1. UNIT 2- LEARNING MODES AT WOU

5. Introduction You will be introduced to the background and set-up of WOU. Pay attention to the academic services and support you get as a student at WOU.

7. 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.

9. 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

12. 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 ? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

13. 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. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Wawasan Education Foundation (Board of Directors Figure 2.1 WOU organisational structure Note: You do not have to memorise this chart.

18. Activity 2.2 Do you still remember the learning materials that you used in school? How different are they from the materials in WOU ? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

25. Activity 2.3 1. Take out your calendar and your Student Handbook. Mark on your calendar the first day of your first semester. Mark also the last day of this semester. Indicate when the mid semester break is. If you do not have the calendar for the following year, just mark for this year. You can continue marking when you get your calendar next year.

26. 2. Refer to the Student Handbook. Mark all the dates for the tutorial sessions. Check to see if these dates clash with any of your important activities. All the tutorials will be held on weekends only. The tutorials should be given priority over other activities. This is because you only have a limited number of tutorials.

27. 3. For each course that you are taking this semester, check the weightage or percentage contributed by the continuous assessment by the continuous assessment and the final examination to the overall grade. Is it the same for each course?

28. Summary Now, you should have a better understanding of WOU in relation to your role and responsibilities as a student here. Its background, objectives, as well as the academic organisation and structure were Explained in this section and we also looked at the support services that you will receive as a student here.

36. Activity 2.4 In your opinion, do you think the traditional school system still discriminates against those from the lower social economic status ? Give reasons to support your view. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

43. Activity 2.5 Based on what we have discussed so far, can you fill in the table below with at least 6 differnces 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 the time set by the institution/lecture. Studies the course materials at a time of his/her choice.

46. Activity 2.6 The following is part of a speech of a speech by the Minister of Human Resources at a function organised by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF). Several problems pertaining to graduates especially local graduates are highlighted in the speech. As an ODLer and an employee, what do you think your edge will be over the other local graduates? Write down your responses in the space provided. “ The private sector requirements on skills competency as highlighted earlier on is further supported by Bank Negara Malaysia survey on Employability of Graduates conducted in July 2002 which disclosed that a major problem is the mismatch of skills as most of the respondents considered that a significant proportions of graduates did not meet the skill needs of industries and the problem was more acute for local graduates. Thus, the private sector gave more preference to employ foreign graduates rather than local graduates. As Malaysia needs to enhance its competitiveness in globalised market, employees are required to acquire knowledge and skills needed for their present jobs and to develop different skills in order to multitasking duties. MEF proposed that the curriculum of courses taught by educational institutions either in private or public sector should prepare the local graduates to acquire knowledge and skills required by the private sector thus making them more employable.” _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

48. _______ 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 at 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 a plan for getting it .

49. ________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 can improve. ________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 reflect my own personal style of learning. ________Total

50. 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 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 below I hope your score does not fall within this range. Distance education is probably not a good idea for you! Don’t give up!! I would like encourage you to take the challenge and make sincere and real hard efforts to succeed.

51. SUMMARY 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.

56. Activity 2.8 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

60. 2. Did you receive any other form of course materials other than the printed one? What are the non printed course materials you received? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

62. 8. All students are encouraged to attend tutorials. 9. The tutorial sessions are for you to:- a. Interact with the tutor. b. Hand in your assignments. c. Sit for short tests or lab classes. d. Interact with other students of the course. 10. Participate actively in tutorial class. 11. Share your knowledge and understanding with others. 12. Major activities at tutorial = completion of TMAs.(3) 13. TMAs can be essay, short test, short project, research proposals or presentations. 14. TMA 1 is normally due on the 2 nd tutorial

63. 15. Tutor will return TMA 1 on 3 rd tutorial with grade and comments. 16. Work of tutors:- i. facilitate your learning process ii. Highlight the most important points via explanation examples and personal experiences. iii. Provide alternative interpretations iv. Help solve individual problems. 17. In a nutshell tutors provide a personalised learning experience. 18. TMAs = effective personalised learning tools.

64. 19. Via TMAs tutors can:- a. Comment on your understanding of the course content. b. Point out weaknesses, highlight areas or topics you should pay more attention or need further clarification. c. Refer you back to specific sections of the study units and/or make any further suggestions. Above is summary of the schedule for tutorials. Tutorials No. 1 2 3 4 5 Meeting by week number at the latest: 1st 5th 9th 13th 17 th Submission of student TMAs at the latest: TMA1 TMA2 TMA3 Return of marked TMAs by tutor TMA1 TMA2 TMA3

65. Activity 2.10 Refer to your Student Handbook. Write down all the dates for your tutorials sessions in the table below. Tutorial time table Note: Exact dates of tutorial may vary. Please check with ROs. No Tutorial Sessions schedule Dates 1. Tutorial 1 1 st Week 2. Tutorial 2 2 nd Week 3. Tutorial 3 3 rd Week 4. Tutorial 4 4 th Week 5. Tutorial 5 5 th Week

80. Self-test 2.1 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. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

81. QUESTION 1 Open distance learning is a relatively new concept in Malaysia. However this education system is a gaining more popularity as its unique characteristics are appealing and suitable for many people. What are the distinct features of the ODL system? Discuss six (6) of these features to illustrate why more people are turning to the ODL system to pursue their education. (30 marks)

82. QUESTION 2 You have studied about the major modes of learning under the ODL system. Based on your experience as an open distance learner, choose one(1) mode of learning which you have found to be important. Provide five (5) reasons why this mode of learning is important and effective. Support your answer with personal and relevant examples. (40 marks)

83. QUESTION 3 One of your coursemates, Jeffri, thinks that assessments and examinations are a waste of time. However, you believe that examinations are essential especially in a formal education system. Justify your stand by explaining the importance of assessments to Jeffri. (30 marks)

84. BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR TMA 2 HAVE A PLEASANT WEEKEND TAKE CARE