AGRICOLLEGES INTERNATIONAL
AN INTRODUCTION
AGRICOLLEGES INTERNATIONAL
AGRICOLLEGES International (ACI) is a modern cloud-based e-learning institution, using world-class technology as a platform to address the agricultural education gap in South-Africa and beyond, by providing students with affordable, accessible and industry-relevant education and training in the fields of agriculture and related Agri industries.
ACI’s unique offering is the cloud-based teaching, training and learning of Agri-Sciences by providing access to information in an online, blended and shared learning environment, available from anywhere at any time. All this at a fraction of the cost of traditional bricks and mortar tertiary education institutions.
THE BLENDED LEARNING MODEL
ACI’s online courses combine e-learning with an academic approach as well as the practical application of the coursework. Combining this with shared-learning results in a three-pronged approach:
- Students learn independently through the online tool, at any time and from anywhere;
- Students collaborate online with one another to share information and learn from each other through forums like chat rooms and webinars; and
- Students benefit from practical learning experiences which take place either remotely or at an AGRICOLLEGES international Practicals Destination.
Moving forward with technology
Our Learning Management System (LMS) is hosted on the cloud and includes advanced tools and functionality to enable a full suite of blended learning opportunities. Desire2Learn’s (D2L) Brightspace LMS delivers this functionality.
Together with the integration of technology and by using the cloud-based platform, the delivery of specific courses in Agri-Sciences can be scaled to include large numbers of students, offering them a more affordable top-class learning platform, from anywhere at any time. There is a scalability for huge numbers of students that the platform can host per course. The shared-learning chat group system enables more refined individual attention by limiting those groups, linked in any one course, to a maximum of 25 students. Gone are the days of hundreds of students in a lecture hall.
AGRICOLLEGES international leadership team
The ACI leadership team comprises a passionate group of people who have extensive and wide-ranging experience in the fields of agriculture, education and business. Talented operational staff who are skilled in delivering on their specific areas of expertise are tasked with implementing a world-class, blended learning experience. All this endorsed by the faculty of Agri-sciences and its dean at Stellenbosch University.
Accreditation
AGRICOLLEGES international is AgriSETA accredited to offer a one-year NQF4 National Certificate in General Agriculture as well as various production and skills development short courses. Application has been made to the Council of Higher Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training for accreditation in the Higher Education and Training field and approval is expected soon.
Course development
AGRICOLLEGES international works with best in class course content developers from Stellenbosch University as well as Subject Matter Experts (SME) representing Agri-industry bodies across South Africa and the world.
The association with Stellenbosch University is well defined through a three-year-old collaboration agreement and a number of joint projects are in progress.
ACI has developed a state of the art, modern Life Skills course applicable to all industries as a standalone course with 11 modules. Technology has allowed us to successfully integrate certain aspects of the Life Skills course into our other courses.
Achievements
We pride ourselves in having successfully rolled-out 8 short courses and a 1-year National Certificate since March 2018. We are currently developing a further 18 short courses.
All coursework is developed in collaboration with the relevant industry bodies, for example, Milk Producers Organisation, SA Table Grape Industry, Citrus Academy, etc. The motivation behind these collaborations is to ensure that we address the needs as expressed by farmers through these organisations.
Having launched the first course in March 2018, we have successfully graduated 400+ alumni with a further 150 students currently on the platform. We boast that our alumni come from 22 different countries around the globe reflecting the true reach and potential of our learning platform from anywhere at any time.
Future Generation Aspirational Development
ACI supports entrepreneurial initiatives and a sustainable farming development philosophy, to ensure food and water security in Agriculture, for all nations.
In seeking collaboration and partnerships with the relevant roll-players in the Agri-industry and its value supply chain, we believe that our offering is a much needed opportunity for learners from all walks of life, wanting to study a range of the Agri-Sciences, to improve their skills both in agriculture and in their understanding of technology, and thus offering them hope for a brighter future.
All this at a hugely competitive cost of registration.
ALUMNI STORIES
ANRI MANDERSON
Alumnus & Founder of Like Mountains Organic Rose Geranium Essential Oil Farm & Distillery