About AADL
The African Association for Distance Learning is a regional educational organization, comprising African universities and other higher education institutions, which are committed to expanding access to quality education and training through open and distance learning.
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Our Vision
To become a major player in the promotion and advocacy for Open & Distance Learning in Africa.
Our Mission
Foster Institutional collaboration, increase research and quality assurance in Open Distance Learning to increase access to quality education and training in Africa.
We take pride in
Promoting research and training in Open Distance Learning in Africa.
We Contribute to the development of policies essential for the advancement of e-Learning of our member Institutions.
We foster continental and global collaboration in virtual tools to increase and enhance effective e-Learning syste
African Association for Distance Learning (AADL)
AADL Institutions Accreditation
AADL accreditation of institutions that provide open distance learning and training services in various fields, to increase their value and evidence of their professionalism as they become of international weight and get privileged among similar institutions in Africa.
When we verify that the e-learning training programs complies with these standards, our accreditation for the program certificates is granted.
AADL institutions accreditation aims to prove that the institution has met the international standards set by us, leading to an increase in the credibility of its training programs.
AADL Programs and Courses Accreditation Service
Our accreditation services are the process by which the professional and e-learning program in various fields is evaluated in accordance with the standards set by AADL
When we verify that the training programs complies with these standards, our accreditation for the program certificates is granted.
The accreditation process aims to prove that the training program obtained has met the international standards set by us, which leads to an increase in the credibility of the training pskills due to the training.
One of the most significant advantages of accredited training by AADL is your students’ opportunity to earn credentials that would be globally accepted.
Needless to say, these can be a huge motivator for your learners because it’s evident that the training is beneficial to them.
Using AADL accredited training also ensures that your program receives external quality assurance.
Before any certificates are issued, your students must be evaluated against the AADL accrediting criteria. You can be confident that you’re effectively developing your learners’ skill sets if they’re satisfied with these assessments.
AADL can sponsor and supervise training programs in different fields. And issue certificates of completion and completion of training programs that meet our training standards. It is also possible to sponsor complete professional programs with multiple stages.
The issuance of the program certificate by AADL means that this program has a quality assurance certificate, leading to an increase in the value of the program and an increase in the professional value of the trainees and participants in it.
rogram by providing AADL monitoring.
AADL must accept a training program or training material before it can be accredited. This approval indicates that the training is of exceptionally high quality and that the learner will gain new
Purposes of Accreditation
Accreditation in higher education is a collegial process based on self and peer assessment. Its purpose is the improvement of academic quality and public accountability. This continuing quality control process occurs usually every five to ten years.
Accreditation is a term covering both the initial and ongoing approval of a school, postsecondary institution, or program offering as meeting the standards established by a nationally recognized accrediting association for membership in the association. Accrediting associations are voluntary membership organizations that undertake to monitor the academic and administrative quality of their members, which are either entire institutions or components.
In order to ensure a basic level of quality, the practice of accreditation arose in Africa as a means of conducting non-governmental, peer evaluation of educational institutions and programs. Private educational associations of regional or national scope have adopted criteria reflecting the qualities of a sound educational program and have developed procedures for evaluating institutions or programs to determine whether or not they are operating at basic levels of quality.
Functions of Accreditation:
- Certifying that an institution or program has met established standards
- Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions
- Assisting institutions in determining the acceptability of transfer credits
- Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investment of public and private funds
- Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pressure
- Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulating a general raising of standards among educational institutions
- Involving the faculty and staff comprehensively in situational evaluation and planning
- Establishing criteria for professional certification and licensure and for upgrading federal assistance
The Accrediting Procedure
- Standards: The accrediting agency, in collaboration with its communities of interest, establishes and periodically revises standards and policies.
- Self-study: The institution or program seeking accreditation prepares an in-depth self-study that measures its performance against the standards established by the accrediting agency.
- On-site Evaluation: The association selects a team of external academic and administrative experts from other similar institutions or programs. The team reviews the self-study and visits the institution or program to determine first-hand if the applicant meets the established standards. The evaluation team issues its report of findings enumerating any conditions that need to be met before full positive approval may be given.
- Publication: The association’s members of the Board of Commissioners vote on the status of the candidate or member, and publish the names and information about successful candidates and re-accredited members in the next annual edition of its official approved list.
- Re-evaluation: The accrediting agency periodically reevaluates each institution or program that it lists to ascertain whether continuation of its accredited or pre-accredited status is warranted.
Types of Accreditation
There are two basic types of educational accreditation: one identified as “institutional” and one referred to as “specialized” or “programmatic.”
Institutional accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of an institution’s parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution’s objectives, although not necessarily all at the same level of quality. The various commissions of the regional accrediting associations, for example, perform institutional accreditation, as do many national accrediting agencies.
Specialized or programmatic accreditation normally applies to programs, departments, or schools that are part of an institution. The accredited unit may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small as a curriculum within a discipline. Most of the specialized or programmatic accrediting agencies review units within an institution of higher education that is accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions. However, certain accrediting agencies also accredit professional schools and other specialized or vocational institutions of higher education that are freestanding in their operations. Thus, a specialized or “programmatic” accrediting agency may also function in the capacity of an “institutional” accrediting agency.
In addition, a number of specialized accrediting agencies accredit educational programs within non-educational settings, such as hospitals.