In many ways, the concept of education has remained the same over the millennia – the experienced and learned passing on their knowledge and wisdom to new generations. And some of the biggest revolutions in teaching and learning have been brought about by technology: from the printing press to computers to the internet, they have all changed and democratized the process of teaching and learning. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as the next big game-changer.

The emerging role of AI agents in education is the subject of a new e-book released by the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT). Going beyond simple AI tools, such as ChatGPT’s generative AI, the e-book looks at how sophisticated AI agents can be deployed as education allies, both in the general sense and referencing OPIT’s AI Copilot as a specific case study.

So, what can you expect to learn from OPIT’s e-book?

What Are AI Agents?

The e-book starts by explaining the concept of AI Agents. These are AI tools that go beyond simple “if a then x but if b then y” reasoning. Instead, they can work autonomously towards specified goals, with very little need for user intervention. To achieve this, the AI Agent must be able to perceive, make decisions, act, and adapt.

What those four steps look like in action depends on how the AI Agent is employed. Let’s take the example of an AI Agent deployed to deliver IT support, integrated with the IT system’s knowledge and user management system.

The AI Agent will perceive the nature of the problem from requests for help submitted by users, reading and understanding written requests, and also potentially gathering data directly from devices if they are networked. It then integrates this input with its IT system knowledge to understand the nature of the problem and the required solution.

The AI Agent will then decide the best way to solve the problem and plan what steps need to be taken. It should then be able to act. For example, it can verify the user’s identity and begin the password reset process, send detailed information to the user explaining how to solve the problem, or issue a ticket with the important information to the appropriate human IT specialist.

Based on outcomes, the AI Agent will assess its success in completing this task and incorporate that information into its knowledge base.

As well as saving time and money on these tasks, AI Agents can be more efficient, as they work continuously and reduce human error, especially for repetitive and mundane tasks. Scalability is another advantage of AI Agents, as they can be easily scaled up or down when workloads fluctuate.

AI Agents in Education

AI Agents can be deployed in education scenarios to achieve a number of different tasks, which is something that OPIT is doing with its OPIT AI Copilot.

These can be programmed to work as virtual teachers or study assistants that are available 24/7 and deliver personalized learning plans. For example, the OPIT AI Copilot is trained on OPIT’s library of educational content, including over 5,000 lectures and 3,500 hours of video content across 131 courses. From this base, it can show students the content they need to study based on their current stage in the course and answer questions posed by the student through a natural language interface.

If the student is struggling with concepts, the AI Agent can produce alternative learning materials that may work better with the student’s learning style. For advanced students, it can bring in related content that connects to their interests and understanding.

The AI Agent can help students prepare for exams by creating practice tests and issuing grades, even for long-form answers based on factors such as grammatical accuracy and the presence of essential concepts in the response. This kind of immediate feedback has been shown to improve student results over time.

The AI Agent is also useful for teachers, who can use it for grading simple tests and as a fairness check when grading large numbers of more complex papers. It can alert teachers when students are struggling and might benefit from direct intervention, and can identify course materials that are proving problematic for the cohort as a whole, flagging them up for review.

There are many other potential applications, such as creating virtual tours of lost or distant historical sites, virtual discussion moderation, resource gathering for assignments, and organizing references in the required format.

The Benefits of AI Agents in Education

The e-book takes a deep look at both the benefits and potential issues of AI in education. Some of the clearest benefits are personalized learning that moves beyond “one-size-fits-all” approaches and improved accessibility. At the same time, there are concerns around algorithmic bias impacting learning and reduced critical thinking due to over-reliance on AI tools.

But this is why the e-book emphasizes that AI is not a replacement for human teachers, but a tool that can be used to enhance the learning environment. OPIT devotes a chapter to discussing how teachers are becoming curators of dynamic teaching environments that leverage a variety of tools, including AI, to create stimulating and accessible learning spaces.

Essential to this is teaching students how to work with AI, when it is appropriate and when it can be a hindrance, and how to critically assess the content produced and delivered by AI. This is an essential skill for the future as AI becomes more prevalent in every aspect of our lives, and we must critically assess its outputs.

AI Agents Empowering Learning

Overall, the e-book assesses how AI Agents are being leveraged to empower both teachers and students in the education space. The recently released OPIT AI Copilot is one of the examples discussed in the e-book, but it is just the beginning. We fully expect more complex and sophisticated education AI Agents to emerge as the AI Agents, teachers, and students gain a better understanding of their capabilities. It is an exciting time to be in education.

