Page 51 - Universitas Terbuka Center of Excellence In Asia 2010 and The World 2020 (A Journey Towards a Leading Open and Distance Education Institution 1984-2008)

they already got were appraised as elective courses. Courses were divided into
core and non-core courses in order to facilitate course transfer easily.

Other important occurrence in this period was the introduction of classroom
action research in some study programs in FKIP. This was meant to encourage

the students who happened to be teachers to improve their performances through
the research they could do in their own classrooms. This course was analogous

with the course of research methods which was generally offered to the graduate
students .

2000· 2006 period

In the first registration period of 2002 (02.1) UT rationalized its curriculum
for the regular program and which was called curriculum version 2002. It came to

mind that in only two years time there were significant changes of curriculum.
The streamlined curriculum was requiring minimum number of accepted credit

units for each type of program. For example compulsory study load for
undergraduate program was reduced into 144 credits unit. This was the minimum

study load required according to the regulation. (There was undergraduate
program that consists of compulsory 160 credit units at that time). In addition,

the study load for diploma Dill program became 110 credit units and Diploma D II
program was 80 credit units. Consequently there were no more elective courses.

This decision was made to avoid the multiplicity demands of learning materials.
In distance education system, the curriculum will significantly influence the
diversity of learning materials which should be provided.

The other important change was the application of competencies approach

to the curriculum development which was known as competency-based
curriculum . As one of the state tertiary educational institutions, UT also
implemented that approach . Various meetings and seminars among departments

and faculties were held to familiarize the concept of competency-based

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