This is the preferred medium for meetings of the Network Academic Council and the University Management Group. It is also used for specialized classes, workshops, and tutorials. Supported by an extensive training program, academic staff are expected to become highly proficient in the use of computers and multimedia technologies for both teaching and academic administration. Much of the structure and content of the UHI enterprise is predicated on a new learning paradigm for higher education. Learning is no longer restricted to one physical location, but is available in many places simultaneously.
Instruction moves beyond oral presentation into a range of multimedia learning systems.
The pace of learning is controlled by the student rather than the teacher, whose role is to facilitate the student s learning. As a result, the individual rather than the classroom audience becomes the focus of the learning process. This also allows a re-definition of who is a tertiary student. No longer are students drawn from a particular age cohort or socio-economic background. UHI students can be anyone who has completed secondary school, and who can demonstrate the capacity and desire to benefit from its programs.