Zahid majeed presentation

Zahid MajeedFaculty of Education

Allama Iqbal Open UniversityIslamabad, Pakistan.

[email protected]

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY (AIOU)

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is the first Open University in Asia.

AIOU is a unique institution in Pakistan because of its philosophy, system, approach, functions and overall structure.

The University with its main campus at Islamabad and huge network of regional centers spread all over the country is serving its clientele all over Pakistan and in the Middle East

AIOU is a Distance Education institution, which provides multi disciplinary education from basic to doctoral level programs. ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

24th AAOU Conference 26-28 October 2010, Ha Noi

Brief HistoryEstablished in May 1974On the name of national poet and

philosopher, Allama Muhammad Iqbal4th in Mega Universities listMain objectives of providing educational

opportunities to masses and to those who cannot leave their homes and jobs.

Educational opportunities for the working people

Access to the female at their door stepsPioneering in the field of Mass Education

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN24th AAOU Conference 26-28 October 2010, Ha Noi

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Breaking new grounds in the fields of professional, scientific, and technical education

Attempting to reach out to the remotest areas of Pakistan.

Part-time educational facilities through:Correspondence coursesTutorials, seminarsWorkshopsLaboratoriesTelevision andRadio broadcasts


Teaching MethodologySpecialized books with reference to distance mode and

students’ needs (self learning)Tutorial Support (Face to Face, Email, Videoconferencing,

Voice Chat, Telephone, Website)Media Programs

TV ProgramsRadio ProgramsVideoconferencing

Online TeachingAssignmentsWorkshop/Practical, Face to Face Teaching InternshipsFinal Examination


AIOU in Figures (2009)Course Enrolment: 1.7 MillionStudent Enrolment: 1.3 MillionParticipation Rate:

44% Male56% FemaleRegional Campuses: 36Coordinating Offices: 102Part Time Tutor: 58,452Study Centers: 1274Examination Centers: 1135Books Printed: 42,04,784

Radio Programs: 264TV Programs: 470Award Degrees: 1,68,871


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Administrative Structure



FACULTIES

Faculty of Social Science and Humanities

Commerce Economic Management Sciences Population Study Iqbaliyat Islamic Studies Pakistan Studies

Social Sciences Urdu English Mass Communication Library and Information Sciences

Faculty of Basic and Applied Science

Agricultural Sciences Basic Sciences Mathematics Statistics and Computer Sciences Technical and Vocational Education Women's Education Continuing and Remedial EducationALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN24th AAOU Conference 26-28 October 2010, Ha Noi

Faculty of Education Distance & Non

Formal EducationScience EducationElementary Teacher

EducationSecondary Teacher

EducationInstitute of Literacy

& Mass Education Special EducationEducational

Planning and Management

Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies

Quran & TafseerIslamic Law and

Jurisprudence (Fiqh)ArabicIslamic Thought, History

and CultureHadith and Seerah


Teacher EducationFaculty of Education was established in

1975 with as the Institute of Education. Initial responsibility was the in-service

training of 1,55,000 primary teachers with the new primary curriculum that was introduced in country.

With the up gradation of the Institute of Education to Faculty of Education, in 1985, consisting of six departments, making it the largest faculty catering for training of both in-service and pre-service teachers.


Teacher Education ProgramsPTC (for Primary School Teachers)CT (for Elementary School Teachers)B. Ed (for Secondary School Teachers)M.Ed / MA Edu. (Specializations)M. Phil and PhD (Specializations)Diploma in Special EducationM.Ed / MA-Special EducationMA Inclusive Education


Top Ten Mobile Users in Asia 3.48 Billion People1.68 Billion Mobile users.4.15 Billion Mobile Phone Users in world1.04 Billion (25%) mobile phone users are China and IndiaChina: 644.8 million subscribersIndia: 391.6 millionIndonesia: 144.6 MillionJapan: 135 Million Pakistan: 98 Million (PTA, May 2010)Vietnam: 73.2 Million Philippines: 71.7 MillionThailand: 62.7 MillionBangladesh :46.3 millionSouth Korea: 46.2 Million


Top Four SMS Users in Asia Pacific

Total Asia Pacific sent 6.36 billion messagesMMS messages : 9.54 millionPhilippines: 2.36 billion messagesIndonesia: 1.193 billionMalaysia: 1.075 billionPakistan : 763 million


Special Needs StudentsTotal Special Needs People: 2.49% (1998 census)WHO Reported 6% of total population87% using mobile phone

83% Visually Impaired 72% Hearing Impaired 78% Physically Handicapped 12% Intellectually Challenged 29% Learning Disabled

Just 1% of 2.49% in SchoolsApprox. 300-400/year in Higher EducationSpecial Needs Students

Hearing Impaired Visually Impaired Physically Handicapped Learning Disabilities Dyslexic Communication Disorders

Highest numbers are visually impaired students

Study Aims/Objectives Acceptability online courses and Mobile

Learning by disabled students of AIOU.Technical and financial problems in

Mobile Learning.Tutors’ skills of guidance for Mobile

Learning.Recommendations for the AIOU for

developing online courses and Mobile Learning for the disabled students.


