Dr. / Nasser Abdullah Nasser Almeili
Under rapid Altknoloچah changes and shifts in market conditions, the educational system is facing a challenge regarding the need to provide additional educational opportunities without the need for additional monitoring budgets. Therefore, many educational institutions began facing this challenge through the development of distance education programs. These opportunities and programs that give adults another opportunity for university education, or up to those less fortunate, both in terms of time constraints or distance, not to mention that these programs contribute to raising the level of the knowledge base of human resources without the need for full-time.
It has become the era of distance education and open learning and attainable reality after it was a distant dream for many in all parts of the world.
In this context, there are more than one million people in the United States alone are getting college degrees accredited online in the fields of education, nursing and information Tknoloچaa and business management, accounting, software engineering and management of health care systems and a lot of other areas.
And according to the statistics published last year, 2007, there was one out of every ten students registered in educational programs to fully remotely over the Internet.
Says Dr. Michael Currie, associate professor of educational Tknoloچaa in University چorچ and Washington DC, USA; people believe that education digital cut into an important part of the educational process in the traditional universities, but I think that the educational process expands and gets bigger thanks to digital education. People who work full-time as well as all parents can take advantage of digital education. The online education provides them with opportunities would not have been available to them before.
The e-learning and the perfect way to help large segments of the community members who force them their social responsibilities to not to leave their communities or countries. Many of the participants have access to the Internet from their offices and homes.
And characterized by distance education that does not need to private buildings, as is the case in traditional education, it also provides the learner travel and accommodation costs.
The term distance education
UNESCO defines distance education as «any educational process where no direct contact between the student and the teacher, so that they are far apart in time and space. And contact them through educational media (or electronic publications).
Importance of distance education
Highlights the importance of the application of distance education system through:
Distance education makes the door open to everyone (the realization of the principle of equal opportunities).
Overcome the obstacle of time (different age groups can join, distance learning).
Overcome the obstacle of geographical (deprived of many of the study to the distance).
Take advantage of the capabilities of the qualified educational rather than stockpiling (benefit an unlimited number of students).
Student relieve pressure on educational institutions (not to waste opportunities for education to students because of the limited absorptive capacity of national institutions).
Photos distance education
As a result of the tremendous progress in Altknoloچaa and the information and communications revolution that affected all humanitarian aspects, including the education sector, it has led to the emergence of modern systems in higher education contrary to traditional teaching known in order to keep up with the knees:
Open Education.
Partial full-time education (enrollment).
Internet education.
Education by higher education institutions or institutes of higher education system applied remotely linked to foreign educational institution recognized for providing distance education programs.
Features and characteristics of open learning
Intended this type of education that the admission process should be open to students regardless of age, sex, matriculation rates, and years to obtain. This education is based on the use of the latest technologies Altknoloچah, in addition to direct educational meetings between the student and the teacher by partial. Study the system was adopted in place at the Arab Open University.
Partial full-time education (enrollment)
Usually study (research) to master Almaچstar and Ph.D., does not require that the student resides in the university on a regular basis.
To be agreed with the supervisor on a predetermined schedule to discuss the details of the thesis.
Internet education
The study via the Internet.
In this system, accept the student to study and given user name User Name and password from which to access the site of the university and follow the lessons.
The method of the study by providing research Assignment for each subject.
Taken into account in this style different system from the University to the University and from country to country.
Obstacles to distance learning
Some suspect in the effectiveness and credibility of educational attainment, and so when should approve this type of study to be in the educational institutions with a high level of academic quality.
Difficulty coping in the study being mainly dependent on self-directed learning.
Must for students enrolled in this style that has the technical skills and high-tech computer.
Controls and quality standards
Distance Learning
The institution intends to provide remote education system software development commensurate with the accepted basis for university education.
Developing distance education systems so as to contribute activate Astrutaچah this system in terms of (programs - degrees before).
Before embarking on providing distance education system, the educational institution to be designed and tested teaching systems for programs that intend to ask.
To take into account the educational institution the laws of the country in which they are providing the distance learning program.
Provision of the required budget for distance education programs.
Academic standards and quality standards
In the stages of the design
And review and adoption
Must ensure that the educational institution to be academic standards of degrees granted to distance education programs equivalent to degrees awarded by the traditional system and institution committed to regulations and standards adopted country that has the institution.
The need for a consensus in the distance education programs through teaching Astrutaچaat, scientific material content, and evaluation criteria.
Subject distance education programs adopted and applied in the educational institution for examination and review processes and re-accreditation periodically.
Quality control and standards
In the management of distance education programs
The educational institution manages distance learning program in a manner that the academic standards of scientific degrees granted.
Develop and support students
Educational institution set targets and means to develop and support self-education and enable learners to control their educational development.
Students continue operations
Make sure the educational institution of the effectiveness of the information provided to the students in terms of the nature of the distance learning program, academic progress, watch assembly approved, distance learning characteristics, and how to interact with the system.
Student Assessment
Ensure the institution's commitment to academic standards in ways evaluation of the output of this system of students (correction procedures - way announcement grades).
That the decline of the institution safety evaluation procedures systematically and are modified whenever necessary.
The initial perception of the enrollment system of distance education and conditions equivalent qualifications issued under this system.
Conditions for recognition or equivalent qualifications issued in accordance with the distance learning system
To be the institution of recognized educational institutions and good reputation Territories to the local and international level.
To be the institution provided for the distance learning program is recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and supported by international organizations and bodies, which oversees the distance education system such as; United Nations Organization for Education, Culture «UNESCO», agency check the quality of higher education, Britain, where they enjoy many of the open universities in the United Kingdom degree full membership in the Association of Schools and Colleges in the United Kingdom and holds a quality mark from the Union.
Controls and quality standards
In the educational institution
Not be less than the number of units required for academic graduate student affiliated with the number of modules required for graduation regular student in the available fields.
Treats the student learner distance education in terms of acceptance and monitor estimates, conversion and separation and re-enrollment, and others, the systematic treatment of the student except to attend lectures.
Necessary to identify the education system to the Internet (e-learning) approach to the educational institution by student enrollment for the study.
The most important advantages of open learning
And distance education
Higher Education relief from the state.
Create opportunities for new generations to choose life and work trends and role.
Adapt to contemporary life and means various technical and cognitive.
Relief national economies that are struggling as a result of the increasing costs of external emissions through the university system, which come to you and do not go to them.
Great savings in private establishments that open education contains a good portion of the virtual learning, and cost savings and the times required by the process institutional attendance.
Providing tremendous organizational cadres required by public higher education usually.
Provide an opportunity for talented and serious to shorten the time of educational attainment through the intensity of effort.
Ease of providing scientific libraries, references and sources by working to activate modern communication techniques in multiple facets.
Cross-pollination more accessible between cultures and diverse academic expertise.
Ease of scientific cooperation between geographically diverse sectors and disciplines.
Easy exchange of knowledge between the open universities in the world.
Ease of exchanges with official institutions and informal cross the world.
Continued financial support for the development of universities and to provide them with new knowledge and techniques.
The leadership of the general trends of the society towards the overall development.
