These two leading education and training institutions partner in a pilot online course (http://collegecampus.co.za/apu/) to be launched in South Africa on 3 September. The collaboration between the two institutions will help drive the momentum and quality of distance learning in South Africa. APU currently serves more than 100 000 students worldwide, making it one of the top online education providers in the USA.
Locally, e-learning is rapidly gaining in popularity and is the most practical, efficient and cost-effective model to increase knowledge among students and working adults. And, as bandwidth continues to improve, it will become even more attractive to prospective students. Between 1993 and 1999, the number of distance students enrolled in the traditionally contact universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria increased by almost 500%. This indicates a growing need for learning and that the Internet provides significant new ways for engaging students in learning.
"American Public University's asynchronous learning model enables students in any location with an Internet connection to log in at their convenience and work at their own pace, facilitating collaboration with both instructors and other peers outside the constraints of time and place. Their success rate is driven by the fact that they require students to participate in online discussion forums, which accounts for part of their overall marks," says College Campus managing director Genevieve Allen.
Allen says the leadership course was chosen to pilot because it is a management skill in high demand by South African students and for workers looking to upskill themselves professionally. The subject is well-covered in the American Public University curriculum, which offers a number of leadership focused modules.
"American Public University is truly excited to partner with College Campus in this milestone initiative," said Sharon van Wyk, executive vice president and chief operations officer at APU. "We share a core mission and vision to serve working adults seeking affordable, quality online education programs to help them further advance their career goals."
