About University Of Professional Studies Distance Learning School

Overview

The emergence of Distance learning is changing dynamics of teaching and learning at higher education globally. The demand for tertiary education, nationally and worldwide, in the last few decades has outstretched the limited resources of educational institutions. In short, access has become critical and is available to a few. The solution has been to utilize innovative approaches including Open Distance Learning (ODL). The Ghana Government policy on Tertiary Education and education technology innovations worldwide provides the policy framework for Ghanaian Universities to increase access to tertiary education. In response, UPSA has taken up the challenge to increase access to tertiary education and training through the Distance Learning School (DLS).
The introduction of Distance Learning School at University of Professional Studies, (UPSA) Accra is in line with one of the strategic objectives of the University’s that states: “Establish a Virtual life-long learning Centre to meet the diverse needs of non-traditional and off-campus learning.” The DLS avails opportunity for cross sections of professionals and students to take advantage to enroll to be part of the university system.
The target learners for the DLS are professional and students who cannot take time off their hectic schedules to join the normal face-to-face or traditional mode of teaching and learning. Some of these students are found within and without the country. In addition, these targets leaners are potential future professionals whose courses are located at UPSA.

Vision

UPSA’s DLS aspires to be a world-class open distance education provider in both academic and professional disciplines, nationally entrenched, regionally recognized and globally relevant. The UPSA’s DLS vision is to increase access to both asynchronous and synchronous professional tertiary education and training through blended mode of distance education.

Mission

UPSA’s DLS strives to provide flexible open distance education to promote higher professional education and training in business and other social science related disciplines by leveraging a structured mix of Scholarship with Professionalism.
UPSA’s DLS provides quality professional and demand driven tertiary and lifelong educational programmes and courses through the use of emerging new technologies.

Mode of Operation

The DLS will be admitting its first batch of students during 2014/2015 academic year. The pilot phase will involve limited graduate School programmes. The DLS adopts the blended or hybrid method of teaching and Learning. Blended Learning method will be deployed by using multiple teaching and learning strategies, a range of technologies in combination with face-to-face interaction and the deployment of both physical and virtual resources.

Facilities

The DLS has a number of facilities, which will enable it carry out its mandate of teaching and research in the University. UPSA has in place an open source platform known as Moodle. Currently, faculty members have been using the platform in delivering their courses. UPSA DLS will expand the use of Moodle platform and add up other open source software plug ins to enhance the usage of the platform. There shall be Ultra Modern Distance Learning Centre, where both faculty and students could use to enhance teaching and learning.

Piloted Graduate Programmes

The following Graduate School Programmes are going to be deployed through blended distance learning mode:

MBA in Accounting/Finance
MBA in Corporate Governance
MBA in Marketing
MSc./ MPhil in Leadership

The other programmes and Undergraduate will follow suit in subsequent academic years.