As textbooks and lectures are being replaced by technology, St.
Mary’s University, Minneapolis, MN, has developed a program to eliminate the
need for classrooms, at least on the graduate level.
The school has designed accelerated courses for working
professionals using Apple iPads for graduate degrees in project management,
human resources, and organizational leadership. The course materials take
advantage of the device’s easy accessibility to information and convenience provided
though apps in the Apple Store.
“Adult learners are adaptive learners,” Bob Andersen, director of
instruction technology for the university, told eCampus News. “We
want to bridge the gap between work and academia.”
The program lets students and faculty conduct class discussions
through social media, video chat, e-mail, and texting to enhance the learning
process, according to Marcel Dumestre, vice president of graduate and
professional programs. Students still have to write standard term papers, but
professors consolidate assigned reading or instructor-created videos into a
form that is manageable for a full-time professional to work on over a lunch
hour.
The university has 200 students worldwide taking iPad graduate
courses through the program which is currently being taught by 15 instructors.
St. Mary’s plans to add a dozen more degree programs over the next five years.
“Our students find value not only in instruction; they find value
in networking and interacting with other students,” Dumestre said.
