Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The tutor will make the learning process smoother & less
lonely for you.
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.
Semester Weeks
Study period 18
Revision 1
Examinations 2
Total 21
Semester break 5 weeks
Most of the courses at WOU are flexible.
You can hand in your TMAs to your tutor, who will undertake
the marking & grading.
What is school ?
Responsible
Dedicated Motivated
Forward
Possess thinkers
multitasking
skills
Responsible - employees increasingly recognises
the value.
Test A
Below are statements that describe some of the more important
characteristics of self-directed learners. Such learners have a certain
degree of autonomy that predisposes them to be successful in a variety of
learning contexts, including distance learning or distance education.
DEARS is a non-scientific instrument that is intended to provide general
guidance for those considering courses or even a degree via distance
education, regardless of the source. Here, distance education means any
form of instructional delivery that does not involve continuous teacher
students interaction in a face-to-face classroom setting. By assessing
yourself on the DEARS statements, you will get an idea of your
predisposition & temperament for a successful distance education
experience.
Rate each statement according to the scale below. And please be as
honest as possible!
1. Never
2. Very infrequently
3. Sometimes
4. Frequently
5. Always
_______ Total
Assessing the results
The total scores are explained below. The maximum score you can
get is 75. Obviously, the higher the number, the higher your potential
is 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 you
to 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 be
focused and to stay on task.
30 - 44 Well, if your score falls within this range, studying through
diatance education will be a challenge. You are more inclined
to the traditional learning environment. You will miss the
classroom 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 and I hope your score does not fall within this range. Distance
below education is probably not a good idea for you! Dont give up! I
would encourage you to take the challenge and make sincere
and real hard efforts to succeed.
Think about the score you obtained.
It may not be perfectly accurate.
However, it does give an indication of
your 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. By
understanding the differences between
TL & DL, you will be more aware of the
attitudinal & mental changes that you
need make in order to become a
successful open distance learner.
Objectives :
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
(a)
(b)
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.
10 hours is not enough for the tutor to lecture the content of the
whole course to you.
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
out on certain teaching learning activities.
All the courses have 2 TMAs- can be essay, short test, short
project, research proposals, or presentations during tutorials.
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 the
difficult parts of your study units.
In a nutshell, you can say that they are the most important
component of WOU to provide a personalised learning experience
for you.
CONCLUSION
2 In-text Citations
[In the text of the article]
(Chicago style)
2 references
[At the end of the article]
(Chicago style)
Question 2 (50%)
2. 4 ways that can best help you learn : ELABORATION CONCISE AND
PRECISE.
3. CONCLUSION
2 In-text Citations
[In the text of the article]
(Chicago style)
2 references
[At the end of the article]
(Chicago style)
1. Proposal was first announced by YB Dato
Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik- national president
of PGRM in 1999.
2. An education foundation was formed in
2000 WEF.
3. In 2002, WEF commissioned a group of
ODL experts.
4. The 8 member expert group was headed
by VC of WOU,
Dato Prof. Emeritus G. Dhanarajan.
5. In 2005, WEF was issued a letter of
invitation by Ministry of Higher Education
to establish an open U college.
6. Pioneer staff began operations in Menara
BHL, Pg.
7. Gound breaking in Jan 2006 at
Homestead,Pg.
8. WEF set up a Board of Directors, the
authority-in-charge of charting the direction
and monitoring the WOU, appointment of
VC,chairman and members of the Council.
9. The board endorses the appointment of
VC nominated by the Council.
The Council consists of :
1. Public sector: YB Dato Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik-MEWC,Msia and
President of PGRM.
2. Academic community: DatoProf. Emeritus Gajaraj Dhanarajan-
VC,CEO(designate) of WEF, Former President and CEO of The
Commonwealth of Learning and former CEO.
3. Dato Dr. Sharom Ahmat CEO WEF, former Deputy VC of USM
and Permanent Academic Advisor of University of Brunei
Darulsalam.
3.1 Dato Prof. Emeritus Sham Sani former VC of UKM.
4. Dr. Wong Poh Kam Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre and
Associate Prof. at the Business School of the NUS.
5. Civic and Community Organsations
Datuk Dr. M. Jegathesan Deputy President of the Olympic Council
of Malaysia and Adjunct Prof. at UM and UPM.
6. Commercial and industrial sectors
Dato Chet Singh- Director of IOI Industries Bhd and
former GM of thePDC
7. Dato Dr. Freezailah bin Che Yom former Ex.
Director of the International Tropical Timber
Organisation and Chairman of the MTCC.
8. Dato Dr. Tan Tat Wai- Group MD of Southern Steel
BHD and VP of the Harvard Club of Malaysia.
9. Dr. R. Thillainathan Ex. Director and CEO of ASLI
The other authorities in the U are the Senate,
Management Board, Schools, Institutes and
Academics.
