Historical Context and Quality Improvement
Since 2015, COA, as a foreign higher education institution, has been implementing distance education based on its International Program. This program collaborates with distance education systems in several countries, where the differences are minimal, and the similarities lie in the teaching methodology. The Government Regulation on distance education serves as the legal basis to integrate the International Program that COA has been implementing since 2015.
In 2022, COA Indonesia oversees the organizing body for Foreign Higher Education Institutions that implement the Distance Education system. COA strives to enhance the quality of both educational material and teaching methods in line with the rapidly developing fields of Science and Information Technology and Communication (ICT).
Characteristics of Distance Education
Distance Education (DE) is characterized by:
- Geographical or time separation between the educator (lecturer) and the learner.
- Diversity of synchronous and asynchronous communication and interaction channels among learners, with lecturers, and with other learning resources.
- Utilization of various learning media to deliver instruction.
- Availability of diverse learning support services for learners.
- The organization of the educational process within one institution.
Distance education is also based on the principle of open education, providing learning flexibility for students across space and time.
Learning Process (Process Pembelajaran)
Learning in Distance Education is conducted through two forms, which accommodate the activities of the students—many of whom are employees, entrepreneurs, politicians, religious figures, and others who value their time:
- Independent Learning (Belajar Mandiri): The learning process is initiated by the student during a specified period. To aid self-study, lecturers prepare various assignments and learning triggers using ICT.
- Guided/Structured Learning (Belajar Terbimbing/Terstruktur): The learning process provided by the university to support student learning in the form of face-to-face tutorials and online tutorials, relying on direct or virtual guidance from a lecturer/tutor.
COA facilitates tutorial/face-to-face sessions on Saturdays and Sundays for 6 months (for the MBA package program) to provide time flexibility. The remaining studies are conducted through Self-Study via the internet, without being bound by time or place.
Language Policy
COA (College Oxford Asia) does not require perfect English proficiency. COA’s goal is to engage individuals in the educational process achievable in any language. English proficiency is seen as mere language knowledge and should not be a primary requirement for engagement in the educational process.
- Students may use free online translators (e.g., ‘Google Translator’) or download browsers that provide instant translations.
- All languages are accepted for all COA programs.
- Besides English and Indonesian, COA accepts the most commonly used languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Russian, Arabic, and other languages.
- Students must communicate with COA in Indonesian (for Indonesian students) and English (for foreign students), even if their English is imperfect.
- All educational assignments can be submitted in the student’s mother tongue (native language of the country of origin).
- For formal legal purposes, English is used in the COA Transcript and Diploma.
Study Load (Beban Studi)
Student study load is calculated in the Semester Credit Unit (SKS) system, which assumes lecture activities consist of three components:
| Component | Time Per 1 SKS | Description |
| Scheduled Face-to-Face Activity | 50 minutes | Scheduled face-to-face meetings between students and lecturers. |
| Structured Academic Activity | 60 minutes | Academic activities planned by the lecturer but not scheduled (e.g., homework, reading literature). |
| Independent Academic Activity | 60 minutes | Self-initiated study activities by the student, not regulated or planned by the lecturer. |
Thus, a course weighted 2 SKS requires 2 x 50 minutes of face-to-face lecture per day.
Legal Basis of Distance Education in Indonesia
Distance Education is perceived as a 21st-century innovation that is a system with wide reach, transcending space, time, and socioeconomics. It opens access to education for anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Given its ICT characteristics, DE is often considered a solution to various educational problems, especially concerning the equitable distribution, democratization, and expanded access to quality education.
The Government has issued various legal instruments, including:
- Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System.
- Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 24 of 2012 concerning the Implementation of Distance Education in Higher Education.
- Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 7 of 2020 (Article 57, Paragraph 1) concerning the Establishment, Changes, Dissolution of State Universities, and Establishment, Changes, Revocation of Permits for Private Universities.
Function and Goals of Distance Education
- Function (Law No. 20/2003, Art. 31 (2)): To provide educational services to community groups who cannot attend face-to-face or regular education.
- Goals (Law No. 12/2012, Art. 31 (2) & Gov. Regulation No. 17/2010, Art. 118 (1) & Min. Regulation No. 24/2012, Art. 2): To expand access, simplify Higher Education services, and improve the quality and relevance of education.
The implementation of DE must align with these formulated functions and goals: to expand and equalize access to quality education relevant to community needs.
Open Education and Distance Education (DE)
DE is defined as a remotely conducted teaching and learning process through the use of various communication media (Permendikbud No. 109/2013).
DE is characterized by: openness, self-learning, mastery learning, the use of ICT, the use of other educational technologies, and/or integrated higher education learning. The implementation of DE programs is based on the principles of open education and distance education.
- Open Education reflects a multi-entry-multi-exit system, without limiting age, year of diploma, academic background, study period/speed, registration period, place/method of learning, evaluation period, and choice of study program.
- DE is an organized educational process that bridges the separation between students and educators, mediated by technology utilization and minimal face-to-face meetings. It is offered across space and time, providing flexibility.
- E-learning is defined as flexible learning experiences delivered through the use of information and computer technologies to be accessible anytime, anywhere, by anyone.
Vision and Mission of COA
COA was established to provide wide opportunities for Indonesian and Global citizens to obtain high-quality national and international higher education. It also serves those who cannot continue their education at face-to-face universities (due to work or other reasons) and aims to develop academic and professional education programs aligned with real developmental needs not yet widely developed by other universities.
Vision
- To become a quality national and international distance education higher education institution.
Mission
- Provide access to international quality higher education for all segments of society through the implementation of various distance learning programs to produce highly competitive and job-ready graduates.
- Research and develop the distance learning system to support the implementation of the International distance learning system.
- Utilize and disseminate the results of scholarly, institutional, and distance learning studies to meet national and international workforce demands.