22/02/2022

Open University will begin its Doctoral Degree Program in “Technologies and Learning Systems”

The Council for Higher Education has approved the Open University’s proposal to offer a doctoral program in “Education: Technologies and Learning Systems” and grant the doctoral degree in light of the university’s unique capabilities in developing and applying learning technologies, a field bearing vital importance in current times. The application, submitted in June 2021, was reviewed by a panel of international experts.

The Council for Higher Education has granted the Open University its first doctoral program approval for a PhD in Technologies & Learning Systems. The Open University submitted its proposal in June 2021, having complied with the Council’s threshold conditions for opening doctoral programs in defined fields in institutions of higher education which do not yet hold independent doctoral degree approvals. The international experts committee appointed by the Council examined the program and felt that its content structure, characteristics and teaching faculty appropriately upheld the standards required of doctoral studies.

Basing themselves on the Experts Committee report, the Council for Higher Education approved the program because, inter alia, the field of technologies and learning systems has been showing greater development over the past few years. Of importance in general, during the Covid-19 crisis period it became essential to all areas of online study. The Council noted the value of conducting a program of this kind particularly in light of the Open University’s renown in developing and applying learning technologies.

Open University is unique among Israeli institutions of higher education. Established in 1974, it received approval to grant Bachelor’s Degrees in 1980. Between the early 1990s and 2010 the number of Open University students across all degrees grew from some 13,000 in 1990 to some 48,700 in 2021. Open University began granting Master’s Degrees in 1997, when 120 students earned their Master’s in Computer Sciences. Currently some 2,500 students are in diverse Master’s programs, including programs with, and without, a thesis in the field of technologies and learning systems.

Dr. Yifat Shasha Biton, Ministry of Education and Chairperson of the Council: “Approving the Open University’s proposal to grant a doctoral degree for the first time since its inception is an important step in the process of accessibilizing higher education, which I defined as one of the Council’s primary targets. The accreditation we approved expands options for educators interested in professional development by focusing on technologies and learning systems in education. Technological interfaces are already a core function within the education system. Developing this field becomes an increasingly important necessity in our digital era. I am certain that expanding knowledge and research in this field will contribute to advancing the education system.”

Professor Yossi Makori, Chairperson of the Planning & Budgeting Committee: “The Open University’s contribution to advancing education and accessibilizing higher education over the years is an asset to Israel. I congratulate the Open University on having its first doctoral degree program approved in a field where it holds unique expertise.”

Professor Ido Perlman, Deputy Chairperson, Council for Higher Education: “I congratulate the Open University, which today joined the cluster of institutions offering doctoral degrees. This follows the Council for Higher Education’s approval of the Open University’s proposal to offer Faculty of Education doctorates in “Technologies and Learning Systems.” The Covid-19 crisis caused upheaval in academia in general, and to a generation of teachers and counselors in particular, forcing the academic system to redefine its learning methods. Immediately following Covid-19’s outbreak, all institutions of higher education reorganized around online study. Ensuring continuity in academic studies and developing new online learning technologies became a growing need. Approving the Open University’s doctoral program is an acknowledgment of the institution’s leading role in developing and driving innovative technologies and online learning systems. I am certain that the new curriculum will lead to an in-depth perceptual change and prepare academic leaders and researchers who will lead inventive learning system development, a valuable contribution to the future of study in general and academic study in particular.”