Mohammad Hamdan Chair of Computer Science Dept./ Joint MSc Programmes Coordinator Faculty of IT

1. Distance Learning Programmes: A Case Study about Yarmouk andSunderlandUniversities joint MSc Programmes Mohammad Hamdan Chair of Computer Science Dept./ Joint MSc Programmes Coordinator Faculty of IT Yarmouk University Jordan E-mail hamdan@yu.edu.jo

2. Agenda • Why Distance Learning Programmes • Agreement Structure • The First Year • The Second Year • Changes to the Agreement • The Third Year • The Fourth Year • Recommendations

3. Why Distance Programmes • Investment: for both universities. • Programmes variety: the students have more degrees to choose from. • Employment issues: students would like to have more employment opportunities. • Students needs: a degree from a western university but without leaving current job. • More flexible programmes than local ones.

4. Agreement Structure • Sunderland duties: • Supply teaching material • Training Yarmouk staff • Monitoring the programme through frequent visits • Issuing assignments and • Assessing assignments. • Yarmouk duties: • Delivering lectures to students • Handing out assignments • Receiving students work and conducting exams • Facilitating communication between students problems and Sunderland and • Collecting fees Fees: Sunderland 57.5% and Yarmouk 42.5%. All local costs are paid by Yarmouk.

5. MSc programs • MSc Information Technology Management • MSc E-Commerce • MSc Computer–based Information Systems • MSc E-Commerce Applications

6. Each MSc programme is divided into three stages • The certificate stage that has a total of four modules where every two modules are taken over a period of 15 weeks. This would give us a total of 30 weeks. • The diploma stage is similar to the certificate stage but its modules are more advanced. • The project stage is the final stage where the student is expected to write a high quality MSc thesis and defend his work. Total length is 30 weeks and includes 3 weeks of lectures about how to select a topic and prepare the terms of reference.

7. The First Year • October 2002. • Old students: 5 ITM students • Advertising • Only 3 students applied for ITM programme that should have started February 2003. • Why lack of students?

8. The Second Year • October 2003. • 16 ITM • 10 CBIS • By end of Stage I and entering Stage 2 only 5 ITM and 5 CBIS • Why? • Few students found the program not as easy it would be and weak writing skills of students.

9. Changes to the Agreement • Yarmouk is responsible completely for stage I of both ITM and CBIS programmes. • Issuing assignments and the marking process is done completely by Yarmouk staff. • This means reducing the fees from 10050 to 8150 USD for the whole programme. • Sunderland gets no fees for stage I.

10. The Third Year • October 2004 • 20 ITM • 10 CBIS • Mid of stage 2: 16 ITM and 9 CBIS • Why students didn’t drop from program? All marking for stage I is handled by Yarmouk university staff and nearly all students passed.

11. The Fourth Year • 31applications for ITM • 4 applications for CBIS • Only ITM will start on the 8th of October 2005. • CBIS will be postponed till February 2006 on the hope that more students will join. Otherwise terminate CBIS.

12. Recommendations • Always advertise early and in a professional fashion, • Try to give a good answer to student's questions as much as you can in order to have their confidence in you. For example, a CBIS student will ask whether he can work as a lecturer or not. A good answer is that your chances are much better if you do work in Industry. • Try to minimize the costs in order to reduce the fees if possible, • Select your best local lecturers and train them if necessary and • Try to have regular meetings with students and do not rely on e-mail all the time as the students prefer to take the information directly from the administration.