Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence dissemination through short courses has been challenging. Traditional courses, often offered face-to-face, faced immense difficulties due to social distancing and work-from-home directives. Robust technologies and expanding internet bandwidth capacities still did not fully address the challenges.
Consequently, the Center conducted a needs assessment targeting APHRC staff and stakeholders to determine the issues around traditional online learning. As a result, the roadmap for implementing the Virtual Academy was clustered into four areas: planning, capacity building, implementation, and scaling.
As the pandemic led to a shift towards virtual engagements in the scientific and academic community, the role of the Virtual Academy in APHRC’s Strategic Plan became more prominent. It was recognized as a critical driver to strengthen individual capacities, both internally and externally, challenging the traditional in-person approach to training.
The Virtual Academy operates on two platforms: the Learning Management System (LMS) and the Community of Practice (CoP). These platforms are designed to meet the needs and demands of the modern research environment, offering all courses in a self-paced model. They also provide facilitators with the knowledge and skills to create online curricula and prepare instructional materials.
The Virtual Academy is a game-changer in the Center’s strategy to strengthen individual capacity in research and policy engagement for its staff and others on the African continent.
Contact bondiek@aphrc.org to plug your project into the Virtual Academy.