First section of this unit explain objectives behind the

setting up of WOU, the academic services and the academic

structure at WOU.
In second section, recall how you learn under traditional
schooling system & review some of its strength &
weaknesses.
Make a comparison between ODL & traditional system
The mental attitude you must have to succeed at WOU.
The last section explains the modes of learning in ODL.

 One major characteristic of WOU students

working adults.
Pursue tertiary education on a part-time
basis.
It is important you equip yourself with the
skills to be successful in studies.
This course is to provide the skills.

OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this unit, you should be able
To:1. Explain the objectives of setting up WOU, its
academic services and structure.
2. Compare and contrast the characteristics of open
distance learners and traditional learners.
3. Describe the benefits of open distance learning.
4. Make comparison between distance and traditional
learning.
5. Explain the mental attitudes which an ODL student
should have.
6. Apply the various modes of learning for open
distance learners.

Objective:
By the end of this section, you should be
able to:
1. Explain the objectives of setting up of
WOU, its academic services and
structure.

Why was WOU set up ?

How different is WOU ?
How is it relevant to working adults?
Why didnt you decide to further your studies as
soon as you left school ?

 Many forgo higher education due to :1.Lack of money

2. lack of motivation
3. family commitments
4.Limited access to institution of higher learning
at that time.
Statistics only 29% possess tertiary education.
Malaysian workers with SPM extremely difficult
to find work.
Now employers look for workers with tertiary
education.
With ODL full-time working people ( you also)
have an additional avenue.
WOU provides you the second chance to pursue
your goal of tertiary education without leaving
your job.

WOU was set up with the objective of providing at

reasonable cost, tertiary education for working
adults like you.
More importantly you can now study while
working.

Most of the course materials are print-based.

Printed Course Materials
WOU has made great efforts to produce printed
course materials to suit your needs.
1.Course materials all the units specially designed.
All the info is contained in the set of materials.
2. Normally 5 units.
3. These materials are slowly phasing out as WOU
prepares own materials.
4. WOU materials are simple and direct writing style;
most sentences shortand communicate only one
concept; use conversational tone; the word you is
frequently used to address student.

 WOU course are quite informal in this style.

The materials are very interactive.
You will be given opportunities to be involved in
the learning process via activities, exercises,
questions andself-tests that appear regularly in
the text.
Additional resources are added to
wawasanLearn.
Links to relevant audios, video and websites are
provided.

Do you still remember the learning materials that

you used in school ?
How different are they from the materials in WOU ?
1. Most of them were textbooks.
2. Very little exercises or activities in them,
contained a lot of facts.

 WOU has taken efforts to help students

you have to find ways of locating resources on your own
this may make you feel helpless at times.
WOU has taken concerted effort to efforts to provide you
with a variety of quality support services to help you in your
studies.
Besides high quality materials, there are computer labs &
access to learning resources at RC and DL.
Most importantly there are F2F tutorials, telephone
counselling services as well as Internet-based support by
trained tutors & CCs.

 Some teaching-learning acts have to occur via F2F contacts

at RCs.
Are strategically located in offices or buildings to provide
administrative & academic support you.
Are usually located in big cities or towns that are close to
your residence convenience.
Refer to Student handbook for address to these RCs.
3 of them in Bandar Utama, Klang & Subang in Selangor.
At the RCs you can:
do you registration
pay your fees
get advice & guidance for course
get info about financial assistance
collect the F2F tutorial timetable.

Some exams may be conducted at RCs.

RCs are your first point of contact with

your University.
To find out where your exam venue will
be, check your student portal.

 For every course you take WOU assigns a tutor to help you.
The tutor is your main contact with the University.
For each course there will be 10 hours of tutorial classes
where the tutor will facilitate your learning process.
The tutor will make the learning process smoother & less
lonely for you.
You may contact him by telephone, Internet or video
conferencing.
It is your tutor who will:
give you advice & guidance on problems related to your
studies.
help you build-up your study skills.
helps you increase your self-confidence.

 Courses offered by Wou are credit based.

Each course carries 5 credit units or points.
The total study hours for one credit will be about 40 hoursincluding studying course materials, tutorial attendance &
time spent on TMAs & carry out self-tests.
You would need to spend around 200 hours during the 21
weeks.
All the accumulated unitsto fulfil the requirements of your
degree programme.
WOU operates on 21-week semester.
2 semesters in an academic year, with a 5-week break in
between.

 You will therefore spend 42 weeks in a year for your study.

