Virtual Courses

If PML of Nawaz or PPP of BB had started such an initiative as this one in the 90s instead of fighting the decade out between the two of themselves, then by now, the VU would have overcome all the teething problems. We would be having a matured institution. Since the 90s proved to be a lost decade for us, we are left with starting everything in haste just to catch up with the world.

re: this article
It is not surprising that IT in Pak is so lacklustre. After all, IT in Pak means International Terrorism, while it has a different meaning in the rest of the world.
Ali`s problem is: he was on the wrong track. If he had enlisted to join as a Mujahideen, he would have gotten a good response.
Sridhar

:)

know exactly how Ali felt,

as i myself have decided to enroll for bechlors in psychology in VU, had a difficult time finding course outline, infact i went a little ahead and went to NIPA where the time being representative of Virtual University was there for couple of weeks to register new students.

I told them the same thing that there is no information avaibale on your website regarding the cource outline, so they instead told me to check out HE (Higher Education) website for further details regarding the course outline.

After much delibration (it practically took more time then you mentioned in your article) there was this report from some commitee assgined to form a proposal for rewied cource outline for psychology.

which was nothing diffrent from the one on Karachi University website.

as i have already spent money for the prospectus i sgined up just for the sake for it, and even got selected.

it just turned out that there was only 2 students from all over Karachi who enrolled for psychology program ..

and there was no institute willing to take classes for 2 students.

:P

Dear Akber, same happened with Ali after spending hours at Higher education commission`s website he finally found the course outline. It was totally different than the same programme offered by KU. VU`s programme is more focused on theory and offered no realy training to communication`s students. Ali was selected because there weren`t many students who had interest in the subject. Every one else was getting enrolled for BS in computer science. In the first semester Ali was told that he would have to take the same classes as computer science students as the course for the first semester is same for students in all disciplines.

Dear rsridhar, I wouldnt agree with you, Pakistani youth seeking admissions to get higher education have absolutely no interest in Jihad. The typical Pakistani educational structure doesn`t encourage students to change courses and face uncertainity about their careers. Now that all institutes are still assuring students that there is no such career like the one in IT students usually do no consider any other options. IT education in Pakistan just produces programmers with no ability to think about new ideas.

Dear Ahmadzai, We can not blame Nawaz or benazir for that we never had a strong curriculum and eductional structure at primary and secondary school levels. Even today if you visit a primary school and check out what they are teaching in computer classes and in Mathematics you would be surprised. These things are totally useless and provide no basic ideas of computing and programming to students. Mathematics has become the most boring subject for all students in primary and secondary schools. How could these children compete in real world?

Intresting reading, the thing is Information Technology is such a wide field which is often taught by most of us (Pakistanis) as just computer programming or to be very basic `operation of computers` while the truth is Information Tech. is larger then life has got braches like `networling aka wireless tech ( which is regarded as the tech of next 5o years) , we got database tech, we got hardware techs etc..) while in Pakistan what has happened the government has rushed too much but I wont blame them at all for that, its our people who are to be blamed.
As a student of computer sciences (wireless tech) myslef in a western university, I have found some of the courses taught my Western Universities totally out of date but come again there only sucess is that the departments are so much linked to the industry which provides students like me to interact with the blue chip firms easily and update myself according to the industry requirements. As far as Universities back in Karachi are concerned, there slybuss is second to none even at times I have found out that they are better off (specially in stats) then Western Universities. Frankly, I don`t see Univerisities like VU or lets say UIT in Karachi as a future for students to me they have always been for rejected students while Universities like NED (Computer Science Dept.), KU , Fast and now Cams (BCS) are still on the right track so is Sir Syed university.
In the end its not websites which provides education its a student himself who learn himself.
*my unis website crashed sometime back and times it is not updated but still its regarded one of the best *

dear labrinth1

VU is offering courses in information technology and communications. Now both of these topics mostly talk about sharing information. Ali`s quest was not to decide whether VU is a good institute or not. He was definitely rejected by KU and that is why he was looking for admission in VU. Government of Pakistan spent so much time and money on this virtual project and Doctor Ata didnt forget to mention this great achievement during his speeches. With so much emphasize on the university`s online education providing software, a web surfer expects some better environment to browse and gather information. The website wasn`t user friendly (it is still in the same shape) had a very bad navigational structure and contained no useful information. The information which was available was not up to date as when Ali visited a virtual campus they told Ali that they are no more associated with the programme.

I am sure that KU and fast would be providing better education but reading so many other articles on the chowk about the poor state of primary and secondary education I doubt if this quality education would make any difference on poorly educated minds of Pakistani students.

I agree with the fact of poor state of Primary and Secondry Education of Pakistan but this is limited to teh government schools and soem of the low-standard primary schools (where I am afraid most of the people send there kids too , there fees ranges from 2oo-35o PKRs)
which caters to lower middle class people but I agree to some of the discussions back in teh past about education our mathermatics are quite good even today that is why our students are st getting good grades in SSC`s and O-Levels.
Another question, is that `Ali you , yourself?`

Danial at # 4:

The two Governments could have made at least some headway in many social areas. They did not. They wasted their energy and resources in putting each other down. Please recall the resources got wasted when Nawaz as CM of Punjab was running a daily campaign (lasting for more than 60 days) on leading national dailies against BB the PM on her stranding his ship off Karachi.

Because of those two nincompoops, we actually retrogressed economically rather than progressed.

Dear labyrinth if you read SDNP`s report and other articles on chowk you would be surprize to find out that situation is not much different in schools for upper middle class and rich folks.