Dear Educators, Dear Students,
The 21st century, often referred to as the age of information, is characterized by rapid technological advancements that continuously transform knowledge and make access to information increasingly easier. Educational institutions at all levels bear the responsibility of keeping pace with this rapid change and continuously improving themselves in order to provide learners with the most accurate and up-to-date knowledge. Universities not only equip students with professional knowledge, skills, and competencies, but also guide them throughout their educational journey on where and how to access reliable information and how to manage their time effectively. To this end, they employ a wide range of learning strategies, utilizing diverse methods in both face-to-face and interactive learning environments.
In this context, distance education is particularly valuable as it enables access to education for a large number of learners regardless of time, place, or age. With the advancement of technology, the use of internet- and computer-based educational programs facilitates instructional processes in line with individuals’ learning abilities. Regardless of the tools employed in distance education, learners increasingly assume responsibility for their own learning, engaging in self-directed learning by researching information, utilizing provided resources, and benefiting from academic guidance. The growing popularity of distance education stems from its cost-effectiveness, learner-centered structure, and its capacity to integrate new technologies into educational practices, distinguishing it from traditional education models.
Acıbadem University Distance Education Center (UZEM) was established in 2014 with the aim of activating distance education principles and further enhancing the quality of education at our University. In line with this objective, the Center has continuously updated its regulations over the years, expanded the diversity of courses offered, and reached a broad student population. By effectively utilizing information technologies introduced into the University in recent years, UZEM currently delivers 5i courses and two additional core courses to students across two vocational schools and five faculties. All course contents are developed by our University’s academic staff. Through the Learning Management System (LMS), the Center provides these courses and their associated content to students, supporting learning through pre-uploaded resources, asynchronous distance learning modules, as well as synchronous and face-to-face sessions to ensure students benefit from the educational content in the most effective way possible.
Since the 2020–2021 academic year, when the Hybrid Education model was implemented across the University, our Center has played a pioneering role in promoting the widespread adoption of multimodal learning approaches institution-wide by providing continuous support to all academic units.
With a strong awareness that deep and meaningful learning can only be achieved when individuals are intrinsically motivated and internalize knowledge, we strive to fulfill our responsibilities to the best of our abilities by offering students a learning environment they can manage autonomously and with confidence.
As always, we look forward to the new academic term with enthusiasm and the shared excitement of accessing knowledge together.
Lect. Tuba Usseli
