Redeveloped distance learning with a personalised online solution

MILPARK Education has pioneered a new approach to studying with ‘Distance Learning online’ (DLO). By using accessible technology to bridge the gap between space and time, usually associated with current offerings, it provides a virtual classroom.

“This,” Executive Dean, Esther Venter, explains, “replicates and improves the traditional contact learning experience. And, in an ever evolving education landscape - including greater access to the internet – it is what makes us the leader in distance learning in the country.”

When the Business School launched its online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in January last year it was the first institution of higher learning in the country to do so. This year the Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) followed.

Venter tells how the DLO approach opens the doors of learning to people who are in industries where there is a demand for a formal qualification for career enhancement coupled with a need for flexibility in their studies.

“This is from both a financial and a time perspective. And our offering, besides guaranteeing high engagement, has been especially developed to fit the demands of daily life.”

She says Milpark Education embarked on the creation of novel products unrivalled in the South African distance learning landscape because it appreciates the daily challenges students face.

“This has allowed us to develop new ways of learning that remove the barriers of traffic, location and low engagement without compromising on the quality of the degree.”

The quality interactive learning experience is flexible enough for students to study at their convenience, in a manner that is best for them, independently of place and time. Multiple instances of assessment ensure student progress.

Dr Joseph Sekhampu, Dean of Milpark Education School of Commerce, says “DLO is revolutionary and challenges traditional distance learning delivery. Our approach is to use technology to bridge the divide of space and time; a virtual classroom replicating and improving the learning experience of contact learning.

“Traditional distance learning meant registering, collecting your books, attending classes at a tutorial centre (for a select few institutions) and then sitting for an exam. Research on the success of this approach is damning, with through-put rates of less than 15 percent.

“One of the greatest benefits of this approach is that it allows students to tailor their studies around their lives. For example, taking a module while travelling the world or to change subjects in their own time and to take a break during peak organisational periods.”