future strategic features of paca aftc · rafo seeb in 1974, few people could have foreseen the...

Air Force Technical College Annual Magazine - 14th Edition (1435 H - 2014)

AFTCAcademic Accreditation

Future Strategic Features ofPACA

2 AL KULIA

Correspondence Address:

Editor in Chief P.O.Box: 732

Postal Code: 111 , Tel: 24320664

Fax: 24320841

The opinions expressed in each of these articles are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of the college editorial board of this journal

We pay the greater part of our attention to education: striving to develop, to improve, and to upgrade it as well as update, deepen, enrich, and adapt current knowledge of the ever-changing world. These actions confirm the importance the Sultanate gives to the improvement of human resources, the consolidation of scientific-thinking approach and the creation of the educated society. We aim to develop citizens who are able to actively participate in the development process, and to deal efficiently and effectively with local and global changes.

“Quotation from the Royal Speeches by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said

Supreme Commander Of Sultan Armed Forces

October 2nd 2005

EDITORIALINSIGHTHead Supervision

Aqd Rukn Jawi \

Nasser bin Khamis bin Said Al Swaidi

Editor in Chief

Mqd Rukn Jawi \

Suwailum bin Abdullah bin Rashid Al Salmani

Deputy Editor in Chief

Civilan officer G-4 \

saeed bin juwaia bin saeed alnoaimee

Executive Editor

Civilan officer G-5 \

Badr bin Khalfan bin Walid Al Busaidi

Editing

Civilan officer G-4 \ Mohammed bin Rashid bin Obaid Al Mamari

Civilan officer G-7 \ Hani bin Yaqoub bin Said Al Ghattrifi

Civil officer G-5 \ Abdullah bin Hamoud bin Hilal Al Habsi

Coordination & Follow-up

Civilan officer G-5 \ Badr bin Soud bin Fadhil Al Ghallabi

Civilan \ Khalid bin Mubarak bin Ali Al Kalbani

Translation

Translation department led by Royal Air Force of Oman

Imaging

Photography department public relations

To lead the Royal Air Force of Oman

Design and Printing

3AL KULIA

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The Air Force Technical College and The OAAA Accreditation Cycle

Physics and its associationwith Military equipment

A JOURNEY TO NIZWA“THE JEWEL OF THE

INTERIOR”

Students’ Camp toAl Jabal Al Akhdar

Look ... What do you notice? What do you infer?!

Brainstorming inThe Writing Skill

AFTCRecruiting Database

Academic Foundation Programme atAFTC

4 5AL KULIA AL KULIA

Welcome to the 14th edition of Al Kulia.

2014 will be a significant year for the Air Force Technical College (AFTC). It will be a year in which AFTC can justifiably reflect on a proud history spanning 40 years: throughout this period AFTC has successfully delivered well-trained and appropriately motivated graduates to the Royal Air Force of Oman.

When the initial Technical Training School was established at RAFO Seeb in 1974, few people could have foreseen the long and proud future that stood ahead of the new college. As the TTS developed and grew, it was given its current name of the Air Force Technical College. Today, AFTC is proud to be one of the largest single training establishment serving the military in Oman.

AFTC will be preparing to celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2014. In recognition of the importance of this historical event, the Commander of RAFO has directed AFTC to document the history of the College from its inception to the present day. Graduates of AFTC and former members of staff are invited to support this project by sharing relevant historical information with the College.

While AFTC celebrates its past achievements, it will also be focusing firmly on its future mission and on the activities that support this. AFTC successfully completed the first stage of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) Audit and Accreditation programme in 2013. One of the key outcomes of this exercise was the development and implementation of a programme of Continuous Improvements within AFTC that now enhance many departments at the College. The next stage of this process will see AFTC working to take forward the specific recommendations for quality enhancement that form part of the OAAA Quality Audit Report. The OAAA audit and accreditation programme is important as it provides current and future AFTC students and staff, all RAFO stakeholders, and AFTC itself with an independent external evaluation and assurance of the quality both of the College as an educational institution and of the individual courses it provides.

As Principal of the College, I call upon our students to continue to work hard and study diligently, and I call upon our staff to continue to actively participate in supporting the AFTC quality improvement programme.

I congratulate all staff and students at AFTC on the achievements to date, and I wish them well in the coming year.

Principal’s Message

Aqd Rukn Jawi ( eng ) \

Nasser bin Khamis bin Said Al SwaidiPrincipal of the Air Technical College

College NewsC O L L E G E N E W S

AFTC celebrated the graduation of a new

batch of students

4thMarch 2013

Under the auspices of Liwa Rukn Tay/ Matar bin Ali Al Obaidani, CRAFO, AFTC celebrated the graduation of a new batch of students in different specializations. The graduation was held in the Main Theatre at MAM, and attended by AFTC principle, high ranking officers from different units, staff and students’ relatives. The celebration included showing a video about AFTC and its development. Then, the Chief Guest presented certificates to the graduates and awards to the top achievers and high performing staff. At the end, memorial pictures were taken of the Chief Guest with the graduates.

Graduates of Flight Safety Course

9th April 2013

Under the auspices of Amd Rukn Tay/ Mussalam Al Zidi, CO RAFO Seeb, the graduation of Flight Safety Course was held at the AFTC Lecture Hall. The celebration started with a brief on the curriculum of the course and the requirements that the graduates have successfully passed. Then, the Chief Guest presented awards to the top achievers and certificates to the graduates.


College News College NewsC O L L E G E N E W S C O L L E G E N E W S

28th May - 2th June 2013

As part of the plan towards getting Academic Accreditation, a team from the Omani Authority for Academic Accreditation visited AFTC to conduct the Quality Audit. The team met with CRAFO, CO RAFO Seeb, Prinicpal AFTC, Directors, Assisstants Principle, HODs, HOSs and a number of staff and students. The team was also taken in a round to some of the college facilities.

25th June 2013 Chief of Defense Staff of the Republic of Tanzania and his accompanying delegation visited AFTC. They were given a brief on the functions and duties of AFTC and then taken on a round to some classrooms, workshops and other facilities. The delegation expressed their admiration of what they saw during the visit.

8th July 2013 Students from Al Bara bin Aazib Summer Centre visited AFTC. The students were briefed on the functions and duties of AFTC and then taken on a round to some classrooms and workshops. The students expressed their admiration of the development in various fields.

23th October 2013

Students from the English Society of Ibra College of Technology visited AFTC to learn about the developments in education and training and to exchange experiences. During the visit, the students were briefed on the functions and duties of AFTC and then taken on a round to some classrooms, workshops and other facilities. The students expressed their admiration of what they saw during the visit.

A team from the Omani Authority for Academic Accreditation visited AFTC

Chief of Defense Staff of the Republic of Tanzania and his accompanying delegation visited AFTC

Students from Al Bara bin Aazib Summer

Centre visited AFTC.

Students from the English Society of Ibra College of Technology

visited AFTC


Your Excellency, could you please shed light on the Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) responsibilities, objectives and terms of reference?

PACA’s terms of reference are mentioned in the Royal Decree No. 43/2013 and can be summarized briefly in the following: proposing the general policy of the civil aviation sector, proposing draft laws, issuing the relevant regulations and decisions, setting, developing and implementing the program of civil aviation safety and security. Furthermore, it is responsible for working out international agreements and treaties concerning air transport, representing the Sultanate

the international requirements in terms of the separation between the service provider and the regulating agencies. Moreover, a number of administrative divisions have been added that has resulted in the developing and organizing work to name but a few the independent administrative division that cares for strategic planning which is part of the Change Management and Communication Office. We also managed to divide the air navigation services from the national meteorological services. In addition, we have also established a division that deals with airport assets, infrastructure and concession agreements. We also formed a division for investigating aviation accidents in general and aircraft accidents in particular. The new structure takes into account the distribution of tasks and responsibilities according to the International Organization of Civil Aviation requirements, determination of the correct path of careers chain and the development of different areas.

What are PACA recent achievements?

Thanks to Allah, the Sultanate has witnessed extraordinary achievements in many fields and civil aviation is at the top of them. These achievements include the developmental projects of Muscat, Salalah and the new domestic airports. Furthermore, the prestigious position of the sultanate worldwide has helped to further achieve our objectives in the field of air transport. Also, many agreements have been signed with various countries to ease national airlines to fly their planes to those countries.

Could you please tell the readers when Muscat Airport project will be completed?

Management of airports development projects in the Sultanate is the responsibility of Ministry of Transport and Communications and PACA's role is confined to determining the technical requirements with regard to safety and security of civil aviation airports as well as

granting licenses to the airports and supervising their operation processes.

