The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of Catalog, soon to become the gateway to a comprehensive listing of online courses, webinars, workshops, and eBooks available–both for Extension professionals and public learners–throughout the Cooperative Extension System. The initial launch includes approximately 100 courses but will steadily scale up in the immediate term to offer more than 450 free and fee-based courses, webinars, and other educational offerings. All Extension professionals from eXtension Foundation Member Institutions can list their education offerings on Catalog.
The offerings on Catalog cover a wide array of topics and are delivered through several different platforms or technologies. Most of the courses are delivered through eXtension’s online course system, Campus, at campus.extension.org. Originally launched in 2007, Campus offers some 360 courses of varying subject matter, rigor, cost and credit. Course subjects reflect the breadth of the Cooperative Extension System, as Extension educators from about 40 different land-grant universities and involved in various agriculture, family, community and youth programs offer online education through Campus.
Increasingly, these Extension educators are using new ways to deliver education to their respective audiences–particularly webconferencing, or webinars–which allow presenters to enhance their educational offerings with additional resources, opportunities for continued conversation, testing, certification or other extended learning activities. Some webinars may require fees for admission, and Catalog facilitates payment of fees and enrollment in those webinars. A full list of webinars can be found at learn.extension.org.
For more information and a close look at the Catalog, visit catalog.extension.org. Also watch for coming announcements of webinars and other opportunities to learn more about using Catalog. For any questions you may have, please email cataloghelp@extension.org.