FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kaplan Higher Education today announced that it has joined the OpenCourseWare Consortium (OCWC), making select Kaplan University courses and teaching materials available for free online. Through a new website, lifelong learners, students and faculty across the world can access select Kaplan University courses anywhere Internet access is available. Courses currently offered include Academic Strategies for the Business Professional, Nursing Fundamentals and Forensic Biology and Impression Evidence.

“The excellent range of materials will not only benefit Kaplan University students and staff, but students at other universities and members of the general public,” said Brian Ouellette, executive director of academic strategies and development at Kaplan Higher Education. “Our ultimate goal is to share knowledge and expertise and make Kaplan University’s approach to teaching and learning available to anyone.”

An OpenCourseWare is a free and open digital publication of high-quality academic material, organized as courses. The OpenCourseWare Consortium is a collaboration of more than 200 institutions of higher education and associated organizations from around the world, creating a body of open academic content through a shared model. The OpenCourseWare Consortium aims to empower people across the globe and advance education.

“We are in the early stages of a ‘quiet revolution’ in higher education,” said Peter Smith, senior vice president of academic strategies and development at Kaplan Higher Education. “OCWC presents a unique opportunity for Kaplan University to be part of a global online, ‘open resources’ community of educators. The research and service opportunities are enormous. Ultimately, this work will change the way we understand learning and teaching. Kaplan University is proud to join the other member schools of the OCWC with the goal of providing free, high quality learning to advance public knowledge.”

With nine courses currently available, Kaplan plans to continue to increase the number of courses available on the OCW site during 2009. Kaplan University’s OCWC website is powered by EduCommons, an OpenCourseWare management system designed specifically to support OpenCourseWare projects.

“Kaplan’s contribution to the growing body of OpenCourseWare is significant,” said Stephen Carson, president of the OpenCourseWare Consortium. “Our goal is to build a collection of materials that meet a wide range of needs, and Kaplan’s materials address an important audience of lifelong learners the OpenCourseWare community is striving to serve.”

For more about the OCWC, go to www.oeconsortium.org. For more information about Kaplan’s OCWC courses, go to http://ocw.kaplan.edu.

About Kaplan University

Kaplan University offers a different school of thought for higher education. It strives to help adult students unlock their untapped talent by providing a practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastest-growing industries. Based in Davenport, Iowa, the University is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan University offers more than 100 academic programs and currently serves more than 48,000 online and campus-based students. To learn more about Kaplan University, visit www.kaplan.edu.

Kaplan University is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves more than 100,000 students through 70-plus campus-based schools and online operations across the United States and abroad. It also has online programs through Kaplan Virtual Education and Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Kaplan Higher Education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities, from high school diplomas to graduate and professional degrees, including a juris doctor degree. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information, visit www.kaplan.com.