4 research outputs found
Teacher Survival in a Web-based Constructivist Learning Environment: A Malaysian Experience
Educators are well aware of teacher support as a form of scaffold that helps learners
reach their “zone of proximal development” (Vygotsky, 1978). An online case study conducted
over 4 weeks in an elementary school in Malaysia showed that teacher support came in six multiple
forms. However, the nature of an online constructivist learning environment presents a difficult
task for the lone teacher in supporting all students reach their desired learning level. This paper will
discuss the need for intelligent agent technology to support the teacher reach his/her ‘zone of
proximal support’
Effectiveness of online discussion forum at Open University Malaysia (OUM)
Open and Distance Learning (OOL) is a concept that has received high praise, both
within and outside academia. It has been praised for the flexibility it can offer learners in
enabling them to fit their academic pursuits around their work and family obligations.
ODL offers students considerable benefits, including increased access to learning.
lifelong learning opportunities and convenience of time and place (St. Pierre, 1998). The
contract between tutor and learner, whether in an actual classroom or virtual, requires that the learner be taught, assessed. given guidance and prepared for examinations. This must be accomplished by two-way communication. Learning may be undertaken eitherindividually or in groups; in either case, it is accomplished in the physical absence of the teacher during an online forum in ODL. Opcn and Distance teaching materials are provided to learners in the fonn of modules and e-material where they are structured in ways that facilitate learning at a distance
Repurposeable Learning Objects Based on Teaching and Learning Styles
Multimedia learning objects are an essential
component of high quality, technology-mediated
instruction. Learning objects allow the student to use
the content learned in a particular part of a course and;
1. demonstrate mastery of the content, 2. apply that
knowledge to solving a problem, and 3. use the
content in a critical thinking exercise that both
demonstrates mastery and allows the student to place
the content within the context of the larger topic of the
course. The difficulty associated with the use of
learning objects on a broad scale is that they require
programming skills most professors and instructors do
not possess. Learning objects also tend to be custom
productions and are defined in terms of the
programming and code terminology, further limiting
the professor’s ability to understand how they are
created. Learning objects defined in terms of styles of
learning and teaching allow professors and instructors
to develop a deeper understanding of the learning
objects and the design process.
A set of learning objects has been created that are
designed for some of the important styles of learning
and teaching. They include; visual learning, writing
skills, critical thinking, time-revealed scenarios, case
studies and empirical observation. The learning
objects are designed and described in terms that the
average instructor can readily understand , redesign
and incorporate into their own courses. They are also
designed in such a way that they can readily be
repurposed for new applications in other courses and
subject areas, with little or no additional
programming. (Authors' abstract
Learning skills for distance learners : providing 21st century learning support
One of the main goal of open and distance education (ODE) programmes is to ensure that knowledge and skills gained possitively affect performance or bahaviour. Apart from that, ODE programmes should also ensure learners extend their existing learning skills