WUC Tutorial 2,Sem2 2014

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    First section of this unit explain objectives behind the

    setting up of WOU, the academic services and the academicstructure at WOU.

    In second section, recall how you learn under traditional

    schooling system & review some of its strength &weaknesses.

    Make a comparison between ODL & traditional system

    The mental attitude you must have to succeed at WOU.

    The last section explains the modes of learning in ODL.

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    One major characteristic of WOU students

    working adults.

    Pursue tertiary education on a part-time

    basis.

    It is important you equip yourself with theskills to be successful in studies.

    This course is to provide the skills.

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    Objective:

    By the end of this section, you should be

    able to:

    1.Explain the objectives of seting up of

    WOU, its academic services and

    structure.

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    Why was WOU set up ?

    How different is WOU ?

    How is it relevant to working adults?

    Why didnt you decide to further your studies assoon as you left school ?

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    Many forgo higher education due to :-

    1. Lack of money

    2. lack of motivation

    3. family commitments4. Limited access to institution of higher learning

    at that time.

    Statistics only 29% possess tertiary education.

    Malaysian workers with SPM extremely

    difficult to find work.

    Now employers look for workers with tertiary

    education.

    With ODL full-time working people ( you also)have an additional avenue.

    WOU provides you the second chance to pursue

    your goal of tertiary education without leaving

    your job.

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    WOU was set up with the objective of providing at

    reasonable cost, tertiary education for working

    adults like you.

    More importantly you can now study while

    working.

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    Most of the course materials are print-based.

    Printed Course Materials

    WOU has made great efforts to produce printed

    course materials to suit your needs.

    1. Course materials all the units specially designed.All the info is contained in the set of materials.

    2. Normally 5 units.

    3. These materials are slowly phasing out as WOU

    prepares own materials.4. WOU materials are simple and direct writing style;

    most sentences shortand communicate only one

    concept; use conversational tone; the word you

    is frequently used to address student.

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    WOU course are quite informalin this style.

    The materials are very interactive.

    You will be given opportunities to be involved in

    the learning process via activities, exercises,

    questions andself-tests that appear regularly in

    the text.

    Additional resources are added to

    wawasanLearn.

    Links to relevant audios, video and websites areprovided.

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    Do you still remember the learning materials that

    you used in school ?How different are they from the materials in WOU ?

    1. Most of them were textbooks.

    2. Very little exercises or activities in them,contained a lot of facts.

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    WOU has taken efforts to help students

    you have to find ways of locating resources on your own

    this may make you feel helpless at times.

    WOU has taken concerted effort to efforts to provide youwith a variety of quality support services to help you in your

    studies.

    Besides high quality materials, there are computer labs &

    access to learning resources at RC and DL.

    Most importantly there are F2F tutorials, telephone

    counselling services as well as Internet-based support by

    trained tutors & CCs.

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    Some teaching-learning acts have to occur via F2F contacts

    at RCs.

    Are strategically located in offices or buildings to provide

    administrative & academic support you.

    Are usually located in big cities or towns that are close to

    your residence convenience.

    Refer to Student handbook for address to these RCs.

    3 of them in Bandar Utama, Klang & Subang in Selangor.

    At the RCs you can:

    do you registration

    pay your fees

    get advice & guidance for course

    get info about financial assistance

    collect the F2F tutorial timetable.

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    Some exams may be conducted at RCs.

    RCs are your first point of contact withyour University.

    To find out where your exam venue will

    be, check your student portal.

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    For every course you take WOU assigns a tutor to help you.

    The tutor is your main contact with the University.

    For each course there will be 10 hours of tutorial classes

    where the tutor will facilitate your learning process.

    The tutor will make the learning process smoother & lesslonely for you.

    You may contact him by telephone, Internet or video

    conferencing.

    It is your tutor who will:

    give you advice & guidance on problems related to your

    studies.

    help you build-up your study skills.

    helps you increase your self-confidence.

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    Courses offered by Wou are credit based.

    Each course carries 5 credit units or points.

    The total study hours for one credit will be about 40 hours-

    including studying course materials, tutorial attendance &

    time spent on TMAs & carry out self-tests.

    You would need to spend around 200 hours during the 21weeks.

    All the accumulated unitsto fulfil the requirements of your

    degree programme.

    WOU operates on 21-week semester.

    2 semesters in an academic year, with a 5-week break in

    between.

