Blended learning approach to higher education gives the student the best of both worlds
The London School of Marketing has launched the world’s first ever MBA that students can study on their smartphones.
The UK-based educator has invested in a unique interactive online learning platform. It allows its learners direct access to course tutors, all the essential books and learning materials they will need, via their mobile phone.
There is also a community forum where students can chat directly with other students studying on their course and thereby learn from each other. This innovative approach to education means its learners can study when and where they want without being tied to a time or location.
The courses it offers via smartphone include an MBA in business studies, a Masters and two undergraduate courses in the same subject, plus its professional marketing course.
The school, which attracts many international participants, particularly from developing countries, has seen the e-learning market boom in recent years. In the last 18 months the school has set up 48 local access points (LAPs) in towns and cities globally, where students can meet to study and prepare their coursework. Since setting up the LAPs it has seen learners from as far afield as the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, India and South Africa enrol on its courses.
CFO of London School of Marketing, Anton Dominique, explained: “Our blended learning approach to higher education gives the student the best of both worlds. They can study at a time and place to suit them and we’ve adapted the technology we use to make that happen. Everyone has a smartphone now, so it makes sense to run courses which our students can access while they’re on the move.
“We adopt a ‘click and brick’ approach to learning. All our courses are delivered online but in lots of countries we have LAPs. These are places where students can go to meet, study together and have access to our experts. This works well for our international students in particular. They have the kudos of achieving a UK degree, socialise and study with other people on the same course and all without the expense of living and learning in the UK,” continued Dominique.
Dominique continued: “We aim this blended learning approach at overseas students who don’t want to give up good jobs to come over to the UK to study. Our students, mainly from developing countries, tend to be professional people, in good jobs who don’t want to give up what they’re doing to take time out to study. They also don’t want the expense associated with moving to and attending a UK university to achieve the qualification they want. That cost can be in excess of £30,000. With our courses they can study while they work, can study when they want and the added bonus is that they come away from it all with a degree from a UK university.”