How many job vacancies will be created by these airports? What are the mechanisms and standards you will apply for job occupants?

Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) is responsible for running Muscat and Salalah airports with direct support from Oman Air and other companies and there are continuous advertisements about vacancies in the new airports. As for PACA our regulatory and legislative role will be slightly changed and affected by the number or size of the airport and therefore, the new jobs will be confined to air traffic control and some inspection and audit departments. Such jobs will be announced if approved when the need arises.

Could you please shed the light on the PACA relationships with OAMC and national and international transport companies?

Oman Airports Management Company (SAOC) is a governmental closely held company which manages and operates airports in accordance with the local and international regulations by implementing the terms of the concession agreement signed between the two parties. PACA role is regulative and legislative at the same time and there is a close cooperation based on mutual trust between the two parties aiming to provide the best services in this area. This applies to the relation between PACA and the other national air transport companies. The cooperation covers such areas as aircraft’s registration, aviation, pilots and cabin crew licenses as well as approving maintenance establishments and training centers with which these companies cooperate whether inside the Sultanate or abroad. As for the international companies, air transport agreements signed with their governments outlines the basic nature of these relationships and it definitely involves the organizational aspects and flight safety and security.In the framework of His Majesty's, the Supreme Commander of the Armed forces, attention to

develop the civil aviation sector for upgrading its performance and to keep pace with the rapid development, and the steady increase in air traffic density in the Sultanate and its neighboring

regions, HM has issued a Royal Decree No. (33/2012), followed by a Royal Decree No. (43/2013) issuing a system for the public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA).

To provide insight onto the vital role played by the Authority, its responsibilities, and achievement, the magazine has been honored to have this interview with His Excellency Eng. / Salim Bin Nasser Bin Said Al Oufi, EX - Chief Executive of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA).

in regional and international organizations, associations, and bodies relevant to civil aviation. The PACA provides meteorological, early warning and air navigation services. In addition to updating the national aviation policies regarding safety, airspace and support aspects to ensure that best civil aviation practices are implemented.

Could you please describe PACA’s new organizational structure and its future strategic features?

Thanks to Allah the new organizational structure of PACA is now complete and what is left now is the procedures to get it approved by the concerned bodies. PACA has considered

PACA Head Quarter

Interior

His Excellency Engineer Salim Bin Nasser Bin Said Al AofiEx - CEO Public Authority for Civil Aviation

Interviewed by:Mqd Rukn Jawi:Suwailum bin Abdullah bin Rashid Al SalmaniCivilian Officer G-4:saeed bin juwaia bin said alnoaimee


services companies. At present, Salalah airport plays a prominent role in this area not to mention the medical project, new hotels, resorts and other facilities. The central location of Salalah which connects the east, Asian countries, Australia and the African countries in the South with the nearest point in the Arabian Peninsula, promotes the use of air and sea ports in the transport field whether for passengers or air freight.

PACA is currently considering other ways of using the airport. With the growing of various projects, there are other areas related to aviation services, including the different uses of helicopter flights and training services; nevertheless, the local community must play its role in the development and provision of necessary logistic services and the invention of the various methods to meet this stage requirement in order to develop civil aviation services.

Can you explain PACA role in ensuring that operators comply with the high standard services agreements, controlling performance standards and handling any defects in the facilities and airports?

The control role of PACA is an essential element of its authorities so it gives it equal importance as aviation safety and security thus, it decided to add administrative divisions in the new organizational structure that care for such matters including passengers protection section to monitor the quality of services provided to them. The Department of Aviation and Facilities Security has intensified its regular control program to make sure that the Sultanate's airports and companies satisfy security requirements and provide the necessary facilities.

As you know that the Sultanate's enjoys natural beauty as well as climatic and geographical diversity, are there any plans to create additional airline company or provide new services such as gliding or other aviation sports. Are there any licenses for such activities?

A consultative study has been completed which will be forwarded to the Board of Directors to consider the possibility of applying the results of this study. Accordingly, the regulations concerning various licenses issue will be amended unless they are already included within the current licenses.

What is the PACA plan to develop meteorology and natural disasters early warning sector?

PACA gives this sector a considerable importance. The accurate weather forecasts that are recognized locally and internationally are the result of modern systems and high level training of national cadres. Five weather radars have been provided and we are planning to set up more stations for weather and earthquake forecasting as well as sea waves level sensors in order to help those in charge of early warning units of forecasts and natural disasters to carry out their duties effectively.PACA role in this area is regulatory whereas private sector is responsible for boosting aviation industry. At the present time there is

What are your future plans to develop Salalah Airport in order to attract international airlines companies?

Salalah Airport is the second largest airport in the Sultanate. Its development project intends to make it among the superior airports that will contribute effectively to the growth of the national economy and there are many airlines that have already operated flights to Salalah. It is one of the destinations included in the air transport agreements that are signed with different countries. However, the increase in the number of airlines using it will depend mainly on the local community and its role in effectively exploiting the unique touristic elements of the region throughout the year, improving infrastructure of tourism sites and attracting international manufacturing and

cooperation with universities and colleges in many areas and there is aviation related specializations taught locally. PACA will fully cooperate with everyone in this regard.

Does the PACA face any difficulties with regard to attracting highly qualified staff such as test pilots, air flight engineers and aviation accident investigators those who hold the required licenses to practice such professions?

Yes, in the current situation there are difficulties due to the special nature of civil aviation work as many jobs which require no academic qualifications but trade licenses accompanied with technical expertise, and not to mention the market prices which are far in excess of what is offered.

Can your Excellency shed light on the fields of cooperation between PACA and RAFO?

Our Coordination with the Royal Air Force of Oman is excellent due to the similarity of the role played by both sides. RAFO has a permanent office in the flight information center - Muscat, and there is an agreement between both sides in the field of air navigation data exchange and meteorology, let alone that a number of Meteorology and Air Navigation equipment are located at RAFO stations. We also send personnel to RAFO's aircraft control college on specialized training programs; in return, RAFO's personnel take part in training workshops conducted by PACA establishments, such as safety management workshop which was recently conducted in coordination with ICAO. RAFO is also represented in the PACA board of directors.

Muscat Tower

Muscat International Airport

ATM & Contingency

Salalah Airport (ATM & ATC)

10 AL KULIA


Audit and institutional accreditation in Oman follows a rolling programme of activities aimed at developing each institution to an appropriate level of quality. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) is responsible for managing this process. All colleges are required to go through an initial Quality Audit and then, four years later, to go through the OAAA Standards Assessment. It is at this 4-year point that a college would be granted Institutional Accreditation, if the OAAA is satisfied with the progress that has been made in the interim period between Audit and Assessment.

The Air Force Technical College (AFTC) has been going through OAAA Quality Audit in 2013, and the College will therefore be able to be assessed for Institutional Accreditation in 2017.

There is a separate, but related, process for programme or course accreditation: courses can be submitted to the OAAA for accreditation after a college has undergone Quality Audit. AFTC will consequently be able to prepare selected courses for accreditation from 2014 onwards.

The OAAA Audit Visit

The Air Force Technical College is the lead military institution in the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

quality audit and accreditation process. AFTC submitted its Self-Assessment Document to the OAAA in February 2013 and the formal Audit Visit took place in May 2013. During the five days of the Audit Visit, the OAAA Panel members interviewed over 147 people and examined 68 separate categories of documents. The majority of the interviews were held in formal group sessions, with a number of students being interviewed during the random questioning walk-about tours. The Panel took the opportunity to visit some of the facilities used by students and staff at AFTC including the Learning Resource Centre, the IT department, the Academic Department staff offices, the LG Create lab, and the Mech, Wave and Computer Labs.

The OAAA Panel had a busy schedule: 72 members of staff from AFTC were interviewed, providing a representative cross-section of experience from all departments and all roles. 44 current AFTC students and 10 graduates of the College were interviewed in round-table sessions over two days. In addition, the Panel met 23 senior representatives from RAFO, including the Commander of RAFO, Station Commander RAFO Seeb , Principal AFTC , and Directors and representatives from both the sponsoring Trade and support departments at HQ RAFO. Efforts were also made to ensure that the Panel met the end users of AFTC students: representatives from several of the Outstations attended the interviews and gave their feedback on the quality of AFTC students and on the training provided.

Next Stages and the OAAA Report

AFTC is now waiting to receive the Draft Report from the OAAA. The College will then be allowed to review and comment on the Report regarding points of fact, items that need clarified or any statements which may be considered sensitive from a security point of view. Then the final OAAA Report will be formally published.