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    You will therefore spend 42 weeks in a year for your study.

    This leaves you about 10 weeks of free time or a break from

    your study.

    Is a 10-week break enough for you?

    The academic term structure at WOU :-

    Semester Weeks

    Study period 18Revision 1

    Examinations 2

    Total 21

    Semester break 5 weeks

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    Most of the courses at WOU are flexible.

    You may opt to register one or more

    courses at the same or at different levels

    in any given semester.

    The RC Manager will be able to provideyou counselling support, advice &

    guidance to assist you in developing your

    own progression plan.

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    Without assessment, you will not be able to know how much

    you have learnt.

    Sometimes a little tension created before an assessment is

    good to make you take your study more seriously.

    An assessment is undertaken for several reasons:-

    it can push you to study harder. it is a good motivation tool.

    it is another learning occasion.

    it provides feedback to both student & the institution.

    it can be used to determine the achievement of intended

    learning outcomes. it can serve as a quality assurance mechanism.

    Yo r final grade for each co rse ill depend on o r

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    Your final grade for each course will depend on your

    performance in 2 assessments components; the continuous

    assessments & the final exam.

    The continuous assessment = 2 TMAs ( short tests, quizzes,

    projects, lab sessions or assignments).

    You can hand in your TMAs to your tutor, who will undertake

    the marking & grading.

    The final exam is conducted at the end of every semesterand will usually be held at venues near major RCs.

    In order to achieve an overall pass status on the course, you

    have to pass the continuous assessments & final exams.

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    SUBJECT: EXAMINATION & ASSESSMENT POLICY FOR

    UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FOR ALL UNDERGRADUATESTUDENTS ONLY.

    (A)Assessment & grading system Criteria for passing a courseThe grade for a course is assigned based on the overall score which

    combines both the continuous assessment and the final examination

    components.In order to pass a course:1. A minimum thereshold, as set by the University must be achieved in

    both the continuous assessment component. In this regard, studentsare advised to duly submit their TMAs and to sit for the finalexamination.

    2. For MPW/MPU courses (Mata Pelajaran Wajib/Mata pelajaran Umum),a student must achieve an overall score of a minimum of Grade C.

    3. For non-MPW/MPU courses, a student must achieve an overall score ofa minimum of Grade D.

    If a student has passed both components, the grade for the course will beaccorded based on the overall course score. However, if a student fails

    either component, the highest grade that can be achieved is C.

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    (B) Eligibility for supplementary examination

    A student who has attended the final examination for a course and

    obtained grade F will be given the opportunity to re-sit during the

    following supplementary examination, provided that the student has

    achieved the minimum threshold (as set by the University) in the

    continuous assessment component. This option can only beEXERCISED ONCE at the next immediate offering of the same

    course. No supplementary TMA will be offered. If the student does

    not sit for the supplementary examination in the next immediate

    offering, the eligibility will be forfeited.

    The highest overall score grade that can be achieved in a

    supplementary examination is Grade C (as this considered as

    attempting the examination component for the 2nd time) irrespective

    of students having passed both components eventually. However

    students who were granted AR status (absent from examination

    due to valid reasons accepted by the University) in the final

    examination, and sat for the supplementary examination, would be

    accorded the appropriate grade if they have passed both

    components (as this is considered their 1st attempt in the

    examination component.

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    1. Take your calendar and your Student handbook. Markon your calendar the first day of your first semester.Mark also the last day of this semester. Indicate whenthe semester break is. If you do not have the calendarfor the following year, just mark for this year. You cancontinue your marking when you get your calendar

    next year.

    2. Refer to the Student Handbook, Mark all the dates forthe tutorial sessions. Check to see if these dates clash

    with any of your important activities. All the tutorialswill be held on weekends only. The tutorials should begiven priority over other activities. This is because youonly have a limited number of tutorials.

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    3. For each course that you are taking this semester, checkthe weightage or percentage contributed by thecontinuous assessment and the final examination to the

    overall grade. Is it the same for each course?

    Now, you should have a better understanding of WOU inrelation to your role and responsibilities as a student here.Its background, objectives, as well as the academicorganisation and structure were explained in this sectionand we also looked at the support services that you will

    receive as a student here.

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    Objectives

    By the end of this section, you should be able to:

    1. Describe the characteristics of traditionallearning.

    2. Explain the characteristics of open and

    distance learning.

