The AOU Platform
AOU Motto: “Open Learning: A Gateway to Future Opportunities”
I. AOU: The Beginnings
The creation of the Arab Open University (AOU) came as a personal initiative of HRH Prince Talal Bin Abdelaziz, President of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND). Although roots of the concept go back to 1976, it was the more formal call, made by HRH Prince Talal in 1996, for establishing such an institution that would actually put the concept on a serious track. Said initiative was put forth to a congregation of Arab Ministers of Education and in Higher Education, held in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1998. Same concept was unanimously adopted by said congregation as an innovative institution of need.
Following a feasibility study, undertaken by a major international firm in 1999,
Under the Chairmanship of HRH Prince Talal, a Working Group started, in 1997, laying the foundations for the establishment of the institution. Following a feasibility study, undertaken by a major international firm in 1999, concrete steps were taken in order to shape the structure of the envisaged institution. In particular, formal agreements of collaboration were subsequently signed with the renowned United Kingdom Open University (UKOU). These agreements provide the AOU with opportunities to tap into learning resources of high quality standards for certain programs of study, offered by the institution. In addition, they allow the AOU, via consultancy arrangements, to benefit from vast accumulated experience at the UKOU.
In June 2001, a formal launching of the institution was made at the Headquarters in Kuwait. Plans were reiterated for the inauguration, in October 2002, of six Branches in: Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt.
The AOU is governed by a Board of Trustees, under the Chairmanship of HRH Prince Talal. Operational aspects are regulated by an established Charter, supported further by detailed Bylaws, and appropriate Rules and Regulations.
By design, the AOU adopts an open system of learning, and hopes, in consequence, to serve local and regional communities with opportunities of higher education via the offering of market-driven programs of study. In addition, The AOU hopes, as well, to serve the Arab World, via its involvement in constructive activities of studies and research in various disciplines of knowledge.
As such, and as an institution of Higher Education, the AOU adopts a set of goals and objectives congruent with its set mission. These include the following:
- Offering opportunities of quality higher education to a large community of students.
- Providing special opportunities of higher education to women and those residing in remote areas.
- Providing continuing education in various disciplines of knowledge.
- Providing opportunities of professional training in response to market needs.
- Participating, as a contributing partner, in research and scholarly activities in areas of immediate developmental interest to Arab countries.
- Fostering humanistic values and ethics as integral components of its learning and education processes.
Early on, the AOU concluded a number of Agreements with the UK Open University (OU) in order to serve as enabling vehicles of structured and formalized collaboration between the two institutions, without jeopardy to the standing of the AOU as an independent institution.
In particular, these Agreements have allowed the AOU to license, and modify, in accordance with its own philosophy of convictions, the learning materials prescribed for courses dictated in set three Baccalaureate programs of study in: English Language and Literature; IT and Computing; and Administration.
Furthermore, one of the Agreements has set the stage and requirements for institutional Accreditation and program Validation by the Open University validation Services (OUVS); thereby, inherently subjecting the validated programs to measures of rigor and quality embodied in corresponding Benchmarks set by the British Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). The AOU, together with its six operating Branches, has subsequently been accredited by the OUVS in 2004. The three previously mentioned programs of study have also gained Validation status form the OUVS in 2004.
Over the last two decades, more than ever, there has appeared a confusing plethora of terms, in attempts to describe forms of higher education that do not subscribe to the widely accepted norms of conventional campus-based higher education. We believe that there are traits of uniqueness in the form of Open Education adopted by the AOU. As we describe the main components that build the AOU system of Open Education, it becomes evident that virtual learning, distance education, and distributed education, in particular, comprise only components of the AOU adopted system of Open Education.
The Open Education system adopted by the AOU aims at the creation of a coordinated open learning process. The main components that erect this process include the following:
This pack contains the main reading material that has been prepared especially for independent study. In addition, the pack contains numerous other items that may vary slightly depending on the particular course requirements. It may contain further reading material in the form of set books, supporting notes, or study guides. In addition, the pack contains a number of audio visual (AV) aids in the form of audio cassettes, video tapes, and online-enabling CDs. Some packs may also contain particular software application packages, enabled on particular CDs. All packs contain a course calendar that serves as gauging milestones to the progression of study of course material and contents. Copies of Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs) comprise another constituent of the Student Pack. Hence, this pack is considered a corner stone amongst components of the learning process of open education.
