediate feedback and computerized scoring, translating the number of right and wrong answers into information that the student can use. The goal is to give students a tool to target their studying toward areas they need to improve.

The test even includes the essay portion of the GED test, and essays are scored by GED Academy instructors. It’s something individual students can’t do for themselves, and it’s very time consuming for community program instructors to grade essays.

The easy-to-use technology is typical of The GED Academy’s GED prep program, which includes a complete Flash-based study program, with a guarantee that learners will pass the GED.

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,” 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,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy, GED preparation specialists. “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 Ormsby maintains that it is achievable with innovative educational software. The GED Academy software package offers a guarantee that adult learners will pass the GED using the program.

“Our approach is to combine entertainment with learning,” says Ormsby, “using storytelling to engage people who lack study skills and who function poorly in a classroom. We use 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 almost 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. “We 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,” Ormsby states. “To create motivation in the learner, you need to appeal to what the learner cares about. Real life issues, making success possible. And success is possible.” The software’s guarantee backs up Ormsby’s claim. The company is betting on inmates’ success.

For more information about The GED Academy software for correctional facilities, visit: http://essentialed.org/corrections.htm

More than 39 million Americans lack a high school diploma, and even more lack critical literacy skills. Essential literacy education is an initiative to provide crucial basic skills to adult learners.

Over 39 million American adults lack a high school diploma, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures, and around 30 million American adults rank “Below Basic” in prose literacy, the lowest literacy ranking, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). In quantitative literacy, that number is 46 million. Even among college student, significant numbers lack prose, document, or quantitative literacy.

“These are startling figures,” comments Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. “Increasingly, our world demands complex literacies in problem solving, decision making, using data, and understanding information.” The GED Academy has developed essential literacy education to address the complex issues of literacy for adult learners. This initiative focuses on bringing fundamental skills, including reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking skills, to undereducated adult learners.

Essential literacy education is defined by three basic tenets:

1. Interest and Relevance

Essential literacy education involves making the connection between learning and life skills. “Rapid changes in technology make it necessary for adults of all ages to use written information in new and more complex ways,” according to The National Survey of America’s College Students, which cites computers, tax forms, and even shopping as everyday tasks that require more and more sophisticated literacies. “Showing how skills apply to real life increases motivation,” says Ormsby. “And motivation is the key to learning.”

2. Student-Centered Learning

Student-centered learning means that students are actively engaged in the process of creating, understanding, and connecting to knowledge. To involve students in the learning process, the GED Academy has developed passGED software, which guides students through lessons in a virtual classroom. “Connecting with virtual students not only activates student interest, but it also creates a student-centered environment,” Ormsby says. “Learners become involved in the ways virtual students connect to and learn material.” The program also includes constant student interaction to reinforce learning.

3. Customized, Dynamic Curriculum

“Customizing the learning process to each unique individual is especially important for adult learners,” says Ormsby. Undereducated adult learners typically have gaps in their knowledge, and the GED Academy considers it essential for students to target their curriculum to fill those gaps. The problem for educators is that, while one student may be bored reviewing old material, another student may need extra study time on the same material. The GED Academy’s passGED software is student-guided, individual study, so students can spend as much or as little time on a particular lesson as needed.

“Essential literacy education isn’t about just studying for a test,” Ormsby states. “It’s about absorbing the skills… critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, the ability to think clearly… that will allow you to achieve more in your life. Passing the test is just a byproduct of learning.”

For more information about essential education, the GED test, and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com

The demand for adult education is growing, with 39 million American adults lacking a high school diploma. Innovative GED experts at the GED Academy have identified four crucial elements to success for adult education GED students.

As the number of adult Americans without a high school diploma nears 40 million, adult education is becoming a critical issue in the United States. GED education programs are sponsored by communities, non-profit organizations, and school districts across the country. “Teaching undereducated adults is extremely challenging,” states Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. “Most adults who didn’t graduate high school never learned good study habits, never felt motivated to learn, never did well in a traditional classroom environment.”

Research shows that most adults with a low level of education are encumbered with poor self-esteem, frustration, feelings of helplessness, and dependency on others. “It’s particularly important for adult learners to succeed in their experiences with the GED,” Ormsby maintains. “Success at this stage shows students that it’s possible to succeed.” The GED Academy identifies four crucial factors for success for adult learners.

1. The learner must be able to set the pace.

Adult learners begin their GED preparation at various stages. They have gaps in their education that are difficult to predict and unique for each individual. The GED Academy’s passGED Prep Program addresses this issue by allowing students free access to skip materials they’re familiar with and review new material as many times as needed. “Adult education must be customized to students’ needs,” according to Ormsby. “Reviewing material that adults already know destroys motivation, and going too quickly over unknown material leads to frustration.”

2. Interest, not content, drives learning.

Students who never succeeded in school don’t find classroom materials inherently interesting, according to The GED Academy. The GED Academy Prep Program uses storytelling techniques to capture learners’ interest. The lessons follow a virtual GED classroom, peopled with characters that include a class clown, a single mother, and an ex-convict. “Following the story of virtual students’ lives creates interest and motivation, and it helps answer the question: how is this information important to me?” Ormsby says.

3. The learner needs immediate feedback.

Immediate feedback on adult learners’ progress creates a sense of accomplishment, since students can see their incremental improvement. It also shows students when they need to repeat material. “Many adult education students can’t assess their own learning,” Ormsby points out. “Immediate feedback helps build self-awareness of the learning process.”

4. Success is the great motivator.

“Every part of the learning experience is an opportunity for success,” says Ormsby. “Students who have experienced failure and frustration need to recognize each little success along the way.” Through a combination of storytelling, humor, exposing the learning processes of fellow students, and providing immediate feedback, the GED Academy’s passGED software attempts to build a foundation of success for learners. “Whatever methodology you’re using,” Ormsby states, “give students a flexible study plan tailored to their needs, keep them interested, and give them immediate feedback. Really, these are the keys to the fourth element: success. Make sure they see their successes.”

For more information about the GED test or GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passged.com or call 1-888-880-2164

An innovative new GED preparation software program tackles one of the most difficult subjects to learn in a packaged program: writing. The approach focuses on real-world applications and true-to-life virtual students.

The GED Academy passGED Study Program recently introduced a new course on Writing Fundamentals, geared to help GED students master one of the big stumbling blocks on the GED test: the writing exam. The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative passGED study program, The GED Academy brings a virtual classroom to life on students’ computer screens—a classroom peopled with fellow students who struggle with real-life problems.

“Teaching writing is difficult because writing has so many subjective aspects,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. Writing is one of the most daunting teaching tasks because students can’t choose an answer and then turn to the back of a book to see if it’s right. The answers are more complicated than two plus two equals four. For an educational software program, teaching writing is a challenge.

“We teach the basic building blocks of language—spelling, grammar, punctuation,” says Ormsby, “but those are just small pieces. It’s putting it all together that’s the real challenge.” In fact, the virtual students in the passGED classroom echo this idea. What’s the point of learning spelling? What’s the point of learning sentence structure?

The writing course focuses on ways that writing is valuable in students’ lives. How do you write a good cover letter and resume? What if you need to write a scholarship application? “Part of the course,” says Ormsby, “is learning how to learn. Through the virtual students, we can examine students’ thought process. Students can see other students learning and connecting learning to their lives.” The program’s users watch as virtual students develop their ideas into finished pieces. The program takes pains to examine intangible qualities of writing like voice and rhythm.

Although it describes the basics of a five-paragraph essay, the program is quick to point out that the format for writing anything depends on its purpose. “Form follows function,” Leonard Williams, the virtual instructor, tells his students. The program focuses on real-life writing applications like letters, e-mails, and blogs instead of teaching essay structures. “If students don’t have a real purpose for writing,” Ormsby says, “they aren’t motivated to write or to improve their writing.”

For more information about the GED exam, test preparation, and the passGED study program, visit: http://www.passGED.com

As the demand for educated workers grows, employers find themselves in a dilemma. 39 million American adults never earned a high school diploma, limiting the pool of qualified workers. One innovative solution is a GED training program in the workplace, and employers find that assisting workers to earn a GED provides significant rewards.

The GED high school equivalency test is growing in importance in the workplace. Around 30 million American adults rank “Below Basic” in prose literacy, the lowest literacy ranking, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). In quantitative literacy, that number is 46 million. “These are startling figures,” comments Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. “And it’s a difficult reality for employers. Today’s working world demands complex literacies…in problem solving, decision making, using data, and understanding information.” NAAL reports note that Americans with lower literacies are less likely to be employed and likely to earn less money. “Adults with very low levels of performance on NAAL tasks may be unable to function adequately in 21st century America,” states one NAAL report. (http://www.essentialed.org/NCES%20Report.pdf)

To develop a qualified workforce, more and more employers are turning to workplace education. “The GED test measures essential literacy skills,” says Ormsby, “the fundamental skills that employers need: reading skills, writing skills, math skills, and thinking skills.” The GED Academy is an example of a new breed of educational programs. Their passGED software provides interactive educational training for the GED in the workplace at a minimal cost. “The goal is to get learners involved, to activate their minds through storytelling and humor.” The program is easy to implement and simple for workers to use, even those who aren’t comfortable with computers.

For a small investment, the training provided by a GED preparation program both creates a more qualified workforce and provides a valued incentive for new hires. The American Council on Education states that employers who provide GED programs “get a more educated, more committed workforce, and can recruit motivated, career-minded candidates. These organizations see the increased retention and improved productivity of employees who have received their GED credentials through company-sponsored programs.”

Employees who receive GED training from their companies appear to support this claim. The United Auto Workers/Daimler-Chrysler Huntsville Family Training Center is an example. The educational facility was put in place to develop employee self-esteem as well as skills. Janitor Lorine Horton credits the company’s program with giving her the skills to get her GED. “I have no plans to leave,” she says. “This company helped me succeed.”

For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com

An innovative new GED preparation software program tackles the most difficult subject for many adult learners: math. The approach focuses on real-world applications and true-to-life virtual students.

The GED Academy is part of a new breed of educational software. Through their innovative passGED study program, The GED Academy brings a virtual classroom to life on students’ computer screens–a classroom peopled with fellow students who struggle with real-life problems. “One of the hardest subjects for many adult learners is math,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. “We saw the need to approach math in a way that students can really relate to.”

From the first glance, passGED is clearly different from conventional GED study preparation. With unit names like “Learning About Numbers” and “Understanding Shapes,” passGED appeals to students who find terminology like “number operations” and “geometry” off-putting.

The philosophy is more than superficial. When you load a unit, what appears on the screen is not a math problem or a written introduction. It’s a classroom, with four students and a teacher sitting around a table. Leonard Williams, the instructor, begins a discussion.

“Part of the course,” says Ormsby, “is learning how to learn. Through the virtual students, we can examine students’ thought process. Students can see other students learning and connecting learning to their lives.”

The first discussion in the math course is about what students hope to gain and how math can be valuable in their lives. “I’m not very good at math,” says Elizabeth, one of the virtual students. “My mind doesn’t work that way.” Elizabeth does struggle as she works through the program. Sometimes the teacher helps her, and sometimes other virtual students give their own perspectives on how to think through the problems.

“Thinking is the key,” Ormsby says. “That’s the most valuable thing students can learn here–how to think through a problem, whether it’s math or any other subject.”

The virtual students find ways that math applies to their lives, like figuring out interest rates. When the students talk about probability, they start out joking about whether one of the virtual students, Maria, will date another. “I think the chances are a million to zero,” says Maria, to general laughter.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Leonard prompts. The students begin discussing the idea of odds, and soon they’re learning about probability. How does probability affect students’ lives? The lesson identifies probability in weather forecasting, the lottery, and even card counting.

The lessons are full of arguments. In the lesson on the metric system, one of the students complains about needing to learn a new system. “Why don’t everyone do it the same way? It just makes everything totally complicated.” Another student responds. Where she comes from, Mexico, they use the metric system–and it’s so much easier. The virtual students discuss everything: what is the point of studying particular ideas, what is the right answer to a problem, how ideas relate to their lives.

“Learning means being involved,” says Ormsby. “Identifying with the students and being interested in the discussion facilitates understanding.” Beyond generating interest, seeing other people work through solving a problem adds a valuable dimension to the program–guiding learners through the process of thinking.

For more information about the passGED study program, visit: www.passged.com