    3. Diiferentiate between traditional and distance

    learning.

    4. Identify the attitudinal changes essential for

    successful distance learning.

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    How did you learn when you were a student in

    school ?

    What is school ?

    A school is a place where learning occurs.

    has a physical presence = several building in a

    compound.

    You studied in a room called the classroom.

    Physically, a classroom has tables and chairs and

    or course a blackboard or a whiteboard.

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    a teacher stands in front of a class teaching a group

    of students.

    He is the most important person in class.

    He teaches by talking & explaining to you.

    All activities happen because he organises it.

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    Apart from teacher, you will also meet your

    classmates and other students at least 5 hours

    every school day 200 days a year !

    You have plenty of time to do school work &

    homework & to meet your schoolmates to compare

    notes and discuss things.

    What we have described above is TL we all learn.

    You will realise now TL is teacher centred you

    depend on teacher to instruct you.

    Teaching & learning process occurs at school.

    We all have to be physically present to receive

    instruction.

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    The teaching act ( by teacher) & learning act ( by

    students) happens simultaneously.

    We learn as the teacher teaches & it happens inreal time.

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    The TL system has a few weaknesses:-

    Expensive to build schools-a physical building brick &

    mortar system, double sessions

    Teacher dependent controls student learning, students

    not proactive & do not question the teacher, teacher sets

    the pace & what teacher says is largely true.

    Teacher oriented- Teacher tells students when to do, what

    to do and how to do it.

    Fixed years of instruction -

    Elitist education system favours those from better social

    economic families,poor students do not go to school as only

    few schools & far away.

    For children only 7 years old start & only a small % to

    tertiary education, they start work & no longer study .

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    At what age did you stop

    schooling ? What were your

    reasons for doing so? Are yourreasons the same as your

    friends?

    The traditional education system has served

    most humans for centuries.

    Why then did you decide to continue your

    studies ? Why do you want to take up formal education

    again?

    More importantly, why did you choose WOU and

    the ODL system?

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    In your opinion, do you think the traditional system still

    discriminates against those from the lower social economicstatus?Give reasons to support your view.

    Students from the lower social economic status (SES) tend to lose out

    in the following aspects:

    1. Additional reference books they may not be able to buy so manyreference books compared to their friends from the higher SES.

    2. Study time they may have less time tostudy as they may be

    required to help out in the family, or to work after school to earn

    extra money.

    3. Location of the school students from lower SES have fewer choice

    over the schools which they can attend due to transport. (Theyusually have to cycle or walk and so can to nearby schools only

    compared to their friends of higher SES)

    4. Private coaching/tuition students of lower SES may not have so

    many private coaching/ tuition due to financial problems.

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    open = the learning system available to anyone,

    irrespective of age, qualification or ethnic group.

    distance = has a spatial & a time dimension.

    The physical distance means you study away from

    the academic institution.

    Time = the teaching & learning activities are

    separated.

    Teaching activities = the preparation of the coursematerials well in advance.

    Learning activities = your studying activities at

    home or elsewhere and completing your assignments

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    In both the geographical and spatial sense then,

    ODL is distanced.

    Apart from WOU, other institutions offer opendistance education.

    Some well-known ones are :

    The Open University (UK) The University of South Africa (South Africa)

    Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

    (Thailand)

    Arhabasca University ( Canada) Indira Gandhi National Open University (India)

    Open University Malaysia ( Malaysia)

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    ODL = the system of learning accessible to all,

    where the teaching & learning activities are

    separated in time & space.

    Learning need not necessarily take place in the

    physical presence of a teacher & learning also

    need not necessarily takes place at the same

    time as teaching.

    In distance learning the mode of communication

    is replaced by technological innovations: self

    instructional printed materials, electronic

    communication, telephone, teleconference, audio,video, broadcasting and on-line communication.

    You also have the privilege of studying in the

    comfort of your home.

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    The WOU via ODL, provides an opportunity to all

    those who are working & wish to further their

    education.

    Students learn at times & places different from

    the institution & gives you flexibility & choice over

    what, when, where, at what pace, & how you

    learn.

    You can tailor your own timetable to fit in your

    lifestyle.

    You decide the technology that best suits yourstyle of learning & circumstances.

    ODL = an education system that puts students in

    command.

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    In distance learning, the human touch is still

    maintained thru regular F2F tutorials with a

    personal tutor.

    There are 2 main types of separation in distance

    education spatial & time dimensions.