Motivation of StudyM-Learning for Special Need Students (SNS)Inclusive EducationVery Few Higher Education Institutions

accommodating Special Needs StudentsLimited Resources/FacilitiesTechnological LimitationsTrained TeachersAwarenessUniversities and Colleges Negative AttitudesFuture after Higher Education


MethodologySurvey ResearchMixed Research ParadigmPopulation: Special Needs Students in Higher EducationIslamabad and Rawalpindi based students Convenient SamplingSample: 84 AIOU Graduates with 14 Current Students Visually Impaired: 72Physically handicapped: 22Dyslexic : 01Hearing Impaired: 03Learning Difficulties: 02


Information AreasM-Learning Awareness Special Needs Education at Higher EducationCost EffectivenessSocially Acceptable Special Needs Compatible/Friendly

TechnologyWebsite Accessibility E-Content Trained Manpower (Teachers/Tutors)


Data Collection 17 items on five point Likert ScaleAcceptability Problems in mobile and online learningThe numerical value:

Strongly Agreed=5Agreed=4Uncertain=3Disagree=2Strongly Disagree=1.Semi-structured interviews from the twenty one disabled

students (Qualitative Analysis)ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

24th AAOU Conference 26-28 October 2010, Ha Noi

Findings Statement N Min Max Mean Standard Deviation Variance

1 Mobile phone important to me for email, text, voice 100 3 5 4.60 .670 .499

2 and computer education/learning is costly 100 1 5 3.46 1.182 1.396

3 Mobile learning is socially acceptable 100 1 5 2.12 1.350 1.822

4 Mobile phone and computers are modified as per my disability 100 1 5 3.40 1.069 1.143

5 Computer applications are known to me 100 1 5 4.24 0.960 0.921

6 AIOU digital services are disabled friendly 100 2 5 3.32 1.019 1.038

7 Bandwidth Services at home are convenient 100 1 5 2.92 1.158 1.340

8 Computer Softwares are easily available 100 1 5 3.32 1.491 2.222

9 Computer Softwares appropriate to access AIOU’s digital material 100 2 5 4.04 .989 0.978

10 Skilled Tutors/Instructors are available 100 1 5 3.80 1.178 1.388

11 Digital library facility is available from AIOU 100 1 5 4.14 1.340 1.796

12 Delivery of digital material in alternative formats 100 1 5 2.58 1.311 1.718

13 General accessibility to AIOU Website (Webpage, Headings, Paragraphs, Tables, Forms, Links, Text, Alternative text, Graphs)

100 1 5 2.80 1.143 1.306

14 Department Special Education provided proper Feedback 100 1 5 3.30 1.374 1.888

15 Disabled students are ready for mobile and computer assisted learning 100 1 5 3.72 1.089 1.185

16 Self Study will be possible by the M-Learning 100 1 5 2.58 1.311 1.717

17 M-Learning opens avenues of higher education to disabled people 100 1 5 3.80 1.177 1.387

Qualitative DataVisually Impaired

Handling hand held devices Reading Small text Interpreting graphs and tabular information Compatible Software Access Barriers

Hearing ImpairedTeleconferencing and Videoconferencing

Learning Disabilities Difficulties in Memorization and Learning New things

Physically Handicapped Speech Input Devices Problems in Hand Held Devices

Dyslexic Functionality with various set of Multimedia Elements Font type, size and colors

Fine Motor Coordinating Handling small devices and buttons

ConclusionsTutors or faculty members need M-Learning training to

teach SNS.Mobile learning will be easy because of phone weight and

easy to handle for the physically handicapped.Use of mobiles with JAZZ soft ware (text to speech) for the

learning and examination for the visually impaired.Mobile as an advantage of the rich visual content such as

photos, images and text for the hearing impaired/deaf Navigating web resources and use of rich visual material for

Dyslexic.

Students with disability agreed M-Learning will be a great educational opportunity to them in order to overcome the barriers encountered in a traditional learning or Open Distance Learning.

The survey recommended that the university may use the mobile as teaching and learning tool as equal education opportunities and full access to all the educational programs at AIOU.


Thanks for Giving me Your Ears