Download the OPIT e-book AI in Education.

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) is turning two! It has been both a long journey and a whirlwind trip to reach this milestone. But it is also the perfect time to stop and reflect on what we have achieved over the last two years, as well as assess our hopes for the future. Join us as we map our journey over the last two years and look forward to future plans.

July 2023: Launching OPIT

OPIT officially launched as an EU-accredited online higher education institution in July 2023, and offered two core programs: a BSc in Modern Computer Science and an MSc in Applied Data Science and AI. Its first class matriculated in September of that year.

The launch of OPIT was several years in the making. Founder Riccardo Ocleppo was planning OPIT ever since he launched his first company, Docsity, in 2010, an online platform for students to share access to educational resources. As part of working on that project, Ocleppo had the chance to talk to thousands of students and professors and discovered just how big a gap there is between what is taught in universities today and job market demands. Ocleppo felt that this gap was especially wide in the field of computer science, and OPIT was his concept to fill that gap.

The vision was to provide university-level teaching that was accessible around the world through digital learning technologies and that was also affordable. Ocleppo’s vision also involved international professors and building strong relationships with global companies to ensure a truly international and fit-for-purpose learning experience.

One of the most important parts of launching OPIT was the recruitment of the faculty of professors, which Ocleppo was personally involved in. The idea was to build a roster of expert teachers and professionals who were leaders in the field and urge them to unite the teaching fundamentals with real-world applications and experience. The process involved screening more than 5,000 CVs, interviewing over 200 candidates, and recruiting 25 professors to form the core of OPIT’s faculty.

September 2023: The Inaugural Cohort

When OPIT officially launched, its first cohort included 100 students from 38 different countries. Divided between the BSc and MSc courses, students were also allowed to participate in one of two different tracks. Some chose the standard track to accommodate their existing work commitments, while others chose to fast-track to complete their studies sooner.

OPIT was pleased with its success in making the courses international and accessible, with notable representation from Africa. In the first cohort, 40% of MSc students were also from non-STEM fields, showing OPIT’s success at engaging professionals looking to develop skills for the modern workplace.

July 2024: A Growing Curriculum

Building on this initial success, in 2024, OPIT expanded its academic offering to include a second BSc program in Digital Business, and three new MSc programs in Digital Business & Innovation, Responsible Artificial Intelligence, and Enterprise Cybersecurity. These were all offered in addition to the original two programs.

The new course offerings led to total student numbers growing to over 300, hailing from 78 different countries. This also led to an expansion of the faculty, with professionals recruited from major business leaders such as Symantec, Microsoft, PayPal, McKinsey, MIT, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, and U.S. Naval Research. This focus on professional experience and real-world applications is ideal for OPIT as 80% of the student body are active working professionals.

January 2025: First Graduating Class

OPIT held its first-ever graduation ceremony in Valletta, Malta, on March 8, 2025. The ceremony was a hybrid event, with students attending both in person and virtually. The first graduating class consisted of 40 students who received an MSc in Applied Data Science and AI.

OPIT’s MSc programs include a capstone project that sees students apply their learning to real-world challenges. Projects included the use of large language models for the creation of chatbots in the ed-tech field, the digitalization of customer support processes in the paper and non-woven industry, personal data protection systems, AI applications for environmental sustainability, and predictive models for disaster prevention linked to climate change. Since many OPIT students realized their capstone projects within their organizations, OPIT also saw itself successfully facilitating digital innovation in the field.

July 2025: New Learning Environments

The next step for OPIT is not just to teach others how to leverage AI to work smarter, but to start applying AI solutions in our own business environment. To this end, OPIT unveiled its OPIT AI Copilot at the Microsoft AI Agents and the Future of Higher Education event in Milan in June 2025.

The OPIT AI Copilot is a specialist AI Agent designed to enhance learning in OPIT’s fully digital environment. OPIT AI Copilot acts as a personal tutor and study companion, and but rather than being trained on the World Wide Web, it is specifically trained on OPIT’s educational archive of around 3,500 hours of lectures and 3,000 proprietary documents.

