All You Need to Know About ACETEL NOUN

ACETEL (Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning) is a professional development institute that offers a wide range of career-based, skills, and certificate programs to individuals seeking to advance their careers.

The academy is powered by Contentionary Technologies and is affiliated with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The programs offered by NOUN-ACETEL Academy are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in their chosen fields.

With a focus on technology and innovation, ACETEL provides students with access to high-quality education and training that helps them to stay current with the latest industry trends and practices. Whether you are looking to start a new career or advance your existing one, ACETEL has the tools and resources you need to achieve your goals.

An overview of NOUN ACETEL

The Centre was launched at the Djibouti Workshop of World Bank and Association of African Universities (AAU) as one of the ACE Impact Project in February, 2019.

The Centre offers six (6) programmes at the postgraduate level. They are M.Sc. Cyber Security, M.Sc. Management Information System, M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence, Ph.D. Cyber Security, Ph.D. Management Information System and Ph.D. Artificial Intelligence. We are pleased that all of these programmes have the approval of the National regulatory body, the National Universities Commission (NUC).

In addition, the Centre offers fourteen (14) short courses Digital Literacy, Cyber Security, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Project Management, Learning Technology, Programming, English Language for Non English Speakers, Cloud Computing, Block Chain, Open Government Data, Data base management, Data analysis and Artificial Intelligence. Our students spans through all regions in Africa generally but West African sub-region specifically.

In the area of research, the African Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL) focuses its research on digitalization of learning in postgraduate programmes using open and distance learning mode. The aim of research in the Centre is to examine the Information technology needs in the education space with application to public sector; and to develop digital software learning tools which will build digital capacity for learning, skill acquisition and research.

ACETEL capacities lies in the utilisation of computer professionals at the Department of Computer Science, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Unit, Management Information System (MIS) Unit and educational researchers from the Faculty of Education. Beside these academics and researchers, the Centre also collaborate with other professionals in the public sector and educational researchers in other universities in Nigeria and beyond.

In a knowledge economy, ACETEL remain committed to ensuring that they produce postgraduates that are highly valued by employers. By your enrolment in the Centre, you have become a member of this special extended community. Therefore, you are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity to equip yourself so that you can contribute and make a difference in the world.

Academic Programmes offered by NOUN ACETEL

ACETEL has 6 postgraduate programmes comprising 3 Masters programmes and 3 Ph. D. programmes. And these postgraduate courses are the regular courses currently offered by NOUN ACETEL.

The programmes are each coordinated by a Centre Leader, Academic Programme Coordinator, Academic staff members from the Faculty, Institutional and Sectoral Partners. The programmes are:

1. M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence
2. M.Sc. Cyber Security
3. M.Sc. Management Information System
4. Ph.D. Artificial Intelligence
5. Ph.D. Cyber Security
6. Ph.D. ManagementInformation System

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Blockchain Technology
3. Certified Data Analyst
4. CCNA 1
5. CCNA 2
6. CCNA 3
7. CCNA Cyber Associate
8. CCNP
9. Cloud Computing
10. Cyber Security
11. Database Management
12. Digital Literacy
13. English Language for Non-English Speakers
14. Entrepreneurship
15. Internet of Things (IoT)
16. IT Essentials
17. Leadership & Project Management
18. Learning Technology
19. Open Government Data
20. Programming: C, Python, JAVA

ACETEL Students' Payment Schedule

Compulsory Fee for Both Master’s and Doctorate Degrees

Course Registration

Exam Registration

Research

A detailed breakdown of fees and registrable courses for every programme can be found on the fee check page

PAYMENT PROCEDURE

1. Go to Remita website at remita.net Click Pay TSA & States
2. Select FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria on the pop-up menu
3. Search for NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING
4. Under Name of Service/Purpose, select the type of Registration fee to be paid (i.e., Masters or PhD)
5. Under GIFMIS Code, enter 0000
6. Under amount to pay, enter the amount due calculated in your registration shopping (Part A)
7. Enter your name, phone and email
8. Click on the checkbox “I’m not a robot”
9. Click on the submit button and process the payment accordingly

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for a program NOUN-ACETEL postgraduate scholarship or short course award, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Applicant must be citizen of an African country. Nationals of African Countries especially countries within the West African sub-region (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) are encouraged to apply.
2. Minimum academic requirement: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent for Masters and Doctorate Degrees, or a minimum of 5 credits at O’levels for short courses
3. Demonstrate a clear vision of how the knowledge and training gained through the scholarship will be used to improve reform in their home countries
4. Satisfactory English or French proficiency to enable full participation in a training course delivered in English or French
5. Satisfy all requirements of the Nigerian Government for the appropriate student visa for international students.
6. Females are particularly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity and will be given priority
7. Qualified candidate who wishes to undertake a Masters degree or Doctorate degree in one of the listed priority fields of study.

Requirements for Application

Short Courses

Possession of five (5) O/level credits or its equivalent, including English or French Language.

Masters Degree (MSc)

1. A minimum of Second Class qualification in the first degree or its equivalent.
2. Possession of five (5) O/level credits or its equivalent, including English or French language.

PhD Degree

1. A minimum of Second Class or its equivalent in their first degree and CGPA of 4.5 at MSc.
2. Must submit a research proposal (of not more than five (5) pages) to include: Topic, introduction, objective, methodology and mode of data collection.
3. Possession of five (5) O/level credits or its equivalent, including English or French language.

