The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
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The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand is a crown-owned institution and the specialist national provider of open and distance learning (ODL) at the tertiary level. The largest institution in the ITP sector, the Polytechnic is a national leader in the provision of vocational education for people in the workforce.
Flexibility is The Open Polytechnic’s key strength – based on its core expertise in designing learning resources and support to meet different student and client needs. This approach extends to working with Industry Training Organisations, other institutions, international partners and commercial client organisations. The Open Polytechnic operates nation-wide, enrolling over 36,000 students in 2004. Few institutions anywhere in the world match this level of distance outreach in the community.
The Open Polytechnic has international standing in its field. In 2004 it received the Commonwealth’s most prestigious institutional award for excellence in distance education from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). In 2002, then Chief Executive Shona Butterfield received COL’s highest individual honour - the Honorary Fellow Award.
The Open Polytechnic has formed a strategic alliance with the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, to offer the highly regarded Bachelor of Engineering Technology and Bachelor of Business in New Zealand. The Bachelor of Engineering Technology programme has been accredited by the New Zealand Institution of Engineers and meets worldwide standards for engineering education. The Bachelor of Engineering Technology includes majors in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering with specialist courses in municipal services and environmental engineering among others.
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand also provides a full range of certificate and diploma courses in architectural draughting, construction management, quantity surveying, plumbing and electrical practice. Further through the Open Polytechnic Centre for Real Estate and Property Studies, a range of courses and programmes in resource management, town planning, property management and real estate are offered. Within the Open Polytechnic Natural Resources Centre programmes in many aspects of agriculture, environmental management and conservation are available.
As a specialist distance learning institution, The Open Polytechnic has an important role to play in wider e-learning development within the education sector. This is exemplified by the Polytechnic’s lead role in a $ 1.5 million-funded collaborative project to develop an open source e-learning platform for use by tertiary organisations. The final product will include tools both for creating e-learning content and for delivery to learners.
Specialists:- Butcher, Peter - Head of Engineering and Construction
- Cooper, Kelvin - Manager of Real Estate Centre