M.E. Mutlu, "A Different Approach to Managing an e-Certificate Program in Language Teaching", AECT - Association for Educational Communications and Technology Annual International Convention, Jacksonville, Florida, USA, 2011.

1. A Different Approach to
Managing an e-Certificate Program
in Language Teaching
Ass. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin MUTLU
Anadolu University, Open Education Faculty,
Turkey
AECT's Annual International Convention
November 8-12, 2011
Jacksonville, Florida

2. Case Study
• The management of distance education
programs in an academic institution is realized
in the management processes of the academic
institution.
• This study will present a case in which the
coordination and management system of the
certificate program and also the use of
resources are performed effectively.

3. Turkish Certificate Program
• Turkish Language Certificate Program (TCP) was developed so that foreigners can
learn Turkish. The program is completely based on the Internet. The program is
composed of A1, A2, B1 and B2 levels, which are required by the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages.
• Between 2006-2008, the course materials used in the program were prepared in
Anadolu University by an implementation and subject field specialists team which
included 200 people.
• Some of those materials are
– multimedia e-learning content,
– e-books,
– videos, and
– workbooks.
• In addition to the rich course content designed for independent learning,
synchronous interaction between the learners and the facilitators during certain
periods each week is also possible.
• After studying the whole level, synchronous written exam and oral exams are used
to assess student success. Students take an appointment for the oral exam.

4. Open Education Faculty
• Turkish Certificate Programs are managed by the Turkish Language
Certificate Program Coordinatorship in the Anadolu University Open
Education Faculty.
• The Open Education Faculty manages the biggest education system of
Turkey in terms of student number.
• As a coordinator, the Open Education System uses the resources of
Anadolu University and other universities to produce materials and
services and also plans and organize the following works:
– designing the distance education programs,
– offering of those programs,
– preparation of the course content,
– production of the distance learning materials,
– student registration,
– sending the course materials to the students,
– making e-learning services available to the students,
– conducting student exams and invigilation,
– offering students affaires services to the students.

5. Components of TCP
• Similar organizational infrastructure is used for the planning,
managing and inspection of the TCP.
• The staff involved in the TCP and their responsibilities are as
follows:
– Course content development:Turkish Language Specialists in the university;
– Instructional design: Instructional designers in the Faculty of Communication Sciences;
– Videos: they were obtained from the TV production unit at the Open Education Faculty;
– Songs: they were vocalized in the Anadolu University conservatory;
– Coursebooks and workbooks: They were organized in the typography unit;
– Design of the books: Faculty of Fine Arts;
– The Design, implementation and production of e-courses and e-learning services:
Computer Aided Instruction Center;
– Preparation of exam questions and evaluation and assessment procedures: Test research
unit of Open Education Faculty;
– Programming of the student registration system: Informatics center;
– Dissemination and promotion: advertising and public relations department of the
University.

6. Turkish Certificate Program
Coordinatorship
• After the completion of the design and production process,
the TCP coordinatorship has been established and the
registration, offering the e-learning services, conducting
exams, certification procedures are applied 3 times in a
year i.e., in the fall, spring and summer periods.
• The TCP coordinatorship is composed of a coordinator,
assistant coordinator, and four secretaries who are both
doing the secretarial jobs and offering help desk services in
four languages.
• Activities in the program are performed on the basis of the
timetable which was prepared in detail one year before the
beginning of the courses.

7. Advantages of Coordinatorships
• Thanks to a management system based on coordinatorship,
common resources can be allocated to different projects.
• The academic coordinatorship uses the academic labour force of
the Anadolu University and other universities for the project
whereas the application coordination uses the non-academic labour
force, location, hardware and software sources of Anadolu
University and other universities.
• Since the procedures can be outsourced, the coordinatorship can
easily work on the efficiency of the system, effectiveness of the
procedure, quality of the products and services and learner
satisfaction.
• This new and successful management experience is a good model
to be applied also in other programs in the faculty.

8. Outcomes: Academic and Application
Coordinatorships at the Open Education System
So, taking the experiences gained from the TCP into consideration,
similar model has been applied in the Open Education System since
the 2010-2011 academic year. In the Open Education System,
• two coordinators called academic coordinator and application
coordinator are responsible for the programs.
• academic coordinators are responsible for the academic design,
production of the course content and other academic procedures.
• application coordinators are responsible for the program
promotion, registration, sending the course material to the
students, offering e-learning services to the students, help desk and
giving information, examination organization.
• the responsibility of the academic coordinators is too much at the
beginning, but it is the application coordinators who are responsible
for the sustainability of the program.