Open as to people, places, methods and ideas

Being a sister University to UKOU, the two institutions share a common philosophy which is simply defined as follows:

The Arab Open University is open as to people

The AOU is open as to people - making university study available to an increasingly large and diverse student body, and with the intention over time of providing learning opportunities that meet individuals’ lifelong learning needs and those of the community in which they live.

The Arab Open University is OPEN AS TO PLACES

The AOU is open as to places – providing learning opportunities in the home, workplace and community throughout the territories of the AOU and with the potential to serve an increasingly mobile population.

We have a strong belief in the AOUs potential to widen opportunities across the Arab world. This will become increasingly possible as technology allows the development of links with other countries, and promotes access to new ways of learning

In AOU, for obvious reasons, we conceive of place in relation to a Branch, Regional Centre or the Learning Centre where tutors meet students. It is also instructive to think beyond these fixed points. Place could be defined as:

This aspect of openness raises a number of issues. At present our concentration is on students who live within traveling distance of a centre so that they can satisfy the face-to-face requirement. The challenge for the future is to offer opportunity and support in equal measure to those who, for a variety of reasons, are isolated or remote. It is not difficult to overcome these problems given current technologies but the 25% face-to-face requirement limits options at present.

The Arab Open University is OPEN AS TO METHODS

The AOU is open as to methods - using and developing the most effective media and technologies for learning, teaching and assessment whilst attaching central importance to the personal academic support given to students; and working collaboratively with others to extend and enrich lifelong learning.

In one respect, the University appears ‘closed’. The content of the courses that are taught, the assignments set, the books that students are required to read and the final examination have all been determined in advance. Though the tutor does not create the course and its contents, he/she plays an important part in delivering it. In order to do this, the tutor has to learn the course and this takes time; he/she may find it takes at least two presentations before feeling of ‘ownership’ of the course. The teaching methods will also be affected by the notion of openness. Many people find that the most effective teaching is that which consciously sets about enabling students to learn.

The framework contained within each course is structured to enable students to become independent learners able to cope with often complex written, audio and visual material on their own. Clearly, a tutor does not have sufficient hours to teach the course in its entirety during tutorials. In the AOU, the tutor has to challenge the view that teaching is based on the transmission of information. Students have information in abundance. The AOU tutor is oriented to help students use and evaluate information and ideas, and become conscious of the skills they are using as they do so. Exactly how this is done, depends on the particular needs of the student group and the demands of the course. This general approach applies to all tutors in The Arab Open University:

The course teaches our students, whereas our tutorials, detailed written feedback on assisgnments, and personalised support help them to learn and to develop

It is important therefore to help students to find and express their own ideas, and to enable them to become increasingly independent of both the tutor and the materials.

Freed from the burden of having to create and maintain the course, tutors can concentrate our attention on the processes of learning and teaching. Many find this a very liberating experience as they and their students are more like equal partners in the enterprise.

One of the most significant changes in The Arab Open University, as elsewhere, is the increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) for teaching, learning and student support. The use of the Internet and World Wide Web is now commonplace for teaching and learning on many courses. Computers are used to access University services, to submit assignments and as a means of linking students and staff in different parts of the country.

The Arab Open University is OPEN AS TO IDEAS

The AOU is open as to ideas - developing a vibrant academic community that reflects and supports the diversity of intellectual interests of all our students and staff and that is dedicated to the advancement and sharing of knowledge through research and scholarship.

It is through the tutor’s efforts and the support provided by the University that the heart of the educational process – discourse between those involved in learning – is carried on. This is the basis on which ideas are openly exchanged. There are real benefits to be derived from openness. Tutors and students bring knowledge, skills and experience that tutors can make full use of in developing their confidence to express themselves. In addition, the tutor may have new insights that enable both students and colleagues to learn.

A tutor is given responsibility for a group of students who rely on him/her to provide tuition. In return, the tutor has a right to expect that the University will provide him/her with staff development, access to a network of colleagues, feedback on teaching, high quality course materials, advice on marking and grading assignments, and advice on how to cope with the administrative system, policies and procedures.

Accordingly, a tutor can expect the University to apply the same standards as it encourages him/her to adopt when dealing with students. These include a willingness to exchange ideas, availability to discuss issues as and when they arise, help with individual students when necessary, and the provision of staff development that facilitates learning.

The Arab Open University is OPEN AND EQUAL

The AOU's intention is to create the conditions in which students and staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, color, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, disability, family circumstance, or other irrelevant distinction.This is emphasized in an approach to teaching that stresses that all students should be able to participate equally in the learning process.