Overview of the Unit
The COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the world on all levels) health, economy, and education (, led to changes in beliefs that had been in place prior to the appearance of the virus. This included the perception of education. The pandemic imposed a new reality on education by relying on a "remote learning system" during periods of school closures. This led to the consideration of a new educational model called "Blended Learning," a system that "combines face-to-face learning with remote learning." This system reduces student density and optimizes the use of faculty expertise and the university's infrastructure through modern communication tools, such as computers, the internet, multimedia, chat rooms, and providing links to recorded lectures and educational videos, whether in physical classrooms or in e-learning environments, offering the maximum benefit with minimal time and effort to apply the blended learning approach.
In recognition of the importance of developing education and utilizing modern technological tools to enhance the learning process, the College Administration has focused on applying e-learning alongside traditional education, known as "Blended Learning." The Faculty of Nursing Council decided to establish the E-Learning Unit as an educational unit on 30/06/2021, and a working team was formed, consisting of faculty members and assistants from the college's scientific departments.
Vision
To make the E-Learning and Distance Learning Unit at the college one of the distinguished units in the educational process according to quality and accreditation standards, contributing to building a developed academic community in knowledge and science, and to achieving excellence among its peers at other universities.
Mission
To provide diverse and distinguished educational services that improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning through the effective utilization of modern technologies in e-learning and distance learning.
Objectives of the Unit
1. The E-Learning Unit aims to provide programs and services benefiting both students and faculty members, as well as the community. The unit's tasks include:
2. Changing the traditional concept of education to keep pace with scientific and technological knowledge advancements.
3. Implementing innovative and effective educational technologies in the fields of e-learning and distance learning.
4. Achieving quality and applying performance indicators and policies in e-learning and distance learning according to the strategic plans of Ain Shams University's e-learning system.
5. Enhancing the efficiency and training of faculty members and students to enable them to apply and develop e-learning and distance learning systems.
6. Coordinating with the University’s E-Learning Center to develop, evaluate, and implement strategic plans for e-learning.
7. **Job Descriptions for the E-Learning Unit Members**
Job Descriptions for the E-Learning Unit Members**
Duties of the E-Learning Unit Director
The unit director is a faculty member responsible for:
- Submitting periodic reports required by the central e-learning unit at the Education Development Administration.
- Maintaining continuous communication with the university's e-learning committee, which represents the Education Development Administration, the central e-learning unit, and the directors of e-learning subunits.
- Studying proposals related to e-learning in the university's strategic plan.
- Developing mechanisms and procedures for implementing e-learning at the college.
- Promoting the culture of e-learning across various departments within the college.
- Supporting the implementation of e-learning technologies, e-courses, and e-books in the faculty.
- Coordinating with the college's academic affairs units on activating e-learning and submitting periodic reports.
- Monitoring the implementation of university-approved standards in the production of e-courses.
- Effectively integrating the blended learning system into the e-learning environment.
- Carrying out any directives from the university administration related to the unit's activities.
Duties of the Deputy Director of the E-Learning Unit
The deputy director is a faculty member responsible for:
- Representing the unit director in meetings, councils, and conferences.
- Monitoring the implementation of the unit's strategy for producing courses and educational materials.
- Overseeing the unit's administrative tasks.
- Preparing periodic reports on the unit's achievements.
- Performing any tasks assigned by the unit director.
Duties of the Electronic Course Coordinators from the Departments:
Faculty members and assistants nominated by departments to coordinate with them are responsible for:
- Monitoring the process of e-course and educational material production within the unit and across department coordinators.
- Submitting periodic reports on the e-course production process to the Deputy Director of the unit.
- Reviewing the content and sources of uploaded materials, ensuring their relevance and updating them according to the announced student schedules.
- Coordinating and following up on uploading lectures, materials, and activities ahead of their announced times on the student schedules.
- Monitoring student inquiries through the course platform.
Duties of the Technical Support Officer:
The Technical Support Officer is responsible for:
- Providing technical support to both students and faculty concerning the Moodle system and tracking tasks.
- Creating courses and uploading produced lectures on Moodle, as well as monitoring surveys and exams.
- Receiving training in all technical support tasks related to the university's central system.
Duties of the Administrative Secretary
The administrative secretary is responsible for:
- Managing and organizing files, sending correspondence, and handling scientific and administrative secretarial tasks for the unit.
Unit Protocol
1. Activating and Monitoring Electronic Courses and Interactive Activities:
These are managed through Moodle for ease of collaboration and exchanging ideas and information among learners, allowing interaction via various tools such as interactive lectures, chat rooms, and email. This increases opportunities for discussion, exchanging views, and sharing experiences.
2. Building the Capacities of Faculty Members and Students:
- Enhancing faculty members’ proficiency in e-learning by enabling them to choose and use e-learning tools through a training program.
- Building students’ capacity to learn effectively in an online environment.
3. Providing Technical Support for Faculty and Students:
- Providing continuous technical support to both faculty and students.
Targeted Students:**
- Undergraduate students (Mainstream students).
- Graduate students.
Unit Protocol
Activating and monitoring e-courses and interactive activities:
Uploading them to the college's Moodle platform facilitates collaboration and the exchange of ideas and information among learners. This is achieved through student communication in multiple ways, such as interactive lectures, chat rooms, and email. This increases opportunities for discussion, the exchange of diverse viewpoints, and, consequently, the exchange of experiences.
Building the capacity of faculty members and students
Raising the competence of faculty members in e-learning, enabling them to select and use e-learning techniques and tools through an e-learning training program.
Building the capacity of students to enable them to learn effectively in an online learning environment.
Providing technical support to faculty members and students.
Target Students
Undergraduate students (Mainstream students).
Graduate students.
E-Learning Portal
Moodle is the e-learning management system used at the Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University. It allows faculty members and administrators to track attendance, time required to complete assignments, and student progress in the educational process.
It also allows students to access the curriculum, practical and theoretical lectures, and submit assignments and study activities.
E-Learning Code of Ethics