The OPIT AI Copilot then provides real-time, personalized guidance that adapts to where the student is in the course and the progress they have shown in grasping the material. As well as pulling from existing materials, the OPIT AI Copilot can generate content to deepen learning, such as code samples and practical exams. It can also answer questions posed by the students with answers grounded in the official course material. The tool is available 24/7, and also has an intelligent examination mode, which prevents cheating.

In this way, OPIT AI Copilot enriches the OPIT learning environment by providing students with 24/7 personalized support for their learning journey, ideal for busy professionals balancing work and study. It is a step towards facing the challenge of “one-size-fits-all” education approaches that have plagued learning institutions for millennia.

September 2025: A New Cohort

On the heels of the OPIT AI Copilot launch, OPIT is excited about recruiting its next round of students, with applications open until September 2025. If you are interested in joining OPIT, you can learn more about its courses here.

Source:

• Authority Magazine, published on July 28th, 2025

By Kate Mowbray, 7 min read

• Authority Magazine

Source:

• EFMD Global, published on July 29th, 2025

By Stephanie Mullins, 3 min read

• EFMD Global

Are you considering returning to study to deepen your fundamental understanding of essential emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and cybersecurity? But at the same time, are you unsure about the kind of impact this might have on your career prospects and whether it is worth the investment?

Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) student Paulo Mota was in a similar situation. To assist others in choosing the best path forward, he shares his experience as a professional who decided to enroll at OPIT to deepen his understanding of AI. Paulo explains how he was able to immediately apply his new learning in his current role to enhance his impact.

The Challenge

Paulo is a data engineer with Brazilian roots who has been working in the Netherlands for the past five years. He increasingly saw the potential applications of AI to enhance projects in his current position at Coolblue and had a desire to move in that direction. But he was unclear how to set aside the time to study the subject without putting his career progression on hold. This was his biggest barrier in deciding how to move forward.

The Solution

Paulo investigated a number of study opportunities and settled on OPIT. While recognizing that it may not be the most prominent institute in the field, the curriculum of the MSc in Responsible AI was exactly what he was looking for. It combines building technical expertise with a focus on real-world applications, and it is taught not just by professors but also by professionals in the field currently leading the expansion of AI applications.

In addition to this, the degree is flexible and delivered fully remote, allowing Paulo to study without taking a career break. This also had the added benefit that he could apply what he learned on the job, so he did not have to wait to complete the course to start to see the benefits.

Paulo also highlighted that the degree’s EU certification was a bonus for someone with Brazilian roots building a career in the European market.

The Results

Paulo says that so far, his OPIT degree has been a highly worthwhile investment. He has already started to become more involved with projects at his current place of work, using AI to improve how the data analytics team works, improving the speed and impact of their work.

For his final capstone project, Paulo is working on a live challenge in his workplace, enhancing the real-world experience he gains as part of the course and bringing genuine value to his company in the process.

The course has also prepared Paulo for a variety of professional certifications in AI that enhance his CV and improve his competitive edge in the work landscape. While students must still apply to the professional issuing agencies and take tests, OPIT’s courses prepare students to fulfill these requirements with ease.

Other Success Stories

Paulo is one of several recent success stories to come out of OPIT from working professionals who have leveraged their new learning to enhance their impact in their current positions.

For instance, Rinaldo Festa recently shared a similar experience completing OPIT’s BSc in Modern Computer Science while continuing to work full-time as the Chief Technology Officer at Cosmico. He wanted to improve his ability to balance innovation with practical application so that he could perform better in his current job and not interrupt his career. Like Paulo, his course of study had immediate applications, and he was able to work on more transformational projects.

Silvia Garavaglia was in a similar position, working as a project manager on complex projects that increasingly involved big data and AI, but she felt that her lack of technical expertise was holding her back from doing more. She chose OPIT’s MSc in Applied Data Science and AI, again because it married flexibility with a curriculum built around practical applications. This allowed her to rethink her role and create new opportunities for herself within her career.

OPIT’s MSc in Responsible AI

OPIT’s MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence is a forward-thinking program designed to cultivate a new generation of AI professionals who are not only technically proficient but also deeply conscious of the ethical and societal implications of their work.

It is a full, comprehensive, EU-accredited Master’s program that typically lasts between 12 and 24 months, depending on whether you decide to take the standard track or fast-track. Both tracks cover the same content, so your choice depends on the time you have to commit. It offers a unique blend of foundational AI concepts and advanced applications, all viewed through a critical lens of responsibility.