At that stage, the initial phase of the AFTC Quality Audit cycle will be complete, and AFTC will have fulfilled its mandated and directed requirement to be one of the military colleges audited by the OAAA. The process of self-study has been beneficial to the College and a number of improvements have been made as a result of this activity. The opportunity to be formally evaluated by a national organisation such as the OAAA has been welcomed by all. The resulting OAAA Final Report will provide sponsors, staff and students with an objective assessment of the performance of the College and an opportunity to further improve along recognised lines.

After that, the Quality Audit process at AFTC will then enter its next two-year phase.

Implementing the OAAA Report Recommendations

The Final Report published by the OAAA will contain a number of recommendations for AFTC. 2014-15 will be an important period for AFTC: the College will have to undertake multiple activities to ensure the recommendations are fully implemented, the improvements made, and the benefits realised.

Throughout this period AFTC will, of course, also continue to work on developing and putting in place all of the Continual Improvements already identified by the College itself: many of these will be commented upon in the OAAA Report as either worthy of commendation or requiring further development.

The AFTC Continuous Improvement (CI) Programme

AFTC has successfully completed a number of Continuous Improvements already: these include the production of the first-ever AFTC Staff Handbook, the development of a College-wide Staff Induction Programme, the establishment of an AFTC Financial Management Committee, the appointment of additional personnel and longer opening hours in the Learning Resource Centre, and the installation of new equipment in the Student Recreational Hall. Improvements in progress include a schedule of rolling departmental Health and Safety Audits, the creation of standardised Trade briefs for students, the development of a master plan for the AFTC campus, and the creation of Staff Development Plans for all personnel at the College.

The Second Phase of Institutional Accreditation

Implementing the OAAA recommendations and the AFTC Continuous Improvements will go a long way towards preparing the College for the second stage of Standards Assessment and ultimate provider accreditation. AFTC will need to go through an additional phase of self-study in 2016, and the College should be in a position to make a Standards Assessment Application to the OAAA in 2017. During the 2017 OAAA Audit Visit, AFTC will be measured against clearly documented national-level standards in each category. If, at that time, the OAAA Panel members are satisfied with the progress AFTC has made against all of the recommendations outlined in the 2013 OAAA Audit Report, and if the Panel judges that AFTC meets the OAAA Standards in each category, then the OAAA will recommend that AFTC is given Accredited Provider status.

Conclusion on the Audit and Accreditation Journey

Audit and accreditation, both of an institution itself and of the courses it offers, is a long-term strategic journey, and one which ultimately leads to an independent assurance of the quality of a college and of its programmes.

AFTC is honoured to be counted amongst the other military and civilian colleges and universities in Oman who are going through this process.

The Air Force Technical College and The OAAA Accreditation Cycle

Civilian Officer :

Fiona Wilson


Take a look at Figure 1. What comes to mind as you look at the tree? Do you begin to pick out features? Do you then ask yourself what has happened to make the tree look like that? This is a logical mental sequencing that pairs observation with inferring. One precedes the other.

If you are good at it, you can quickly come up with an explanation for what you see. Would your neighbor come up with the same explanation? The explanations are inferences. So what does it mean if you derive one explanation and your neighbor a different one, when you both looked at the same thing? We see this happen in the scientific community, but many of us find that this also happens with our students. Part of the answer rests in understanding what an observation is, what an inference is, and what the differences are between them.

An observation is information someone gathers about an object or event using one or more of the senses, and it can be quantitative or qualitative. An inference is a conclusion or explanation one makes about an object or event, and it is based on observations.

In a study, this image was presented to a group of students who were of different ages and from two different states in the United States. Although the picture was the same, the students’ inferences differed. The students drew their logical conclusion around the tree based on their previous experiences and were also influenced by the place where they live. Therefore, a number of important points has been drawn which teachers need to take into consideration during the teaching process. The points are:

1. An inference is only as good as the observations on which it is based.

Typically, the more observations one has, the more accurate the inference can be. However, this presumes the observations are of relatively good quality. So, a related aspect of this tip is that the better the quality of observations used, the better the inference is likely to be. Observations that can be replicated by others are important- this is an important aspect of scientific literacy and the nature of science. Alternatively, one must take care not to go too far beyond what the observations warrant. Consider, for example, a student’s inference that the tree died because its broken branch allowed its sap to run out. A careful look at the tree would reveal a broken branch near the bottom of the tree’s canopy, and the tree is leafless—typical of trees that are dead. However, the tree picture does not show any sap or any substance running out of the broken branch. Also, trees don’t lose all of their sap through a single break in a single branch. The student’s conclusion that the tree died due to sap loss through the broken branch is imposing more onto the scene than is presented in the picture.

2. An inference is only one of multiple possible explanations for a set of observations.

Helpful questions to use when students have difficulty with inferences include: “Is there another explanation that could explain what you see?” or “Is there a good alternative to explain what you observe?” Although not always foolproof, a caveat is that the more simple the explanation, the more likely it will be the proper inference. That being said, a good inference must account for all the observations. Often, elementary students are surprised to learn their peers have other explanations for what has been observed in common. For example, one student may infer that it is winter, whereas another student may infer that the tree is dead. The first student may not have considered that

the tree might be dead, and the second student may not have thought about what happens to deciduous trees during the winter.

3. Inferences are not always correct.

This tip derives from the previous two. If one uses incomplete or faulty data (i.e., observations), the inference made is probably going to be less accurate and less useful to us. When something new is encountered (an object, event), our tendency is to quickly begin inferring about it. For example, a student who is confronted with an unfamiliar green plant may quickly make the inference the plant is something that shouldn’t be touched. If this is when the student’s thinking stops, then he or she may decline to examine the plant more closely, and thus miss critical observations that would alleviate his or her fears.

4. Inferences are influenced by prior knowledge and experiences (or the context in which the inference is made).

In looking at the earlier statements about the tree’s condition, there could certainly be other explanations for why the tree looks as it does. Here are three cases that illustrate this. First, a common explanation for the condition of the tree is that it is winter. Deciduous trees certainly lose their leaves before winter and are bare until spring. Another group of students believed that the tree died of the governmental scientific invasion through the cultivation of some type of trees recently done in their areas by the government. The

third group thought that the tree lost its leaves because of hurricane “Andrew” which hit the city recently.

5. As teachers, we need to help our students examine the assumptions they use when making inferences.

If the assumptions are faulty or erroneous, so will the inferences that we derive from them. This is closely linked to the previous tip. A student’s past experiences and what they’ve learned in the past will lead them to think about things in certain ways. Mentally, we become predisposed to think in specific patterns. Assumptions may also be dependent on cultural influences. For example, there are differences between Western and Eastern thought about astronomy, so the inferences someone makes about an astronomical phenomenon will be framed in the context of the culture in which they live and function. Therefore, as teachers, we need to use scientific ways to guide our students to the correct inferences that take into considerations all interpretations.

Look ... What do you notice? What do you infer?!

Civilian Officer:Abdullah Hamoud Hilal Al Habsi



In light of the rapid changes and the deep impact of globalization, many well-known public and private institutes and companies have continually worked

harder to develop their systems and services to last longer and stronger to compete with the intensity of competition instead of having the same routine and schedule. In fact, many public and private institutions and companies suffer of many critical problems because of scarcity of administrative leadership that leads towards achieving superior goals in terms of quality and efficiency. So, what is the best technique to have an effective administrative leadership?

Job Rotation

Job rotation is one of the modern administrative methods and techniques for better professional development and administrative organizational changes. It gives the

weaknesses through business supervisory and leadership skills that they practise which gives them opportunities for development and promotion to senior positions.

Job Rotation at the Air Force Technical College

In fact, Job Rotation has proved its importance and success in many leading organizations that applied it professionally based on the objectives and goals they have established to meet the required outcomes of the organization.

The Air Force Technical College in Oman has applied the Job Rotation method for a long time as it always tries to overcome the challenges.This method has helped the college to overcome the suffering and confusion of finding alternative to fill the manpower gap.

Job Rotation between Students

One good example in the college is "Class Leader of the week". Each week, every class should nominate one student from the student class list to be their leader for a week. The students have to follow his instructions as a leader during the week so he is supposed to be actively involved and being the link between the college administration and the class. So, by the end of the term, most of the students will have taken their turn as a class leader. "It helps to discover our leadership capabilities and develop the ability of decision making", as JJ Salim Alwahebi said. No doubt, by the end of the week, the leader would have gained experience, a variety of skills and knowledge which enable him to enhance his confidence level as he tackled some problems. This assists him to create strong leadership aspects for future work. Another example is the flag salutation. Every week, different students, as a kind of rotation, are assigned for this mission so they learn discipline, respect and also loyalty.

