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Thought Leadership

Insights for Educational Leaders

Dive into the future of higher education with Apollidon's thought leadership articles. Our expert insights cover the latest trends in online learning, program management, and educational technology. Explore these valuable resources to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education.

Industry

Questions to Ask When Vetting OPMs

Before you devote resources to searching for an online program manager (OPM), it’s crucial to have all your questions ready. These should be wide-ranging and designed to ensure that the OPM your institution ultimately works with is reputable, reliable, and capable of meeting your needs. Below, you’ll find some crucial questions to consider when choosing an OPM partner as well as some insight into how Apollidon Learning can help you address these concerns. Key Questions for Your Potential OPM How will you make our degree and/or certificate programs stand out? Apollidon’s market research team does extensive competitor research to understand what your competition is doing, how effectively they’re doing it, and what you’ll need to do to stand out. The solution to differentiation often involves a combination of impactful, call-to-action-driven marketing content and strategic program choices that address gaps in the current education market, particularly where the demands of the working world are not being met by existing offerings. Do you offer all the services our institution needs to launch and support online programs? Apollidon provides end-to-end services, and our experienced team can help you attract and retain target students and elevate your status as a premier regional or international provider of online education programs. Can we select individual services, or do we have to use all of them? Apollidon recognizes that every university and program is unique, requiring tailored marketing and service support. To meet these diverse needs, we offer a customizable menu of services. Our solutions are available as a comprehensive platform or individually on a fee-for-service basis: ideal if you’re seeking market research or consulting services. See some of our partnership options. What’s your payment model? We offer a no-risk model that takes varying costs and budgets into account

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Strategy

No TikTok, No Problem: Strategies to Overcome Marketing Restrictions

Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Indonesia have all instituted bans on it. It’s also banned to some degree in a majority of the 50 states. And, while the final word hasn’t been issued in the U.S., it may eventually be banned here entirely. TikTok, the popular video-oriented social media application, boasts nearly 2 billion users worldwide by recent estimates. That’s quite a reach, given the bans. All those eyeballs present the potential to translate to a cost-effective, broad-reaching marketing channel for those able to harness it. So why the bans? Most center around concerns that the Chinese government may use the app for espionage and other unscrupulous purposes

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Apollidon Playbook

Apollidon Playbook: A Day in the Life of a Student Outreach and Engagement Specialist

The role of student outreach and engagement (SOE) specialist is crucial to higher education institutions and prospective students alike. These professionals provide a bridge between the student and the university, and their performance in their duties can be a make-or-break factor in a student’s choice of college. SOE specialists are a first point of contact for prospects, who typically fill out a form with little or no prior communication with anyone from the institution. These specialists must be highly knowledgeable, experienced communicators and listeners who are ready to field whatever comes their way, addressing questions and issues or directing inquiries to the right person. In this article, you’ll meet a member of Apollidon Learning’s student outreach and engagement team and get a glimpse of her daily responsibilities. Student outreach and engagement specialists provide an invaluable service on behalf of Apollidon’s university partners by ensuring that their prospective students’ initial experience is smooth, professional, and informative. Background and General Duties A great student outreach and engagement specialist must have an intuitive understanding of prospective students’ needs and a clear grasp of the inner workings of the universities they serve. This particular student outreach and engagement specialists’ educational background provided both, preparing her for success at Apollidon: “For undergrad I went to Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois, and my major was business administration

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Student Success

Enhancing Student Engagement in Online Learning: Best Practices for 2025

In business, healthcare, and other fields, organizations are transitioning to a more engaging, inclusive, personalized, adaptable, and data-supported experience for those they serve. Higher education must not be an exception. With slowing enrollments and an increasing number of alternative education options available to prospects, institutions need to focus on their engagement strategies to remain competitive. Here are some recommended best practices for enhancing student engagement in online learning throughout 2025 and beyond. While implementing all may not be feasible, these suggestions can serve as a good starting point for your institution this year

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Trends

Year in Review: 2024’s Online Education Achievements and a Look Ahead

As 2024 comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on the past year’s achievements in online education and consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. While 2025 will certainly present some uncertainties and significant shifts in the U.S. education system, we may also see renewed focus on some very low-tech but crucial career skills. 2024 Achievements In Online Education Here are some of the year’s achievements impacting online learning in higher education. Student Engagement and Performance Soar Perhaps the most significant achievement in online education this year has been the broader implementation of personalized learning platforms. These tools empower educators to tailor learning experiences to students’ individual needs and preferences. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), adaptive learning systems evaluate student data, provide instant feedback, and automatically adjust lesson content. Generative AI tools are becoming standard practice in online and campus-based classrooms, and educators are seeing encouraging results

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Ask Apollidon

Ask Apollidon: What Trends Do You Anticipate in Online Education for the Coming Year?

