Angel changes all that. Angel provides a set of core components free to non-profit U.S. educational institutions that makes it possible for each institution to quickly and affordably develop a portal for teaching and learning that meets its own specific needs. The course management part of the software allows schools to create a web environment for every course, as well as for campus groups or organizations. Professors can post grades, offer exams, hold discussions, and publish assignments and reading material. Each of these sites also contains a calendar, message boards, chat groups, statistics about student participation and more.
Users can also post and respond to classified ads on the site.
With Angel, every course can have a web complement. This introduces a new paradigm in teaching and learning where students and teachers are connected not just in the classroom, but 24 hours a day via the Web. The software can also be customized to meet the needs of each school and can include features that allow parents to check grades and see if their child arrived at school. For example, Jefferson County Public Schools created professional development communities for teachers where they discuss specific aspects of learning and participate in online training. Teachers now put their curriculums online and interact with parents and other community members.