10 research outputs found
Research Inclination Among OUM Academics : Research Needs Assessment Study
Among objectives of the research are to study OUM
academicsā needs in conducting research and to determine
differences in research inclination among the 3 Academic Cluster
LEARNING OUTCOMES IN ONLINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING: A STUDY OF LEARNERSā EXPERIENCE
ODL institutions have often been seen as possessing an innovative and technology-driven delivery
approach in teaching and learning practices. The key is in the online delivery of instruction for working
learners. Online delivery would require e-tutoring and the use of learning materials to faciltate instruction
across diverse groups of learners in a ubiquitous learning environment. This study focuses on Open
University Malaysiaās approach in leveraging online learning for its stakeholders via its academic
programmes. This study attempts to ascertain factors which affect the learning outcomes in ODL. The
study was conducted via web survey on 397 learners enrolled at Open University Malaysia from 2012 to
2015. The sample consisted of learners aged between 18 to 64 years. The measurement of learning
outcomes was determined via a 5-point Likert rating scale questionnaire. In addition, open-ended
responses were also elicited to confirm quantitative findings. Three key constructs emerged from factor
analysis, i.e. i. teaching and materials, ii. e-tutoring, and iii. learning experiences. These 3 factors were
then confirmed using Structural Equation Modeling techniques to determine model fit derived from
exploratory factor analysis. The results show a good fit of the hypothesised model with the structure of
the data. As ODL institutions enrol learners from various demographic groups, this study attempted to
look into whether demographic differences such as gender, age categories, experience in online learning,
learnersā CGPA results and time spent on online learning had a significant bearing on learning outcomes.
The findings show that female learners perceived teaching and materials, e-tutoring and learning
experiences better than male learners but these differences are statistically not significant. From the
perspectives of age groups, the study found that age maturity results in slight differences in teaching and
outcomes, i.e. the older the learners the more positive the outcomes. However, across the different age
groups, no statistical differences exist (p > .05). This study also found no significant differences (p > .05)
in the perception of outcomes between learners who had previous experience in online learning compared
to those who had not. Based on the learnersā CGPA scores, this study shows a general tendency for
learners who score high in CGPA to also perceive positively in the 3 constructs, viz. teaching and
materials, e-tutoring and learning experiences. However, no significant differences (p > ,05) existed
across the different CGPA groups. An interesting finding of this study is that the time learners spent in
logging-in to the online sessions - this had a significant effect on the outcomes (p < .05). The study
concluded that the more time expended in logging-in online, the better would be the outcomes on
teaching and use of the materials, e-tutoring and learning experiences. Based on the empirical evidence of
the study, this paper puts forth a proposition that ODL is an effective delivery system for working
learners - leading to good learning outcomes. ODL can guide learners towards the acquisition of desired
knowledge and skills needed to excel in academic pursuits among working learners.
Key Words: learning outcomes, online and distance learning, programme evaluation
(Abstract by author
Cybersafety in education for the 21st century: A comparative study of Malaysia and Thailand
Education for the 21st Century must recognise cybersafety issues faced by students in
schools. Cybersecurity threats are everywhere and students must be able to cope with
an environment where cyber threats and risks persist. What are these threats and risks
and how do students in Malaysia and Thailand handle them? This paper attempts to
compare and contrast cybersafety issues among school students in Malaysia and
Thailand. The sample for this survey comprised 1,896 students from Malaysia and
1,336 students from Thailand. The quantitative research approach was used to explore
and confirm relationship among variables. Four important factors influencing
cybersafety among students in Malaysia comprise i. availability of help through
significant others, parents and teachers (including counsellors), ii. accessing negative
sites, iii. tendency to hide things from parents, and iv. feeling of discomfort when
surfing negative sites. On the other hand, factors in Thailand include: i. ready
availability of help if bullied or proper avenues are available, ii. victim of
cyberbullying, iii. experiences of cyberbullying, and iv. experiences with accessing
negative websites. The findings showed high construct reliability and high construct
validity which was confirmed through Structural Equation Modeling. The study
showed that Malaysia and Thailandās cybersafety issues differed significantly (p < .05)
in 6 constructs, i.e. i. existence of problematic situations or negative experiences, ii.
