APEI is committed to creating the classroom of the future. For example, APUS faculty works closely with our technology partners to develop course materials that are relevant to the curriculum, that promote rigorous problem-solving skills and that engage students. Through this process, we are not only strengthening our programs, but also driving new developments in education technology that may improve outcomes and create opportunities for future growth.
Within APUS, we recently enhanced more than 50 courses with rich digital content that creates a stimulating, interactive learning environment. We plan to redesign most of our courses over the next several months. Our new content is designed to be inquiry-based and project-driven, so as to further unleash the natural curiosity of students. At APUS, chemistry students conduct experiments in a virtual laboratory that includes game-based learning and simulates the experience of a traditional laboratory. Geology students receive hands-on kits as part of their course materials that include rock and mineral samples for analysis. Throughout APUS science programs, students are now using digital instrumentation to gather, amass and analyze data.
We engage in a variety of collaborative partnerships to develop new learning technologies and course materials. For example, APUS participates in the Smart Science Network, a partnership with Smart Sparrow, an educational technology company partially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, whose aim is to develop the next generation of online science courses.
Within APUS, we are finding innovative applications for new technology. We use networking tools to foster faculty collaboration and faculty-student interaction, and to promote engagement and persistence. We expect our evolving portfolio of advanced learning technologies to be invaluable as we expand our programs in the growing fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Overall, we believe that our strategic investments and collaborative partnerships are enriching the classroom experience at APUS today—and opening new opportunities for APEI in the future.
“Taking classes at APU allowed me to engage with classmates from the Department of Defense and other agencies, advancing my interagency tactical competencies. Today, I work at the CDC in emergency response—where interagency cooperation is critical to every mission accomplished.”
“Taking classes at APU allowed me to engage with classmates from the Department of Defense and other agencies, advancing my interagency tactical competencies. Today, I work at the CDC in emergency response—where interagency cooperation is critical to every mission accomplished.”
Aneesah Akbar-Uqdah graduated from APU in 2014 with a Master’s in Intelligence Studies. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Emory University. Her thesis appears in the Best Student Papers section of the APU library. Aneesah now works as a Public Health Analyst at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and supports response efforts for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Her responsibilities involve professional partnerships with the CDC’s new Global Health Security Division, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Defense and the State Department.