Sunday, November 18, 2007

OUM e-learning review

Open University Malaysia (OUM) was established on August 10, 2000 as the seventh private university in Malaysia. Although incorporated as a private university and established under the Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996, OUM leverages on the quality, prestige and capabilities of its owners - a consortium of the 11 Malaysian public universities. Today, there are more than 24,000 students enrolled in OUM programs.

OUM�s vision is to be a leader and innovator in open learning.

Mission:

  • To be the leading contributor in democratising education
  • To develop quality education through multi mode learning technologies
  • To develop and enhance learning experiences toward the development of a knowledge-based society

Their learning methodology consists of self-managed learning, online learning, and face-to-face interaction.

In this review we will focus on three (3) key areas of OUM:



  • Learning Management System (myLMS, myMail, myProfile, myLibrary, and Learner Conexxions)
  • Open & Distance Learning Pedagogy Centre
  • Centre for Quality Management and Research & Innovation

Other key areas not discussed in this review include Centre for Instructional Design & Technology and Learner Services Centre.

Let's first look briefly at OUMs Learning Management System (LMS). In general, the LMS is reasonably user-friendly, has a pleasant interface, and is integrated (single-login). If we decompose the LMS, it is divided into five (5) main components, which are briefly explained below:

  1. MyLMS
    Consist of myCourse, myUniversity, myCommunity, and myMail. myUniversity module has features such as user directory, task, student online progress, calendar, personal address book, and polls. It serves as the first point of contact between the university and the student. Here announcements are posted, university-wide polls are taken and personal calendars updated. As for the myCourse module, it includes features such as course summary, announcement, course content, support materials, references, staff info, coursemate, forum, chat, quiz, digital drop-box, etc. Their course content comes mostly in the form of PDF files.
  2. myMail
    Is the student/staff e-mail component.
  3. myProfile
    Includes my profile, credit transfer, courses undertaken, performance (course results), and payments (invoice/financial status).
  4. myLibrary
    Includes digital collections such as OPAC, e-Library, 24 x 7, Infotrac, Proquest, EBSCO, Emerald, Engineering Village, Springer, IOP, NSTP e-Media, ACM, ERIC, InfoSecurity, IT Knowledge, and Tailor & Francis. The digital library has access to more than 36,000 titles from e-books and 50,000 titles from e-journal databases. The available databases cover all courses offered by OUM. Physically, They have more than 7,500 volumes of books located at the Central Library and Learning Centres.
  5. Learner Connexxions
    Includes learning issues, tips and pointers, facts on learning, LMS FAQs, Bookmarks, Netiquette, Abbreviations and Smileys, My Stories, Creative corner, Snapshots (of new students at OUM), etc. An excellent component, which provides useful guidelines and tips on education and life in OUM.

Overall, OUM's LMS single-login (integrated-system) and ease-of-use strategy is good.

Centre for Graduate Studies












The Centre for Graduate Studies (CGS) was established in June 2003 to manage all the postgraduate programmes offered by OUM. The Centre aspires to promote and enhance a body of knowledge by integrating multidisciplinary fields of study and utilising multimode and state-of-the art technological tools.

Currently, CGS manage the following programmes:


Faculty of Science








The Faculty of Science (FS) was established to offer programmes that are relevant to the current demands of the industry. Programmes in various disciplines of applied and pure sciences are currently being developed. They are designed to enable learners to enter into a range of career paths which include specialisation in areas such as sports science, health care management, financial mathematics, occupational health & safety, pharmaceutical science and biotechnology management. Presently, the faculty offers undergraduate programmes in Science and Mathematics, designed for in-service teachers attached with the MOE.

Currently, the programmes offered at FS are:


Note
* Those working under Ministry of Education are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for these programmes

Faculty of Information Technology and Multimedia Communication










For more information, visit




The Faculty of Information Technology and Multimedia Communication (FITMC) aims to be a world-class educational incubator which produces cutting-edge knowledge workers who are capable of contributing to the rapid development in the field of Information Technology and Creative Multimedia. In addition, efforts are currently in place for research in teaching and learning approaches which will place FITMC as a leader in computing education through the use of e-learning technologies.

Programmes offered by the faculty are designed to prepare learners for a diversity of positions within the IT industry and learners will be inducted into using the technology to learn.

The programmes offered at FITMC are:


Faculty of Applied Social Sciences




The Faculty adopts a non-conventional approach in offering programmes of studies. While courses offered are applied in nature, they are not restricted to just a single discipline but integrated with other disciplines to provide a broad- based learning experience.

Although learners choose to specialise in a particular field of study, they are also exposed to other basic cross-discipline knowledge in humanities and social studies thus enabling graduates to handle effectively everyday problem in real life situation.

The Faculty is committed to making the knowledge and the methodology of social sciences relevant in all aspects of social life even for those who are thoroughly engrossed in science and technology.

Programmes offered in 2008:
  1. Bachelor of Islamic Studies (Islamic Management)
  2. Bachelor of Psychology
  3. Bachelor of Counselling
  4. Bachelor of Communication

Faculty of Education, Arts and Social Sciences











The Faculty of Education, Arts and Social Sciences was established with the objective of providing tertiary education in the areas of education, languages and related social sciences. The faculty currently offers the Bachelor of Education (Hons.) in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). Future plans of the faculty include offering undergraduate degree programmes in teaching, early childhood education, school administration, special education and counselling psychology.

The programmes offered at FEASS are:


Note
* Those working under Ministry of Education are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for these programmes

Faculty of Business and Management











The Faculty of Business and Management (FBM) offers programmes that are designed to meet the country's demand for graduates with management acumen, at both the public and private sectors. The programmes aimed at producing graduates who are sensitive to the changing environmental trends affecting both the business and non-business world, and the emerging issues confronting organisations. In line with OUM's objectives of democratising education and providing lifelong learning opportunities, FBM continues to identify and add new programmes at various levels, to meet the varying market demands.

Currently, FBM offers the following programmes:




ISU HANGAT