Extended Education & Outreach
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska ' April 20, 2006' The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Independent Study High School (ISHS) has been awarded the University Continuing Education Association’s 2005 Community of Practice Distinguished Course Award for its Advanced Placement® (AP) Computer Science AB 1 online high school course. The first place honor is the program’s third award in as many years.

The Distance Learning Course Awards recognize new and innovative courses that utilize one or more forms of instruction at a distance. A four-person panel judged courses on four categories including introductory materials, lessons and units, communication quality and overall quality. The AP Computer Science AB 1 course competed against courses submitted by the University of Missouri, University of North Dakota, Brigham Young University and Indiana University.

Developed in cooperation with UNL’s J.D. Edwards Honors Program, the AP Computer Science AB 1 course introduces the basic concepts in computer science including basic Java programming. Students learn about the theory behind computer science and also work on a number of hands-on programming assignments. After completing the course, students should be able to express ideas in written form and also through the use of Java code.

The AP Computer Science AB 1 course is the first in the ISHS’ two-course sequence designed to prepare high school-level students for the Advanced Placement AB examination. The AP examinations serve as a means to earn college credit while still in high school.

“It is such as honor to receive this award for the third year in a row,” commented Tim Ernst, ISHS Director. The ISHS was honored with the Distinguished Award in 2003 for its Tenth Grade English 2 and in 2004 for its AP U.S. History 1. “It is a testament to commitment to educational excellence of staff members within our instructional design unit and the J.D. Edwards Honors Program,” Ernst added while thanking team members Judy Montgomery, ISHS Instructional Design Specialist; Dr. David Rosenbaum, Associate Director for Academic Affairs for the J.D. Edwards Honors Program; and Joseph Schulman, John McCarthy, and Dan Cromer, participants in the J.D. Edwards Honors Program.

The team was presented with a plaque for the award during UCEA’s Annual Conference in San Diego, California, on April 11.

For more information, please contact the ISHS at 1-866-700-4747 or visit http://NebraskaHS.unl.edu.

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The Independent Study High School offers self-paced high school courses in more than 15 subjects. Students may supplement their curriculum with ISHS courses or earn a high school diploma from the ISHS. Accredited by NCA CASI and the Nebraska Department of Education, the ISHS has more than 3,000 students in more than 100 countries. The ISHS is a program of the Office of Extended Education & Outreach, the distance education arm of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln offering high school, undergraduate, graduate and non-credit programs and services.

The J.D. Edwards Honors Program is an undergraduate program that provides an education balanced in technology and management while developing professional skills in leadership, communications and collaboration. The prestigious program was founded by Ed McVaney, founder and retired Chairman, President and CEO of J.D. Edwards, a multi-national software company based in Denver. McVaney is a 1964 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more information, visit jdedwards.unl.edu.

Founded in 1915, the University Continuing Education Association (formerly the National University Continuing Education Association) is among the oldest college and university associations in the United States. As the principal U.S. organization for continuing higher education, the association assists institutions of higher learning and affiliated nonprofit organizations to increase access through a wide array of educational programs and services. They are dedicated to the promotion of excellence through a program of awards that recognize outstanding continuing higher education leadership, educational programs, student services, college and university administrators and faculty, and continuing education students. For more information about UCEA, visit www.ucea.edu.