Open University of Libya (OUL)

History, Vision, and Achievement of Open University of Libya

History:

In1987, the Open University of Libya was established, and it was recognized as the first private university will be in Libya. The OUL officially began the scientific activity with the beginning of the academic year in 1989 -1990. According to the Embassy of Libya in Japan, there was a report about the OUL staff visited the Open University of Japan in 1994. The Ministry of Education in Libya approved the OUL in 1995. In 2003, the OUL was approved and certified as an open university and member by the Association of Arab Universities. In 2004, the OUL was approved and certified an open university and member by the Arab Network for Open and Distance Education.In 2014, the OUL and Head of Board of the Open University Development Group signed a memorandum to improve the open and distance education in Libya. OUL is the first and only university in Libya that was approved by many academic sectors in and outside Libya. Also, it has good reputations, and it is well known all over Libya and Arab countries because of the mission and achievements it accomplishes so far.

Mission and Achievements:

The OUL aims to spread distance learning to everyone without restrictions in terms of previous knowledge, time, gender, and age. Also, helping everyone to acquire the knowledge, science, and skills that suit them in ways that they want to apply to achieve their purposes in society. OUL allows the students the opportunity to study and register online and come to the university at the end of the term to take the exams. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to obtain higher education to the women who are married and have family responsibilities, the international students in Libya, the students with a career. OUL first branch is in Tripoli. However, it achieved to make learning convenient by opening 20 branches around the country in Benghazi, Sabha, Ejdabia, Darna, Misurata, Al-Kufra, Al-Asaba’ to help the students from the local regions of the country to enroll and take exams to the nearest OUL branch to them.

Admission, Courses, and Learning system in OUL:

OUL allows the students to access the university library. The university registration fee is 50 USD per term which is cheap and reasonable for the students. Also, paying 25 USD for each course, the students enroll in per term. has diverse departments, and each department has several courses for the undergrad and graduate students. There are 22 departments available in the OUL; the French language department, Business department, English language department, Accounting department, Economy department, Management department, Nursing department, Medical studies department, IT engineering, mechanical engineering, Law department, Geography department, History department, English language department, Arabic language department and other departments.

Most of the subjects have a soft copy of the textbooks, and the students can download it as a PDF from the university’s library. The number of credits required for graduation and obtain a bachelor’s degree is 120-150 credits. The students can take all his/ her required courses and credits online but coming to university during the exams date. OUL students can not retake any courses in which they had obtained grade (A), and grade D is considered as the minimum passing grade for a student’s successful completion of the course. 

Learners support in OUL:

The Open University of Libya is supporting the students by providing all forms the students might need. Moreover, the students can submit most of the forms online without going to university to submit. It enables the students to view the professors’ profiles and contact the professor if the students have some inquiries about the course. The students can receive their grades, and the exams schedule online. The students can check the Q&A option on the OUL homepage to view some common questions students always ask. The students send a question or inquiry to the university page, and the students will receive a reply within two days. The students of the OUL expand advantages of online learning in university is that it provides a new experience, which can be called a ‘digital culture’, which is a new culture for Libyan university students. In addition to its contribution to the development of thinking, and enrichment of the learning process. Another feature of online learning is the opportunity for indirect contact, where students can interact among themselves indirectly, without requiring to be present at the same time. It can be done by using several techniques, including e-mail, google classroom, and voice mail.

Types of Technologies the Open University of Libya Provides:

OUL home website have all the reading materials. Twitter, emails, and Facebook are used to communicate with the students. Face to face interactions is eliminated. The students contact the Professors and administration staff for more information whenever they needed help. OUL uploads some videos on YouTube to explain to the students about the university, the faculty members, and the registration form. The university offers a free internet connection inside the campus to the students. OUL provides many forms the students might need as a soft copy on their homepage. Several courses are being developed in which the entire course is offered via the Internet. The university’s website also included simple tutorials on how to download and open the lectures, the attachments, PowerPoint, explaining about the university. OUL has an e-library, and the students can access it.

The Open University in Libya is trying to improve the usage of ICT and open learning system in Libya. It is encouraging the students to obtain a degree without coming to school except on the date of the exams, especially after the civil war that is happening now in Libya.