De Anza College Chooses Microsoft Press Self-Paced Training Kits To Support Classroom, Distance Learning for Microsoft Certification

De Anza College Chooses Microsoft Press Self-Paced Training Kits To Support Classroom, Distance Learning for Microsoft Certification

REDMOND, Wash., April 6, 1998 — When Silicon Valley’s De Anza College recently began teaching a course to prepare students for certification on the Microsoft® Windows NT® operating system, it was a seven-hour lecture on a Sunday – the only time a room was available – yet it was filled to capacity. When the school, one of the largest single-campus community colleges in the country, added a distance-learning version of the class, it proved equally popular. To ensure that students both on and off campus receive the same high level of instruction, De Anza adopted the Microsoft Press® Official Curriculum self-paced training kits.

De Anza is part of a broad trend for schools and training companies to extend beyond the classroom walls to reach a new kind of learner, whether they are young, technically savvy students or motivated older workers.

Nearly 1 million Microsoft Press training kits are in use worldwide, and Microsoft Corp. projects that nearly a million more will be acquired next year. Sixty percent of Authorized Technical Education Centers (ATECs) resell or use Microsoft Press training kits to prepare students for Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exams. To meet the increasing demand, Microsoft Press last month more than doubled its line to 21 titles.

Microsoft Press “Has the Edge”

“I looked at a lot of different books out there, at the leading competitors, but the Microsoft Press Official Curriculum has the edge,” said Mark Sherby, instructor of computer applications and office systems at De Anza. “The materials are very readable; they increase retention and have a lot to do with my very low drop rate. From an instructional point of view, you can tell that Microsoft Press writers are instructional designers. I absolutely love Microsoft Press materials.”

Using Microsoft Press materials has been an all-around win for both instructor and students, according to Sherby. “Because of the materials, students do well on my tests. I would say that this is going to help the school’s enrollment, which makes the school more profitable – to have a higher ratio of students to instructors.”

Providing Hands-On Skills for Lucrative High-Tech Careers

“De Anza’s creative use of Microsoft training kits for both classroom and distance learning is one just one of the innovative ways these materials are being used to prepare people for high-paying technology jobs in the high-tech industry,” said Bobby Sadin, education marketing manager at Microsoft Press. “For students looking to enter a lucrative and growing market, for midcareer switchers or those affected by downsizing, and for current IT professionals who want to enhance their skills and r
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s, there’s no better choice than Microsoft Press Official Curriculum training kits.”

Each Microsoft Press training kit meets the objectives needed to fully prepare for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) exams. Prices for Microsoft Press training titles range from $49.99 to $299.99 (suggested retail price) for a complete learning system – far below the thousands of dollars that classroom training can cost.

Only self-paced training kits from Microsoft Press are authorized to carry the Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) logo, Microsoft’s quality seal for course ware. They differ from instructor-led MOC in how they’re designed. While Microsoft’s course ware teams begin with the same content, the Microsoft self-paced lab exercises are generally built for a single PC, not a full-blown lab, making them ideal for home study or Web-based distance education programs. And Microsoft Press adds exclusive content much like the “tips and tricks” that students would get from a live instructor.

Many kits include 120-day trial copies of essential software, such as Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft SQL Server
™
and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. Most kits also include CD-ROM-based labs, simulations, AVI videos, tools and exercises that bring learning to life. The latest editions also include complete course text on CD-ROM in searchable HTML format.

The full line of self-paced training solutions available from Microsoft Press can be viewed at (http://mspress.microsoft.com/sections/train.asp) .

Microsoft Press is the publishing division of Microsoft and the leading source of up-to-date information about Microsoft products and related technologies. Millions of users rely on a complete line of world-class Microsoft Press computer books and multimedia training and reference tools. Titles ranging from self-paced tutorials for first-time computer users to advanced technical references and programming guides for computer professionals are distributed to book and software retailers worldwide. Consumers in the United States can order directly from the publisher at (800) MSPRESS (677-7377). For information about other products from Microsoft Press, visit (http://mspress.microsoft.com/) .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and

personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows NT and Microsoft Press are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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