    Some distance education systems use

    synchronous ( at the same time) mode ofinstruction.

    Synchronous instructions requires all students

    and instructors to be present simultaneously ortogether at the same time.

    They may meet at the same place, or they can be

    miles apart but connected via technology.

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    Example, classroom learning, Internet chats,

    teleconferencing and web conferencing.

    Asynchronous instruction does not require thesimultaneous participation of all students &

    instructors.

    Email is asynchronous because the 2 parties

    need not have to be in front of the computerscreen at the same time.

    In term of ODL, it means students do not need to

    be at the same time.

    You can choose you own time frame and interact

    with the learning materials, other students &

    instructors according to their own schedules.

    Asynchronous instruction is definitely more

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    Asynchronous instruction is definitely more

    flexible than synchronous instruction.

    This leads to self-paced learning & also self-

    managed learning.

    It allows multiple learning levels & schedules.

    Other examples of asynchronous delivery =email, listserves, audiocassette courses,

    videotaped courses, correspondence courses and

    WWW-based courses.

    Benefit of ODL = access to education that youwould not otherwise have, allows learners to

    study when & where suits them, you are able to

    continue studying while fulfilling work, family or

    community commitments.

    Unique nature of ODL charateristics:

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    Unique nature of ODL charateristics:

    separation of teacher & learner in time or place or

    in both time & place.

    self-managed learning learners have to beindependent & organise their own learning.

    synchronous & asynchronous learning teaching &

    learning take place simultaneously or at differenttimes.

    unlimited access to course 24 hours a days, 7

    days a week, 52 weeks a year.

    just in time and on-demand learning digital learning is

    delivering knowledge when & where the student needs it, and

    as often as they need it. This concept of :anywhere-anytime

    learning leads to greater retention and satisfaction, in addition

    to a significant cost savings for employees.

    instituitonal accreditation that is, learning is

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    instituitonal accreditation that is, learning is

    accredited or certified by some institution or

    agency.

    use of mixed-media courseware including print,radio and television braodcasts, video and audio

    cassettes, computer-based learning and

    telecommunications.

    two-way communication - allows learners &

    tutors to interact as distinguished from the

    passive receipt of broadcast signals.

    Communication can be synchronous or

    asynchronous.

    face-to-face meetings for tutorials - learner-

    learner interaction, library study & lab or practice

    sessions

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    Based on what we have discussed so far, can you fill in the table

    below with at least 6 differences between ODL and traditional

    students at a tertiary institution (e.g., a university). The first one

    has been done for you.

    Traditional student ODL student

    Attends lectures at thesame time set by theinstitution

    Studies the course materialsat a time of his/her choice.

    Traditional student ODL student

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    Attends lectures at thetime set by theinstitution/lecture.

    Studies the coursematerials at a time ofhis/her choice.

    Attends lectures on-campus

    Studies wherever isconvenient.

    Usually has to study full-time

    Can study whileemployed full-time.

    Can only apply the

    knowledge gained aftercompleting the degree

    Can apply the

    knowledge as it islearned.

    Starts the degreeprogrammesimmediately afterleaving school.

    Often is matured,experienced individual.

    Motivation is to get adegree than a job.

    Motivation is to improvehis/her workperformance andprospects for promotion.

    Studies with his/her

    peers

    In relative isolation.

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    Traditional student ODL student

    Has immediate academic& administrative supportfrom the university.

    Has limited facxe-to-face support

    Depends on the qualityof the lectures deliveredby the lecturer.

    Has well-developedcourse materialsspecifically designed forthe independent learner.

    Learning is teacher

    centred.

    Learning is self-

    managed by the learnerDelivery of teaching teachers talking most ofthe time.

    Delivery of teaching relies a lot ontechnologies, especiallycomputer technologies.

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    ODL students go thru a very vigorous academic

    process.

    Being an ODL learner you need to :-

    Organise and manage your own learning.

    Take responsibility for your own learning by

    making decisions as to what, when & how you willlearn.

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    QUALITIES OF ODL STUDENTSQualities of ODL

    students

    ResponsibleDedicated

    Possess

    multitasking

    skills

    Motivated

    Forward

    thinkers

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    Responsible - employees increasingly recognises

    the value.

    Dedicated - ODL learners are recognised as goal-oriented individuals who see education as ongoing

    process lifelong learners.

