ICU Deptartment

Information Learning & Technology

Computer Network and labs maintenances

Generally the computer labs nowadays are considered as one of the most important divisions in most of the universities especially in open universities. Hence, the Arab Open University (AOU) which depends on the new technologies in communicating with its students offers the computer labs for them.

Computer labs in AOU operate almost all the days; they are used as teaching classes and although as work area for the students to complete and submit their assignments, practicing on most of the resources they are need, and doing their different activities.

AOU kuwait branch have 5 main labs that contain about 120 personal computers and 29 classrooms, they are equipped with the required resources students need like printers, internet, LAN & WLAN, data show … etc., also labs have the capable staff to help the students in completing their activities while using them.

Teaching Classrooms:
The branch has 29 classrooms, each has at least 25 seats, all are covered with wireless LAN connection or/and regular Ethernet LAN points, 29 classes are equipped with fixed ceiling mounted data shows.


KWB Systems


The Kuwait Branch utilizes a number of systems that have been developed locally in the Branch, or by purchasing a software package after customizing it to meet the branch requirements.

Most of the running systems in the Branch have been integrated with each other to achieve maximum work performance and to decrease the need for paper work and  routine obstacles. Those running systems are:

Student Information System (SIS)
A system where all information and services for students like academic, finance, registration, graduation…etc. are stored and served by it, and its developed by Oracle 10g and already integrated with other local KWB systems.

LMS - Learning Management System
A learning management  system (LMS) where students can keep communicating between each other and with their tutors, finding their materials, doing their learning activities (chatting, and submitting TMAs, on-line exams and quizzes).

Oracle Financial System
A system that handles all the financial process in the university. It  consists of (general ledger, account payable, account receivable, inventory, fixed assets, and purchase orders).

Human Resource System
A regular human resource system that consists of three main categories (Academic Contracts, Administrative Contracts,payroll, personnel, and workflow).

Archiving System
A program that is used to store univ. documents electronically, hence achieve maximum performance in archive and distribute those documents.

Time Attendance System (Finger Prints)
A system that handles all employees movement including public holidays, employees vocations, leaves, absence, and late arrivals.

.NET Support System
It is a networked classroom, instruction, monitoring and teaching tool that helps staff  train students in a networked classroom or lab and e-Library.

Other Equipments: Vedio Conference Terminal

Video conferencing is considered one of the most useful communicating technologies nowadays. Live interacting, important meetings, and costless communication with other AOU branches have been realised using this technology.

The Branch has the following video conference terminals:

LMS - Learning Management System

LMS - Learning Management System that allows the classroom to extend onto the web. This program allows a common place for students to go for many classroom resources. Using LMS, the teacher can post news items, assign and collect assignments, post electronic journals and resources, and more. It provides a virtual learning environment which offers all what a real learning environment does

Tools of LMS fall within four broad categories:


LMS Features

LMS provides a set of learning activities:

Assignment
Assignments allow the teacher to specify a task that requires students to prepare digital content (any format) and submit it by uploading it to the server. Typical assignments include essays, projects, reports and so on. This module includes grading facilities.

Chats
The Chat module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion via the web. This is a useful way to get a different understanding of each other and of the topic being discussed.

Dialogues
This module provides a simple communication method between pairs of users. The teacher can open a dialogue with a student, a student can open a dialogue with a teacher, and (optionally) a student can open a dialogue with another student. A teacher or a student can be involved in many on-going dialogues at any time.

Forums
This activity can well be considered as the most important - it is here that most discussion takes place. Forums can be structured in different ways, and can include peer rating of each posting. The postings can be viewed in a variety of formats, and can include attachments. By subscribing to a forum, participants will receive copies of each new posting in their email.

Questionnaires
The questionnaire module allows the techer to construct questionnaires (surveys) using a variety of question types, for the purpose of gathering data from users. It is based on phpESP, and Open Source survey tool (see:http://phpesp.sourceforge.net).

Quizzes
This module allows the teacher to design and set quiz tests that consist of multiple choice, true-false, and short answer questions. These questions are kept in a categorized database, and can be re-used within courses and even between courses.

Resources
Resources are content: information the teacher wants to bring into the course. These can be prepared files that are uploaded to the course server; pages that are edited directly in Moodle; or external web pages that are made to appear as part of this course.

Wikis
A Wiki enables documents to be authored collectively in a simple markup language using a web browser. "Wiki wiki" means "super fast" in the Hawaiian language, and it is the speed of creating and updating pages that is one of the defining aspects of wiki technology.

The Kuwait Branch also built a special integration module with SIS, it includes:


The Kuwait Branch also added tools for the Quality Assurance Unit which include:


LMS provides manuals and documents on ways and means of using it in both languages (Arabic and English).