Orientation Programme

Orientation programmes are organised for new students at the beginning of every academic semeter during which you are familiarized with ACETEL and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) operations. The orientation programme takes place via virtual link at the various places where you are locally and regionally situated.

The programme also gives you the opportunity to learn about the various facilities and support services that will enhance your learning such as first contact points at ACETEL, selection and registration of courses, information, guidance and counseling services, and use of ICT facilities.

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions. You will receive information about the orientation programme through an SMS and email messages. You are advised to attend the orientation programme as it will assist you to commence your programme on good footing.

Degree Award Requirements

Programme Duration

Masters programmes in ACETEL are for a minimum of four (4) and maximum of eight (8) semesters. For Ph. D. Programmes, a minimum of six (6) and maximum of twelve (12) semesters are required

Course Registration

Course registration is done online on the University’s registration portal at acetelnou.edu.ng. Students are expected to register for courses after they must have completed payments for the semester.

The course registration portal contains the list of all courses offered in each programme. Students are expected to register for a minimum of 10 credit units and a maximum of 20 credit units per semester and which must include a minimum of one (1) elective course per semester. Students are allowed to register for a maximum of 24 credit units where they have carried over courses failed from a previous semester.

Prerequisite Course

Some courses have prerequisites which are courses you must complete and pass before you can register for those courses. You will not be allowed to register for a course whose prerequisite course you have not passed and awarded the credit units.

Registration procedure

Students are required to visit the course registration portal at acetelnoun.edu.ng, and follow the instructions provided for registration. Upon completion of the exercise, you should print and keep a copy of the print-out of your registered courses for your records and for clearance during end-of-semester examinations. Registration is activated only if there are sufficient funds in your e-wallet to cover the cost of the courses registered.

Opening and Closing of the Course Registration portal

The registration portal opens at the beginning of every semester and closes before the commencement of continuous assessment. Once the portal is closed, you will not be able to register for courses for the semester until it opens again for the next semester. This means that students who were unable to register for their courses before the closure of the course registration portal are Not Eligible to take the TMA and examinations for the course(s).

Course Re-registration

You are not allowed to re-register for a course that you have already passed.

Add and/or Drop courses

The ACETEL course registration portal makes provision for students to drop and add courses. To add or drop a course, visit the Course Registration portal and follow the instructions at acetelnoun.edu.ng. You should ensure that you add or drop courses before the course registration portal is closed.

Research Projects

The research project is one of the requirements for the award of M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees in ACETEL. It is a compulsory course of 6 credit units for which M.Sc. students must be duly registered in the third semester of their programme duration and 12 credit units for Ph.D. students

It is a long essay that involves research to be conducted on a topic that is approved by the Centre. The Project shall be written under the supervision of a subject matter expert that is either an academic staff in the Centre or a tutorial facilitator.

Grading, Moderation and Mode of Submission of Projects

Projects are submitted directly to the Centre and are graded by the project supervisor, and subjected to internal and external moderation in the Centre. All Ph. D. projects would be subjected to external defense by an appointed Professor on the area of specialization the project is addressing.

Grading of research projects

Mode of Submission of Projects

There are guidelines for the submission of projects in ACETEL which students must comply with before a project is accepted by the Centre. All projects (whether Masters or Ph.D.) shall be printed and approved in line with the guidelines as specified for projects in the National Open University. Students are to submit 4 bounded copies of their research project, along with soft copies of the project in two (2) Compact Discs (CDs) to ACETEL.

Note: The research project must be passed to be eligible for graduation.

Industrial Attachment/Student Industrial Workplace Scheme (IT/SIWES)

All Masters students are expected to participate in at least six (6) weeks field attachment training before the end of the programme. It is a compulsory 6-credit unit course that must be passed to be eligible for graduation.

The industrial attachment training must be carried out in a workplace that is relevant to students’ discipline. Field supervisors shall be assigned to you to monitor and assess your’ activities during the period of their attachment. Grading of the course is the same as for other courses and project.

End of Programme Clearance

Upon the release of the graduation list, graduating students are required to undergo a clearance process as contained in the Centre website.

ASSESSEMENT AND EVALUATION

Assessment and Evaluation are the means by which students’ learning outcomes are measured against the stated learning objectives for each course and programme. Three types of assessment are employed in NOUN:

1. Self-Assessment Exercises: These are exercises found within each study unit of the course materials. Although not graded, they are designed to help students assess their progress as they study.
2. Continuous Assessment: This type of assessment is designed to provide students an opportunity to assess their learning and progress over the duration of the course. The results constitute 30% of students’ final score in a course.
3. End of Semester Examinations: As the name implies, semester examinations assess students on the entire course at the end of a semester. The examinations constitute 70% of students’ total score in a course.
Notice: Students must be duly registered for each course in the semester to be eligible forthe continuous assessment and the End-of-semester examinations.

Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA)

Continuous assessments in NOUN are automated in the form of computer marked assignments and are administered online. This would take the form of projects, modelling, practicals as approved by ACETEL Academic Board. You can access the TMA portal at aceteltma@noun.edu.ng/.

The TMA portal opens after course registration for the semester and it closes just before the examinations begin.

End-of-Semester Examinations

Two types of examinations are employed at the Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning. They are the e-Examination and the Pen-on-Paper (PoP) examinations. The examinations are conducted at the end of every semester at the Study Centres or any other location as may be arranged by the Centre. For undergraduate students, the examinations account for 70% of the total score for the course.