    Possess multitasking skills- ODL learners are

    recognised as individuals who perform effectively

    in a multi-tasking environment cos majority are

    full-time or part-time working adults who juggle

    job, coursework & family responsibilities. They

    understand the need to prioritise.

    Motivated - ODL learners are seen to be

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    motivated self-starters with the ability to

    complete assignments on time & adapt to dynamic

    environments. They strive on challenge.

    Forward thinkers ODL learners are perceived to

    be capable of stretching their thoughts & ideas

    into new territories to be innovative & creative

    people. They also seek to understand thecompetencies & personality traits of their

    colleagues or team members.

    At the end, you will be a more organised,

    systematic & independent person a change inyour attitude & mindset is necessary.

    You must be prepared to face a lot of challenges

    along the way.

    You are now n independent distance

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    You are now n independent distance

    learner &there are certain changes

    that you need to make in order to be

    successful.

    You will need to decide when, how,

    what & where to learn.

    You need to organise & take

    responsibility for your own learning.

    The following are some things expected of you as

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    ODL :-

    This system is student oriented & student

    controlled. Good time management comes in

    handy here.

    You now have a tutor to guide you & advise you

    in your learning but does not teach you- facilitate.

    You need to exercise flexibility in your learning

    approach you not only work independently but

    collaborate & work in a team as & when the need

    arises.

    You need to be more resourceful to finding

    solutions especially when faced with ambiguities.

    You must be willing to initiate calls to your tutors

    or course mates for assistance.

    As a distant learner you need to become more

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    As a distant learner, you need to become more

    selective & focused in your learning in order to

    master new information. For example, you should

    be able to focus on what is signified ( the tutorsargument) or organise & structure content

    presented to you.

    So, if you want to be a successful open distance

    learner, think about the commitment &responsibility that lies ahead of you & take the

    necessary efforts to make the transition.

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    Are you ready to become a distance learner ?

    Two simple tests are provided here to judge yourreadiness or become a distance learner.

    Test A

    Below are statements that describe some of the more importantcharacteristics of self-directed learners. Such learners have a certaindegree of autonomy that predisposes them to be successful in avariety of learning contexts, including distance learning or distanceeducation. DEARS is a non-scientific instrument that is intended toprovide general guidance for those considering courses or even adegree via distance education, regardless of the source. Here,distance education means any form of instructional delivery that doesnot involve continuous teacher students interaction in a face-to-faceclassroom setting. By assessing yourself on the DEARS statements, youwill get an idea of your predisposition & temperament for a successful

    distance education experience.

    Rate each statement according to the scale below. And please be ash t ibl

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    honest as possible!

    1. Never2. Very infrequently

    3. Sometimes4. Frequently5. Always

    _____ 1. I take responsibilty for my own learning.

    _____ 2. I am regarded by my peers as a self-starter._____3. I can stay on task without constant feedback about my

    performance._____ 4 . I am a person who is curious about many things._____5. I often figure out novel ways to solve problems._____6. I enjoy helping others who have learning needs._____ 7 . Once I have goals or a set of objectives, I can determine

    what I need to do to reach them._____ 8. I recognise and know how to use feedback about progress

    on a learning task that I have undertaken._____9. I am good visualising how things would be when they are

    the way I want them to be.

    10 I am good at logistics I can determine what is needed and devise

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    ______ 10. I am good at logistics. I can determine what is needed and devise

    a plan for getting it.

    ______ 11 . I believe that knowledge is largely constructed by the learner

    and that teachers are more facil itators of learning than

    dispensers of information.

    ______ 12. I understand how I learn best and often think of ways I canimprove.

    _______13. I know what I believe but I am open to other opinions that may

    be contrary to my beliefs.

    _______14. I enjoy learning that is both interesting and challenging and I am

    motivated in such situations to go beyond the minimum

    requirements.

    _______ 15. I am able to translate learning object ives that have been set for

    me into objectives that reflect my own personal style of learning.

    _______ Total

    Assessing the results

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    Assessing the resultsThe total scores are explained below. The maximum score you canget is 75. Obviously, the higher the number, the higher your potentialis benefit from your WOU experience.

    55-75 You should have no difficulty with distance education courses.You have a pronounced sense of autonomy and self-direction.These are important qualities that will make it easier for youto cope with WOU courses.

    45-54 You will probably do well in a distance education course.However, you need to remind yourself that you have to befocused and to stay on task.

