Page 146 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

126 OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATON IN ASIA
Good Practices from AAOU Members

in early 1980s, the university has now 2) are pre-university levels while Levels 3 to 6
expanded to become the largest university belong to the undergraduate studies. Levels
in the country in terms of student numbers 7 to 10 correspond to postgraduate studies,
and reach, with its presence in every district with Level 7 at postgraduate certificate and
of the country. Level 8 postgraduate diploma. Levels 9 and
10, respectively, belong to the Masters’
Early Innovations as Foundations to the degree of one year and two years (including
Academic System a research component) duration. While Level
When the University commenced its 11 belongs to the MPhil (totally research
operations, many innovative approaches based), Level 12 is the doctoral (PhD) level.
which were not in practice in the Sri Lankan The OUSL too has now adopted this standard
education sector, were introduced into SLQF.
its system which have now become the
norm in other conventional universities in Another unique aspect that was introduced
Sri Lanka. One of the earliest innovations at the inception of the OUSL was assigning
introduced by the new university was a type credits to the quantum of work carried out
of scaffolding system through which learners by the learner. Though the definition of
could proceed from fundamental knowledge credit has changed from what it was at the
to mastery at an acceptable level. Thus, a inception, the concept of attributing credit
Ladder of Opportunity, with a framework ratings has now been nationally accepted.
of different levels from Level 1 to Level 7 Accordingly, in Sri Lankan higher education
were introduced in place of the traditional system one credit is defined as 45 to 50
year-based progress of students. Today the Notional Learning Hours (NLH). The OUSL
system of levels introduced by the pioneers too has adopted this system with a slight
of the OUSL has become the norm in the modification to suit the distance education
country through the establishment of the Sri scenario. Table 1 describes the way the NLH
Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF), where are calculated at the OUSL to assign credits to
12 levels of tertiary education have been the individual courses.
recognized. The first two levels (Levels 1 and

The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL)