Customer Service Training Courses offered online today

Raise the standard of customer care and customer experience in your business. To find our more about individual Customer Service training courses, see the links below that will take you to the course information page. You will find further information about in-house delivery and open training courses.

or any business to be successful it needs to have a customer service culture embedded into it. This culture should be top down and strive to deliver exceptional service at every interaction with a customer.

Get the skills and approaches needed to develop and embed a customer service strategy that delivers.

Learn how to provide outstanding customer service in your business with our customer service training course.

Find out how to wow customers and increase sales whilst generating s sense of loyalty.  Understand how to fine tune the service that is offered and ensure that high customer service standards are maintained.

This Customer Complaint Handling training course looks at how to handle customer complaints effectively, ensuring the relationship with the customer stays intact.

In this Customer Complaint Handling training course we look at how to be pro-active in reducing the complaints a business will receive and use an easy to follow process to deal with them.

This Customer Service Management training course will provide skills and approaches to keep your customer service team motivated, on track and delivering exceptional levels of service.

Motivate those that interact with customers, set clear targets and objectives and coach the team to achieve the required results.

Our Telephone Skills training course is a one day course that looks at how to deliver highly effective service to customers over the telephone.

Ensure you use the right language, deal with queries and complaints effectively and learn the do’s and don’ts of delivering great service over the telephone.

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Where To Study With Private Sector Providers

• A Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) survey in 2009–10 revealed that only 481 students were studying for first degrees by this mode of study with seven institutions.

These were the ifs School of Finance (208), Kaplan UK (51 students on the University of Essex Online distance learning programmes), BPP University College (121 students), Logos European College (a Scottish bible college) (two students), the College of Law – now the University of Law (65), Westfield House (one student) and the Wales Evangelical School of Theology (33).

• The University of Law distance learning LLB is delivered in conjunction with the OU.


• BPP University College is a UK-degree awarding body providing its own awards through its four schools: the BPP Law School, the BPP Business School, the BPP School of Health and the BPP School of Foundation and English Language Studies.


• The BA (Hons) Theology by distance learning offered by the Wales Evangelical School is validated by the University of Chester.


• While the ifs School of Finance has its own degree-awarding powers, Westfield House is accredited by the British Accreditation Council.


• Logos European College degrees are awarded by Logos Christian College and Graduate School in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.


• Kaplan-delivered online degrees are validated by Essex University.

Pearson is a leading provider of electronic learning programmes and of test development, processing and scoring services to educational institutions, corporations and professional bodies around the world.

• It is partnered with a number of US universities including Columbia and the University of California system. It provides materials that can be accessed by distance learning but is not itself a distance learning provider.

Professional skills updating courses can also be studied online and the OU has a wide range of skills updating courses for the armed forces, the NHS and individual firms.

• Courses Direct is one of the UK’s largest providers of distance qualifications in anything from business management to garden design. It has students in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.


• Stonebridge Associated Colleges also offers distance learning courses in the whole of the UK.


• Home Learning College describes itself as the UK’s Number 1 online business college.


• Sponge is a leading UK based e-learning company that helps major organisations train their staff by creating customised online courses. Clients include the John Lewis Partnership, GKN and Ofqual.

Where To Study At UK Universities And Colleges

Many of the universities listed in our League Tables and Profiles offer part-time and distance learning alongside their full-time courses. The main UK providers are:

• 
  
  
  
  the Open University (which offers a host of diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes);


• London University (mainly programmes to international students);


• and Liverpool University which offers MSc programmes in management, health and ICT.

Edinburgh Napier University also offers a suite of MSc degrees online, while the University of Leicester is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of mainly postgraduate distance learning courses. The University of Derby has a clutch of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, while other providers are:

• the University of East London (a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies and a BSc Hons in Psychology);


• the University of Essex Online (for example, a BA Hons in Business and Management, a BA Hons in Business and Marketing and a BA Hons in Criminology and Criminal Justice).