Job Rotation between Teachers

Not only are the students lucky to apply this method, but also the college teachers. The English Section knows that the experienced English teachers have various skills and knowledge to share, therefore; as a kind of cooperation between teachers, Head of the English Section gives the opportunity to every teacher to be a course coordinator for a term, so every term there are four different course coordinators. The course coordinator is the connection between the head of section and other teachers. As well, he can supervise and supply other teachers with different exercises and lead them for better performance by exchanging experiences and ideas with them. Thus, it is a two opposite directions learning process. "Also another example of job rotation is when teachers take turns teaching different curricula in different terms. So by doing that, every teacher will have taught all curricula after two years since posting", as civilian officer, Mohammed Almamri mentioned. There are different subjects to be taught, so job rotation will make the difficult work easy when teachers exchange

Civilian Officer:Ibrahim Ali Said Aldrushi

ideas about the curricula. Additionally, being experienced with different courses will help the head of section to make a suitable timetable and select a covering teacher easily when the course teacher is absent for a while.

Job Rotation between administrators

Some teachers need more administrative skills as a result of applying job rotation. They will encounter some obstacles and will surely learn how to deal with them professionally. Teachers who have got excellent administrative skills may be attached to other posts as civilian officer Waleed Albusaidi said " Teachers who prove or show some excellent admin skills are normally job –rotated to run admin posts in the college", he added. They ultimately get the feelings of job- satisfaction and try to be productive and innovative.

Some administrators need help to understand the needs of teachers and students because of the rapid changes in the teaching field. As Mulazim Mustafa Alrabani notified when he said "Administrators will benefit from teaching roles when they go down to the teaching filed. They will discover all the things that have been hidden from them"; he came up with the consequences when he stated "This will help them to correct their management procedures for better ".

In short, when every institute or company practises job rotation, it means it believes in the importance of human resources, and it optimizes the use of their skills. Moreover, it believes in the importance of equal opportunities between these human resources in professional, supervisory, administrative or leadership, as well as their belief in creativity and innovation through job rotation.

Administrators will benefit from teaching roles when they go down to the

teaching filed. They will discover all the things that

are hidden from them

opportunity to the largest number of employees to train in different positions either in the technical or administrative work or in the field of supervision, management or leadership. So what is job rotation?

Edwards (2005.p.74) describes job rotation as "The process of switching person from job to job" which increases an employee's capability and value to an organization. Other way, job rotation means the equipped employee can exercise another job based on a scheduled job rotation program for a certain time before being shifted to another new job.

Importance of Job Rotation

This smart technique helps to discover and invest the employee's expertise, creativity and innovation in their work. The learning and experience that they gain over a period of time keep them away from boredom of routine. Also, it helps the administration and management of the institutes and companies to recognize the abilities and talents of staff. Besides, it identifies aspects of their strengths and

JobRotation


The idea of the project:

(Johnny Chung Lee) is a researcher who has managed to manufacture an alternative interactive whiteboard with simple available tools and nominal cost compared to the original price of the interactive whiteboard. With this technology it is possible to change any screen to an interactive board by projecting the computer screen to it using the projector. The screen could be a white-board, a wall or any flat surface. The computer can be controlled by touching the display, so there is no need for a mouse or a keyboard to write or to open files giving more flexibility to the user.

Implementation procedures:

The project requires a computer, projector, wiimote, infrared pen and software and all of these parts can be provided easily by anyone. Computers and projectors are available in almost all educational institutes. An Infrared pen can be made easily and that will be explained in the following paragraphs. Wiimote, which costs (65$), is a part of the Nitendo video game which can be found at any video games store. The smoothboard program is a software which can be downloaded for free from the Internet.

Working method :

The Nintendo Wiimote controller is a bluetooth enabled device that has an infrared sensitive camera on its tip. You can pair it with a bluetooth capable computer. The Infrared pen emits infrared light when the switch is pressed. Then, the Wiimot controller will be able to detect the location of the pen tip and transmit that data to a computer. Using smoothboard software, detection of the infrared light will be translated as a mouse button press.The diagram above shows this process.

Making infrared pen :

To make an infrared pen, we need an infrared lamp, an electric switch, some wires and a battery. We connect all these together and then they are put inside a whiteboard marker after its inside has been emptied of its components, as shown in the diagram.

The advantages of the project :

This project has been used at AFTC when explaining a physics lesson. Applying this new technology in class gave more flexibility in using computer applications just by touching the board without having to use the computer keyboard or mouse. The project was very effective especially for Power Point presentations, and showing movies used to explain lessons of scientific subjects.

The main aim of this project is to provide modern means for teaching with lower cost. Instead of buying a real interactive board which is costly, this project used available and accessible materials in making an interactive board.

This project has a lot of advantages; first, from the financial point of view, it is much cheaper than the real interactive board. Secondly, from the practical side, it demonstrated to students how the infrared radiation works as part of the theoretical subjects they are studying in the college. That enables students to understand the relationship between the theoretical and practical knowledge they get in college.

The challenges of the project:

There were some challenges facing the application of the interactive white board project in AFTC. First, the absence of installed LCD projectors in classrooms meant that the wiimote needs to perform calibration of the interactive board each time before using it and this requires some time to operate with acceptable efficiently. Second, the user can sometimes block the infrared by his body when standing between the board and the wiimote, resulting in a weak signal that should be transferred to a computer. Thus, the user must stand in a position that does not block the emitted radiation from the pen.

To conclude, original interactive whiteboards remain more efficient and easier to use, but the alternative interactive board can be used with efficiency up to 90% if the device (wiimote) is fixed so that it receives the largest amount of infrared radiation emanating from the pen.

Creating A Low-Cost Interactive

Whiteboard

Electronic development has great impact in all aspects of life and in particular the

field of education. During the past years, electronic equipment has been used in the fields of teaching and training. They are used as a means to help the teacher or the trainer to deliver information to students clearly and easily. One of these electronic devices is the interactive whiteboard which can substitute for the traditional board. The interactive whiteboard is a large touch screen that is connected to a computer and a projector for the purpose of teaching. It can be used to display any of the various applications from the computer screen.

Besides teaching, the interactive board can also be used in meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops. When using interactive boards, the regular pens are replaced by electronic writing making it easier to modify the font and color of a written text as well as recalling a stored text at any time. All of this is done through touching the board without the need to deal with a computer in the traditional way.

The cost of interactive boards could be up to $ 5,000 which can be considered as an obstacle confronting many educational institutes when thinking to apply this new technology. However, the interactive whiteboard can be made using simple and available tools which makes it much cheaper. This low-cost interactive whiteboard is used at AFTC.

Infrared

bluetooth

Pencil

wiimote Computer

Projector

Civilian officer: Khalid Humaid Zaher Al Hinai


E-waste is now the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream because people are replacing their old mobile phones, computers,

televisions, audio equipment and printers with new ones more frequently than ever before. Mobile phones and computers are causing the biggest problem because they are replaced most often. Developing countries are also expected to triple their e-waste production over the next five years.

Is E-waste hazardous?

Electronic waste isn’t just waste, it contains some very toxic substances, such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. When the latter are burned at low temperatures they create additional toxins, such as halogenated dioxins and furans – some of the most toxic substances known to humankind. The toxic materials in electronics can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, endocrine disruption, and many other health problems if this waste stream is not properly managed. One of the toxic substances present in the computer monitor is Cadmium (Cd) which when exposed to the environment can affect kidneys and bones in human beings. Many of the toxic constituents are elements, which mean they never disappear, even though they may change form. Other toxic chemicals in electronics do not break down over time and instead, accumulate in the food chain and biosphere. Not only do these toxins present risks to communities and the global ecosystem, but also to electronics recycling workers, even in developed countries.

Recycling these types of wastes also has extremely adverse effects on the health of all the living organisms in the world. Although it is difficult to quantify global e-waste, we do know that large amounts are ending up in places where processing occurs at a very rudimentary level. This has raised concerns about resource efficiency and also the immediate dangers to humans and the environment.

Did you know?

The average life span of computers in developed countries has dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years in 2005.

Mobile phones have a life cycle of less than two years in developed countries.

183 million computers were sold worldwide in 2004 - 11.6 percent more than in 2003.

674 million mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2004 - 30 percent more than in 2003.

Following is a graph that shows how e-waste affected our life.The Modern Menace

Waste

Electronic components and parts – surplus/obsolete Plastic, fibers, ferrous, and non-ferrous metals Home

Entertainment: Televisions (CRTs), VCRs, and DVD players Stereo equipment Digital cameras and camcorders Video game consoles and accessories Satellite dishes and systems Small Household Appliances: toasters, blenders, coffee

makers, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, etc.

