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Research Paper on Quality Assurance of Mohammed bin Shikan School
Bader Mohammed Al-Wardi
Sultan Qaboos University

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Overview of Model
Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is a very important part inside any educational
institutions. It provides a rich learning environment and contains a wide variety of
information sources to be correlated with the curriculum. LRC provide an appropriate
learning environment which allows both teachers and students to take the advantages
of the variety of resources that the centre contained, but there are lots of students and
teachers who cannot reach, interact and gain all of these services.
For this reason, this research paper will targeted the learning resource centre of
Mohammed bin Shikan School (5-10) of basic education cycle two. The main goal of
this research paper is to develop the services that the learning resources centre of
Mohammed bin Shikan School is provided for their beneficiaries (teachers and
students) through a special designed website. This goal can be achieved by four main
objectives:
1- Announcing students and teachers with all workshops, events, activities and
cultural events inside the centre.
2- Enabling students and teachers to know all types and names of different learning
resources inside the centre.
3- Providing all the lectures for students to help them revise what have been explained
during the lecture.
4- Linking teachers and students with other related websites to benefit from it.
In order to measure the quality assurance of the learning resources centre's
services, i have designed a special plan diagram which guide me to achieve
and ensure the quality of the services provided. The plan diagram contains five
main processes each of them complete the others. These processes are stating
the objectives, collecting data, analyzing data, present data and finally the
recommendations. In stating objectives phase, I have determined the main goal
and the objectives of the QA plan as mentioned above. In collecting data
process, I divided it for two sections which are the areas and tools. The areas
section has three main components like the personnel who working and
dealing with the learning resource centre (teachers and student), the content
that available at the LRC whether printed or digital one, also the environment
of LRC and how it is suitable for both students and teachers and how its

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facilities like computers, printers, scanners, audio video recorder, television,
LCD and the furniture appropriate for both students and teachers.
I applied for each of these areas (Personnel, Content and Environment)
separate tools for the target of collecting data needed from it. For example on
personnel area I apply the questionnaire to collect the needed data from the
both students and teachers to know their views about the centre services. On
the content area I applied a survey to collect data about the centre content
whether traditional or digital content. Finally on the environment area I
applied a checklist which can easy ensure the appropriately of the centre
environment and its facilities. On the analyze data process, I used some
methods like charts and circling which help in analyze the data founded in the
collecting data process. In present data process I used suitable and different
methods to present the data founded after analyzed it. For example, I used the
report and the diagram methods to the data collected by the questionnaire.
Also I used power point presentation and diagram to present data collected by
the survey. Finally, I used chart and table methods to present data collected by
the checklist on the environment area. At the end process of the plan diagram
there are suggested recommendations or solutions as a feedback for the overall
quality assurance of the centre services.
• Note: The Diagram Process is attached at the end of this paper.
Personnel
This quality assurance research paper is targeted around ten teachers and fifteen
students who are in Mohammed bin Shikan School those who deal with the learning
resource centre and benefit from its services. The attributes of these targeted teachers
and students as the follow:
The Entry Behaviors of the targeted teachers and students:
• Most of the teachers and students have basic skills on using the
computers.
• Most of the teachers and students have basic skills on dealing with the
internet.

4. • Most of the teachers and students have the experience on dealing with
website content.
• All users are beginners in using web2 applications.
4
The prior knowledge of the targeted teachers and students about learning
resource centre's services as the following:
• Little numbers of students and teachers don't know about LRC's
services and roles in the school.
• Most of users interest with LRC services and activities.
• Most of the users benefits from the LRC services.
• Most of the teachers and students have the experience to deal the
website content.
As I mention above I have been applied special designed questionnaire for both
teachers and students to collect needed data and after analyzing them I will use the
reports and diagram methods to present results.
Questionnaire for Teachers
Note: The following only some of questionnaire statements for targeted teachers:
 Please select the best on following Statements related Learning Resource Centre
services :
1. I used the LRC to present my lesson. Agree Disagree Neutral
Agree Disagree Neutral
2. I used the LRC equipment and facilities to prepare my lesson. Agree Disagree Neutral
Agree Disagree Neutral
3. I used the internet available at LRC to search the data.