Tutorial sessions are designed to provide a forum of interaction between the tutors and students on one hand, and the students themselves, on the other. Tutorial sessions are held, on average, for one hour a week for course carrying the weight of three credit hours. They are run by qualified and well-trained tutors. In principle, the sessions are supposed to be run as discussion forums treading on the main topics covered in accordance with set course calendars. Tutors are instructed to utilize these sessions in innovative ways that help students learn the material more efficiently and more effectively. They are not intended to serve as straight classroom lecturing forums. Attendance of scheduled tutorial sessions is viewed to be mandatory by the AOU.
The aim of providing students with a teleconferencing facility is twofold. It provides a means of communication, at a distance, between students and tutors. It also provides a means of communication amongst student groups, in the hope that it helps to promote a community of learners.
Tutors are required to maintain announced weekly office hours. They are intended to
provide a more informal environment of tutoring. Some Tutors may choose to
expand the notion of face-to-face contact to utilizing Teleconferencing facilities as
alternative means of providing contact and communication with their students.
Acquiring proper computer and Internet skills is a main requirement for all AOU
students. As a technology-driven institution, the AOU equips each of its Learning
Centers with computer and multimedia lab facilities. The facilities are made
available to students over long hours each day.
Some of the courses have mandatory online components as part of the course study.
Other courses have websites that serve as a supporting aid to facilitating the learning
process. The AOU intends to adopt an effective e-Learning platform which would
host the offering of online components for all courses.
Through a project of cooperation with UNESCO, the University has installed satellite
links with certain Branches as a first phase of building a fully dedicated satellite
network that would connect the Headquarters and all Branches, serving as well as a
videoconferencing facility. Supporting the transmission of lectures and seminars
constitutes a major objective of erecting this network.
Some courses may require a more focused and intensive contact over certain portions
of course offering. Such a requirement may be met by invoking the concept of a
Residential School. In essence, students attend classes at a Learning Center for
intensive, short periods as required by the course concerned.
As the AOU fosters an open system of higher education, thereby embodying elements
of distance and distributed education, library needs must be addressed in a
compatible manner. Furthermore, the added complexity of operating via six
Branches in different countries, dictate unconventional solutions to meeting this
particular need. It has therefore been postulated early on that Branches should keep a
nominal conventional library supplemented by a “Digital Library”, the resources of
which can be accessed by all students and the University community.
The envisaged structure of a Digital Library may take on three parallel paths:
- Global Resource: In this path, the University out sources such a service, and render it available to all Branches and the University community.
- Branch Resource: In this path, a Branch may opt, for instance, to supplement the Global Resource by an additional resource that is required to satisfy certain local needs.
- University Resource: The AOU is developing own library resources, where learning material in its various forms, including taped lectures, may be accessed on demand. The resource will be centrally located.
Learning Resource Halls have been devised by the University to serve essentially as
reading halls. However, learning materials comprising course student packs, in
particular, are also made available to students for examination as they explore
various courses of interest.
The AOU system has various layers of coordination and monitoring aimed at the assurance of quality implementation of the learning process.
There are three facets to the issues of coordination and monitoring of the educational process:
The design of course learning materials is the direct responsibility of the Dean of the respective Faculty. Academic teams form inside and outside the University are usually assigned the tasks of producing the required learning materials for newly designed courses. These tasks are achieved in accordance with set specifications and methodologies of implementation.
On the other hand, course material procured from the UKOU, is methodically reviewed in accordance with General Guidelines of Material Review, adopted by the University for said purpose. The Guidelines attempt to ensure that learning material, in written and AV forms, adheres to practiced norms of Arab-Islamic values and convictions.
- The tutorial sessions are managed and run by the assigned Tutors. Tutors are qualified with at least a Master degree. In principle, a tutorial session is assigned 20-25 students.
- Tutors form the backbone of the academic tutoring assembly. Some Tutors are qualified at the Doctoral level.
- Then, for each 10 Tutors, a supervising Staff Tutor is assigned. The Staff Tutor is responsible for ensuring the tutoring and student assessment by the Tutors conforms to University policy in a fair manner.
- Staff Tutors represent the core teams of Faculties. They serve in different roles as faculty members.
