As the academic world is evolving and adapting to the digital age, KDI School is at the forefront of acknowledging this phenomenon by offering innovative academic support programs, such as the KDIS Online Preliminary Education (KOPE) program.

The KOPE program is one of the academic support programs offered completely online and begins a month before the start of the semester for incoming students. Its virtual approach makes it accessible to prospective students from around the world before they arrive at school. This allows them to familiarize themselves with using school systems and services to a certain extent.

Voted by 47.2% of students as their favorite academic support program in 2023, in a recent survey conducted by the school, KOPE is proving to be an effective program.  Most of the surveyed students mentioned that the program provided them with valuable insights into student life and a comprehensive understanding of what to expect in their academic journey at KDIS. 

The program offers a wide selection of courses tailored to assist in building a foundation for the core and concentration courses for the incoming students. The students can take the course at their own pace within the program period. While some of the courses are mandatory, some are recommended to better understand the course contents discussed in the regular classes.  

To shed more light on the program’s objectives, motivations, and upcoming plans, below are the edited excerpts from the interview with a staff member from the Learning Innovation Center at KDI School. 

Could you share the inspiration behind KDI School's decision to create the KOPE Program? What are the main objectives and goals of the program?

The KOPE program was conceived to enhance the foundational skills of incoming students and improve their academic adaptability. The program’s objectives are concisely outlined in three main areas. 

The first objective focuses on strengthening basic academic skills, achieved through courses like the Math Placement Test, Basic Economics, Academic Writing and Study Skills, and Basic Mathematics and Statistics. The second objective involves cultivating research ethics awareness and preventing academic misconduct, facilitated by the Research Ethics course. The third objective aims at enhancing human rights sensitivity and promoting gender equality awareness through the mandatory Human Rights Education course.

Students can effectively utilize the month before school starts to improve their skills and adapt to the KDI School’s environment. They can use the essential online content for pre-learning and review through mandatory online courses. 

Could you provide more information about how the courses provided under the KOPE program are tailored to assist student life at KDI School?

We regularly update the program’s content to align with changing educational environments and student needs. For example, the existing Academic Writing course was upgraded to AI-assisted Academic Writing for incoming students in the Fall of 2023. This upgrade provided students with the opportunity to acquire new writing skills using AI tools.

Looking ahead, what updates or enhancements are in store for the upcoming academic year?

The KOPE Program is conducted twice a year, targeting incoming students in the spring and fall semesters. All incoming students must complete mandatory courses under the KOPE Program, with the option to choose elective courses if desired. After the program's completion, student satisfaction surveys are conducted to gather feedback, which is taken into account for program improvements in subsequent sessions. Based on the satisfaction survey results, plans are to update and improve the Basic Mathematics and Statistics content in the first half of the next academic year.