Instructional System in Distance Education at KUSOED

Distance education simply means imparting education from a distance. The teacher and the student are physically separated in this system of education. The salient features of instruction in distance education from KUSOED include:

Self instructional Module and Access to Online Course Area: Students can have self instructional module either CD-ROM or online (with the payment of Rs.3000 per semester approx.). Each unit in a module is written in self- instructional style and consists of an introduction, objectives, structure of units, main contents, and suggested reading. It is mandatory to purchase a self learning package from university to be approved as an admitted student in distance mode.  Following rules will be applied about self learning packages:

• Students must ensure the payment for the module before they place their order. Please visit http://www.distance.kusoed.edu.np/Order-Learning-Materials.php for detail.
  
• After you place order with payment, you can come to the university campus to pick up your materials or you can request it via a valid post mail or you can send your representative to collect the materials with a letter of your authorization.
  
• After you admit for the distance mode, the department of DE will provide you a secure login ID and password with a detail instruction to access all the reference materials related to your course at http://www.distance.kusoed.edu.np/Join-Course-Area.php
  

Assignments: The assignment is an integral component of distance education. These serve the purpose of evaluation of student performance. Following rules will be applicable about assignments.

• Each course will have at least 5(five) assignments. Such assignments can be case studies, observation reports, action research, review of book/journal/research papers, developmental reports, open book test, and peer review of articles posted by students in the online forum of students under KUSOED.
  
• Such assignments cover 40% of the total assessment.
  
• Students must send/upload their assignments as indicated in the course area or email. Admitted students will get an ID and password to access to the course area of DE from where they can access to all reference reading materials and course activities.
  

Assignment Checking and Feedback: Experts will evaluate the assignments forwarded by the students. Students receive feedback from the concerned course specialist via online or email within a week of the submission. There will be a short telephone call to the concerned students during the evaluation of the assignment/(s). There is a fully developed and well- placed mechanism of taking feedback from students on academic and administrative activities to ensure the effectiveness.

Orientation/Contact sessions

• All the students admitted for distance mode must attend our orientation program at the beginning of the course and the contact sessions during the semesters. Students must participate at least 50hours contact session per semester. Such contact session can be organized online via call centres or at Distance Education (DE) centres. There will be clarification of contents by experts, presentation about program and course preparation, discussion and midterm examination during the contact sessions. All the admitted students for distance mode will get email notification about details of such orientation/contact sessions from the department of DE, KUSOED.
  

Or

• Offline contact sessions will be conducted at DE centres during the mid semester time. Such sessions prolong for the period of 7 days. There will be a 7 hours session every day.  Accommodations must be managed by the students themselves during such contact sessions at DE centres.
  
• Each DE centres will handle maximum 20 students
  

End Semester Examination

At the end of each semester, students must attend an examination (close paper- pencil test).  Such end-semester exam covers 60% weight of the total evaluation. Please visit our web site http://www.distance.kusoed.edu.np/Exam-Result.php for detail and updated notice about examinations. This will be administered as summative evaluation.

Visit to Students

• Online (http://distance.kusoed.edu.np/Join-Course-Area.php or  Skype/Google Video Chat )
  
• E-mail (http://www.emails.kusoed.edu.np)
  
• Contact sessions/program at DE centres for the students from out of Kathmandu Valley and at KUSOED for the students from Kathmandu Valley.
  
• Through experts (one to one direct telephone calls)
  

Mandatory

• Regular 3 hours study at home
  
• Regular submission of assignments before due dates
  
• Timely participation in seminars/contact session/online webinars
  
• Timely appearance in end-semester examinations
  

Minimum Requirement for the Distance Students

• Students must have the following materials/ equipments in order to enrol in this program
  
• Basic computer skills (Word processing, Email/Internet to complete online admission process, upload/ download reading materials registering our course area)
  
• Good English language (Written as well as Spoken)
  
• Laptop/ Desktop computer  with internet connection (High speed connection is recommended)
  

Evaluation Procedure

Kathmandu University adopts semester based evaluation system. There will be two semesters in a year. The evaluation schemes for the programs offered in distance mode are as follows:

• 40% internal ( based on the evaluation of assignments)
  
• 60% external  ( end-semester exam )
  
• The school follows the letter grading system. Every letter grade is converted into specific number of grade value associated with the grade. The GPA is calculated by multiplying the grade value of the earned grade by the number of credit for each course and dividing the total number by term credits earned.
  

Grade	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	F
Grade Value	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0	2.7	2.3	2.0	0
Performance	Outstanding	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Satisfactory	Fair	Poor	Fail

• CGPA represents the overall performance and is calculated at the end of the program.
  
• CGPA = (C₁g₁+ C₂g₂ + C₃g₃ +C₄g₄+…..)/ (C₁+ C₂+ C₃+ C₄+….)
  
• C denotes the credits associated with the course taken by the students and g indicates the grade value in respective courses. No Students can pass examination with “F” grade in a particular course.
  

Certification

After completion of all the course requirements offered in distance mode, KU will allow you in its convocation.  Students will be awarded certificate which will be equivalent to the same degree received through face to face program.

1. If students are able to attend the convocation program, they can collect their certificate and academic transcript at the same time.
2. If student are unable to attend the convocation program at the University, they must put forward a letter of request with a valid post mail address. Students must forward their request letters after the payment of all necessary charges like certification, mailing charges and document insurance.