The curriculum is meticulously structured to cover both the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of AI. Core modules include an “Introduction to AI and Ethics,” which sets the stage for the program’s unique focus, alongside essential subjects like “Data Analytics and Visualization,” “Human-Centered AI Design,” and “Programming for AI.” As the program progresses, students delve into more advanced topics such as “Machine Learning,” “Natural Language Processing,” “Computer Vision,” “Computing Architectures for AI,” and specialized applications in “AI for IoT and Automation” and “AI in Business, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship.”

A key expectation of the program is its emphasis on progressive assessment rather than traditional final exams. Students are evaluated through a variety of methods, including programming exercises, collaborative group projects, development of websites or applications, essays, and quizzes. This diverse assessment approach ensures a holistic understanding and application of the material.

The program’s tight course structure is followed by final terms dedicated to a thesis or a capstone project, which can often be integrated with an internship. In the case of those continuing to work, it integrates real-world challenges into their current role.

Graduates emerge from the program as highly versatile AI professionals uniquely positioned to develop AI applications, models, and software responsibly, integrating ethical considerations into every stage of the AI lifecycle. This specialized skill set opens doors to a wide array of career opportunities in a rapidly evolving job market.

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) is a new concept in higher education that aims to equip people for a fast-changing work landscape characterized by rapidly evolving technology. This goes beyond deep training in trending technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity to reframing our approach to work and how we envision the future of work.

As part of that ongoing discussion, Stefania Tabi from OPIT Career Services sat down with Matteo Roversi, Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer at Cosmico, to talk about how we need to reframe our approach to work to thrive in the future workplace.

Founded in 2020, Cosmico is an Italian-based talent platform that uses AI-powered technology to connect talent – currently a pool of more than 27,000 independent professionals – with the businesses that need them, including many of Europe’s biggest companies. The platform uses AI for talent screening, matching, and recommendations, as well as to assess coding skills. This can reduce the time from request to screening, interview, proposal, and kick-off to between 24 and 72 hours, letting businesses move faster.

New Rules

Matteo started by discussing the aspects of the work landscape that have fundamentally changed over the last decade, and how this is forcing us to reframe our approach to standing out in the workplace.

CV to Reputation

He explained that while for many potential employees, the main concern used to be populating your CV with the relevant skills and experience to land your next job, that is becoming increasingly meaningless. AI can be used to tailor your CV exactly to what a job description wants, bearing in mind that the description was probably also written by AI and will be assessed by AI. As a result, matching CVs to job descriptions has become an increasingly unreliable way to find desirable candidates.

This has shifted the focus to reputation, as it is increasingly important that people are familiar with your work and know people who can recommend you to get your foot in the door.

Execution to Agency

It used to be that your objective was fulfilling the tasks on a job description, which required intelligence and experience, but not necessarily a significant amount of self-direction. That is changing as new ways of solving problems continue to emerge. Today, businesses want employees who have agency and take the initiative to solve problems. In a way, today, everyone needs the self-starter mindset of an entrepreneur.

Specialization to Deep Generalism

In recent years, the work landscape has been about specialization in specific fields and technologies. But Matteo explained how that focus is disappearing. Technology is moving so quickly that specialist software, coding languages, and algorithms are becoming obsolete, or the work previously required is being automated through AI.

Therefore, today, instead of a focused specialization, applicants need deep generalism, with not only a broad understanding of the technological landscape but a deep understanding of how technology can be leveraged to connect different fields of work, solve problems, and judge decisions.

Hours to Progression

The trend of moving away from paying for hours worked to the product being delivered will only become more pronounced, Matteo explained. Things that once took hours can now be delivered within minutes, but that doesn’t necessarily diminish the value of that delivery.

He explained how we need to think of ourselves as mind athletes. For instance, a sprinter may compete for a little over 10 seconds in their principal race, but they spend vast amounts of time in deep training. This is what professionals must do now: invest in their knowledge base so that they can deliver. As an extension of this, just like athletes, professionals need to focus on recovery. No one is a machine, and we cannot be delivering constantly.

