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to facilitate international Co-op Ed student exchanges
with overseas universities.
The implementation of a strategic plan to include
Co-operative Education /Work Integrated Education
(WIE) within a national/regional framework has
commenced. In November 2014, the Co-op Ed Unit, in
collaboration with the Association of Caribbean Higher
Education Administrators (ACHEA), hosted a WIE
Practitioners’ Forum at UTech, Jamaica the first of its
kind. The Forum was held under the theme “Promoting
Work Integration Education in the Region: The Way
Forward” and enjoyed the active participation of major
industry players, representatives from the Ministry
of Education and other tertiary education institutions,
among others.
Prior Learning Assessment
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a system
developed to assess mature applicants (25 years and
older) with a view to awarding academic credit for
experiential learning. Applicants use this process to
gain matriculation or advanced standing. In March
2015, a new PLA Coordinator was appointed to
spearhead the activities of the Unit as it seeks to
establish a steady source of PLA applicants through
partnerships and effective promotional programmes,
while maintaining the quality of applicants. An
additional objective is to extend PLA to post-graduate
courses of study.
OFFICE OF DISTANCE
LEARNING (ODL)
Dr. Jeanette
Bartley-Bryan
Associate Vice President
Module Development and
Delivery
The ODL now has an
inventory of 32 modules
which have been fully
conver ted to online
modules. These include nineteen (19) modules for
the Post Diploma in Pharmacy; eight (8) modules
for the Post Graduate Diploma in Information and
Communication Technology; five (5) general education
and service modules – Information Technology,
Introduction to Psychology, Research Methodology,
Environmental Studies and Biostatistics. The main
benefit is that any module can be offered individually
on the open market in order to generate additional
revenues for the University.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
CONT’D
Dispensing laboratory in session at College of the Bahamas’ main campus
during an Academic Quality Audit visit.
Mrs. LaCresha Gordon-Bryson, Cooperative Education Coordinator, UTech
addresses the audience at theWork Integrated Education (WIE) Practitioners’
Forum” hosted by the Co-Operative Education Unit in collaboration with
the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) on
Friday, November 21, 2014 at UTech, Ja.’s Papine campus.
Page 10
University of Technology, Jamaica
• ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015