Congratulations to Southern Cross University (SCU) College for achieving Quality Endorsement of its Business Communication and International Communication courses in the Online Delivery category.
SCU College specialises in preparing international students for academic success at university and beyond, offering tailored programs that focus on language development, academic skills, and confidence building. Through strategic partnerships with universities in China, SCU College delivers two 10-week units in English for Academic Purposes, with a particular emphasis on business and international communication (ENGL1006 Business Communication and ENGL1007 International Communication). These programs benefit from the presence of dedicated SCU College academic staff in China, as well as local IT support, ensuring seamless delivery and additional student assistance. Using its advanced Learning Management System, Blackboard, SCU College integrates third-party applications for online class delivery while incorporating interactive HTML5 elements and employing anti-plagiarism software to maintain academic integrity. This holistic approach demonstrates SCU College’s commitment to providing a supportive and enriching educational environment for its diverse student population.
NEAS assessed the courses using the Quality Principles in Area H: Online Delivery. These Quality Principles focus on: ensuring the design of the online environment supports a positive and engaging user experience; the appropriateness of learning and assessment strategies for virtual delivery; provision of learning resources and technology to facilitate learning; and the presence of an integrated reporting system to support the online courses. Please refer to this section of the NEAS Quality Assurance Framework for further information: https://neas.org.au/resources/neas-quality-framework/#area-h.
The assessed courses excel in accessibility, employing a consistent sans-serif font and incorporating closed-captioned videos, picture menus, and hyperlinks. Discussion forums and breakout rooms facilitate student engagement and one-on-one interaction. Content reflects local issues, and pronunciation activities target language interference. Collaborative learning activities like role plays and peer assessments are complemented by innovative applications to develop digital and linguistic skills. The courses prioritise digital competencies to prepare learners for university study and provide IT and academic support in their native language.
February 2024