Unrecycleable Materials:• Liquids of any kind• Compressed cylinders or containers of any kind• Disposable or rechargeable batteries (unless contained

in an electronic device)• Large Household appliances (stoves, freezers,

refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.)• Car batteries, starters, or alternators• Incandescent or fluorescent bulbs and fixtures

Source: http://e-wasteregulation2.blogspot.com

Recycleable Materials:

Materials received for Electronics Recycling will be dismantled and shredded to refine for base commodities such as steel, aluminum, plastic, circuit boards, etc.

• Computer Parts and Accessories: Desktop, tower or server cases (empty or not) Motherboards, loose cards and CPUs, RAM sticks,

fans, power supplies, and heat sinks Peripherals such as; monitors, keyboards, mice,

scanners, and printers Drives of all kinds (hard disks, floppy, CD, ZIP,

Syquest, magneto-optical, tape, etc.) Networking equipment such as hubs, switches, routers,

cords, and cables CD-ROM or DVD disks

• Other Office Equipments: Telecommunication Equipment Photocopiers, fax machines, and calculators Cell phones and accessories Manufacture/

Manufacturing Excess/Surplus

20042004

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0

E-waste, consumer electronics, cumulative E-waste, electronic, industry, cumulative

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

E-waste total, cumulative, 1 000 000 kg

Reduce - Buy electrical or electronic equipments which you really need. Thereby we can reduce the consumption of electronic equipment.

Reuse - Instead of going for the latest trends and models of electronic items such as cell phones and laptops, go for upgrading them. Always try to use reusable batteries, rewritable CDs, DVDs and USB Flash Drives.

Repair - If possible opt for repairing too.

Up cycling or Recycle - Up cycle or consumer recycling. Always remember that ‘One Man’s Junk is Another Man’s Treasure.’ Hence Up cycling our used electronics is a great way to save the Planet Earth today. This includes sale and donation of used electronics directly to organizations or persons in need or sending/selling devices directly back to the original manufacturer.

What can we do?Unless and until a proper way of disposing e-waste is framed, each one of us can practice the following simple ways for managing them to some extent.

Each one of us has a moral responsibility to protect the environment, so,

‘IT’S TIME TO THINK GLOBALLY AND ACT LOCALLY’.

Civilian Officer:

Jisha Thomas

http://e-wasteregulation2.blogspot.com/


How can ESL learners write competently? Most ESL learners struggle with writing ability. They want to write independently, but often avoid it or handle it less

proficiently because they cannot express their ideas down on paper. Therefore, teachers have been experiencing hard time in teaching writing. They have been seeking approaches to overcome such a problem. The brainstorming strategy is one of the most successful approaches which teachers can apply in their ESL writing classrooms. It means you “storm” or search your brain for ideas. The brainstorming strategy runs as follows:

Independent thinking stage:

Independent thinking stage depends on the prior knowledge to create ideas. This stage considers learning as a process of relating new information to previously learned information. It is assumed that learning is most likely to occur when an individual can associate new learning knowledge with the previous one. Therefore, students are allowed for individual thinking to get their mind round the given topic and find any ideas required for the writing stage. Independent thinking allows students to use their imagination and creativity. In brief, the independent thinking stage aims mainly to stimulate the individual’s thinking to create ideas.

Verbalization stage:

Verbalization is based on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theory. The theory assumes that a person can learn something with the assistance of others. Without such assistance he would not be able to absorb the subject. ZPD is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and

Brainstorming inThe Writing Skill

Civilian Officer :

Abdullah Juma Mohammed Al Shamsi

relevant ideas are taken and those which are irrelevant to the given topic are deleted. Adding new relevant ideas is acceptable, too. The classification stage aims to promote the critical thinking and develop the communicative and linguistic competence.

Composition stage:

This is the stage where writing takes place. After having the discussed ideas, which are the raw materials, the paragraph is written. Here, you are expected to improve and organize your ideas and complete the writing task.

Brainstorming strategy could help to develop the cognitive ability in creating ideas and develop the critical thinking skill throughout organizing and criticizing these ideas. All of these make us mentally alert and aware of the learning process. Writing is not only a function of intelligence or application, but also a function of what is given, gift, and what’s applied, skill. Brainstorming works with both functions.

the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers. As a result, the concept of cooperative learning is addressed as an essential way for learning. That’s why students are normally asked to work in groups to exchange their ideas with others. In this stage, there is no relevant or irrelevant idea. All ideas are shared and discussed.

Classification stage:

As soon as the ideas from the previous stage are produced, they are classified in groups. Through discussion, all

What I can’t do

Wha

t I can do with help

What I can do

Zone of Proximal Development

Zone of proximal

Prior knowledge

Organization

ModificationRandom

IdeasIndependentThinking

CompositionClassificationVerbalization


Civilan Officer:Rory Patrick Allen

“THE JEWEL OF THE INTERIOR”

A JOURNEY TO NIZWA

I awake early one Friday morning and decide it is time to visit the historical and beautiful city of Nizwa, located in the interior of Oman and a two hour drive from Muscat. I pack my bags, and leave my house. A cool autumn breeze blowing from The Arabian Sea welcomes me as I begin my journey to

one of the jewels of Oman.

On my journey I pass Fanja and cross a huge bridge with an equally huge Wadi, a dry river bed that during one of Oman’s flash floods becomes a raging torrent. Huge articulated trucks have been taken by these swirling waters and more than a few lives have been lost.

Driving on towards Nizwa one sees, perched on top of small hills or mountains, old lookout posts, built like mini forts, where tribesmen would maintain watch over their villages and crops. The area on the road to Nizwa is incredibly fertile and the roads are lined with date trees and other crops and old sand and mud watch towers and forts and lush green palms. Passing through these villages one really has a sense of being in the Arabia that one has dreamt about. Further back, on the right side of the road, are incredibly high mountains and escarpments. It is here that when the rains come they travel down these mountains and flood this fertile plain. On the road to Nizwa one passes Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain). It is the second highest mountain in Oman, after Jebel Shams (the Mountain of the Sun) and rises to nearly ten thousand feet.


I arrive at a roundabout at the end of this long road of spectacular scenery. Turn left – Salalah, the province of Dhofar, the “Garden of Oman” nine hundred kilometres away. Turn right and it is ten kilometres to our destination, Nizwa.

The approach to Nizwa is stunning: the skyline is dominated by the huge gold and blue dome and the tall tiered minaret next to it on which sits another smaller blue and golden dome. This mosque has recently been renovated and around it a new souq has been built and this area contains the very heart of Nizwa. With this vista in front it is hard not to be in awe, yet also on your left hand side runs a Wadi, which, though not as large as that of Fanja, can turn into a raging torrent during the rains. I approach a smaller roundabout and drive straight on and turn left into a vast car park that has been built with the new souq and mosque. I park my Jeep between two pick-ups and make my way to the entrance of the souq. In the car park are some larger gated lorries that are full of cattle. Cattle are only to be found in Dhofar, so these calves and cattle have made a long journey from Salalah to be sold at the famous Animal Souq in Nizwa.

The entrance to this modern souq, which has been built in traditional Arabic style, is a beautiful stone archway with two immense wooden doors, one on either side. On passing through this entrance one feels as though one is going back in time; all the Omanis are dressed superbly in their traditional dishdasha, holding sticks, and wearing the curved silver dagger in sheaths attached to belts. This area is very traditional and conservative and as is

common in all Oman when people go out publicly, they make sure they are dressed correctly, so when out shopping the Omanis, even young kids, are impeccably turned out.

I thought I was in heaven as the first two shops I entered were stacked full of rifles on the wall, along with kanjars, ammunition boxes in glass cases, along with traditional handmade Omani silver artefacts. Some were antique, like the anklets. There were thick, heavy silver bracelets and ornate necklaces all in silver. The Souq of Nizwa is a wonderful place to visit to buy Omani souvenirs; there are the traditional walking sticks and clay pots, a whole array of goods that makes it so difficult to choose from. Unlike the Muttrah souq in Muscat, in Nizwa all the shopkeepers and servers are Omani and they are so graceful and polite and are not into hard selling and beam smiles at you whether you buy or not. Just adjacent to this block of shops is the fruit and vegetable souq, also new, and a walk through this and you enter a warehouse full of fresh exotic and familiar foodstuffs. Here one is in the hub of Omani life, no longer an outsider, tourist or voyeur. If you arrive early enough between seven and eight you pass through the veg souq which will bring you out to the livestock souq. Here the sellers will walk their livestock around a small dusty perimeter while the assembled circle will shout their bid for the animal being displayed. All in all it is a great day out. Nizwa fortress is just adjacent to the souq and a visit here gives one a feel for the history of Nizwa and the important part it has played in the history of Oman.


What is motor coordination and cognitive processing?

