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Africa embraces online university

Jacob Nthoiwa
By Jacob Nthoiwa, ITWeb journalist.
Johannesburg, 10 Jul 2009

More than 255 applicants from Africa, including 13 from SA, have joined their international peers in enrolling at the newly-unveiled University of the People, according to Shai Reshef, the online university's founder and president.

The online academic institution says it has adapted the conventions of social networking to academia, setting the stage for the global advancement of higher education.

The African students are among 1 500 spanning over 120 countries that have joined since enrolment opened in May.

The online platform promises to democratise higher education by providing universal access to collegiate-level studies, “even in the poorest and most remote places on earth”. Historically, access to education has been a huge issue in Africa, and University of the People says it provides a viable solution.

“The impact of technology on every facet of life is undeniable, and now it is reaching the educational arena,” says Reshef. He points out that the next generation of students may not consider virtual classrooms innovative, but today they are.

“Technology is the vessel to universal higher education, and I look forward to enrolling our first class of enthusiastic minds ready to embrace this new outlet for learning,” he adds.

According to Reshef, the university utilises open source technology and open courseware, as well as the principles of e-learning and peer-to-peer teaching, to create online communities for collegiate-level studies.

These factors work together to create a high-quality, low-cost and global pedagogical model, Reshef states. Tuition is offered free of charge, although there are application and examination fees.

Students from around the world will attend lectures, cover readings, share resources, and discuss assigned questions. A community of full-time and volunteer educators, selected from a pool of active and retired professors, master-level students and other professionals, will oversee the assessment process, as well as develop the curriculum and ongoing procedures for evaluation.

The university will also leverage technology to create a streamlined system for administrative and academic processes. High-level automation across all components, including admission, course scheduling and evaluation methods, will be key in managing quality and cost-control under the rapid expansion of University of the People.

Since its opening in January, University of the People has gained support from prospective students, the media, organisations and individuals. Last month, the United Nations' Global Alliance of ICT and Development (Gaid) hosted an event at the UN headquarters in recognition of University of the People and the Gaid advisory committee.

In the initial stages, University of the People will offer two undergraduate programmes - business administration and computer science.

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