The Role of the Arab Open University, as a Distance Education Institution, in Social Communication and Development in the Arab Region.

Introduction There is a very strong relation between higher education (HE), and social development and improvement (World Bank, 1994, 1998, 1999). This means that good HE institutions have the tools to make the social improvements happen, and they should fulfill their responsibilities towards their societies. To improve a nation's society, access to quality higher education institutions should be available to individuals. Aderinoye & Ojokheta (2004), argue that while education is the key which protects the full spectrum of human rights, distance education may enable individuals to make informed choices about their present life and future. This study examines the role of the Arab Open University (AOU) in social development. Study Questions, Purpose Significance, and Procedures Study Problem, Question, Purpose and Significance As a pan-Arab project, the Arab Open University was established with developmental goals to be achieved in the Arab region. The aim of this study is to answer the research question: How did the Arab Open University contribute to the social development in the Arab region? The purpose of the study is to illustrate the ways by which the AOU is contributing to social communication and development activities. Significantly, the study sheds light on the effectiveness of DE, in general, and the AOU in specific. Study Design and Procedures This study adopts a qualitative research design to provide a more comprehensive image of the ways the AOU contributes to social development in the Arab region. To answer the study question, the following procedures were applied: 1. Collecting statistical data (e.g. student enrolment and demography) and documents, which explain the AOU activities that are related to the study. 2. Conducting face to face panel discussions with 324 students in the AOU branches, using guided forms. Review of Related Literature In this section, selected literature about development, and the role of open universities (OU) in development is reviewed. What is Development? Development, as described by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2008), includes: (1) improving quality of life and increasing choices of people; (2) gaining better education and expanding human capabilities; (3) having higher standards of health and nutrition and clean environment; (4) increasing access to opportunity and equality; (5) gaining individual freedom and human rights; and (6) facilitating richer cultural life. International statistics show an increasing gap in economic, standards of life, and access to education between developing and developed countries, since the end of WW II. While the income gap was 13 to 1 in 1913, it increased to 74 to 1 in 1999 (UNDP, 2000). The total income of half a billion people in all developing countries in 1999 was only 10% of US $1,135 billion, which is the total income of the world's richest 200 people (UNDP, 2000). According to Malik, Belawati & Baggaley (2005), over 560 million adults in Asia alone are illiterate (70% of the world's illiterate adults), 66% of them are women. The Role of DE and OU to Development Brief Historical View of OU The University of South Africa, which opened in 1946 was the first open institution (Mackintosh, 2005). The world leading OU is the UK Open University (UKOU), which was established in 1969 and led to the development of many open universities in developing countries (Perraton, 2000). Recently there are hundreds of open universities all over the world. In the Arab region, DE in general and open institutions in particular have a short history. The Arab Open University is the leading dedicated DE system in the Arab states (Alsunbul, 2002). Main Reasons for OU The success of DE and OU led international agencies, such as UNESCO (2007), World Bank (2008), Literacy Enhancement Assistance Program of British Council (LEAP), and Commonwealth of Learning (COL) (2008) to help in assessing the establishment of DE and OU programs and institutions to play developmental roles in developing countries. …