If that was a mouthful let me further inundate your mind with the definition of these words. Motoric coordination can simply be explained as skills that rewire your brain and build structures that maintain connectivity between the muscles and the brain. These skills are usually muscle memory related in that they do not require conscious effort. For example, you will never forget how to ride a bicycle.

Cognitive processing on the other hand is knowledge that you acquire through repetition and routine and the regularity ensures that you need less reasoning and thinking to accomplish it. This may sound not too dissimilar to motoric coordination however, it has but one downfall; if you stop doing it, then you begin to forget it.

How can you differentiate between the two? Motoric conditioning skills require that you master the skill before you are considered to be good at it. The most common example is the bicycle. You can only ride the bike once your brain has bridged the necessary interfaces to allow you to ride it while being balanced. Cognitive processing requires that you practice at the task and while you may be able to accomplish it the first time you try it, your skills only develop and become better as you practice more. An example of this is recalling a formula and applying it to solve a problem but, if you stop doing that for a while, you will no longer be able to remember the formula or even how it is applied to the problem!

Coordination and cognition working together.

There are some processes that require a combination of both motor skills and thought and processing. An example of this is flying an aircraft. Stick/rudder control is commonly motoric coordination. It is like learning to ride a bike but only harder! Of course, recent technological advances have introduced interfaces that assist pilots with this task (think support/training wheels on a bicycle that suddenly appear when you are about to fall over), however, a fully trained pilot is one who is capable of flying that aircraft even without this assistance as his motoric coordination is supreme. Cognitive processing for the pilot is in the form of the various buttons, switches and dials that he must know to operate. It can be related to our previous example of using a formulae, in that, the pilot must recall the various scenarios he was trained for and apply that skill (pressing the right buttons, switches and turning the right dials) to ensure that he does it correctly and most importantly, safely!

So, if you ever wondered why they spend all that time in the air doing training missions now you know that it is so that they become better at riding “the bike”! Remember that cognitive skills are perishable, and some within a relatively short, time if the period in which they are repeated is low. This is why there exists various checklists and instructions in the form of easy-to-follow steps that operators can use to assist them with various tasks.

The intrinsic link: learning skills at the AFTC.

Here at the AFTC our mission is to impart the necessary

Have you ever wondered why you seem to be always able to ride a bicycle despite not having done so in a long time? Remember when you last pedalled a bicycle, did you have to recall how to ride it? Definitely not! But, can you recall and apply the Pythagoras

theorem to solve a problem? How about whilst riding a bicycle? If that seems mad then it probably is, as they are different processes at play; motoric coordination and cognitive processing.

You will never forget how to ride a Bicycle

Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills to the students to ensure they are capable of being effective while working safely. The skills taught are mostly cognitive and require that you, the trainee, practices as often as you can, to master it. The focus is wholly on the trainee. Teaching a skill requires preparation, to acquire the necessary resources to ensure that the trainer can not only demonstrate how it is done but allow the trainee to practice it. It must be structured so the trainee can understand the purpose of the various stages and there must be sufficient time for the trainee to practice each step. Simulation equipment, despite cost-effective and relatively safe methods of teaching, is often inefficient in teaching skills.

The most efficient way of teaching skills is to captivate the student in a way that he/she wants to learn the skill. There must be a definite awareness by the learner that the trainer is already a master, and the importance of this skill in the trainer’s life and how it can benefit the trainee. Still, the most important part of this type of learning is practice. If you feel you have spent a little too long filing that same piece of metal or if you had to do a 100 similar simultaneous equations, it is because it is the only way you can improve your skill. It is also why 65% of the time allocated to a skills based lesson is about you practicing. If you can differentiate that learning to hold the drill and use it, or learning to solder a resistor onto a circuit board, is different from say, diagnosing a hydraulic system fault or reading and understanding a circuit diagram then you too can improve your cognitive skills while retaining your motoric coordination.

Riding without handlebars.

If I have left you wondering if there is a point to this article then let me tell you this is it. It is understanding that certain skills are definitely different from others. It is accepting that everything is not as simple as riding a bicycle. It is knowing that despite your effort at perfectly finishing a cognitive skills task the first time, you may still forget how to do it, given enough time, if you have not been practicing it.

In conclusion, remember that, practice most certainly makes you better if not perfect. But remember that perfection is relative (more on that another time…)

Civilian Officer :

Delhan Iqbal

28 AL KULIA


Databases are considered an essential element in any country that plans for its scientific and technological future. Our present world is so evolving and depend

significantly on information related to all fields of life (economic, social..etc). Therefore, it is important to know what is a database? It is actually a set of numbers, letters or symbols that have mathematical relation. Each database consists of at least one or more tables. These tables contain one or more records and the records consist of one or more fields. In order for these databases to have a more obvious role in our daily life and to be able to utilize their significance, they can be applied to provide information, which are essential to smooth the flow of routine work. This can be done in either government or private establishment.

Accordingly, the idea of our project emerged. It is a database of applicants who undergo AFTC recruitment exams; a program that contains all personal and academic information of these applicants in the AFTC.

Project name:

AFTC Recruitment Database.

Project objective:

Collecting information of applicants who perform recruitment exams at the AFTC.

Project advantages:

Producing statistics on applicants who perform recruitment exams at the AFTC within a specific period of time.

Sorting out applicants who successfully pass the recruitment exams.

Acquiring a comprehensive report on performance level of each applicant in the recruitment exams.

Avoiding reapplication to AFTC by the same person.

Avoiding time-consumption in entering, obtaining and classifying information.

Targeted group:

This program was designed to enable those responsible for recruiting applicants at AFTC to swiftly record information of the applicants and to ease the process of sorting out the applicants who successfully pass exams as well as producing statistics of all applications.

Project description:

The program consists of several pages as follows:

• Main page: it is an icon that features the name of the program and contains many other buttons which will, once pressed, open other pages and other icons in the program (like the icons for entering the personal information of the applicants, their results, the names of the applicants who have passed a specific exam or all exams, the names of all applicants who have sat the recruitment exams on a specific date and the logout icon)

• Secondary pages: A page for entering applicants’ personal information: on

this page, the applicants’ personal information such as full names, tribes, seat Numbers and ID Numbers are entered.

A page for entering the applicants’ results in mathematics and physics: when entering the applicant’s seating number on this page, his name appears. Therefore, his result, the exam date and the group number can then easily be entered.

A page that enables obtaining a table of applicants’ names who successfully pass mathematics and physics exams on a specific date.

A page of entering applicants’ English exam results: on this page, the names of applicants who successfully passed mathematics and physics exams are entered first, then the results of the English exam and the exam’s date are also entered in order for the candidate to be able to do the oral exam.

A page that enables obtaining a table of applicants’ names who successfully pass English language exam on a specific date.

A page of entering the applicants’ results in order to do the English interview: in this page, the names of applicants who successfully passed the English language exam are entered first, then the applicants’ results in this exam as well as the date of the exam in order to do the English interview.

A page that enables obtaining a table of applicants’ names who successfully pass the English interview on specific dates.

A page that enables obtaining the names of all applicants who did the recruitment exams on specific exam dates.

A page that enables obtaining full information of each applicant in physics, mathematics, English and the interview. It also displays the dates of the exams, final results and additional remarks. Information of the applicants can be logged onto by entering the civil number. Moreover, such reports can be easily printed.

Program used:The program Ms access 2007 is the one used. It is a

program to design databases produced by Microsoft incorporation and comes with the Office package.

Project snapshots:

AFTC Recruiting Database

ووااجهھة االبرنامج

صفحهھ االبيیاناتت للطالب

صفحة للحصولل على االبيیاناتت لتارريیخ معيین

Program main menu

Student data page

Requesting information of a specific data

Civilian officer : Qais Salim Saleh Muqbali


Civilan officer :Mohammed Hamad Humaid Al Shuaili

The word physics is derived from Greek (Physic) which means knowledge of nature. This science studies materials and their movements as well as other concepts of time and space. It

deals with perceived universal properties which can be measured such as power, energy, mass, and charge. Physics is based on the experimental approach in trying to interpret natural phenomena and the universe laws through testable theories.

Physics is considered as one of the oldest sciences and that is why it has reached a prestigious status in human thoughts. This has had great impact in some science fields. People have realized the importance of physics and its laws when they saw the great role it plays in their everyday life and that lots of new equipment are based on physics laws.

In military, physics laws and applications are used to the utmost level to the degree that you cannot find any war factor that is not associated with physics. Recently, a scientific game was created, which was renamed as operational research, by specialized physics scientists to implement various military missions. The purpose of such game is to give chances to the concerned bodies in general and scientists of physics in particular to enhance the technology related to the military field.