Arden University offers a wide range of industry accredited degrees, Masters and MBAs available in both online distance learning and part-time campus study modes.

• With over 25 years’ experience in providing online materials to students world-wide, Arden’s courses fit around other commitments, and all courses come with a focus on employability.

Many universities offer MBA courses with a distance learning option.

EDUCATION HEALTH AND CARE PLANS: WHAT SHOULD A GOOD ONE LOOK LIKE?

All statements of SEN should be converted to EHC Plans by April 2018. In theory EHC Plans should improve support for children with SEN, but we are hearing tales of poorly written Plans where local authorities are not following the correct process, or are not including health and social care. We asked solicitor Samantha Hale what parents should look out for.

A good EHC Plan should be clear, concise, understandable and accessible to education providers and practitioners as well as to the parents and child or young person.

Our experience is that Plans are too brief in the description of the child/young person’s special educational needs (Section B), which has an impact on the provision that is then included to meet the special educational needs (Section F).

A good EHC Plan should have an accurate and detailed description of the child/young person’s educational needs included in it.

You should ensure that it covers aspects relating to the child’s communication and interaction; cognition and learning; behaviour, emotional and social development; sensory and physical needs; and medical condition

DETAILED AND SPECIFIC

Unfortunately, the provision in Section F of EHC Plans is often not specific or detailed enough. It is should be clear exactly what is being provided, and, where appropriate, by whom and how often, to meet all the needs identified.

For example, it should not just say a child will have access to a speech and language programme, but should say if it includes direct speech and language therapy, and if so how often/how long for, as well as who will be reviewing and implementing the programme, and anything else the provision should include.

If the child does not receive the provision detailed, a good EHC Plan will assist in a legal challenge against this.

We have also seen EHC Plans being drawn up wrongly, such as including educational needs in the description of health needs (Section C), and the provision to meet the need set out as health provision (Section G). One example of this is speech and language difficulties/provision, as the courts have previously established speech and language therapy is an educational need and not a health need.

A good EHC Plan should therefore have speech and language therapy included in Sections B and F, which give parents a better level of legal protection to appeal the provision, or challenge it if it is not provided.

NAME A SUITABLE SCHOOL

EHC Plans should also include the type and name of the school that is suitable to meet the child/young person’s needs. An EHC Plan will, of course, only be considered to be good if the parents and child/young person are satisfied that the school named is in fact suitable.

What makes a good EHC Plan varies for each young person depending on their individual needs. We recommend that parents seek legal advice when they receive an EHC Plan, so that they can get specific advice and assistance with any appeal.

Samantha Hale is a solicitor specialising in Education, Community Care and Public Law at Maxwell Gillott

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU START TEACHING PROGRAMMING TO CHILDREN

Should your kids learn how to code and if the answer is positive, what age is best for getting started with such activities? Programming skills can be acquired early on in life. According to most experts, the best time to start with such educational activities is in elementary school. While some educators disagree, the truth of the matter is that the approach has to be personalized.

Some children will demonstrate a talent at an early age. If such a talent exists, it has to be nurtured. The sooner the learning begins, the better. The educational materials and the methodology selected will also play an important role in the acquisition of knowledge and its practical application in the future.

Age Considerations

Keeping things simple, fun and visual is one of the keys to introducing programming as a topic at an early age. Obviously, it will be difficult to teach a five-year-old how to work with C++. Some core coding concepts, however, are relatively easy to demonstrate to a young and interested audience.

Today’s realities have to be taken in consideration when educational initiatives are being developed. Children today spend more time in front of the computer than any previous generation. Giving them a chance to be in control can result in a healthy relationship with technology rather than an obsessive reliance on the PC.

This is one of the reasons why MIT professors have launched an interesting initiative, a programming kindergarten group. According to the MIT experts, toddlers can be acquainted with some basic coding concepts and they will benefit from the experience. Mitch Resnick, director of the MIT kindergarten group, said that programming is becoming a “new form of literacy” in today’s world. The sooner kids get started with it, the better.