The AOU follows a structured system of coordination that helps maintain the needs
of course offering and the required consequent follow-up on course delivery, and the
assessment of student achievement in accordance with established University Policy.
In this regard, program and course coordination is structured in the following manner:
- Program Coordinator/Chair:
Each program of study is assigned a Program Coordinator/Chair who serves to
coordinate all aspects of program delivery at the Branch level, including matters of
academic advising and intervention to audit graduation requirements at times near to
expected dates of graduation. Program Chairs are named by the Branch Directors, and
discharge their duties and responsibilities in close coordination with the Branch
Directors and respective Deans, and in collaboration with Course Coordinators at the
Branch levels.
- General Course Coordinator/ Course Chair:
For each course offered, a Course Chair is named by the concerned Dean of the
Faculty. Course Chairs may be drawn from faculty members at the Headquarters, or
from those residing at the Branches. Course chairs are, in particular, responsible for
coordinating delivery requirements of courses, including preparations of Tutor
Marked assignments (TMAs), course calendars, and Final Exams. A Staff Tutor may
serve as a Course Chair for more than one course.
- Branch Course Coordinator:
Branch Directors name a local coordinator for each course offered. Branch course
coordinators discharge their duties in coordination with the Branch Directors and the
Program Chairs at the Branches. They are essentially responsible for matters related
to course delivery at the Branch level. Staff Tutors at the Branches may be assigned
the responsibilities of multiple course coordination.
The University houses five Faculties. Each Faculty bears the responsibility of course delivery for study programs and courses that are hosted by the concerned Faculty.
Degree requirements for undergraduate programs include the successful completion of prescribed curricula in an amount of at least 128 Credit Hours (Cr. Hrs.). Each program is comprised of two main components:
- General Studies: Courses in General Studies constitute the equivalent of 31 Cr. Hrs. Language, computer, and independent study skills form the mandatory portion of said requirements. Courses in the Humanities form the elective portion of these requirements.
- Discipline-based Studies: These courses constitute about 96 Cr. Hrs. Some programs provide a list of electives, as well, within this sum of Cr. Hrs.
Some courses are designed and delivered on a semester basis. Other courses, especially OU-based courses, are, on the other hand, offered as annual courses, with varying durations, depending on course weight and extent of coverage.
· Faculty of Language Studies:
The Faculty of Language Studies supervises the offering of an undergraduate program in:
Program: English Language & Literature
The program leads to a qualification with a BA degree in English Language and Literature. The discipline-based courses are provided by the United Kingdom Open University (OU) through a special licensing agreement.
The program aims at investigating a broad spectrum of language and literature studies. In particular, it aims to equip graduates with a basic understanding of the structure of the English language, language variation, and language use. In addition, the program helps students develop their skills of analysis and critical evaluation through the study of both classical and modern literary works in prose, poetry, and drama.
· Faculty of Computer Studies:
The Faculty of Computer Studies offers an undergraduate program in:
Program: Information Technology & Computing
This study program hosts a wide range of sub-disciplines in the IT field. It offers a balanced mixture of coverage of modern and forward-looking topics. Learning components of the program include topics in computer languages, computer applications, algorithmic design, systems software, techniques of computing, networking, and elements of software engineering. The discipline-based courses are derived from an appropriate list of OU-based IT courses.
Some of the advanced courses in the program foster elements of research and elaborate investigative work via the requirement of Thematic Projects, in particular.
The language of study employed in this program is English.
· Faculty of Business Administration:
The Faculty of Business Administration offers an undergraduate program along two track options:
Program: Business Administration/Systems
Program: Business Administration/Economics
Both track options of the Business Administration program share common courses comprising half of the discipline-based requirements. These courses establish understandings in the foundations of business functions, organizations, processes, and markets.
The Bus Admin/Systems track elective courses build further foundations in IT-oriented contents. The Economics track, on the other hand, turns to more focus on economic concepts as applied to modern business practices.
For both tracks, the learning material, contained in main and supporting readers, is elucidated, by design, in an interestingly integrated approach of delivery that helps to develop critical analysis and thinking skills.
The language of study in this program is English.
