WUC Tutorial 2,Sept 2015

7/17/2019 WUC Tutorial 2,Sept 2015

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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.



• 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.



OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this unit, you should be able

To:-

1. Explain the objectives of setting up WOU, its

academic services and structure.

2. Compare and contrast the characteristics of opendistance learners and traditional learners.

3. Describe the benefits of open distance learning.

4. Make comparison between distance and traditional

learning.

5. Explain the mental attitudes which an ODL student

should have.

6. Apply the various modes of learning for open

distance learners.



Objective:

By the end of this section, you should be

able to:

1.Explain the objectives of setting up of

WOU, its academic services and

structure.



“Why was WOU set up ?

“How different is WOU ?”

“How is it relevant to working adults?”

“Why didn’t you decide to further your studies assoon as you left school ?”



• 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.



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.



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.



• WOU course are quite informal in 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.



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.



• 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 you

with 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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



• Most of the courses at WOU are flexible.

• You may opt to register one or more

courses at the same or at different levelsin any given semester.

• The RC Manager will be able to provide

you counselling support, advice &

guidance to assist you in developing your

own progression plan.



• 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.

• Your final grade for each course will depend on your



• 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.



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 whichcombines 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 inboth the continuous assessment component. In this regard, students areadvised to duly submit their TMA’s and to sit for the final examination.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 failseither component, the highest grade that can be achieved is “C”.



(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.



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.



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.



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.



“ 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.



• 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.



A t f t h ill l t



•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.



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

students) happens simultaneously.

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



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 .



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?



In your opinion, do you think the traditional system stilldiscriminates 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.



• ‘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



• 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)



• 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.



• 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.

I di t l i th h t h i till



• 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.

E l l l i I t t h t



• 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



y y

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:



q

• 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



, g

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



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.




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.

di i l d d




Has immediate academic& administrative supportfrom the university.

Has limited face-to-facesupport

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.



QUALITIES OF ODL STUDENTSQualities of ODL

students

ResponsibleDedicated

Possess

multitasking

skills

Motivated

Forward

thinkers

R ibl l i i l i



• 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



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



• 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



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



• 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 tutor’sargument) 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.



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 ashonest as possible!



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 myperformance.

_____ 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 logist ics. I can determine what is needed and devise



______ 0 a good at og st cs ca dete e at s eeded a d de se

a plan for getting i t.

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

and that teachers are more facilitators 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 objectives that have been set for

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

_______ Total

Assessing the results



gThe 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 get yourself 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! Don’t give up! Iwould encourage you to take the challenge and make sincereand real hard efforts to succeed.



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.



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.



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.



• 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.



• 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



reception of teaching.

• The use of a variety of technologies in the oDL

setting provide an ideal environment for infusingand 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 to

encourage active, collaborative, & responsible

learners.

• The WOU LMS – WawasanLearn is an e.g. of



e OU S a asa ea s a e g o

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



g p y

based products such as oral presentations or

project papers.

• This allows students the opportunity to discuss

& question each other’s 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



g p g y

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.



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



online and check if the following charatceristics 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



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?



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)



• means that you will spend most of your time

reading course materials on your own.

• Make decisions on when, what, how and whereto 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 at

either your RC or public library or DL.

• read the summary at the end of every unit.



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

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

No. Title of Course Materials What is itabout?



• 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

of the course materials



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 l ikely that you will miss



out on certain teaching learning activit ies.

•When you are in tutorial 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 activi ties 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 ?



• 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 been

given 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



y y ,

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.



1. Introduction

2. 3 reasons for choice

3. 3 ways to overcome challenges

4. Conclusion

No citation & references needed here.

# St d t b it b t t



# Students can resubmit but must

be before deadline.

# Request help from CC

1 Th fi t ti i t



1. The first question requires you to

produce an essay of about 350

words.

2. The second question will require

answering a question based on Unit

1 in about 600 words as well.

Both answers must be double-

spaced, using Times New Roman and

Font 12.

WUC Tutorial 2,Sept 2015

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Transcript of WUC Tutorial 2,Sept 2015