MIT professionals aren’t alone

Three female entrepreneurs have launched an interactive ebook and a website called My First Website. The aim of the initiative is, once again, to give toddlers a glimpse into the world of programming. My First Website can be accessed both on computers and on mobile devices. It teaches toddlers the basics of HTML. The website is

suitable for kids as young as three and it’s great for parents who want to teach their children programming but lack the required knowledge.

Even policymakers in the US have come to an agreement that today’s children need to learn how to code. While specific guidelines pertaining to the right age for the start of such education haven’t been developed yet, it’s clear that a very young person can understand core concepts that are present simply and in a visual/interactive manner.

Programming Being Compared to Second Language Learning

Some educators believe that learning to code is very similar to becoming fluent in a second language. The best age for learning a second language is the three to seven range. The brain is still developing at this age and it has a massive learning capacity. A process that starts later on will be slower and much less efficient.

While programming courses in middle and high school could prepare kids and teens for a successful career in the field, identifying top talent early on (even teaching basic programming skills to all kids) can deliver much better results. This is especially true when it comes to immersing children in coding before social and peer pressures take control.

Scientific disciplines have long been associated with “nerdiness” and “being a dork.” Getting a child to develop skills before they hit puberty can make programming a course for the future without the eventual bullying or peer pressure that a child will be exposed to later on in life.

Many good, well-known programmers have made their first steps in the field at the ages of four or five. Bill Gates was allowed to skip math classes, a time that he used to develop his very first program. It was a game that allowed users to play tic-tac-toe against a computer. Mark Zuckerberg also had a relatively early start. Twitter’s founder and CEO Jack Dorsey got his first Apple Macintosh at the age of eight and this is also when he began programming.

There’s no need to go into complex concepts at an early age. When young children are given the basics of logical thought and computation, they can master programming in high school and college a whole lot easier.

The Final Verdict: Should Kids Learn Programming at an Early Age?

Should kids learn programming at an early age? It really depends but exposing a child to some coding knowledge is the only way to find out whether the discipline is one of interest.

In 2014, Britain became the first G7 country to add computer science to the school curriculum and make it mandatory for children aged five to 16. Based on this curriculum, children in the five to seven age range are expected to learn how to write a simple program and how to debug one. Depending on their interest and development level, some children could move on to much more advanced programming concepts by the age of

11.

There’s a reason why such initiatives are starting to take hold in more and more countries

Over the course of two years, over 140 million individuals from all parts of the world downloaded a coding tutorial for beginners from Hour of Code. Programming xilinx newsprovides wonderful career-establishment opportunities. Learning to code as an adult, however, is far from easy. Unfortunately, the statistics don’t provide information about the number of people who have given up on the endeavor.

Learning to program will essentially prepare children for the realities of the world that we live in. The foundations can be obtained at the age of four or five, before children have even learned how to read and write.

Learning to code creates a logical mindset and it also equips children with problem-solving

skills. Making the experience a fun on is the key to getting children involved at an early age. Computer games, coding tutorials and even animated films are already available for the purpose. There are even coding camps and courses for youngsters that provide socialization opportunities and wonderful bonding experiences for kids that have similar interests.

THE BEST EDUCATIONAL MODELS FOR THE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

Have you ever heard that parents complain about their children’s learning or claiming that they have a severe problem? If so, we want to explain a little about why these situations happen. The reality is that it is not a problem, what happens is that you are not receiving education in the right manner.

Fortunately, at present, education is diversifying for every student, in some schools of Mexico they are opting for alternatives that focus on students and encourage them to be better leaders. There are a few educational institutions that specialize in certain models of education, in the same way there are many other institutes as well that follow different models. Next, we will mention some of the models we have in Mexico.

WALDORF:

This teaching system was created in Germany. In this model, students have free time to perform activities, through a competitive environment students are encouraged to develop their autonomy and confidence, in addition to reinforcing the sense of responsibility, forge the criteria and empathy.

