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The Cisco Networking Academy Program
elearning as the new distance learning
Dr Michelle Selinger
Education Specialist
Cisco Systems
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The Cisco Network Academy Program
Public Private Partnership between Cisco, governments, educational institutions and NGOs created to teach students how to design, build and maintain computer networks thereby equipping them with the skills to be economically active in an area of employment vital to the new Internet economy
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Curriculum
Labs
Instructor Community
Assessment
Curriculum, Labs, Instructor Guide, Assessment
Maintenance
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Key features
• Curriculum and teaching model developed at a distance but with international input
• Locally taught
• Instructor training and ongoing support
• Regional communities
• Vocationally oriented
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Program Structure
CiscoCisco
CATCCATC
RegionalRegional
LocalLocal
StudentsStudents
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Programme development
Train the Trainer, quality, support
Train the trainer, quality,support
Training of students
Training Model
Cisco
CATC
Regional
Local
Students
Cisco
Funds
Cisco
Funds
Cisco
Funds
Cisco F
unds
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THE PARTNERSHIP
Cisco provideCurriculum
Training
Equipment
Virtual Community
Schools ProvideSpace
Teachers
Students
Curriculum Integration
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Cisco Career Certification: Life-long Learning
CCIE
High School
Tech. School
College
University
Tech. School
College
CCNA
Academy Curriculum
Academy Curriculum Now
Career
CareerCCNP
Career
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Largest E-Learning Laboratory
425,125 StudentsCurrently Enrolled138,000 Graduates
10,351 Academies
19,995 Instructors
149 Countries
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Expanding Networking Academy Program
Sponsored Curriculum
Cisco is expanding the Networking Academy curriculum to include courses sponsored by IT industry leaders providing students with comprehensive Internet technology skills.
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Expanding theNetworking Academy Program
• IT Essentials I: PC Hardware and Software
• IT Essentials II: Network Operating Systems
• Fundamentals of Voice and Data Cabling
• Fundamentals of UNIX
• Fundamentals of Java Programming
All 70-hour Courses urrently Available Only in English
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Wide appeal and minimal pre-requsites
Target Audience:
• Students interested in an in depth look at Network Operating Systems and an introduction to Networking – practical pre-cursor to the CCNA curriculum
• Students who would like to study for the CompTIA Server + exam
• Working adults from outside the IT industry interested in expanding their technical knowledge
Prerequisites:• Students should have a Reading Age Level (RAL) of 13, basic
computer literacy and awareness of the Internet
• No prior experience with network operating systems or networking required
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All courses involve hands-on learning
• Students design, build, & maintain networks
• Students assessed on ability to apply skills
• Develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Students have fun and put what they learn into practice
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Fundamentals of UNIX
• 70-hour course on the basics of the UNIX operating system
• Prepares students to perform basic, entry-level UNIX operator skills and UNIX operating system commands
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IT Essentials I and II
Two 70-hour courses
IT Essentials I: An in depth exposure to personal computer hardware, and desktop operating systems
IT Essentials II: An introduction to networking and network operating systems.
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Fundamentals of Voice and Data CablingFundamentals of Voice and Data CablingFundamentals of Voice and Data CablingFundamentals of Voice and Data Cabling
70-hour course on the physical aspects of cabling
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• 70 hour course which provides a conceptual understanding of Object Oriented programming
• Teaches students how to use the JAVA language's object oriented technologies to solve business problems
Fundamentals of Java ProgrammingFundamentals of Java Programming
18
Cultural and pedagogical relevance in different countries
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Data collected
• Visits to 57 Academies in 11 countries
Denmark, Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK
Interviews with 100 instructors and 300 students
Observation of classes
All interviews recorded and transcribed
• Web based questionnaire
Piloted and then developed for the web
Data from 1650 students and 110 instructors across EMEA
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Questions
• Can a global curriculum serve the needs of students in all countries?
• What adaptations need to be made?
• How does the level of Internet access affects the pedagogical process?
• What are the challenges facing locally based tutors?
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Findings
• Cultural beliefs about teaching and learning have some impact on the way the Program is taught
• Lack of experience and understanding of how traditional instruction interfaces with web based teaching materials
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Example 1: South Africa
• Limited understanding needs precursor to Program
• Integration of theory and labs and drawing links is important to students
• Internet access is slow and difficult outside class and few students have access at home
• Students with little Internet experience need time to adjust to the e-learning materials
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Example 2: France
• The tradition of didactique is very strong in France so the Program was very much instructor led.
• More student autonomy in the university particularly for the Bac + 2 students.
• Instructor input was strong in all areas and they took their teaching seriously.
• None made much use of the best practices site in the instructor community because they did not fit pedagogy and they were in English so required translation
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Example 3: Sweden and Denmark
• Little e-reading in lessons
• Considerable student autonomy and group work
• The curriculum was seen as too repetitive in some places
• The onus is on students to be organised and prepared for tests
• Often teachers liked the students to pre-read the curriculum before coming to a lecture, though not all did
• There was more use of web links from the curriculum than seen elsewhere
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Example 4: Poland
• Program was embedded in a module on networking complementing and adding practical skills to the module.
• Student assessment includes the Cisco online tests, a skills test, sometimes a group activity and a written theoretical test
• Lack of English language skills of students
• Condensed semester one for university students
• High Internet access charges prohibit students’ access to the curriculum outside classes and especially at home
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Implications for policy and practice
Vocational education can be globalised under certain conditions
Recognition of the need for cultural adaptation
Local tutors are important in helping to make resources pedagogically and culturally relevant
Support for local tutors is vital in helping them to use and adapt global e-learning resources with students
The variations in ease and cost of access to the Internet will affect the way programmes are used and taught