Throughout history, one can see the effect of physics in many situations for example; pirates attacked a ship called Seabourn Spirit which was sailing adjacent to Somalia’s coast. The pirates had in their small boat a machine gun and a missile launcher but the ship happened to be equipped with an LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) which was successfully used by the ship crew to drive the pirates away without harming the ship or its crew.

Clearly, there isn’t any military machinery that does not use physics or its applications and this article presents some of these applications used in military equipment:

Projectiles:

A projectile is defined as any object projected into space within earth gravity and falls down freely. In order for the projectile to hit the target precisely, it must be accurately directed taking into considerations primary height, initial speed, shooting angle, mass of the projectile, earth’s gravity, time spent to reach the target, air resistance, and calculations of horizontal range of the target. All that as a whole follows Newton’s laws of motion which is one part of physics and mechanics.

Compass:

It is a tool, which is used to show the four geographical directions, containing a magnetic needle which points to the magnetic north. Compass is mostly used for military purposes particularly in air control, ground navigation, sea navigation, and map reading.

Looking at the compass, we find out that it only consists of a magnetic needle affected by magnetic fields created by a huge magnetic pole inside the ground made of liquefied steel under the ground. This pole’s south end is located in the north of the Earth and its north pole in the south of the Earth. Therefore, if you put the compass horizontally, the north end of the needle will be attracted to the south pole of the magnet and this is why the needle of the compass is always directed to the north. This is so because like magnetic poles are repelled and unlike magnetic poles are attracted. This was discovered by physics scientists long ago.

Aircraft:

Aircraft are widely used in military in various roles such as fighter, transport, supplies or reconnaissance. However, what we are focusing on here is whether the aircraft can fly non-observant of some aspects and fundamentals of physics such as the wind direction and its speed, the speed required for takeoff, friction forces between the aircraft wheels and the runway surface, flight altitude required, direction of and distance from destination, arrival time at destination, the right steering direction given the wind direction and its speed so that the aircraft is not deviated from its destination as well as the forces affecting the aircraft during its flight so that its balance is not affected. All that falls under the umbrella of physics.

Radar:

Radar is used in military for air defense purposes in its comprehensive concept whether in aircraft control and communication, or air surveillance to detect any threats to the security of the country. Radar does not only measure the aircraft speed, its direction and its distance from the radar, but is also used in other military aspects such as keeping watch of ballistic missiles movement, metrology and weather fluctuations.

Thinking about the radar components, there is a radar antenna, wireless transmitter, remote controller, vibrations generator, automatic frequency controller, video processor, radar transmitter and receiver. The operations of all these components are mainly based on the applications, frequencies and lengths of electromagnetic waves as well as their propagation speed and portable energy, which are all within the framework of physics.

Physics and its association

with Military equipment


Doing the right things – AFTC will do the right things in terms of having the right resources, strategies and processes which are appropriate for the accomplishment of the statements of intent. This can also be interpreted as planning to succeed by delivering what has to be done to achieve the Mission, Values and Quality Management System (QMS) objectives.

TQ & D provides 4 key functions to support the AFTC Quality Policy, they are as follows:

Quality Assurance (QA)

The Quality System coordinator (QSC) leads a small team to administer the Quality Management System (QMS) within the college. The team enables processes and procedures to be regularly audited in line with a timetabled schedule of Quality Audits (QAs). The auditing programme is supported by a reporting culture using Quality Occurrence Reports (QORs) these provide a method of instigating investigations into any areas of concern within the college. Similarly, trending of the audit information is important as it ensures that all departments within the college have access to information, hopefully preventing the repetition of previous mistakes. The Quality Team takes their role very seriously and plays their part in ensuring their efforts allow a more efficient and safer learning environment, for both students and staff.

Continuous Improvement (CI)

CI is prominent at AFTC to identify and realize the benefits of improved methods of working, which is paramount in developing a more efficient RAFO. Once a Process Owner (PO) has identified that an area under their responsibility requires scrutiny for improvement, the trained facilitators in the CI Team can aid the PO to organize a CI event where the area can be scrutinized using an array of CI methods, document their current process state and then populate an action plan to reach the desired future state. The team is also available for advice on any issues arising from Quality Audits in the form of QORs (Quality Occurrence reports) or recommendations. The team is committed fully in ensuring that we continue to be an efficient and professional learning environment.

Training Evaluation

Training evaluation is defined as the following; “The process used to measure the demonstrated ability of individuals and units to accomplish specified training objectives.” The 2 man team facilitates this by designing and executing various surveys and evaluation forms to get the views of both the staff and the students. This information is collated and fed back to the various Heads of Departments (HODs) for review. Should trends be forming that have an impact on the ability to meet the training objectives, the HODs can see them and act upon them swiftly. They work closely with the other 2 teams and their information is invaluable in ensuring that AFTC is constantly monitoring its progress, ensuring that the students are given the best resources possible.

Air Force Technical College (AFTC)Training Quality and Development (TQ & D)

What is meant by Quality – “The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils customer or other requirements”. AFTC takes

this a stage further and defines Quality as;

“Being fit for purpose”

‘Being fit for purpose’ is sometimes called ‘doing things right’ or ‘doing the right things’.

Doing things right – AFTC will do things right in terms of deploying plans, procedures, guidelines, processes, practices, reviews and regulations that ensure that its standards are equivalent or better than those in similar establishments elsewhere in Oman and the world.

WKL2: Billy Bainbridge

Professional Development

First of all, what do we mean by Professional Development? – ‘Professional Development (PD) is quite simply a means of supporting people in the workplace to understand more about the environment in which they work, the job they do and how to do it better. It is an ongoing process throughout our working lives’. Here at AFTC all Heads of Departments (HODs) take this very seriously, they realise the importance of ensuring the staff here at AFTC (including themselves) are consistently updating or learning skill sets and competencies in many different disciplines to ensure that the throughput of students is in line with the RAFO training aim of “meeting the operational requirements of its units, utilising cost effective training methods within the available resources”

In conclusion the Training Quality & Development Department is vital in ensuring the AFTC Quality policy is being supported and enforced. As you can see they are split up into sub divisions to allow maximum concentration of effort. The Quality Assurance (QA) Team work alongside the Continuous Improvement (CI) Team, but for differing reasons. The QA team identifies problems that arise from an audit and the CI team does their utmost to assist departments in rectifying them.

The Training Evaluation Team has close links with the professional development policy that AFTC employs. Much of the feedback from the College students will identify to the management where some improvements could be made, and subsequently, staff could be afforded the opportunity to attend a relevant training course or seminar to strengthen their performances in certain areas.


Programmes and Activities:

The camp programme included a lot of different sports and cultural activities that aimed at breaking the academic work routine, as follows:

a) A cultural night attended by the principle and the vice wali of Al Jabal Al Akhdar in Walayat Nizwa which included a play, some poems and a show for individual’s self defense skills.

b) The teaching and training staff took part in those activities by arranging football and volleyball matches between the different students’ teams and the instructors in the evening.

c) A charitable activity was conducted which consisted of different tasks such as trimming trees, cleaning of some old roads and maintaining the Eid Prayer yard with the contribution of Nizwa Municipality and some local people.

d) A competition for plates shooting and tug of war was organized between the different teams.

The Camp Aims and Outcomes:

AFTC didn’t only achieve the main goal of this camp through its different activities; it also succeeded in consolidating the military spirit and the students’ sense of commitment and responsibility. It has also allowed the teaching and training staff to discover the students’ talents and skills, and encourage them to utilize these skills for the welfare of the society.

Opinions and Impressions:

All officers, NCOs and the students who participated in this camp agreed that the desired goals were achieved because of the cooperation and the team spirit amongst the participants. This all contributed in the overall success of the camp. The charitable activities also contributed in consolidating the cooperation values between the Sultan’s Armed Forces and the society. Add to that, it was also agreed that this camp was a great opportunity to discover skills and talents.

Summary:

The students’ camp to Jabal Al Akhdar has successfully resulted in so many achievements and beneficial lessons. It has shown a great sense of cooperation and utmost harmony between the students, and their teaching and training staff who were very supportive and encouraging.

Students’ Camp to

Al Jabal Al Akhdar

Air Force Technical College keenly

ensures holding the students’ camp in

the Combat Training Camp in Al Jabal Al

Akhdar every year, as one of the most important

activities of the college. The preparation for this

camp was done earlier by holding coordination

meetings, arranging the requirements and setting

up all the training and voluntary programmes,

through which all the camp goals were achieved.

All the different sections in the college greatly

contributed in the success of this camp.