PIAGET:

This system was created by the Swiss psychologist and biologist who gave it the name. In this method, the stages of cognitive development and their behaviors are recognized. In schools, students are expected to develop their intellectual and emotional side, fostering social integrations. So that students develop with logical thinking. Each student must discover knowledge individually and internally, without sacrificing their relationship with the environment and their peers.

COMPETENCY-BASED MODEL:

This model has been supported and supported by UNESCO authorities who say that the model is closest to a life in the classroom. It is based on the student’s dedicated engagement in different fields, knowledge is acquired based on experimentation instead of memorization. Its holistic nature integrates aspects such as values, emotions and attitudes that boost its ability to respond and resolve problems in a conscious and reflective manner.

MONTESSORI:

The most popular of all, this model is the result of Italian philosophy, which is followed by the

Concept of independence and freedom encouraging students’ autonomy. Unlike Piaget, this model focuses on the practical aspect of behavioral psychology and proposes earlier stages. The guiding axis is the naturalness with which the student builds his learning.

Undoubtedly, these are some general aspects of the most recognized educational models in Mexico. If your child experiences some difficulties for a “normal” learning it is possible that he is not being educated with the right model, it is possible that you have an artist studying mathematics.

Fortunately, in our offer of courses abroad we have high schools in which their educational systems are based on innovative methods focused on the needs of students, in addition to this, we have complementary courses such as summer camps that contribute to student development. We cannot tell you what the best method is, that decision will depend on you and will be linked to the needs of your children. What we can say is that we have a wide range of courses abroad where your children can have fun while they learn.

We have academic exchanges for high school and high school students, in high-level academic schools that complement their studies with additional activities that ranges from sports, arts

and social engagements. On the other hand, we have summer camps in the friendliest and safest countries. In these courses your children can take English classes and meet a destination, thanks to the fact that all our camps include tourist trips to the most emblematic sites of each destination they visit. If you have questions with any of our products or services, we invite you to visit our branches. One of our experts in educational tourism, will help you choose the best course for your children.

Author Bio:

Lara Hawkins ranks among today’s top listed and most renowned name when it comes to student education management and career consultancy. She owns a considerable experience of more than 5 years. She kick started her professional as an online assignment writingassistant and now stands among the best names of her industry.

ABOUT THE PREMIER SCHOOL CONSULTANCY

The Premier School Consultancy is designed to be flexible, so we suggest you contact us to discuss your requirements. It’s best suited to clients who need advice in situations such as these:

• Families being relocated who need to find schools at short notice


• Situations where urgent action is required (bereavement, school exclusion or school closure)


• Families with two or more children who need different schools


• Parents who require advice on schools/education in more than one area of the UK


• Those needing advice on whole school planning ie primary/junior/preparatory/senior

Call: 0800 368 7694 (UK) +44 203 286 6824 (from overseas)
Email: consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk

• Arrange assessments of your child’s maths/English skills


• Advise how your child can reach the expected levels in key subjects to apply to a UK school


• Introduce you to the best tutorial agencies.


• Provide translators or, in some cases, speak to you in your own language


• Arrange hotel accommodation and transport when you come to the UK to visit schools


• Accompany you on school visits


• Meet you in your home country

Call: 0800 368 7694 (UK) +44 203 286 6824 (from overseas)
Email: consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The Premier School Consultancy costs £2,500. This allows for up to two days’ personal contact, individualised research and consultation.

Additional hours: £150 per hour
Additional days (research, consultation or school visits): £500 per day, plus expenses.
Visits abroad are charged on an individual basis.
Language and subject assessments charged separately.
Some translation services charged separately.

MEET YOUR CONSULTANT FIRST

If you would like to meet your consultant before deciding whether to take up the Premier School Consultancy, we can arrange this. The fee for a Welcome Meeting with your consultant is £300. If, after the meeting, you take up the full service, this sum is deducted from the cost of the consultancy.