Compete to Create

Matteo explained how the workplace mindset has long been one of competition, with talent competing for a finite number of jobs. But as jobs disappear and emerge rapidly, the field of competition changes significantly, and the market no longer feels finite. He also suggested that the best way to find the job that you want is to create it, rather than wait for someone else to make it for you (and then compete for it).

Taking Charge of Your Career

Having looked in detail at how the work landscape is changing, Matteo then shifted gears and shared his best advice for creating the job that you want.

Shift to AI Mode

He started by pointing out that you need to leverage the available technology to stay competitive, especially AI. But you have to do this in a way that increases your productivity and enhances the value of your contribution. He suggests that people embrace and test technologies and automate where possible by delegating. But delegating should go beyond simple tasks to orchestrating processes. When this is in place, you can reshape your vision of your contribution by identifying what you do that machines cannot replicate.

Build Your Work Stack

Once you have identified your value, Matteo explains how to reform what you offer. Start by thinking of yourself as a company rather than a job description. Don’t tell people what you do, but tell them the problems that you solve. Once this is in place, you can build your presence and your audience by making yourself accessible, both online and offline. This helps you grow your network by actively seeking mentors and peers.

Write Daily, Ship Weekly, Share Always

Matteo emphasized that work must be public to build your reputation, an important factor already discussed in his review of the work landscape. To this end, he suggests writing daily, which means spending at least 15 minutes a day focused on your problem. This should result in something you can “ship” every week to maintain your visibility, and always share to build your profile.

Level Up Your Purpose

Matteo agreed with the advice that to thrive in your work, you need to have purpose, but also agreed with the suggestion that people who say to follow your passion are usually already rich and have a safety net in place for failure. He suggested that your purpose changes according to your circumstances and that you should aim to cycle through these different phases.

• Survival – When you need to pay your bills, you need to find clients and sell your work
• Status – Once you have a stable base, you can focus on gaining recognition for your work and attracting clients to you
• Creativity – While many people stop at the status phase, this is the moment to stretch yourself and push out of your comfort zone to do something new
• Contribution – This is the ultimate phase when you can scale up the impact of your work

Preparing for the Future of Work With OPIT

One theme that came through clearly in Matteo’s discussion was the importance of investing in yourself. This is because you are no longer simply being asked to fulfill a job description; you need to frame yourself as a problem-solver who adds value. In today’s work landscape, this means understanding tech trends and their impact on the business landscape. Making that leap can start with OPIT. We offer bachelor’s courses for those looking to build a strong technical foundation and master’s courses for professionals looking to reframe their value proposition.

Discover OPIT’s accessible and fit-for-purpose programs today.

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) was developed not only to create dynamic technology-focused courses that evolve with real-world tech development, offering flexible degrees that allow professionals to expand their horizons without interrupting their careers. But what does that look like in practice?

Rinaldo Festa recently shared his experience completing OPIT’s BSc in Modern Computer Science while working as the Chief Technology Officer at Cosmico. He explained why he chose to further his studies, his experience at OPIT, and how it has affected his career.

Meet Rinaldo Festa

Rinaldo describes himself as a results-oriented engineering leader with a journey from military services to a successful startup exit. His experience bridges the gap between product and engineering by driving technical strategy and mentoring high-performing teams.

He is now the CTO at Cosmico, an Italian firm that specializes in matching digital talent with companies. This allows businesses to access the most experienced workers for projects as needed and expanding the horizons of digital experts working remotely. They currently have a team of over 27,000 experienced professionals with expertise in areas such as design, coding, data, AI, and cybersecurity. They have worked on major projects for major organizations such as Accenture and Huawei, as well as startups such as Scalapay and Unguess.

The Challenge

While Rinaldo could certainly characterize his career as successful, he felt the need to balance innovation with practical application, ensuring he could not only lead a team but also not lose touch with the technical elements. This led Rinaldo to ask himself: “Am I truly staying ahead, or merely keeping up?”

A curious professional with a growth mindset, Rinaldo was not looking for a new job, but he did want greater clarity. He wanted to better understand the fundamentals of the technologies that are driving advancement and transformation, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and cybersecurity. He also wanted to deepen his understanding of the strategic application of these technologies and also dive deeper into essential questions such as the ethics of AI.

This led Rinaldo to search for a path forward that wouldn’t interrupt his career but would rather expand his horizons. Enter OPIT, offering flexible courses that you can complete remotely on your own schedule. These courses maintain a dynamic structure and actively keep pace with the latest technological developments, rather than following a limited approved curriculum. Another factor that attracted Rinaldo to OPIT was the faculty, working professionals who lead in their industries and actively teach and share their experience of current, real-world challenges and applications.

Studying at OPIT

Once he started his course, Rinaldo quickly realized that he had made the right decision. While embracing the opportunity to be a student again and acknowledging that he had much to learn, he also appreciated how OPIT respected and valued his experience, while also challenging his assumptions and helping him to grow. He quickly realized that OPIT’s courses are “designed for people like me.”

Rinaldo also shared that he was pleasantly surprised by how fast the theories he learnt became practical knowledge and then actionable insight that he could apply in his professional life. New methods, tools, and mental models were immediately useful in team reviews, architecture choices, and product strategies.

Professional Transformation

While Rinaldo is still enrolled, his studies at OPIT have already had a transformative impact on his professional life. Continuing his role as Chief Technology Officer at Cosmico, he has a new vision, enabling him to work on new transformational projects.

Rinaldo now focuses on developing AI-driven solutions for the future of talent management. For example, while many already use AI to read CVs and resumes to identify qualified potential candidates, Rinaldo leverages AI to do much more. New AI agents are capable of context-aware skill extraction, not only identify keywords linked with certain skills but also understanding the context behind each skill listed in a CV.

The team at Cosmico also now committed to creating responsible AI tools that are fit for purpose, not just producing tools with the popular AI-powered label. A major part of this is education before implementation. According to Rinaldo:

“Let’s face it: most people who discuss AI don’t understand what they’re talking about. They confuse basic machine learning with agentic AI. They implement ‘AI solutions’ that are nothing more than glorified ‘if/then’ statements. This is only ineffective; it is dangerous.”

Cosmico is building programs to demystify AI concepts and create a common language about capabilities and limitations.

This is how Rinaldo is leading from the front, made possible by his time studying at OPIT. Rather than a career shift, he achieved a mindset shift that is helping him to be more strategic, aligned, and aware.

OPIT Programs

OPIT is now offering a range of programs that can help professionals upskill, develop a better understanding of the technologies that are transforming the way we live and work, and take a more strategic approach to their application and implementation.

While Rinaldo chose OPIT’s BSc, there are also many other MSc programs open to people with a bachelor’s in any subject; it does not need to be technical.

The MSc in Digital Business and Innovation empowers professionals to drive innovation in both established companies and digital-native contexts by leveraging the power of digital technologies and AI.

With strong emphasis on real-world applications in areas such as natural language processing, computer vision, business, sensor systems, and industry automation, the MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence combines technical expertise with a focus on the ethical implications of modern AI.

The MSc in Enterprise Cybersecurity integrates technical and managerial expertise, equipping students with the skills to fulfill the market’s need for versatile professionals capable of implementing security solutions and leading cybersecurity initiatives.

Meanwhile, the MSc in Applied Data Science and AI equips students to work at the intersection of management and tech and solve real-life business problems using data science and AI.

Not sure which course is right for you? Chat to OPIT’s Career Services team for advice.

Are you considering broadening your field of expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cybersecurity in an effort to be more prepared for the current and future workplace?

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) offers both BSc and MSc degrees in areas such as Modern Computer Science, Digital Innovation, Applied AI, and Data Science that are designed to be dynamic and practical, constantly responding to advances in the field. And all OPIT courses are fully remote, attracting students from around the globe and providing asynchronous learning opportunities. This creates a flexibility that allows you to coordinate your studies around your other commitments, whether that be a challenging job or a busy family. So you can study when it’s convenient for you.

But what is it truly like to study online? Lucas Tecchio, head of Digital Content Creation at OPIT, recently took us on a deep dive into how OPIT’s courses are designed and delivered to help you understand what to expect from earning an OPIT degree.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning

Tecchio explained that OPIT’s courses combine synchronous and asynchronous content elements to create a dynamic learning environment that is both flexible and keeps students on track.

There are live sessions with professors, as well as content that is released in weekly modules to maintain the pace of the course. This is paired with videos, readings, practice tasks, and discussion forums that can be accessed at any time based on module release. Recordings of live sessions are also made available, so you don’t miss anything.

