Page 147 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) 127

Table 1
Description of Notional Learning Hours (NLH) at OUSL

Type of activity OUSL defined / Number Comments
scheduled unit of NLH
Studying printed lesson material which One session 5 hours
includes reading and understanding
the session, completing the activities
in the sessions, preparations for day
schools and all other learning activities
related to the printed session
For practical work, including laboratory 1 hour 1.5 hours For each 1 hour of
/ field work/ clinical work / micro- laboratory/ field/ clinical
teaching / teaching practicum studies scheduled by
OUSL, half an hour of
independent studies is
recommended. Notional
learning hours include
time allocated for
conducting practical work,
preparation, writing any
reports and the time
allotted for assessments
Day school 1 hour 1 hour
Assessment/assignment 1 hour 1 hour
On-line support 1 hour 1 hour
Literature search 1 hour 1 hour
Writing dissertation 1 hour 1 hour

Continuous Assessment (CA) and acquiring a that are taking place around the world. The
minimum mark for the CA to obtain eligibility existing plan covers the years 2021 to 2025.
to sit the Final Assessment is another novel Based on the SMP, action plans are identified
concept introduced by the young university, for every year. The Council of the university
which again has now become a norm in the monitors the Action Plan of the year on a
Sri Lankan university system. quarterly basis and ensures that the plans are
implanted accordingly.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Every five years, the university develops a With the introduction of the new Corporate
Corporate Plan and a Strategic Management and Strategic Management plans in 2021,
Plan (SMP) envisaging the strategies that the university revised its vision and mission
are planned to be adopted by the university statements which were in existence for the
and the action plans to achieve them based last ten years or so. Accordingly, the new
on national plans and other developments vision statement of the OUSL reads as to

The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL)