The goal of the program is to build a blended-learning model that can be replicated anywhere, at low cost and with high quality.
Generation Rwanda, a nonprofit organization, is helping college-age students in Rwanda gain access to a college education with the launch of Kepler, an education program utilizing new innovations in higher education like massive open online courses (MOOCs) and competency-based degrees.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Kepler, which was created out of Generation Rwanda's current scholarship program, incorporates open-source, online content from Western universities and on-site classroom instruction.
It also offers an associate's degree from Southern New Hampshire University's College for America program.
Kepler's first four years have been financed by an unnamed corporate foundation that insists on keeping its name and monetary contribution a secret.
Jamie Hodari, executive director of Generation Rwanda, told the Chronicle that the goal of the program is to build a blended-learning model that can be replicated anywhere at low cost and with high quality.
The 10-year plan involves expanding Kepler through replica programs that would reach 100,000 students around the world.
Receiving 2,696 applications for its inaugural class, Kepler will launch with 50 students.
In the past, Generation Rwanda's scholarship program has paid for dozens of students to attend Rwandan universities, but according to program officials, the quality of education at Rwandan institutions was subpar, citing poor technology and professors.
For students in Rwanda, gaining access to a college education is no easy task. According to figures from the World Bank, only 6.6% of college-age Rwandans were enrolled in universities in 2011.
As a result, Generation Rwanda officials began negotiations with College for America, which is a competency-based program that awards credit based on the students' mastery of knowledge and skills rather than time spent in the classroom.
College for America, established in 2012, is the first university program in the U.S. to receive accreditation for a competency-based direct assessment model. Kepler is currently its only international partner.
According to Kepler's website, students will take online classes on MOOC platforms, and on-site instructors will then design a course and accompanying lesson plans in order to contextualize the topics for the students.
The program is currently free for students but hopes keep the cost to $1,000 or less so that it can continue to run on tuition income once start-up money has run out.
Program officials are also trying to establish a student-loan market in Rwanda by forming partnerships with local banks.
A research group has also been hired to study how well Kepler students do compared with two control groups: students enrolled in traditional Rwandan universities and Rwandan students enrolled in fully online courses.
In the future, Kepler officials hope to expand the program to offer bachelor's degrees through competency-based programs at various universities.
Original article and pictures take www.gannett-cdn.com site
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