    30 - 44 Well, if your score falls within this range, studying throughdiatance education will be a challenge. You are more inclinedto the traditional learning environment. You will miss theclassroom interaction context a great deal. However, you can

    still make it by being aware of the ODL system and quickly getyourself into this new mode of learning.

    29 andbelow

    I hope your score does not fall within this range. Distanceeducation is probably not a good idea for you! Dont give up! Iwould encourage you to take the challenge and make sincereand real hard efforts to succeed.

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    Think about the score you obtained.

    It may not be perfectly accurate.

    However, it does give an indication ofyour readiness to be a distance

    learner. Do take the score seriously.

    If you are not happy with your score,it will be a good idea for you to

    consult your tutor or your Regional

    Centre manager.

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    In this section, you learnt about the

    charateristics of TL & DL. Byunderstanding the differences between

    TL & DL, you will be more aware of the

    attitudinal & mental changes that you

    need make in order to become asuccessful open distance learner.

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    Objectives :

    By the end of this section, you should be able to:

    1. Explain constructivism and ODL.

    2. Identify the four learning modes of ODL.

    3. Apply the four learning modes in your

    studies.

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    So, how do you learn at WOU ?

    WOU is a dedicated distance education institution.

    It uses all the resources to successfully design and

    implement ways & means to help you reduce your worries &

    to make your learning process as a distance learner easier

    & smoother.

    Before that, you need to know about the constructivist

    learning philosophy & how it relates to you as an OD learner.

    This constructivist philosophy is based on the basic

    concept of human beings being seekers & builders ( nowtermed constructors) of knowledge.

    ODL offers the widest opportunity to practise the

    ideas behind constructivism.

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    Constructivism is a philosophy of learning

    founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our

    experiences, we build our own understanding ofthe world we live in.

    We all generate our own metaphors, rules

    and mental models that we use to make sense

    of our individual experiences.

    Learning thus becomes the process of making

    adjustments to our mental models to include all

    these new experiences.

    According to this philosophy, learning is an

    active process.

    Learning is active mental work, not passive

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    g , p

    reception of teaching.

    The use of a variety of technologies in the oDL

    setting provide an ideal environment for infusing

    and constructives principles.

    The use of computer mediated communication &

    computer-supported work, for e.g., offer the fieldof ODL alternative ways of learning.

    In addition, learner autonomy required in ODL is

    also reflected in the constructivist views toencourage active, collaborative, & responsible

    learners.

    The WOU LMS WawasanLearn is an e.g. of

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    The WOU LMS WawasanLearn is an e.g. of

    constructivist practices for learner involvement,

    and so does the wider Internet & the search

    engines like Google, Yahoo!, where you search &

    construct your own personal view about a

    concept or a specific topic of duty.

    It is therefore, a student-centred approach that

    places responsibility on students to take chargeof their learning experiences.

    In this approach, teachers are the knowledge

    experts who have a good understanding of thesubject matter- they prepare activities &

    assignments that foster the acquisition or

    creation of knowledge.

    Students are then challenged to produce reality

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    Students are then challenged to produce reality

    based products such as oral presentations or

    project papers.

    This allows students the opportunity to discuss

    & question each others understanding & explain

    their own perspectives in order to develop some

    form of shared understanding.

    The approach not only fosters active

    participation of both teachers & students in the

    learning process but encourages collaboration

    between teachers & students & among otherstudents as well.

    In other words, not only is learning shared but

    responsibilty for instruction is also shared.

    The amount of guidance & help given by the

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    The amount of guidance & help given by the

    teacher will depend on the knowledge level &

    experience the students bring to class.

    As an OD learner, this is the approach that you

    need to get used to.

    You will no longer depend on your teachers or

    expect them to spoon feed you all the time.

    You will take responsibility for your own learning

    or be a self-directed learner.

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    Constructivist checklistThis checklist serves as a simple measure of some of theways in which the constructivist charateristcs are presentin your assignments, projects, activities and ultimately inyour learning environment. The observation shouldprovide insights into the ways in which constructivistphilosophy translates into practice in ODL settings. The

    checklist should only be applied to assignments, projectsand activities which are presented to you online. It maynot always be possible to observe all of thecharacteristcs depending on the content and the group of

    students. So, do not worry if all the characteristics arepresent in the assignment, project or activity.

