Research paper

Research Paper on Quality Assurance of Mohammed bin Shikan School

Bader Mohammed Al-Wardi

Sultan Qaboos University

1

Overview of Model

Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is a very important part inside any educational institutions. It provides a rich learning environment and contains a wide variety of information sources to be correlated with the curriculum. LRC provide an appropriate learning environment which allows both teachers and students to take the advantages of the variety of resources that the centre contained, but there are lots of students and teachers who cannot reach, interact and gain all of these services.

For this reason, this research paper will targeted the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan School (5-10) of basic education cycle two. The main goal of this research paper is to develop the services that the learning resources centre of Mohammed bin Shikan School is provided for their beneficiaries (teachers and students) through a special designed website. This goal can be achieved by four main objectives:

1- Announcing students and teachers with all workshops, events, activities and cultural events inside the centre.

2- Enabling students and teachers to know all types and names of different learning resources inside the centre.

3- Providing all the lectures for students to help them revise what have been explained during the lecture.

4- Linking teachers and students with other related websites to benefit from it.

In order to measure the quality assurance of the learning resources centre's

services, i have designed a special plan diagram which guide me to achieve

and ensure the quality of the services provided. The plan diagram contains five

main processes each of them complete the others. These processes are stating

the objectives, collecting data, analyzing data, present data and finally the

recommendations. In stating objectives phase, I have determined the main goal

and the objectives of the QA plan as mentioned above. In collecting data

process, I divided it for two sections which are the areas and tools. The areas

section has three main components like the personnel who working and

dealing with the learning resource centre (teachers and student), the content

that available at the LRC whether printed or digital one, also the environment

of LRC and how it is suitable for both students and teachers and how its

2

facilities like computers, printers, scanners, audio video recorder, television,

LCD and the furniture appropriate for both students and teachers.

I applied for each of these areas (Personnel, Content and Environment)

separate tools for the target of collecting data needed from it. For example on

personnel area I apply the questionnaire to collect the needed data from the

both students and teachers to know their views about the centre services. On

the content area I applied a survey to collect data about the centre content

whether traditional or digital content. Finally on the environment area I

applied a checklist which can easy ensure the appropriately of the centre

environment and its facilities. On the analyze data process, I used some

methods like charts and circling which help in analyze the data founded in the

collecting data process. In present data process I used suitable and different

methods to present the data founded after analyzed it. For example, I used the

report and the diagram methods to the data collected by the questionnaire.

Also I used power point presentation and diagram to present data collected by

the survey. Finally, I used chart and table methods to present data collected by

the checklist on the environment area. At the end process of the plan diagram

there are suggested recommendations or solutions as a feedback for the overall

quality assurance of the centre services.

Note: The Diagram Process is attached at the end of this paper.

Personnel

This quality assurance research paper is targeted around ten teachers and fifteen students who are in Mohammed bin Shikan School those who deal with the learning resource centre and benefit from its services. The attributes of these targeted teachers and students as the follow:

The Entry Behaviors of the targeted teachers and students:

Most of the teachers and students have basic skills on using the computers.

Most of the teachers and students have basic skills on dealing with the

internet.

Most of the teachers and students have the experience on dealing with website

content.

All users are beginners in using web2 applications.

3

Please select the best on following Statements related Learning Resource Centre services :

1. I used the LRC to present my lesson.

2. I used the LRC equipment and facilities to prepare my lesson.

3. I used the internet available at LRC to search the data.

4. Digital and printed resources available at LRC help me to present my lesson.

5. I can know all workshops, activities and cultural events inside the centre.

The prior knowledge of the targeted teachers and students about learning

resource centre's services as the following:

Little numbers of students and teachers don't know about LRC's

services and roles in the school.

Most of users interest with LRC services and activities.

Most of the users benefits from the LRC services.

Most of the teachers and students have the experience to deal the

website content.

As I mention above I have been applied special designed questionnaire for both

teachers and students to collect needed data and after analyzing them I will use the

reports and diagram methods to present results.

