IOU-Explorer

Feature Overview

Welcome to IOU Explorer, an initiative that allows students to take a single course at a time from our extensive range of Bachelor’s degree programs. At the International Open University (IOU), our priority is to make education accessible to all, understanding that not everyone has the time to commit to a full degree program. With this new feature, you can study that subject you’ve always desired to explore, enjoy learning, and whet your appetite for further educational pursuits, in shaa Allah.

Why Choose IOU Explorer?

Whether you have limited time, or you are curious about our courses, IOU Explorer is the perfect platform for you. Here’s why:

Affordable, scalable fee structure

The fees structure operates on a sliding scale, taking into account the country of residence of each student. Students may pay more or less depending on their location, but fees are still affordable.

Expand on your knowledge

By choosing courses that align with their personal interests, students can deepen their understanding, acquire new knowledge, and develop valuable skills in their desired discipline.

Explore Diverse Topics

With the wide range of degrees the IOU offers, students will have the opportunity to learn about various interesting topics in a variety of disciplines including modern and Islamic studies.

Flexibility

Students can customize their learning experience according to their interests, schedule, and pace, making it convenient for those with busy schedules and everyday life commitments.

No exams or assignments

Enrollees are not required to submit any assignment, are not subject to assessments and do not sit for exams. This removes anxiety and pressure, which allows the student to focus solely on the joy of learning and exploration.

Non-credit bearing

As no exams are required, there will be no credits attached to any of the courses taken under this scheme. As there are no credits, and no exams, these courses cannot be used as exemptions if the student decides to enroll for a full degree program.

Test the waters

Enrolling for single courses allows students to explore different subjects before committing to a full degree program. This is a low-risk opportunity to sample courses and determine if a specific field of study aligns with their long-term goals and aspirations.

Ready to start?

The admissions application process of IOU Explorer is very straightforward and easy to complete. The applicant needs to fill out an online application and they are ready to go!

The Online Application Process

Please use only English throughout the entire application process.

Please follow the following steps to complete the online application.

1. Complete the electronic application form. You will be required to agree to our disclaimer form. Check your email for a confirmation email and click on the link provided to activate your account. When completing the form, please be sure that you select the correct stream of study.
2. Once your account has been created, please proceed to pay the fees.
3. After you have paid, you will be registered in IOU Explorer.

Before you begin:

Have your personal information ready.

When creating the account, use an email address that you check regularly. This email address will be used to send you the account activation link and also for our regular correspondence with you throughout your studies. You might consider creating a new email address for the purpose of your study with IOU.

The Method

IOU provides a unique learning experience for all of our students. The university also recognizes that many students may not have studied online before; it is quite different from traditional classroom-based learning. For this reason, IOU has provided demos and organized a user-friendly learning environment for those new to online education. It is vital that all IOU students be fully prepared for online learning and have the required level of English to enable them to effectively and successfully study in this environment.

IOU is comprised of students from around the globe. Our students learn through watching and listening to video and audio lectures as well as reading texts (PDF Format). Within the online study community, students may share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, submit assignments, and take exams.

IOU is thankful to Allah for having enabled us to launch multiple online courses for students to choose from. We are dedicated to spreading authentic Islamic knowledge with a proper understanding of Allah’s true religion. Both students and professors represent a diverse group coming from both under-developed and developed countries.

Teaching and Learning

Lectures and tutorials will be delivered either via pre-recorded content or in real-time, synchronously and asynchronously. Presentations in real-time will be conducted in the university’s virtual learning environments.  

Assessments will all be conducted/submitted online. All assessments will have to be submitted on the learning management system. 

Examinations will be completed at approved examination centres globally, unless decided otherwise by the Senate. 

Academic faculty and students will engage via discussion forums and email asynchronously, and in real-time (synchronously) in virtual rooms.

Demo Course

IOU presents a demonstration course from the BAIS program to show people interested in IOU how the courses look and operate and give a real-time example of what it is like to study with IOU.

Please click here to download the BAIS Demo Course Guide to learn more.

Please click the button given below to access the demo course directly, (you may need to create and account and enrol in the course if you haven’t done so already)Demo Course

For further details and help with registration and enrollment in the BAIS or BMAIS, contact the info deks at: info@iou.edu.gm

Student Support

Students at IOU enjoy the support of dedicated full-time qualified faculty members, who are responsible for answering any questions students may have about the course.

Additionally, guest lecturers from the various fields offered by IOU and beyond will be invited from time to time, to enrich the program by providing an avenue for students to experience, firsthand, the cutting edge of academic research and professional expertise. Students will be informed of the timings and will be given ample opportunity to participate. The sessions will also be recorded and kept in the IOU archive for later viewing by those unable to watch the sessions live.

Faculty

There is a faculty for each course. The ​faculty may or may not be the actual instructor of the course. The ​faculty member, however, is able to handle all issues related to the course they are assigned to. They provide academic support and facilitate learning by:

1. Providing further clarification of materials studied in the recorded lectures.
2. Facilitating access to resources such as online libraries and additional learning materials.
3. Monitoring usage of module videos
4. Grading assignments
5. Supervising forums to ensure that they are properly utilized.

The faculty will work together with the Coordinator, Registrar and the Dean to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed in their studies

Student Responsibilities

Students are expected to devote at least four hours of study per week per subject. Students should read course materials, listen to the lecture, take the module test, and complete the course assignment.

1. Students should behave respectfully at all times. If a student is disrespectful to the faculty, to another student, or to the staff at the test center, he or she will be removed from the class and may be dismissed from the university, depending on the severity of the disruption.
2. All students should fully participate in the online forums.
3. All assignments should be handed in on time. They should be handed in before or at the time of exams. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, students cannot turn in an assignment on time, they need to get permission from the faculty for late submission. If a student misses an exam without informing the administration before exam week, he/she will receive a ‘failure’. It is the student’s responsibility, not the instructor’s or the faculty member’s, to attempt to make up and complete the exam within the late mid-term period.
4. Students of the Islamic Online University should pledge that all tests taken by them and that all work turned in by them are original and are solely the result of their own efforts. Any form of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, will be recorded in the student’s permanent file. Breaches of academic integrity will be dealt with severely, as per the Islamic Online University’s policy. After the first instance of a breach of academic integrity, the student will receive a failing grade IN ALL CLASSES FOR WHICH HE/SHE IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED. After the second instance, the student will be expelled permanently from the university.
5. Note: Cheating is defined as using others’ planning or drafting to generate an essay, copying any part of another person’s homework, or collaborating on assignments that are meant to be individual efforts. Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments should be completed individually.

HOW IT WORKS OLD

THE IOU WAY OF E-LEARNING

• Both students and professors represent a diverse group coming from both under-developed and developed countries.
• The basic text(s) used for teaching the course will be provided as downloadable, printable PDF files.

THE COURSE MATERIAL CONSISTS OF:

1. Course text (PDF). The basic text(s) used for teaching the course will be provided as downloadable, printable PDF files. Supplementary reading texts will also be recommended, which students can get on their own. In the future, we plan to have an exclusive library of PDF books for our students to use as supplementary reading.
2. Recorded supplementary session conducted by the faculty members for each of the modules.

STUDY PATH OF EACH COURSE

Having thoroughly studied Module 1, the student then takes the Module 1 test. The test consists of multiple choice questions.

Each course consists of 20-30 recorded sessions. Video and audio recordings are available for the students.

The student first listens to the audio or video recording and reads the text that corresponds to Module 1.