Educational
Field Trip at Bangladesh Open University
The students of the course ENG_517:
Practice Teaching visited Bangladesh Open University (BOU) on 20th August
2017. Professor Dr. Muhammed Shahriar
Haque, the course instructor, guided the whole educational trip. The trip
successfully completed because of the enthusiasm of the students and our
teacher as well as the continuing support from the authority of BOU.
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| The students of the course ENG_517: Practice Teaching |
On the day of the educational field trip, Mohammad Habibuzzaman,
the Deputy
Director and Assistant Private Secretary of Vice Chancellor (VC), welcomed our
team. At the VC office, we introduced with Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Khondoker Mokaddem Hossain, Protocol Officer
Md. Abdul Hye, and other executives of BOU. After completing the introduced
part, we took part in a discussion session with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Protocol
Officer Md. Abdul Hye, and other executives in the conference room where they
informed about the history and all academic things of BOU. They informed us
that BOU is providing education at the learners’ doorstep with the course
materials from certificate level to post-graduation level. They also informed
us that BOU is offering 50 programs through its six schools (Open School, School
of Education, School of Social Science, Humanities and Language, School of
Business, School of Agriculture & Rural Development, and School of Science
and Technology) from 12 Regional Centers, 80 Sub-Regional Centers and 1475
Study Centers. The Pro-Vice Chancellor informed that BOU is transforming itself
into a virtual university in near future. We were pleased from the answers of
many questions regarding the academic programs, administrative system, and
facilities of BOU.
After completing the
discussion session, we were driven to visit the different divisions of BOU
where the directors of those divisions described the activities of their
divisions. In Computer Division, we visited Software section, Hardware Maintenance
section, Network section and two Internet Interactive Virtual Class Rooms
(IVCR). The IVCR is designed with digital
equipment like computer, closed-circuit camera, camera controller, LED monitor,
multimedia projector, magnetic board, and main controller unit from where learners
or teacher or both of them can communicate with other IVCR. We also visited Publishing, Printing and Distribution
division as well as Media division. In Media division, we saw how the web
Television and web radio will work in near future, and visited the recording
studios where different types of lectures are recorded for television telecast
and BOUTube (http://www.boutube.edu.bd/). Moreover, we visited the mock village
of BOU where the different types of video materials are being recorded for the
distance learners. Our trip was ended by visiting the library of BOU and completing
the farewell session with the authority of BOU.
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| Interactive Virtual Class Rooms (IVCR) |
During the educational field
trip, we asked many questions regarding the academic programs, research degree
programs, online programs, distance learning, e-learning system, and administrative
system etc. In the discussion session, one important question was asked about
the distance education – How BOU spreads education through distance education
system? The answer was – BOU has 12 Regional Centers, 80 Sub-Regional Centers
and 1475 Study Centers all over the Bangladesh from where it is providing the
open and distance education among the learners of all ages. Learners collect
the textbooks, CDs, audio-video-lectures-inserted micro SD card etc. from those
centers. At the same time, BOU is
uploading video lectures in the BOUTube (http://www.boutube.edu.bd/), and
uploading e-books in the website (http://www.ebookbou.edu.bd/)
as well as various academic information in the BOU website (http://bou.edu.bd/).
Moreover, experienced full-time faculty and adjunct faculty are providing
weekly tutorials, and they are giving lectures which are being recorded for
TV-radio broadcasting as well as for BOUTube. BOU has already planned to launch
Web TV and Web Radio where learners will be able to watch and listen to the tutorial sessions. So, any Bangladeshi learners can enroll in their desired
program from anywhere of the Bangladesh because BOU has promised to assure
education at their doorstep.
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| BOU Web Radio Studio |
The second question was about
the online program – Is BOU offering any online program or course which is free
of cost? The answer was – Actually nothing is free around our surroundings. BOU
has already planned to start two online programs initially such as Master of
Education (MEd) and Master of Business Studies (MBS) which will be available
for any Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi diaspora with affordable cost. On the other
hand, the great news is that BOU is offering a certificate course named “Competency
Based English Communication Skills” with the assistance of the A2i Project of
Prime Minister’s Office, and any Bangladeshi learners can enroll in this course which is available on the
website of MuktoPaath (http://www.muktopaath.gov.bd/login/auth#/elCourseDetails/showCourseDetails?id=162).
The third question was about the Research Degree programs
– What are the criteria for taking admission in the research degree programs? The
answer was – A candidate who has a Master Degree in any Discipline with two
First Classes or equivalent CGPA 3.00 on a scale of 4 in the academic life can
apply for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) program. On the other hand, a candidate
who has an MPhil degree or MS degree or second Masters with minimum CGPA 3.00 on
a scale of 4.00 in both Honours and Masters examinations, and has at least
second division or GPA 4.00 on a scale of 5.00 in both SSC & HSC or
equivalent examinations is eligible for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program. At
this time, BOU is offering both MPhil and PhD degrees in two areas – School of
Education and School of Business.
In the Computer Division, another important question
was asked regarding the process of online
evaluation. The question was – How BOU evaluates the learners of an online program? The answer was – For the online program, learners have to face two types
of assessments – online and face-to-face. Online assessment is based on two types
of assessments – formative and summative. In formative assessment, different
types of activities, pop quizzes, and summarization are included. In the summative assessment, forum engagements,
assignments, quizzes and exams are included. For checking the plagiarism, BOU
uses different software. In the final face-to-face assessment, learners have to
face a face-to-face session at the specified assessment centers.
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| BOU Web TV (Proposed) |
At the time of visiting the mock village, one question was asked about the
mock village – How BOU uses the mock village for teaching the learners? The
answer was – BOU uses the mock village for teaching some non-formal programs
such as Rural Development, Fisheries, Horticulture, Maternity and Child Care
etc. The scenery and the equipment of the mock village are used for giving the
real-life example. So, the lectures of those
courses and some programs are recorded here for broadcasting on the
television and uploading in BOUTube.
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| The students of the course ENG_517 with the authority of BOU |
However, at last, it can be
said that the field trip was essential for us because it was shown how the
administration of a university work for spreading the education all over the
country. At the same time, it provided different information about BOU,
evaluation system, IVCR, e-learning platform, Web TV, Web Radio, mock village
etc. BOU is offering education at the doorstep of the learners which is helping
those people who are doing the job or who
are living in the remote area of the country. Even, an aged person can also
take education because there is no age limitation, and the cost of the study is also affordable. The experience of an
educational field trip always enhances a student’s knowledge, improves networking
and personal development, and this educational field trip has also fulfilled
these things by giving a clear idea about the education system of BOU, asking
the quarries and exchanging the opinion with the authority of BOU. The
opportunity to visit BOU is an asset to the students of the course ENG_517:
Practice Teaching, and it would be great to continue the tradition. Thanks again to
the authority of BOU and of course to our honourable course instructor Professor
Dr. Muhammed Shahriar Haque for making
this trip possible.
Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman
Student, MA in ELT
East West University, Bangladesh
Date: 03
August 2017
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