The Good Schools Guide Educational Consultants will give you completely impartial and professional advice based solely on what is best for you and your child. We never take commission from any school.

We are not agents. You do not need an agent to gain a place at a UK school.

Testimonials and recommendations:

“A huge thank you… I found the session extremely useful and sent in our acceptance of the place with confidence today! I have also suggested your service to two of my friends, one of whom has a session booked today. Please pass my thanks to my advisor, her sensible but enthusiastic response to my questions was very helpful and supportive. Her advice was very useful also in guiding me, when we revisited two of the other schools we were considering. We are now looking forward to our daughter’s secondary education with a feeling of excitement and confidence.” Mrs NJ

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all you have done this week. You have clearly pulled some strings to get me access to schools where its not usually the done thing. This has been immensely useful in helping us form an opinion given that we were struggling to form a clear one before. Just as valuable has been the insights you have provided along the way – not just on the schools themselves but on the whole process and how the parts link together. My daughter asked me bluntly if I felt the consultancy service has been value for money – I can unequivocally say yes.” Mrs EC

“Not a school we would have considered without your suggestion… Amazingly, we have fallen under the spell of Frensham Heights ! We have visited twice, once on an open day and once more just us when we had a longer chat with the Head and spoke with more teachers. Martin and I are very impressed with the place and we all love it. It is most certainly not a school we would have considered without your suggestion, so thanks very much for that!” Mr and Mrs B

 

Call: 0800 368 7694 (UK) +44 203 286 6824 (from overseas)
Email: consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk

FREE ONLINE COURSES: TOP 20 SITES TO GET EDUCATED FOR FREE

Whether you are looking for a master’s degree program, computer science classes, a K-12 curriculum, or GED study program, this list gives you a look at 50 websites that offer free online courses.

From databases that organize over 1,000,000 students throughout 16 universities, to a small library of documents for those interested in history, the opportunities for free online learning continue to expand as the Internet becomes a crucial component in education.

1. UMass Boston Open Courseware

The UMass courseware offers a broad range of classes in areas like psychology, biology, early education, political science, history, mathematics, and others. Each department has a separate page listing the classes available. Along the side, you are given your syllabus, assignments, a professor bio, and recommended reading.

There are no slides, videos, or lecture notes, which makes this open courseware inferior to other universities that offer extensive resources.

2. Khan Academy

This website has a variety of video lessons for free. The course subjects are broken down into particular lessons, which is great for students who are looking to learn one principle without taking an entire course. For example, the biology subject has separate videos for evolution, photosynthesis, genetics, and others.

If you prefer reading to watching, this site may not be for you as the lessons are all video based.

3. MIT Open Courseware

For those looking for courses that will test even the brightest student, MIT is sure not to disappoint. You can download all the course material, which is nearly identical to the course taught at MIT (it even gives you the year and semester it was taught). Since it is an on-demand course, you don’t have any ability to connect with others who are taking it. It is simply an independent study for you to study on your own.

4. Free-Ed

This site is a bit difficult to navigate, as it is not as well designed as other open courseware websites. Similar to most databases, you search through the subjects and categories until you find the class you want to take. One advantage to Free-ed? When you find a class you like, there is the option to click on networking. It will notify you if there are Facebook groups or other online groups you can join that have individuals taking the course you are interested in.

5. Learning Space: The Open University

This website offers downloadable free online courses in lots of different categories like youth and children, languages, business, engineering, and others. When you look through the coursework, you can view them according to rating. Other users can rate the class, which may help you in deciding what course to take. The main page does warn that there is a new site design coming in the fall of 2012, so there may be changes soon.

6. Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative

This website is well designed with ample content to explain how Carnegie Mellon’s OLI works. Unfortunately, you cannot view the course without creating an account. The tagline right above the courses says, “No instructor, no credits, no charge.” Like so many other free courseware, it is an individual study.

