LOGO Understanding Distance Education Learners By : Nurulhana Hussain (PGC ) Izawany Ibrahim (PGC )
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COMPANY LOGO 1 Learners’ Profile 2 What Information should we gather about DE Learners? 3 Highlights of focused readings 4 Why is it important to understand DE learners? Characteristics of DE Learners Engaging DE Learners Roles and Responsibilities of DE Learners
COMPANY LOGO Learners’ Profile V isual A ural/auditory R ead/write K inesthetic VARK Zamiah Chun Fazue Wan Lim Normie Mozayeb Pat What can we tell by looking at the table below?
COMPANY LOGO Learners’ Profile What do we do when we have multimodal learners? What do we do with the learners’ profile?
COMPANY LOGO Characteristics of DE Learners What are common characteristics of distance learners? Let’s brainstorm
COMPANY LOGO Common characteristics of Distance Learners Have job responsibilities Have less time to study Adult learners with families Married and single Both young and old Pay their own fees Highly motivated Both males and females May be technology phobic
COMPANY LOGO Design a learner centric programme Why is it important to understand DE learners ? Develop suitable learning materials Design and arrange for support services Learning styles Level of knowledge Language ability Ability to use technology
COMPANY LOGO What Information should we gather about DE Learners? (Dighe, 2002) Resource factors Subject background Learning factors Motivation factors Demographic factors Five categories of information
COMPANY LOGO Highlights on focused reading i. Self – transitional of Distance Learning Self – transitional of Distance Learning ii. Meeting the Needs of Distance LearnersMeeting the Needs of Distance Learners a) Why are the studies significant ? b) Discuss the findings of both studies focusing on the learners' characteristics.
COMPANY LOGO Engaging DE Learners The prospective learners are:So, the course must: Poor in understanding English Language. Majority are female with a small number of male learners. Busy with work and have little time for study. Returning to study after a gap of 5 – 10 years Technophobia may be an issue since learners are mainly senior citizens. Having considerable experience in the field / subject
COMPANY LOGO Engaging DE Learners The prospective learners are:So, the course must: Poor in understanding English Language. Level of English Language used should be at the level of readability index Majority are female with a small number of male learners. Use non- sexist language for communication Provide examples that address both sexes Busy with work and have little time for study. Use the ‘must do’ knowledge and skill components in the learning units Cover little of ‘should do’ and nothing of ‘nice to do’ Returning to study after a gap of 5 – 10 years Provide sufficient guidance in the study materials to develop confidence Technophobia may be an issue since learners are mainly senior citizens. Provide trainings on learning skills Take focus off technology but focus on learning Having considerable experience in the field / subject Use a lot of activities/ examples to appeal their experiences
COMPANY LOGO New context and conditions Awareness and adjustment On task time Roles and Responsibilities of DE Learners Adapted from Simonson (1999) and White (2004) Equipment Requirements Learning spaces and technology Attendance and participation
COMPANY LOGO Wrapping Up Graphic acknowledgement: International Rice Research Institute
COMPANY LOGO References Links H Atan, I. J., S K Guan, N A Azli, Z Z Rahman, R M Idrus,. (2003). Self-Transitional Characteristic Of Distance Education Learnes: A Case Study Of Three Malaysian Univerties. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education- TOJDE, 4(4). Sampson, N. (2003). Meeting the needs of distance learners. Language Learning & Technology, 7(3), Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek S. Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (forth ed.): WikiEducator. (21 December 2007). Understanding Distance Learners. Retrieved 25 January 2009, from
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