The Academy of Digital Arts launches real-time virtual classes

The internationally-renowned Academy of Digital Arts has just launched a brand-new, real-time virtual short course offering, blending the best of live, instructor-led teaching with the convenience and accessibility of remote learning.

Real-time virtual classes are being added to the existing offering, building on the success the Academy has experienced with their existing short courses. The new virtual classes are going to make the unique brand of education that the Academy has to offer, available to a far wider student body on a permanent basis.

Learn graphic design from anywhere

The academy prides itself on its multicultural mix of students at its Cape Town campus and is now enabling access to its virtual classes to a more multinational remote student body as the new classes have been designed to facilitate learners from around the globe.

A diverse student body is far from the only benefit of the Academy of Digital Arts’ virtual classes, though. The live format of the classes has been specifically chosen to remove some of the biggest pain points of traditional online learning. Namely: learner-driven pacing that makes it difficult to maintain momentum without strict self-discipline; a lack of community and comradery between classmates; and one-size-fits-all teaching that cannot accommodate students’ personal strengths and weaknesses.

What you can expect

All classes happen in real-time, hosted by experienced lecturers who are all practicing experts in their fields. Students can join the classes via Zoom and are held accountable for their attendance by both their lecturers and their fellow classmates, who are able to support and interact with each other like they do in a traditional classroom. Being live, lecturers can also adapt their teaching to cater to specific student concerns or interests, delivering a far deeper learning experience than pre-packaged online courses. Classes are capped at 20 learners to make sure that the personal touch is never lost.

As for what’s on offer, students can initially choose between Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Portfolio Building. The Adobe classes are also available as a DTP Package deal, with an optional Portfolio Building module and free Finishing Art Online Course thrown in as well. The Academy is planning to offer its Short Courses in Web Development as virtual classes in the near future as well.

What you need to know

Classes are accessible from any device (laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone), but students will need access to a Mac or PC capable of running the Adobe software required for their chosen course, and a stable internet connection. As an added bonus, all students will be eligible for 70% off their Adobe Creative Suite All Apps licence for one year – a real bargain for those interested in expanding their skills.

New virtual classes coming soon

New virtual classes are being added regularly and custom classes for corporate clients can be formulated on request as well.

Prospective remote students can stay up to date on the latest offering at ada.ac.za/virtual-classes or email az.ca.ada@sessalclautriv to find out more.