Sun Microsystems, Inc. has joined hands with Pearson, a global leader in education, education technology and services, to develop the Sun Academic Advantage. This offering includes course materials and online courses on Java technology, Open Solaris and Open Source technologies for students of all levels. The Sun Academic Advantage will enable enables instructors to add Sun-endorsed courseware into their curriculum and give students an enhanced classroom experience using the latest Sun technologies. The Sun Academic Advantage content and online courses along with Sun certifications will provide a gateway for students to gain an advantage in today's competitive workplace by becoming Sun-certified IT professionals. Computer science and information technology programs designed by Sun Academic Advantage will align with disciplines such as software development, enterprise architecture, system administration and IT management. The Sun Academic Advantage leverages Sun's expertise in emerging technologies and combines Pearson's wealth of resources, proven instructional design and excellence in content development.
The Java platform has already attracted more than 6.5 million software developers to date and is integral to the intranet applications and other e-business solutions at the foundation of corporate computing. It has a presence in a wide range of devices, computers and networks. Open Solaris is an open source project created by Sun in 2005 to build a developer community around the Solaris Operating System (OS). Courseware includes stand-alone special topic supplements, lab manuals, certification maps and practice tests. Sun Academic Advantage also includes customizable 12-week e-Learning courses, located within a tailored web portal. Each course is developed with specific learning outcomes, an instructor guide, additional resources and works within any learning management system (LMS). “Pearson's exclusive partnership with Sun is likely to enhance an academic institution's ability to keep curricula current with the latest technology,” said Chris Shenk, vice president at Pearson Learning Solutions. Sun Academic Advantage program will play a critical role in providing industry-recognized training that will successfully prepare students for professionally and financially rewarding careers.
There are technologies created by Sun that have defined and redefined the course of computing. “Sun has created technologies that have defined–and often redefined–the course of computing, and we are excited about the opportunity to work with Pearson,” said Karie Willyerd, CLO, Sun Learning Services. “Sun's Open Source technologies make these skills widely applicable and provide businesses with cost-effective solutions that deliver faster results.” Pearson provides complete online courses in disciplines such as business, general education, allied health, criminal justice, paralegal, education, and information security, plus a full suite of custom media options. Pearson's courseware services and library offerings are powered by best practices in instructional design and crafted by a team of course writers, subject matter experts and technologists. These Pearson best practices coupled with the pedagogically sound Sun Academic Advantage ensures alignment with today's workforce development initiatives of retraining America's workforce and producing a qualified labor pool.