A new year is on the horizon, and we recently spoke with Apollidon leadership about anticipated trends and hopes for 2025. Overall, the themes for education will be adaptability and agility in changing and unprecedented circumstances. An Uncertain Education Landscape The most consequential development of 2025 could be the dismantling of a crucial federal agency. With broad-ranging but unknown implications, the potential restructuring of the Department of Education loomed throughout our conversation: Ann-Louise Everett, COO of Apollidon: The future is really hard to predict because we have no idea what’s going to happen with the Department of Education. Part of the discussion has been getting rid of that department, which gives federal funds to students. I believe the funds will continue, but might be given to the states to distribute, and they will allocate funds differently John Everett, CEO of Apollidon: Institutions should be paying attention to what's happening at the Department of Education, how that's going to specifically affect online programs, and what they need to do to adapt, but not overreact

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Trends

Online Learning: A Global Networking Opportunity for Your Students

In today’s global economy, college graduates’ job prospects extend far beyond their city or region to the entire world. Online learning enables students from virtually any nation to attend prestigious universities that may have been otherwise inaccessible due to geographical barriers. The online format makes these programs, their esteemed faculty, and other institutional benefits available to your students wherever they are. Together, the advantages of a global economy and the extensive reach of online learning can create tremendous professional networking opportunities for career-minded students worldwide. Here are some ways that online learning can help your students secure their desired professional role by maximizing their networking opportunities

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Trends

Safeguarding Online Learning Platforms

Online learning offers unequaled convenience and flexibility to students. But it also carries distinct risks: cyber intrusions, data breaches, and damage to technology resources. How can you provide students with a quality online education while protecting their personal data and your institution’s assets? While cybersecurity is a year-round concern, October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month offers an opportunity to address a critical issue for institutions offering or considering online programs: safeguarding your online learning platform. Choose a Secure Online Learning Platform Every online program runs on a specific platform, and options are growing as demand for online learning increases. Even sophisticated organizations like the Pentagon have been compromised, underscoring the importance of due diligence in choosing a highly secure platform. Your institution’s data, finances, and reputation could be at stake. To make an informed decision about your online learning platform: Conduct extensive research

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Ask Apollidon

Ask Apollidon: How Can Universities Support Student Success in Online Programs?

Student success is central to every university’s mission. However, online learning, despite its distinctive benefits, can present unique challenges for students. We spoke to some key members of the Apollidon Learning team about how universities can provide the necessary guidance, resources, and services to ensure online students’ success. Here are their insights, along with some strategic recommendations to start improving student success at your institution. Delivering Results From First Contact A student’s journey begins with their first interaction with the university. Ensuring a smooth, informative, and welcoming experience from the outset, whether students are seeking information or applying to a program, is crucial for setting the tone for their entire academic experience. John Everett, CEO of Apollidon: I think a [benefit that] would especially delight online students is just offering them great service when they’re registering for class and when they’re deciding what their degree needs to look like

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Trends

6 Marketing Trends Shaping Higher Education

In the face of expanding higher education options and declining enrollments, strategic marketing has become increasingly crucial for universities. There are several key marketing trends that highlight tools and strategies institutions looking to increase visibility and conversions should consider adopting. Some of these tools are relatively new, while others are more familiar but have gained new importance due to evolving consumer habits. All remind us that we must reach people where they are, communicate with them effectively, and be ready to continually adapt our marketing efforts. Let’s examine six innovative marketing approaches that are transforming how we connect with and attract prospective students. 1. AI AutomationAI-driven chatbots that answer common questions and keep online prospects engaged while they’re waiting to chat with a live representative are proving increasingly valuable to organizations. Despite initial criticisms, institutional attitudes toward chatbots are shifting, particularly once university leaders witness the rapid response to prospects they provide and the increase in productivity their human representatives can enjoy while leveraging the technology

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