You can also choose to study at your own pace, through either the regular track – usually three years – or the fast track, in which you complete the course in two years. You receive the same quality education if you select the fast track, which is merely more intensive and requires additional time. But you get to select which track of study works best for you.

PERES Methodology

All OPIT course content is designed according to the PERES Methodology to optimize quality and engagement. Tecchio explained that the PERES Methodology means:

• Practicality – All theoretical concepts are reinforced with practical application
• Elegance – Learning material is well-presented for enhanced engagement and clarity
• Rigor – Content is academically rigorous
• Energy – Course content is delivered with an energy that keeps students engaged
• Simplicity – Materials are designed to make content accessible

Online Portal

All OPIT’s courses are delivered through its online portal called Canvas, where all course material can also be accessed.

According to Tecchio, when you log in, you can access all the individual courses that make up your program. You can also receive a general overview of your current stage in the program and what you need to do for all your courses, thanks to calendar and to-do list options.

When you select individual courses, you will see live weekly modules with links to the relevant content, including live sessions, videos, reading materials, and more.

Canvas is a self-contained and highly navigable portal that helps you stay organized and on track.

Competence-Based Learning and Progressive Assessment

Tecchio explained that OPIT’s courses are designed to teach both theory and competency, ensuring you can put what you have learned into practice. In the case of MSc courses, this culminates with the Capstone Project, which lets you apply everything you have learned to real business challenges.

In fact, every stage of the course follows the same philosophy – you will find yourself conducting practice tasks, performing live coding, and analyzing real study cases.

This philosophy carries through to assessment, which is progressive, rather than based on final exams and projects. This ensures that you are on track throughout the course, rather than left struggling at the end of the course.

For example, if you take the web development course, your main task will be to develop a website or app, and there are three stages to the project. By week four, you’ll be required to produce a prototype for your project. By week eight, you will produce a working version, and by the end of the course, you will have a fully tested and optimized version. These types of assessments can be done individually or as a group project, reflecting real workplace dynamics.

Professional Certifications

Many courses prepare you for professional certifications that are desired by many workplaces. Tecchio explained that while you still need to be tested and apply for the official certification, OPIT will fully prepare you to pass the testing without additional study.

You can receive professional certification in:

• Computer networks: CompTIA Network+
• Project management and quality assurance: Prince2Foundation, CAPM
• Cloud computing infrastructure: AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
• Network security and intrusion detection: CISSP
• AI-Driven forensic analytics in cybersecurity: GCFA

Student Support System

While studying online can sometimes feel like an isolated journey, Tecchio explained that OPIT does everything it can to build a dynamic community where you can receive significant student support to keep you connected and on track.

There are four main sources of student support.

The program coordinator helps with administrative issues. They handle onboarding, assist with the learning platform, organize additional events, and have virtual office hours that you can take advantage of whenever you need support.

Our team of 50+ academic and professional tutors not only delivers live lectures but is also an accessible source of knowledge and guidance. The faculty is a mix of experienced professors and active professionals who are leaders in their field and possess active real-world experience they can share with students. The faculty includes leaders like Zorina Alliata, Principal AI and Generative AI Strategist at Amazon, and Sylvester Kaczmarek, a former AI expert at NASA and WeSpace.

The Career Services team can assist with the transition from study to the workplace. The team delivers career coaching, organizes masterclasses with industry experts, and facilitates internship opportunities.

OPIT AI Copilot

This support team is now joined by OPIT AI Copilot, an AI agent that is specifically designed to be a personal learning companion. Unlike most generative AI agents, OPIT AI Copilot is trained on OPIT’s extensive range of learning materials, so it is highly fit for purpose. It also knows where students currently are in their course and can focus on the competencies that they are on track to master.

You can use OPIT AI Copilot to get immediate answers to questions based on OPIT’s course materials. It can also help students locate relevant resources, summarize the key takeaways from lectures to facilitate revision. Additionally, it can create practice tests based on the course materials, and prepare students for assessments through simulations.

OPIT Degrees

Online learning is often perceived as a lesser substitute for live learning experiences. But OPIT has superseded this by designing a dynamic online, asynchronous learning environment that promotes personalized education that works for individual students based on their lifestyle, time commitments, and learning style. It is not a substitute, but a new way of learning that represents the future of education.

Learn more about OPIT’s programs and courses and whether OPIT might be the right learning option for you.