American Digital University – leading the way in online maritime studies
American Digital University is a provider of quality online courses with over a decade of experience. ADU serves higher education institutions as e-learning consultants and as e-learning content development partners. They also provide off-the-shelf courses in areas such as mathematics, science and professional maritime studies.
The American Digital University (ADU) entered the online learning community in 2003, when online learning was still the wild west. Our journey at ADU began with the development and strengthening of relationships with the maritime industry and the learning institutions connected to the profession. In partnership with many stakeholders, across schools worldwide and the industry, we uncovered some real needs: how can we create more accessible instructional and learning opportunities for students interested in entering the maritime industry?
Seeing the success we had in the maritime industry, we decided it was time to expand our reach and our impact. In conversation with our partners and various organisations, we decided to create supplemental online courses in math and the sciences that span the college spectrum. Over the past seven years, we have developed a large set of courses ranging from high school mathematics to advanced college-level mathematics courses. We have also developed courses in Physics, Chemistry and Biology with the vision of creating STEM Career Pathways for students. As we continue our journey, we expect to use our experience from the maritime sector to develop skills-based courses in other careers, such as healthcare.
While the ADU has been successful in reaching niche markets, we have a greater potential by working with Alison to reach a worldwide audience. With Alison’s 13 million learners, we are hoping to reach a significantly larger student population.
Our portfolio includes over 100 courses that are built to specific curriculums. Most of our courses have formal accreditation through professional certification bodies and that requires that we create our courses to the highest professional standards. We are proud of every one of them!
Tuition fees are a concern for parents and many bright kids and young people drop out due to the fact that their parents can’t afford tuition. Free education will bring more people into formal education. In India, more than 50% of the population is under 25 years old. It’s important that educational opportunities be given to under-served communities so that they can gain skill-based jobs, rather than be at the bottom tier. Even in an advanced country like the USA, there is a dire need for skill development. As the economy has moved towards technology-driven automation, many of the low-skill jobs have vanished, thus creating a need for training people of all ages to adapt to the current job market. These are the areas we target and where we try to make a difference.
There is not, and will never be, any substitute for knowledge. Learn as much as you can! If you want to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd, be assured that knowledge will make you taller, stronger, and more visible. In today’s world, you have access to knowledge, and often without a cost. Grab it!
We work extensively with the regional Work Force Development Boards to provide skills-based training. During one of our meetings, we met a young person who wanted to know how to get into a healthcare job. She had commuted over two hours to come to the meeting and was willing to do the same again to get trained to enter into a healthcare job. It’s clear where tuition-free education can bring change to society.
Our next challenge is the development of healthcare courses to bring nursing and other healthcare careers to learners. This is going to have its challenges, since we will need to incorporate practical training or virtual laboratories into our lessons. We are looking forward to that challenge and expect to embark on this new journey from 2021.