The Senate is the academic body of the U-
responsible for:-
a. Planning
b. developing
c. reviewing
d. regulating programmes
e. regulates exams
WOU also has an International Advisory Board. Its
founding members are:-
1. Prof. Dr. Abdul W. Khan Asst. Director General of
UNESCO
2. Ms. Shona Butterfield Member of the Tertiary
Education Commission of NZ.
3. Dr. Paul Cappon President and CEO of the Canadian
Council of learning
4. Prof. Brenda Gourley VC of the Open U of UK
5. Dr. David Woodhouse Ex. Director of the Australian
Universities Quality Agency.
6. Mr. John Yip former Director General of Education in
Singapore
Activity 2.1
Now to check if you have understood what we have discussed so
far, can you outline the role of WEF.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
You have just read about the pioneering people involved in the
WOU project. Amongst them is a Prof. Emeritus. What do you
understand by the term Prof. Emeritus and what does the title
confer upon the person ?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Draw a chart of the organisational structure of WOU. Your
chart should include all the authorities that make up the U.
To help you to start, the highest authority has been drawn
for you.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Note: You do not have to memorise this chart.
Wawasan Education
Foundation
(Board of Directors
The objective of setting up WOU
provides a second chance to pursue a post
secondary and tertiary education qualification without
leaving your job.
help you to succeed by being competitive in the job
market.
become a productive member of the community
preparing you for lifelong learning.
providing at reasonable cost a tertiary education for
working adults.
Printed Course Materials
a. Designed course materials for all units- 5 units and
within each unit, several sections.
There are 2 types of course materials:-
i) Course materials
ii) course guides
Course materials are based on the syllabus approved
by LAN (Lembaga Akreditasi Negara)
Academic services provided by
WOU
a comprehensive package of
learning support
the main source of info is still the
printed material
b. Course Guide
to assist students in understanding the textbook.
provides additional explanation,exercises and self-
assessment questions
WOU course materials are quite informal in style,
interactive and students are involved via
exercises,questions and self tests.
Other form of course materials tapes and videos
Activity 2.2
Do you still remember the learning materials that you
used in school?
How different are they from the materials in WOU ?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
self-learning materials
computer laboratories
learning resources at RO
digital library
face to face tutorials
telephone counselling services
Internet-based support
4 ROs throughout Malaysia
located strategically in offices or buildings
provide administrative and academic support
do registration
pay fees
get advice and guidance- choice of course
get info financial assistance
collect face-to-face tutorial timetable
get reference materials-internet, printed/video/
audio materials.
may conduct tests, exams and online continuous
assessments.
a good venue to organise discussions/get
together with course mates and also 1st point
of contact with WOU.
tutor is main contact with WOU
tutor facilitate your learning process.
make learning process smoother and less
lonely.
give you advice and guidance on study
problems
help you build-up your study skills.
help you increase your self-confidence.
________Total
The total scores are explained below. The maximum score you can get is 75.
Obviously, the higher the number, the higher your potential to benefit from
your WOU experience.
55-57 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 you to 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 be focused and to stay on task.
30-34 Well, if your score falls within this range, studying through distance
education will be a challenge. You are more inclined to the traditional
learning environment. You will miss the classroom interaction context a
great deal. However, you can still make it by being aware of the ODL system
and quickly et yourself into this new mode of learning.
29 and I hope your score does not fall within this range. Distance education is
below probably not a good idea for you! Dont give up!! I would like encourage you
to take the challenge and make sincere and real hard efforts to succeed.
In this section , you learnt about the
characteristics of traditional and distance
learning. By understanding the differences
between traditional and distance learning, you
will be more aware of the attitudinal and
mental changes that you need make in order
to become a successful open distance learner.
Objectives
By the end of this section, you should
be able to:
1.Understand constructivism and oDL.
2.Identify the four learning modes of
ODL.
3.Apply the four learning modes in
your studies.
You are an independent learner now.
WOU is a dedicated distance education institution.
WOU successfully design and implement ways to make
your learning easier and smoother.
You need to know about constructivist learning philosophy
and how it relates to you as ODLer.
Constructivist philosophy is based on the concept of
human beings being seekers and builders of knowledge.
ODL offers the widest chance to practise the ideas behind
Constructivism-widely accepted learning philosophy in ODLing.
By reflecting on our experiences we build our own understanding of the
world we live in.
We generate our own metaphors, rules and mental models
Learning is thus making adjustments to our mental models to include all
these new experiences.
Learning is an active process which cannot be imposed on a person.
Learning is active mental work, not passive reception of teaching.
Use of technologies in ODL provide an ideal environment for infusing
the constructivism principles.
Use of computer mediated communication and computer-supported work,
offer the field of ODL alternative ways of learning.