7. Tufts Open Courseware

Tufts makes it clear from the start that their free online courses are not the same as the ones taught in the classroom. It is up to the professor’s discretion what is posted for free and common use. You don’t need a login ID to view the material, and the professors’ lectures are available as slides. Since there is not any more explanation beyond the slides, it may require you to dig deeper in your own research to understand the whole lecture.

8. Stanford on iTunes U

Stanford on iTunes U gives you two options. You can either subscribe to the updated video lectures, or simply download the one you’d like to watch. In order to participate in this course, you do need to have an iTunes account and software.

9. Utah State Open Courseware

These free online courses are easy to access and find with quick browsing. Each class lecture is offered as an MP3 file with an html document that outlines the assignment. This is a bare bones program, as the assignments are simply exams to test your knowledge of the material.

10. Kutztown On-Demand Online Learning

The Kutztown On-Demand program is focused mainly on business. You must fill out a brief survey before you can access the course, but the material is organized nicely, with small video clips for each topic. You can stop and start as you need to since it is broken down into small pieces. Aside from the slides, there aren’t any other materials to test your acquisition of knowledge.

11. USQ Australia Open Courseware

USQ’s courseware is limited with only ten different free online courses offered, mostly in technology. The modules are laid out right online with lecture notes and testing assignments. Unfortunately, there is no way to network with any other students enrolled in the courses.

12. University of California Irvine Courseware

The Irvine Courseware offers a variety of classes in different subjects. Unlike other open courseware programs, Irvine does offer a link to information about getting academic credit for some of the courses offered. All the information for the course automatically downloads as a Word documents when you click on the links.

13. EdX

This website offers an array of free online courses from different universities. The main difference between EdX and other online courses is that the class is a specific length and duration. When you sign up, you are committing to the class time and assignments. You can register for classes offered by Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, and other prestigious schools. If you are looking for a class you can do on your own time, this isn’t the website for you. The classes here are similar to paid online learning classes.

14. Coursera

This is one of the largest website databases for University open courseware. Like EdX, these courses are at a set time (usually lasting for 10-14 weeks). You can access classes from 16 different Universities’ including Princeton, Duke, Stanford, and CalTech. With over 1,000,000 users, Coursera has established itself as the central “go-to” website for free online University learning.

15. Udemy

Udemy is an online institution that offers courses taught by leading experts. You can choose from classes on developing products for Facebook, SQL databases, Photoshop, Music Theory, Business, and many others. Udemy also allows everyday experts to create their own class, so you will have to be selective about the courses you want to take as anyone can create a course. There is a bio about each instructor, along with an Amazon-like review area for users to rate the course and give their opinions about the class work.

16. Connections Academy

Connections Academy is a free online K-12 curriculum for homeschoolers and other children in non-traditional classroom settings. This academy relies heavily on parent involvement with a stated, 96% satisfaction percentage. Each lesson has an overview, a lesson, review, and assessment. There are tools, textbooks, and other resources to bolster the student’s educational experience.

17. K-12

This free online K-12 curriculum is offered by state. Currently, only 33 states offer the program. If your state participates, a list will come up of academies that your student can enroll in. K-12 is a network of schools offering education. It is not an independent curriculum developer. There are also private schools that network with K-12, but there are tuition costs.

18. GED for Free

GED for Free is a basic online course offered to students who have not been able to complete high school and need to get their GED. You simply fill out a student profile and begin studying. This site is only designed to teach the students the concepts that will be tested on the GED exam. There are no advanced courses or enrichment activities.

19. Free World U

This is a free online k-12 learning system that specializes in flashcards as a way to test the acquisition of skills. The school is free but if you want an accredited program, which comes with tests, certificates, etc., you will need to pay a monthly fee. Without registering, you aren’t able to see much about their curriculum, so it is a bit difficult to navigate.

20. CosmoLearning

This website is a database, listing classes by topic. For each class, there is a sidebar that tells you what school offers it, how many students took it, and the instructor. Unfortunately, the class material only comes in a video lecture format. There are no assignments or other materials.