Note: The following only some of questionnaire statements for targeted teachers:

Questionnaire for Teachers Questionnaire for Teachers

Agree Disagree Neutral





4


1- There enough number of computers inside the centre.2-3- I used the LRC's computers to achieve my home works, assignments and project. 4-5- I used the LRC's internet and computers to search for information.6-7- I can know all printed and digital sources that reached the LRC recently.8-9- I can know all workshops, activities and cultural events inside the centre.

Note: The following only some of questionnaire statements for targeted students:

Questionnaire for StudentsQuestionnaire for Students






5


1- Curriculum is current and up to date.2- Curriculum materials are easy to understand.3- Curriculum exercises help to meet subject objectives.4- Curriculum helps on develop critical thinking.5- In your opinion, how can this curriculum be improved?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Curriculum

On the hand of curriculum, the main objectives of Mohammed bin Shikan School just like any other schools under umbrella of Basic Education System at Omani Education Ministry are to prepare students to match different job's opportunities available at Omani society also, to increase and enhance their knowledge and skills to make them ready to join in different Higher Education Institutions. In general all Omani schools include same subjects like Islamic Studies, Arabic Language, English Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts, Music, Environmental Life Skills, Information Technology and Computer Skills. As it is appeared on the quality assurance plan I will use the survey tool to collect needed data and after analyzing them I will use the presentation and diagram methods to present the results.

Note: The following only some of survey statements for curriculum:

Survey for CurriculumSurvey for Curriculum





6

Checklist for the LRC Environment

1- Students have opportunities to move around.

2- Seating arrangement is vary e.g. individuals, small group

and large group. 3- Teacher can move around in LRC and interact with

Individuals and small group. 4- A variety of teaching methods can be used by teachers.

5- Lighting inside the LRC is sufficient. 6- Acoustics in LRC are sufficient.

Environment

The learning environment of Mohammed bin Shikan School learning resource centre is very modern and attractive. It meets standard levels that Omani Ministry of Education is stated in terms of its area, its equipments and facilities and it's general outside shape. Also the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan School has lots of useful and helpful technologies whether visual or audio that can help teachers when they present and explain their lessons. And help students to understand the topics well and enhance their learning progress. In this section I will use the checklist tools for collecting needed data and then analyze it after that present the result by some effective methods like chart and tables which can summarize the result in easy way.

Note: The following only some of checklist statements:

Checklist for EnvironmentChecklist for Environment

7

Conclusion

At the end the quality assurance plan of the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan Scholl have lots of strong point in terms of it has a complete process of evaluating the quality beginning from the stating the goals and the objectives and ending by the recommendations or the feedback of all the process that has been done. The quality assurance plan of the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan School is considered as inclusive plan because it cover all different areas that related to the learning resource centre like the personnel who dealing with the learning resource centre (teachers and student), the content that available at the LRC whether printed or digital one, also the environment of LRC. Also it apply appropriate tool for collecting the needed data and appropriate methods for analyzing and presenting that data. Also the quality assurance plan has a recommendations or feedback which considered as final revision for the all process that have been conducted earlier.

The Quality Assurance Plan Diagram

8

References

1- Wada, Hisamitsu. Evaluation Criterion for students Academic Writing: An Action Research.http://cicero.u-bunkyo.ac.jp/lib/kiyo/fsell2006/EIBUN185_193.pdf

2- Barrett, Joan. The Evaluation of Teachers. http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-925/evaluation.htm

3- Mcnicol, Sarah . Learning Resource Centre Evaluation Mission, November 2004

http://www.bibliotecascra.cl/docs/recursos/Learning_Resource_Centre_Evaluation_Mission.pdf

9



http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-925/evaluation.htm

http://cicero.u-bunkyo.ac.jp/lib/kiyo/fsell2006/EIBUN185_193.pdf

Research paper

Documents

Transcript of Research paper