In addition, the Faculty of Business Administration has designed, and launched on a trial basis, a program of a Master of Business Administration (MBA), at the Bahrain Branch. Currently, studies are being pursued for offering such a program at other Branches after further deliberations on possible reorientation of contents and methodologies of delivery.
· Faculty of Education Studies:
The Faculty of Education is responsible for the offering of three programs. All courses have been designed under the direct supervision of the Faculty. The language of tutoring in these programs is Arabic.
- Program: BA Qualifying Program
This program is designed to raise the qualification of holders of community college diplomas to the BA degree in Education. Its goal is to qualify graduates at a level sufficient for entry as elementary school teachers, at the lower or the intermediate levels of the hierarchy of elementary schooling. The program requires the study of some 72 Cr. Hr. beyond the credited study of the Community College diploma.
- Program: Higher Diploma in Education
This program of study is laid out over a span of one year. It is intended for graduates of programs, other than Education, who, in turn, wish to pursue a career as specialized high school teachers. In essence, the program is designed to equip graduates with basic foundations in skills and concepts of education theory and practices. Program requirements dictate the successful study of 35 Cr. Hrs.
- Program: Elementary Education
This is rather a newer addition to the family of programs of study in Education. It is a full four-year program that carries the requirement of completion of study of 128 Cr. Hrs. The program serves to qualify high school graduates as elementary school teachers.
· Faculty of University Studies:
The Faculty of University Studies is delegated the responsibility of supervision of course design and delivery of a host of courses within the realms of Humanities and General Studies. The AOU attaches special significance to the role of such studies in the makeup of programs of study. It views their role as significant in developing a wider perspective on life, in general, and on their own personal development, in particular.
AOU admissions policy requires that a student possess a general secondary school certificate, or the equivalent thereof, as approved by the concerned Ministry of Education. In principle, students are admitted to selected programs of study, based largely on personal choice.
The AOU administers Language Placement Tests, in both Arabic and English, not as requirements of admission, but as indicators to placing students in the appropriate level in courses of English language skills.
Furthermore, admitted students may, thereafter, submit appropriate documents in order to gain proper credit transfer for courses completed successfully at other recognized institution of higher education. Applications for credit transfer are carefully scrutinized in accordance with approved University criteria established for said purpose.
The AOU adopts a rigorous policy for the assessment of student attainment in courses and programs of study. The different ingredients of the policy aim at creating a robust and fair system of evaluation of achievement. Each component of the system of assessment is intended, as well, to serve a learning need within the global scope of the Learning Process.
- Tutor Marked Assignments: Each course has attached to it a number of TMAs. These assignments are spread out over the duration of course delivery. They are prepared by the respective Faculty, and updated periodically. In addition to gauging student progress of study, they serve to invoke and develop investigative and research skills. At the advanced level, some of the TMAs are cast as Thematic Projects. TMAs must be corrected by the concerned Tutor. The provision of written comments on the submitted work is obligatory. TMAs carry 35% of the total grade of the course.
- Quizzes: Quizzes are viewed to be another contributor to monitoring the progression of attainment of students during the course duration of delivery. Quizzes carry 15% of the total grade. Quizzes are designed and administered locally at each Branch.
- Final Exams: The third component of student assessment is represented in Final Exams. These exams are designed under the direct supervision of the Dean of the Faculty. Course Chair bear the major responsibility of producing a balanced exam; and this is achieved by probing inputs from all Branches. In a quest for a high degree of uniformity in student assessment, the Final Exam, for all courses are the same across all Branches. Final Exams carry 50% of the total grade.
In quest for improving the learning process in a holistic approach, the Faculty of Languages devised a special Preparatory English Program for newly admitted students. The program is run in a more intensive face-to-face tutoring. Based on their scores in the English Language Placement Test, students are classified into different groups. Low scores are usually channeled into the Preparatory Program. The program has proven useful for such students as it prepares them toward a more-qualified entry into the English Language Skills courses.
In accordance with approved organizational structures, the AOU Headquarters is seated in Kuwait. However, the University, thereby succumbing to said structure, adopts a distributed system of administration and management. In particular, offices of the Rector, Vice Rectors, Deans, and central administrative and financial units operate form the Headquarters. Branches, on the other hand, are headed by Branch Directors, and host a number of administrative, financial, and technical units required for the support of operational aspects of the Branches as the learning institutions of the University. In turn, the Branches serve home as well to the larger portions of AOU faculty members.
