A lot of us, parents as well as educationalists, are stuck believing that the old “talk-and-chalk” method of teaching, classroom based with a live lecturer, is the best way to gain skills and formal education. However - a chat with a university student, or a high school student will reveal that they have no insistence on sitting in a classroom. What they do have is a need for immediate gratification, this generation. And this does (thankfully) extend to their education. So when they are studying a topic that they do not understand, their next step these days is to log on to youtube or some other site with live lectures, and watch a video on that topic. Problem sorted. Technology has made the world a small space, enabling our students to access lecturers from all over the world, to gain new insights, greater understanding, and to do this from the comfort of their own study space. Therefore campuses such as Boston City Campus & Business College have had to renew their methods of teaching, and provide what the students actually want, and what they need.
Roulon du Toit, lecturer and partner at CA Academy (in partnership with Boston) says, “We use e-learning in both distance and contact (face-to-face) learning situations and the benefits of the technology are drawn into the teaching and learning strategy in various ways. E-learning can be used as the principle strategy to present all or the bulk of the learning, as well as to provide revision and make-up missed lectures”.
Du Toit further states that the perception about e-learning not offering the same value and potential as when studying in the orthodox manner, is proving untrue. Milcanan Lebopo, works a full day every day. “I knew that I would not be able to sit in a classroom during the day, nor to give up my evenings for lectures, as the distance was a bit too far for me. I found out that The CA Academy offered all my Unisa CTA courses online, allowing me to dedicate time to work and family, and still providing every bit of lecturing that I need for my tutorials and exams. The structure of the courses is so well organised that I can come home every night and watch the lectures in my own time and at my own pace, and keep completely up to date with all the information or teaching. The lectures keep up on a daily basis with where I am supposed to be in my Unisa studies, and enable me to approach the tutorials with all the knowledge as well as practice that I require to complete all work on my own”.
Milcanan adds that the time that he saves by completing online classes is enormous. “Instead of wading through course material and trying to understand it on my own, it is all clearly explained, with examples, cutting my own study time by half. In addition I save time by not travelling to and from the campus. And if I am ill I carry on where I left off – I do not miss a class. I couldn’t think of a better way to study.”
Du Toit says the attitude of students is what makes the programme work. “You have to be disciplined to sit down and work through the lectures. We approach our lectures with a step-by-step and thorough explanation of all modules and topics, ensuring a path to success in exams and the workplace. The feedback we have had from students has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Du Toit concludes by saying that e-learning should be considered by almost anyone and everyone wishing to further their studies: “While we do offer full-time and part-time classes, those who may find it difficult or too costly to commute daily to a campus, or who prefer to study with more flexibility due to personal circumstances, are ideal candidates for e-learning programmes. E-learning strategies may well be the answer to producing better equipped graduates for the new world-of-work.”
Contact Boston on 011 551 2000, visit www.caacademy.co.za, or email roulon@caacademy.co.za.
Students that apply for admission at Boston City Campus & Business College will get a response to their applications within two working days. And those that apply long in advance for their 2016 studie…
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