5. Agree Disagree Neutral
5
Questionnaire for Students
Note: The following only some of questionnaire statements for targeted students:
 Please select the best on following Statements related Learning Resource Centre services :
Agree Disagree Neutral
1- There enough number of computers inside the centre.
2- Agree Disagree Neutral
3- I used the LRC's computers to achieve my home works, assignments and project.
Agree Disagree Neutral
4- Agree Disagree Neutral
5- I used the LRC's internet and computers to search for information.
Agree Disagree Neutral
6-

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Curriculum
On the hand of curriculum, the main objectives of Mohammed bin Shikan School
just like any other schools under umbrella of Basic Education System at Omani
Education Ministry are to prepare students to match different job's opportunities
available at Omani society also, to increase and enhance their knowledge and skills to
make them ready to join in different Higher Education Institutions. In general all
Omani schools include same subjects like Islamic Studies, Arabic Language, English
Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts, Music, Environmental Life Skills,
Information Technology and Computer Skills. As it is appeared on the quality
assurance plan I will use the survey tool to collect needed data and after analyzing
them I will use the presentation and diagram methods to present the results.
Survey for Curriculum
Note: The following only some of survey statements for curriculum:
 Please select the best on following Statements related Learning Resource Centre services :
Agree Disagree Neutral
Agree Disagree Neutral
1- Curriculum is current and up to date. Agree Disagree Neutral
Agree Disagree Neutral
2- Curriculum materials are easy to understand.
3- Curriculum exercises help to meet subject objectives.
4- Curriculum helps on develop critical thinking.
5- In your opinion, how can this curriculum be improved?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………

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Environment
The learning environment of Mohammed bin Shikan School learning resource
centre is very modern and attractive. It meets standard levels that Omani Ministry of
Education is stated in terms of its area, its equipments and facilities and it's general
outside shape. Also the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan School has
lots of useful and helpful technologies whether visual or audio that can help teachers
when they present and explain their lessons. And help students to understand the
topics well and enhance their learning progress. In this section I will use the checklist
tools for collecting needed data and then analyze it after that present the result by
some effective methods like chart and tables which can summarize the result in easy
way.
Checklist for Environment
Note: The following only some of checklist statements:
Checklist for the LRC Environment
1- Students have opportunities to move around. 
2- Seating arrangement is vary e.g. individuals, small group
and large group. 
3- Teacher can move around in LRC and interact with
Individuals and small group. 
4- A variety of teaching methods can be used by teachers.

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Conclusion
At the end the quality assurance plan of the learning resource centre of Mohammed
bin Shikan Scholl have lots of strong point in terms of it has a complete process of
evaluating the quality beginning from the stating the goals and the objectives and
ending by the recommendations or the feedback of all the process that has been done.
The quality assurance plan of the learning resource centre of Mohammed bin Shikan
School is considered as inclusive plan because it cover all different areas that related
to the learning resource centre like the personnel who dealing with the learning
resource centre (teachers and student), the content that available at the LRC whether
printed or digital one, also the environment of LRC. Also it apply appropriate tool for
collecting the needed data and appropriate methods for analyzing and presenting that
data. Also the quality assurance plan has a recommendations or feedback which
considered as final revision for the all process that have been conducted earlier.
The Quality Assurance Plan Diagram

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References
1- Wada, Hisamitsu. Evaluation Criterion for students Academic Writing: An Action
Research.http://cicero.u-bunkyo.ac.jp/lib/kiyo/fsell2006/EIBUN185_193.pdf
2- Barrett, Joan. The Evaluation of Teachers.
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-925/evaluation.htm
3- Mcnicol, Sarah . Learning Resource Centre Evaluation Mission, November 2004
http://www.bibliotecascra.cl/docs/recursos/Learning_Resource_Centre_Evaluation_M
ission.pdf