Medical TourismMqm (Dr) Nasser Saif Nasser Al-Yahyai

Medical Tourism Statistics

There is no definite information or actual number of patients searching for health care in the medical tourism model. Estimated in 2003, approximately 350,000 patients from industrialized nations travelled to a variety of less developed countries for health care. In 2007 more than 750,000 Americans travelled abroad for medical care, with this number increasing to six million in 2010(Baliga H, 2007). In 2004, estimated 1.18 million patients from all over the world travelled to India for health care, while Thailand cared for approximately 1.1 million medical tourists from a large number of countries (Sen C, 2005). Many in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) prefer to get medical

Introduction

The terminology medical tourism is defined as patients travelling from own country to another areas of the world for medical care that is either not available in their own country or to find better treatment and lower cost. Medical tourism is not a modern concept; it was known thousands of years ago when Greek pilgrims travelled from all over Mediterranean to the small territory in the Saronic Gulf called Epidauria. This territory was the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios. In 18th and 19th centuries, Europeans and Americans flocked to health spas and sanitariums and even to remote places in the hope that they would get treatment for diseases such as tuberculosis, gout, bronchitis or liver diseases.

treatment abroad; a study conducted in 2011 showed that 65% Kuwaitis, 47% Bahrainis, 43% Omanis, 43% Qataris, 39% Emeratis and 35% Saudis prefer medical care abroad. United Arab Emirates alone spends $2 billion per year to send its residents abroad for treatments. In Oman, the Embassy of India issued 3,400 medical tourism visas in 2012, as against 1,600 in 2011, a quantum jump in one year time. The Ministry of Health, through its Patients Treated Abroad Department, sponsored 737 Omani patients seeking treatment abroad to different countries in 2011.

Why Medical Tourism

There are different reasons why people seek medical care and although these might differ from one country to another, all will have at least one of these:

1. Low cost: some procedures are very expensive to do in the home country specially for medically uninsured issues such as treatment of infertility, plastic and cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry… etc.

2. Long waiting: Access to immediate service is what attracts people for medical tourism as people do not have patience for long queue appointments.

3. Procedure not available in home country: The technology and equipment might not be available in the home country. New developed procedures might not be approved by regulatory agencies (stem cell therapy, joint resurfacing, Artificial disc replacement) or unavailable or restricted by society or legal system (organ transplantation, in-vitro fertilization with donor eggs).

4. Privacy and Confidentiality: Some people prefer or do not want others to know about their health problems or surgical procedures they undergo.

5. Excellent quality and world–class facilities: Patients can usually expect a high level of personal care and attention and high quality treatment from hospitals and clinics that are popular with medical tourists. Moreover, provision of luxurious accommodation, private spacious rooms, and access to hospitality services 24 hours.

6. Tourism and vacations: Some people like to do annual medical check as part of their vacations or seek for medical management during their holidays.

Medical Tourism Risks

Although there are many benefits associated with medical tourism, there are also certain risks that must be weighed before making a final decision to travel abroad. Some countries, such as India, Malaysia, or Thailand have very different infectious disease-related epidemiology to Europe and North America. The quality of post-operative care can also vary dramatically, depending on the hospital and country, and may be different from US or European standards. Also, travelling long distances soon after surgery can increase the risk of complications. Long flights and decreased mobility in a cramped airline cabin are a known risk factor for developing blood clots in the legs such as venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolus. Furthermore, the biggest concern for medical tourism patients after coming back home is who will take care of them if they develop any complications?!

Legal and ethical issues

Medical tourism has raised numerous ethical and legal concerns. Receiving medical care abroad may subject medical tourists to unfamiliar legal issues. The limited nature of litigation in various countries is one reason for the lower cost of care overseas. While some countries currently presenting themselves as attractive medical tourism destinations provide some form of legal remedies for medical malpractice, these legal avenues may be unappealing to the medical tourist. Should problems arise, patients might not be covered by adequate personal insurance or might be unable to seek compensation via malpractice lawsuits.


to search a reliable medical tourism provider first. The provider then usually requires the patient to provide a fresh medical report, including the nature of complaint, local doctor’s opinion, medical history and provisional diagnosis. Then, certified physicians or consultants advise on the medical treatment. The approximate expenditure, choice of hospitals and tourist destinations, and duration of stay, etc., is discussed. After signing consent bonds and agreements, the patient is given a recommendation letter for a medical visa, to be procured from the concerned embassy. The patient travels to the destination country, where the medical tourism provider assigns a case executive, who takes care of the patient’s accommodation, treatment and any other form of care. Once the treatment is done, the patient can remain in the tourist destination or return home.

Summary

Medical tourism, also called health tourism and wellness tourism, is a rapid growing industry referring to people from all around the world travelling to other countries to receive medical, dental, and surgical care. They are tourists seeking medical care, experiencing the attractions of the countries they are visiting. There are several motivations which drive medical travellers to seek health care outside their home country such as cheaper medical procedures, more advanced technological facilities and equipment, internationally certified and qualified doctors and nurses, and excellent healthcare services.

Also, it may lead to a duality in health care policies: ensuring the access of health care for every citizen, while on the other hand promoting state-of-the-art technologies for foreign patients. Others have raised concerns about possible changes in doctor–patient relationships, by commoditization of health care services. Most prominently, medical travel involving human body resources, especially organs, has raised comprehensive debates including concerns both on how they are obtained and how they are used. Considering this fact, many countries have set restrictive policies governing their donation and access. But international variations in such legislation have encouraged some patients or health care providers to take advantage of those differences.

Destination

The critical challenge for potential medical tourists is to select the best possible destination for the specific services needed. Certainly:

Internationally accredited hospitals with high reputation

Professional and high qualified doctors and nurses

Fast and high quality of services

State-of-the-art medical technology

Excellent hospitality services and reasonable cost.

People seeking for medical treatment abroad, will need

Since the Air Force Technical College started the process of getting accreditation from Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA),

Academic Training Department formed a team to work on conducting a full review of syllabus used in the foundation programme. The aim of this review was to meet the requirement of OAAA by introducing new curriculms which are internationally recognised. These newly introduced components are mainly in the area of study skills, time management, presentation skills, and reports writing which will assist students not only during their study in the college but also after graduation.

All students joining AFTC will have to go through the foundation programme before being selected for their trade or specialization for three terms each of which consists of (14) weeks in English language, Mathematics, Physics, and IT. When students pass (42) weeks of foundation, they are selected for the available trades in AFTC which are: Engineering, Air Crew Masters, Operators, Supply, and Air Movement. However, Engineering students continue for one more term before starting their training. The following table shows the full academic programme:

Term One:

During this term, the programme focuses on the basics of

Mathematics and English language which are considered very vital in building solid foundation for students in order to help them cope with the requirement of next term. The programme consists of:

A. (336) lessons of English Language (level 1).

B. (112) lessons of Basic Maths.

C. (28) lessons of IT.

Term Two:This term is a continuation of the previous term but its syllabus aims at enabling students to improve their academic level. It concentrates on the following areas:

A. (252) lessons in English Language (level 2).

B. (112) lessons in Basic Physics.

C. (84) lessons in Applied Maths.

D. (28) lessons in IT.

Term Three:

This third term in foundation is divided into:

A. (224) lessons in English Language (level 3).

B. (84) lessons in Pure Maths.

C. (140) lessons in Advanced Physics.

D. (28) lesson in IT.

Advanced Academic phase for Engineering:This fourth term is limited for those students selected to study Engineering. The duration of this semester is (14) weeks in which they study subjects related to their specialization in order to prepare them well before they join the Engineering training. This phase consists of:

A. (196) lessons in Technical English.

B. (140) lessons in Physics for Engineering.

C. (84) lessons in Flights & Waves.

D. (56) lessons in Technical Drawing.

Assessment & Evaluation:

AFTC applies continuous assessment policy throughout the term in addition to final exams. The passing mark is (60%) which enables students to roll over to the higher level. However, if they fail to achieve this result, they are given one chance of being re-coursed. As a result of failing twice, the case will be forwarded to Directorate of Manpower for withdrawing the student from the AFTC training programme in order to put him in the available vacancies according to RAFO requirement.

Academic Foundation Programme at

Term One

English (pre-intermediate)

Basic Maths

IT

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Study Skills

Duration: (1-14) weeks

Term Two

English (intermediate I)

Applied Maths

IT

Basic Physics

Presentation Skills


Term Three

English (intermediate II)

Applied Maths

IT

Advanced Physics

Reports writing


Term Four

Technical English

Flights & Waves

Technical Drawing

Physics for Engineering

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Civilan officer :Badr Khalfan Walid Al Busaidi

AFTC

future strategic features of paca aftc · rafo seeb in 1974, few people could have foreseen the...

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