Course summary

The International Development and Education MA will give you a better understanding of the future of learning. The course will appeal to anyone concerned about development issues, government policy and the reduction of poverty using entrepreneurial ideas. You'll be debating challenging questions such as: •What is the future of learning in the 21st century? •How can we guarantee education for all across the developing world? •What is the future role of international agencies, national governments and the private sector in education? •Is the traditional model of schooling still fit for purpose? •What alternative solutions are available and what role will technology play in the future of learning? On this course you will get the opportunity to discuss these topics with our world class faculty, which includes: Dr Steve Humble Professor Pauline Dixon Dr James Stanfield The course is for graduates from education, information technology, economics, politics, geography or business backgrounds. In turn, our graduates go on to pursue careers in: •education in developing countries •the global education industry •national governments •international aid agencies •non-governmental organisations and charities. Our teaching is informed by research conducted by the EG West Centre. It is the world's leading authority on the growth and development of affordable private schools serving low income communities across the developing world. Recent research has focused on post conflict countries such as South Sudan, Liberia and Sierra Leone and on the growth and expansion of chains of low cost private schools in different countries around the world. Over the previous decade extensive and detailed research, directed by Professor James Tooley, has been carried out across all five continents, documenting the enormous and previously neglected potential of private schools to serve the educational needs of the poor. Professor Sugata Mitra's ground breaking research into the potential of self organised learning in different communities around the world is a key focus of the Centre. His earlier work through the Hole in the Wall experiments, showed that groups of children with access to shared digital resources can learn to use computers and the internet and go on to learn much more than previously thought possible on their own without adult supervision. Placements: The two to four week placement module offers an exciting opportunity to visit a developing country. You can visit Omega Schools in Ghana or schools across India which are taking part in Sugata Mitra's TED Prize 'Schools in the Cloud' project. This self-funded visit will provide you with an invaluable experience that will bring issues learnt on the course to life. The placement module can also be taken in the UK, across Europe or in your country of origin, with the agreement of the Degree Programme Director. Facilities: As a student in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences you'll have access to facilities and a growing collection of online resources, including: •a well-stocked Education Resource Centre •Language Analysis Lab •a phonetics lab •an audio-video lab •a recording studio. You will have access to a range of IT systems and software, and library resources including electronic journals and databases.