peer pressure, iii. parent-children gap, iv. sexting, v. cyber-bullying, and vi. dealing
with negative experience or mediation strategies. The study recommended the
following: i. parents in both Malaysia and Thailand should play a pivotal role in their
childrenās well-being in cybersafety issues, ii. Malaysia and Thailand should develop
local-based strategies to suit local contexts in cybersafety issues, and iii. overcoming
new cyber risks in Malaysia and Thailand should follow best practices in other
countries which have successfully overcome them. (Abstract by authors
Fostering thinking skills supported by e-portals with case examples of blended mode Problem-Based Learning (PBL) participated by secondary school learners
The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in science learning has been identified as an important component in the transformation process of many educational systems to impart the technology skills that is an essential 21st century skills to serve the new learning paradigm among the Net Generation students. In the advent of digital era, World Wide Web has spawned a wealth of new network-based applications with an overarching vision that supports specific blended mode learning programmes incorporating interactive e-platforms and m-learning. Student-centred learning opportunities were widened with more interactive activities that could engage their interest for science learning in the ever expanding knowledge-based societies. This article analyses the roles of e-portals incorporating Open Educational Resources (OERs) that foster thinking skills of learners through āProblem-based Learningā (PBL) programmes. Cases are extracted from a bigger scale of longitudinal study that examined studentsā participation in the blended mode PBL anchored on social constructivist and socio-cultural framework. Blended learning activities were implemented leveraging on the effective use of OER to enhance learnersā investigative skills with transformation of values-based classroom practices beyond formal teaching. PBL scenario (six contextual problems) adapted from secondary science entitled āWater and Solutionā was presented to project teams from two case study schools. Problem case 4 using āwithin-case dynamic matrixā was further reported with exemplars elaborated. Students were administered with āFluid Intelligence Testā(FIT) encompassing evaluation of creative, critical/logical thinking and reasoning skills prior to PBL through scaffolded instruction (SI)(PBL-SI) with evaluation guided by POSITIVE rubric (accessible at http://forum.sp3aceman.net). Four aspects of POSITIVE rubric guide, āSkillsā enhancement (scientific/ICT), āInformationā, āTraining/transfer of Higher Order Thinkingā (HOT) and āEvaluation/exchange/enrichment/exposureā are illustrated with evidence of studentsā enhanced HOT. Innovative learning designs and on-line assessment with evidences of exemplary studentsā creative potentials involved in investigation using OER were identified which include interviews findings from two students who created web-portals using OER effectively. āMore/moderately successful studentsā were involved actively in mini science fair, congress/competitions and e-forum (http://forum.maays.net). Other pedagogical issues concerning of the importance of PBL and blended learning that promote thinking skills in line with research evidence as reported in TIMSS and PISA studies are also deliberated
Research Capacity Among OUMās Academics: Qualitative Perspectives
Objectives of study:
1. To study OUM academicsā needs in conducting research
2. To determine differences in research inclination among the 3 Academic Clusters
3. To ascertain factors which influence research inclination among OUM academics
4. To suggest way forward for improving OUMās research capacity among academic
Learning Outcomes in Distance Learning: A Study of Learnersā Experience
Online and distance learning (ODL) institutions have often been seen as possessing an innovative and technology-driven delivery approach in teaching and learning practicesāthe key to which lies in the online delivery of instruction for working learners. Online delivery requires e-tutoring and the use of teaching and learning materials to facilitate instruction across diverse groups of learners in a ubiquitous learning environment. This chapter focuses on Open University Malaysiaās (OUM) approach in leveraging online learning for its stakeholders. This study attempts to confirm the factors which affect the learning outcomes in ODL and was conducted via a web survey of 397 learners enrolled at OUM. Three key constructs emerged from factor analysis, viz. (i) teaching and learning materials; (ii) e-learning; and (iii) learning experiences. As ODL institutions enrol learners from various demographic groups, this study attempted to examine whether learnersā demographic differences, such as gender, age, experience in online learning, study results, and the time spent on online learning, had a significant bearing on learning outcomes. An interesting finding was that the time learners spent in logging-in to online sessions had a significant effect on the learning outcomes. Based on the empirical evidence in the study, this chapter concludes that ODL can guide working learners towards the acquisition of the desired knowledge and skills needed to excel in academic pursuits. (Abstract by authors