However, while Branches retain their individual operational identities, the AOU adopts the philosophy of working with and through the Branches as one institution, upholding the same mission.
In general, AOU Branches are established in the different Arab countries under the umbrella of AGFUND through standing formal agreements with local governments, meant to provide the proper legislative framework for the operation of the Branches.
All University Branches operate under same unified guidelines of academic, administrative, and financial policies. However, notwithstanding violation of these guidelines, Branches, do exercise a good room of flexibility in logistic and operational matters.
The following matrix shows enrollment numbers at the different Branches, depicted per programs of study offered at said Branches. Statistics are accumulated as of end of the second academic year (2003/2004).
Academic Year : 2rd (2003/2004)
Student enrollment numbers
Program Branch |
English Language |
IT |
BA/ Systems |
BA/ Economics |
HD/ ED |
QD/ ED |
Elem./ ED |
Total |
Kuwait |
788 |
1618 |
1343 |
630 |
69 |
52 |
1582 |
6082 |
Jordan |
234 |
331 |
216 |
- |
120 |
1028 |
400 |
2329 |
Lebanon |
71 |
686 |
877 |
108 |
41 |
|
|
1783 |
Bahrain |
89 |
680 |
461 |
11 |
3 |
|
|
1244 |
Bahrain / MBA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
94 |
Egypt |
92 |
174 |
309 |
67 |
|
|
|
642 |
Saudi Arabia/ Riyadh |
384 |
1538 |
777 |
119 |
41 |
|
|
2859 |
Saudi Arabia/ Jedda |
136 |
617 |
244 |
59 |
|
|
|
1056 |
Saudi Arabia/ Al-Ehsa |
58 |
279 |
194 |
12 |
|
|
|
543 |
Saudi Arabia/ Hail |
77 |
185 |
90 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
367 |
Saudi Arabia/ Total |
655 |
2619 |
1305 |
193 |
53 |
|
|
4825 |
Total |
1929 |
6108 |
4511 |
1009 |
295 |
|
|
16999 |
The AOU views the accreditation process as a constructive measure of quality assurance. Recognizing the need for checks of rigor, the AOU made its submissions to the UK-based Open University Validation Services (OUVS) for institutional Accreditation and Validation of its three programs in English Language, IT & Computing, and, Business Administration. After careful scrutiny by the OUVS, in accordance with demanding criteria of quality assurance, the AOU earned both the institutional Accreditation and program Validation in January 2004. In particular, program validation was set in accordance with established Benchmarks laid down by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for said purposes.
However, accreditation by the OUVS requires annual monitoring aimed at keeping quality measures in check. In January 2005, the AOU gained approval of its annual monitoring report, being accepted as a check of maintaining quality standards by the institution and its Faculties hosting the validated programs of study.
In another respect, the AOU, via its respective Branches, has also gained a lot of miles toward local accreditation of its programs by the respective Ministries of Higher Education in Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, in particular.
The AOU usually recruits faculty members of various qualifications and experiences. Quite often, there is a need to train in ways and methods of open learning as practiced by the institution. Generally, generic training is managed by the institution through internal resources, supported partially by expertise drawn from the UK Open University. All new Staff Tutors and Tutors, fulltime or part-time, are subjected to generic training.
However, course-based training is managed in partnership with the UK Open University as the courses progress toward senior levels in the OU-based programs. This practice is, in turn, intended to transfer pertinent experiences and build the same within the institution. In this regard, the AOU believes greatly in investing in experience and consequent capacity building.
By adopting a platform of Open Education as a forum of negotiating the educational and learning processes, the AOU intends to expand its IT infrastructure in accordance with requirements and needs of such a platform. This ascribes to building local infrastructures at the Branches as well as building integrated systems that connect all Branches and the Headquarters in one operating entity. This shall hopefully establish the University as a technology-driven institution.
In other respects, the University, in conformity with its recently approved Strategy and a Five-Year Plan, intends to interrogate various options toward the introduction of new, market-driven programs of study.
However, as an institution of higher learning, the future is full with many challenges. But, the opportunities are still abound for making robust achievements as these challenges are confronted with open minds and steady wills of making a difference. For the AOU, the march has just begun.