ISHS Acta Horticulturae 672: IV International Symposium on Horticultural Education, Extension and Training
EXPERIENCES IN DELIVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE’S MASTER OF AGRIBUSINESS ONLINE |
| Author: | P. McSweeny |
| Keywords: | on-line education, agribusiness, flexible delivery |
| Abstract:
Orientation of The University of Melbourne’s Master of Agribusiness (Coursework) (est. 1999) is towards the agribusiness professional by broadening the understanding of the industry in which they operate and enhancing the analytical skills required in the day-to-day work environment. The program is tailored to an understanding of agribusiness operations across the related agribusiness sectors, including horticulture. The program is designed for professionals in full-time employment and attracts those located locally, in remote areas and overseas. The program adopts an innovative course structure combining two residential programs and on-line delivery. The online learning system assembles the following learning features: subject content and individual learning tasks, email, online discussion/ messaging which is openly shared by all members, collaborative project databases, and access to remote web sites and databases. The advantages of the learning approach include its location independency, time convenience and multi–level interaction. A Graduate Certificate is also ‘nested’ within the Masters program. This paper outlines the essential features of the innovative approach taken to deliver the Masters to what is arguably a niche sector of the postgraduate market. This paper also reflects upon the experiences in developing the initiative. | |
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