University of the South Pacific

From Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education

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The University of the South Pacific (USP) supports distance and flexible learning through Moodle and videoconferencing.

Its mission to maintain, advance and disseminate knowledge by teaching, consultancy and research, and to provide appropriate levels of education and training responsive to the well-being and needs of the communities in the Pacific region.

Today, USPNet, a satellite-communications network connecting all 12 member countries of the University of the South Pacific enables distance and flexible learning. Students can also access their study materials through a Moodle platform.

It is a public, regional university co-owned by 12 Pacific Island countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The University of the South Pacific's main campus is located in Fiji and a further 13 campuses. The university was established in 1968.

In 2011, the university had an enrolment of over 19,000 students.

The university runs campuses and centres in all 12 member countries, as well as a Law School in Vanuatu and an Agricultural School in Samoa. USP offers undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes across a broad range of disciplines.

The University of the South Pacific web site is at http://www.usp.ac.fj

More details

USP first offered distance education through the People First Network's Distant Learning Centre Project (regarded as providing an invaluable service to remote rural areas). PFnet was initiated by the Solomon Islands Development Administration and Participatory Planning Program and was supported by United Nations agencies, with objectives to create a rural mail network using radio technology, solar power and information management techniques.

Today, USPNet assists in scheduling video conference sessions, coordinating these with regional counterparts, designing and installing video-conference equipment, and digitizing video-based educational materials for the delivery via streaming or download options.

All video conference sessions within USP region are free to USP students, staff, management and affiliated researchers. In addition to serving the University’s member countries via satellite, USPNet, also offers video-conferencing to non-USP countries via AARNet (Australian Academic Research Network), a fibre optic cable network.

USP has a Centre for Flexible and Distance Learning (CFDL), which was established in 2008 following a university-wide restructure from its previous form as the Centre for Educational Development & Technology (CEDT).

CFDL promotes and facilitates excellence in learning and teaching in all delivery modes amongst all University staff and students. It plans, develops, and executes an extensive range of professional learning materials for regional students of the University, and promotes professional staff development in all areas related to achieving an excellent quality of learning and teaching.

CFDL now encompasses Course Design and Development, and Student Learning Support.