    Instructions:Select one assignment, project or activity that you need to do

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    g , p j y y

    online and check if the fol low ing charatcerist ics are present (Yes),

    not present (No) or cannot be observed. (Cannot observe). Put a

    tick (/)in the appropriate column.

    Characteristics Yes No Cannot observeIs it goal-oriented ?

    Is it student-centred?

    Doe sit have clear, specific objectives?

    Does it have multiple perspectives?Do your tutors act as facilitators for this

    activity?

    Does it encourages peer learning?

    Does it have a learner control?

    Does it contain authentic activities andcontexts?

    Does it encourage knowledge

    construction?

    Does it encourage knowledge

    collaboration?

    Characteristics Yes No Cannot observe

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    Characteristics Yes No Cannot observe

    Previous knowledge constructions?

    Doe sit include problem solving?

    Does it allow exploration?Are there alternative viewpoints?

    Is there authentic assessment?

    Is there primary sources of data?

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    In this section, we will discuss 4 major modes of learning under

    ODL.

    They are self-learning, F2F learning, group learning & onlinelearning.

    Figure 2.3 Types of learning

    Distance learning?

    No school?

    No classroom?

    (a)

    (b)

    (c)

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    means that you will spend most of your time

    reading course materials on your own.

    Make decisions on when, what, how and where

    to study

    read all course materials provided and

    understand them, go thru all the activities &exercises & check with the answers given at the

    end of each unit.

    refer to other reading materials available ateither your RC or public library or DL.

    read the summary at the end of every unit.

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    1. Look through all the course material which you have received. Make a ful l

    list of all of them. Write down briefly what each course material is about.

    No. Title of Course Materials What is itabout?

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    In WOU, you do not have the opportunity to meet your tutor

    as often & as frequent as in traditional institution.

    In an ODL, tutorials have a very different function.

    It is important that you understand thoroughly the role of

    the tutor & the function of the tutorial. So that you can derive

    maximum benefits from them.

    In an ODL system, most of your learning is expected to

    occur thru self- learning- you study independently, at your

    own time & place.

    Tutor is the one you will meet most frequently throughout

    the 18 weeks of your course.

    The tutor is not a lecturer engaged by WOU to play on a

    part-time basis, a facilitative role in your learning.

    Tutors are the key interface between WOU & your understanding

    f th t i l

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    of the course materials.

    The tutor provides the personal touch & academic support to the

    students thru several means : the tutorials, assignment marking

    & feedback, telephone tutoring, & online support at the LMS.

    Of course a tutor most important job is to conduct F2F tutorial

    sessions.

    But there are only 5 tutorials & each lasts 2 hours.

    10 hours is not enough for the tutor to lecture the content of the

    whole course to you.

    So, what are the tutorials for then ????

    All students are encouraged to attend all the tutorial sessions.

    These sessions are for you to interact with the tutor & fellow

    learners as well as participate in lab classes.

    If you are absent from a tutorial class, it is likely that you will miss

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    y , y y

    out on certain teaching learning activities.

    When you are in tutor ial class, it is important you participate

    actively cos it is the most effective way to learn.

    Another way is by sharing your knowledge & understanding with

    other students it helps to check how accurate your understanding

    is.

    One of the major activit ies conducted during the tutorial session

    is the completion of the TMAs.

    All the courses have 2 TMAs- can be essay, short test, short

    project, research proposals, or presentations during tutorials.

    The first TMA is normally after the second tutorial.

    All TMAs will be submitted thru OAS and will be returned the

    same way with a grade and comments.

    Other than marking & grading, what else will tutor do ?

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    They will facilitate your learning process by guiding you thru thedifficult parts of your study units.

    They highlight the most important points or arguments in the studyunits, exemplify & give further explanation, provide more examples,or relate the points to your personal experiences.

    They will provide alternative imterpretations to what has beengiven in the study units.

    They will help you to solve your individual problems.

    In a nutshell, you can say that they are the most important component

    of WOU to provide a personalised learning experience for you.

    In fact, many of you probably ar enot aware that assignments suchas TMAs are themselves important & effective personalised learningtools too.

    Based on what you have written in your TMAs, the

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    Based on what you have written in your TMAs, the

    tutors can :

    Comments on your understanding of the coursecontent.

    Point out your weaknesses, highlight areas or

    topics you should pay more attention to or need

    further clarification.

    Refer you back to specific sessions of the study

    units, and/or make any further suggestions.