Each week of this 8 week course learners will explore a different aspect of life in the East African region. 

The first week begins with an exploration of the geography of East Africa, both the physical and political geography will be explored, helping learners understand the immense diversity of the physical geography, which encompasses the Rift Valley and the cradle of humankind as well as gaining an understanding of current country borders and how the regions colonial past and independence movements helped to create modern borders that cut through ancient tribal grounds. 

The second through fourth weeks of this course will take us on a virtual safari, exploring the animal and plant life that exist in National Parks across East Africa.  We will travel to the Maasai Mara in Kenya to see the great Wildabeast migration and the crossing at the Mara River.  We will travel to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to see tree climbing lions and learn of the efforts to save the rhino populations.  We will visit a special elephant orphanage to learn about the efforts to save orphaned elephants and meet those on the front lines of poaching prevention and we will visit the gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda and learn how much we have in common with these amazing animals.  The plant life of East Africa will also be explored, from the dusty flatlands where acacia trees grow and termite mounds abound to the tropical systems that flourish on the hillsides of Mt. Kilimanjaro, learners will understand how the bio-diversity of the area affects the animals and humans who live there.  

During the fifth and sixth weeks the course will turn to visit various culture communities within East Africa.  The Meru people of Tanzania will show us how they farm and build community on the slopes of Mt Meru and will give us a lesson in coffee production, one of the two main staples of East African exports, and the Maasai of Kenya will introduce us to their bomas, way of life, honey farming skills and dancing ceremonies.  

The seventh and eighth week of this course will move us to the Swahili coast.  We will learn the origins of the Swahili language, the history of the spice islands of Zanibar, including the fascinating and devestating history of arabic slave trading along the East African coastline.  A trip through the spice planations with explanations of the various spices which are grown, how they are harvested and what they are best used for will round out our exploration of the coast line.  

Learners will be given the information via recorded lecture and various videos taken directly from locations around East Africa. They will be assigned a project each week that complements the content of the substantive learning and will be asked to post their project in the classroom for peer review and comment. As well, discussion threads will be posted in which learners will have a discussion question posed and can respond in the comments section on that thread to engage in a virtual discussion with the class. 

The FLEX format of this course can provide a more personal learning experience between teacher and learner.  As the learner submits assignments, the teacher and learner may engage in discussion either through posts or through asynchronies video posts.  The value in this format is that it can allow for a more individualized attention and interaction.