Constructivism encourages active, collaborative, and responsible learners.
WOU LMS WawasanLearn is an example of constructivists practices
The search engines like Google, Yahoo!, where you search and construct your
your own personal view about a concept or a specific topic of study.
It is a student-centred approach where students take charge of their learning
experiences.
Teachers are knowledge experts.
Students are challenged to produce reality based products such as oral
presentations or projects papers.
Students have opportunity to discuss and question each others understanding
and explain their own perspectives.
It encourages collaboration between teachers and students where learning and
instruction are shared.
Constructivist checklist
This checklist serves as a simple measure of some of the ways in which
the constructivist characteristics are present in your assignments, projects,
activities and ultimately in your learning environment. The observation
should provide insights into the ways in which constructivist philosophy
translate into practice in oDL settings. The checklist should only be applied
to assignments, projects, activities which are presented to you online. It
may not always be possible to observe all of the characteristics. Certain
projects may emphasise fewer characteristics depending on the content
and the group of students. So, do not worry if not all the characteristics are
present in the assignments, projects, activities.
Refer to page 31
There are 4 major modes:
1. Self-learning
2. F2F learning
3. Group learning
4. Online learning
1. Spending time reading course materials on your own.
2. Make decisions on when, what, how and where to study.
3. Wrong decision = problems and not accomplishing anything at
the end of semester.
4. Course materials = print-based, video and audio materials,CD-
ROM and streaming video systems.
5. Also other materials from RO or public library and WOU DL.
6. Additional reading materials = textbooks, journal articles and
specimen examination questions.
7. There is a summary to every of the 5 units.
1. Look through all the course materials which you have
received. Make a list of all of them. Write down briefly
what each course material is about.
Tutorials No. 1 2 3 4 5
2. You would like to ask your tutor about the exam format for the course
Learning Skills for University Studies. How can the LMS help you to
do it?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
via Internet and WawasanLearn
Digital Library
If you do not have computer, visit cybercafe
Share info you find related to courses and you will be loaded with info.
sharing of info is an important aspect of learning.
This is so because you are busy.
It is easy to share via WawasanLearn
Common method = use email by LMS
If materials lengthy attach.
inform coursemates via online forums.
Form informal study groups
Take telephone nos. of those interested to form group.
Exchange telephone nos. and email
Many advantages ;- 1. motivate to study better
2. brainstorm new ideas or materials
3. emotional and academic support
4. share problems
5. discuss assignments or tutorial tasks
6. wont be lonely
1. As an ODL student you need to change your modes of learning
2. 4 modes of learning are:-
i. self-managed
ii. F2F learning
iii. Online learning
iv. Group learning
3. Constructivist learning philosophy
Unit 2 is very important
explains everything you need to know about WOU
background and organisational structure-academic
structure
types of assessments
people who provide the necessary support
Difference between traditional and DL systems
Different modes of learning
The open distance learning system is different from
traditional learning. Describe the change in the
learning modes you have to adopt as an open and
distance learner.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Tutor- marked assignment 1
Question 1 (40%)
Write an essay on the hopes that you had for further education when you were
much younger. In your essay, include three challenges you faced in keeping
those hopes alive as well as three steps you took towards making those hopes
a reality when you joined WOU. Your answer must have an introduction and a
conclusion.
Instructions:
1. TMA 1 has two questions. Question 1 is based on Unit 1 WOUs
website and basic search while question 2 is based on Unit 2 Learning
modes at WOU.
8. The cover page and answers for both questions 1 and 2 must be done on
one Microsoft Word document.
9. Finally zip the folder that contains your TMA file before submitting it
to the Online Assignment Submission (OAS).
Question 1 (40%)
Your course mate, Sharon, was not able to attend tutorials 1 and 2. She
would like to participate in WawasanLearn to post her questions about
the course but is not sure of the roles of each online forum. She has
asked you for advice. Discuss the roles of the five (5) forums. Provide an
example of a post that can be uploaded on each forum by a student
1. INTRODUCTION
2. Roles of the five forums and an example
each of the post + ELABORATIONS
3. CONCLUSION
Question 2 (60%)
Discuss five (5) characteristics of open distance learning. As an appendix
to your assignment, attach a page that shows screenshots of two questions
related to either question 1 or 2 of TMA1 that you have posted in your class
tutorial forum.
For more information on how to do proper referencing, please refer to the WOU
university citation guide that has a detailed write up on how to do citations and
referencing.
Refer to:
http://woulibrary.wou.edu.my/help/citeguides_wou.asp
1. INTRODUCTION: - Introduction to characteristics of open distance learning.
4. CONCLUSION
6. 2 references [At the end of the article] (Chicago style):Each reference entry
should be related to the in-text citation
Your TMA 1 deadline is
Saturday, 21st October
2017 by 2400 hours