The University of the South Pacific will issue new tablets to new undergraduate degree students.

This was confirmed by USP’s vice-chancellor and president, Professor Rajesh Chandra.

He said this initiative was part of the university’s new mobile platform for learning for the students.

“Students will be offered a fully set-up Android tablet including a leather case with keyboard, a power adaptor, a USB to micro USB cable and a USB to micro USB extension cable for every new full time undergraduate student to USP who has paid their first semester fees,” Professor Chandra said.

“The world of learning was being dramatically disrupted and transformed by new digital learning opportunities and USP has always been a pioneer in distance and flexible learning.

“The digital transformation of societies and its impact on the universities in general and learning and teaching in particular are required to re-think its information and communication infrastructure and services.”

He said with the influx of mobile computing through notebooks and tablets, USP had formulated a bold new strategy for its digital transformation.

“In addressing the delivery of high quality education through flexible learning, the university is adopting new pedagogies that students can be engaged in,” he said.

“USP first experimented with giving 600 tablet computers two years ago and research done at that time was very encouraging.

“In the latest scheme, the university has taken account of its earlier experiment and international best practice.”

USP has a budget of approximately $2 million for the tablets starting from Semester I, 2017.

Edited Rusiate Mataika

Feedback:  ashna.kumar@fijisun.com.fj