This leaves you about 10 weeks of free time or a break from
your study.
Is a 10-week break enough for you?
The academic term structure at WOU :Semester

Weeks

Study period

18

Revision

Examinations

Total

21

Semester break

5 weeks

 Most of the courses at WOU are flexible.

You may opt to register one or more
courses at the same or at different levels
in any given semester.
The RC Manager will be able to provide
you counselling support, advice &
guidance to assist you in developing your
own progression plan.

 Without assessment, you will not be able to know how much

you have learnt.
Sometimes a little tension created before an assessment is
good to make you take your study more seriously.
An assessment is undertaken for several reasons: it can push you to study harder.
it is a good motivation tool.
it is another learning occasion.
it provides feedback to both student & the institution.
it can be used to determine the achievement of intended
learning outcomes.
it can serve as a quality assurance mechanism.

 Your final grade for each course will depend on your

performance in 2 assessments components; the continuous
assessments & the final exam.
The continuous assessment = 2 TMAs ( short tests, quizzes,
projects, lab sessions or assignments).
You can hand in your TMAs to your tutor, who will undertake
the marking & grading.
The final exam is conducted at the end of every semester
and will usually be held at venues near major RCs.
In order to achieve an overall pass status on the course, you
have to pass the continuous assessments & final exams.

SUBJECT: EXAMINATION & ASSESSMENT POLICY FOR

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FOR ALL UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS ONLY.
(A)Assessment & grading system Criteria for passing a course
The grade for a course is assigned based on the overall score which
combines both the continuous assessment and the final examination
components.
In order to pass a course:
1. A minimum thereshold, as set by the University must be achieved in
both the continuous assessment component. In this regard, students are
advised to duly submit their TMAs and to sit for the final examination.
2. For MPW/MPU courses (Mata Pelajaran Wajib/Mata pelajaran Umum),
a student must achieve an overall score of a minimum of Grade C.
3.For non-MPW/MPU courses, a student must achieve an overall score of
a minimum of Grade D.
If a student has passed both components, the grade for the course will be
accorded based on the overall course score. However, if a student fails
either component, the highest grade that can be achieved is C.

(B) Eligibility for supplementary examination

A student who has attended the final examination for a course and
obtained grade F will be given the opportunity to re-sit during the
following supplementary examination, provided that the student has
achieved the minimum threshold (as set by the University) in the
continuous assessment component. This option can only be
EXERCISED ONCE at the next immediate offering of the same
course. No supplementary TMA will be offered. If the student does
not sit for the supplementary examination in the next immediate
offering, the eligibility will be forfeited.
The highest overall score grade that can be achieved in a
supplementary examination is Grade C (as this considered as
attempting the examination component for the 2nd time) irrespective
of students having passed both components eventually. However
students who were granted AR status (absent from examination
due to valid reasons accepted by the University) in the final
examination, and sat for the supplementary examination, would be
accorded the appropriate grade if they have passed both
components (as this is considered their 1st attempt in the
examination component.

1. Take 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 semester break is. If you do not have the calendar
for the following year, just mark for this year. You can
continue your marking when you get your calendar
next year.
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.

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

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.

Objectives
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
1.Describe the characteristics of traditional
learning.
2. Explain the characteristics of open and
distance learning.
3. Diiferentiate between traditional and distance
learning.
4. Identify the attitudinal changes essential for
successful distance learning.

 How did you learn when you were a student in

school ?
What is school ?
A school is a place where learning occurs.
has a physical presence = several building in a
compound.
You studied in a room called the classroom.
Physically, a classroom has tables and chairs and
or course a blackboard or a whiteboard.

 a teacher stands in front of a class teaching a group

of students.
He is the most important person in class.
He teaches by talking & explaining to you.
All activities happen because he organises it.

Apart from teacher, you will also meet your

classmates and other students at least 5 hours
every school day 200 days a year !
You have plenty of time to do school work &
homework & to meet your schoolmates to compare
notes and discuss things.
What we have described above is TL we all learn.
You will realise now TL is teacher centred you
depend on teacher to instruct you.
Teaching & learning process occurs at school.
We all have to be physically present to receive
instruction.

 The teaching act ( by teacher) & learning act ( by

students) happens simultaneously.
We learn as the teacher teaches & it happens in
real time.

The TL system has a few weaknesses: Expensive to build schools-a physical building brick &
mortar system, double sessions
Teacher dependent controls student learning, students
not proactive & do not question the teacher, teacher sets
the pace & what teacher says is largely true.
Teacher oriented- Teacher tells students when to do, what
to do and how to do it.
Fixed years of instruction Elitist education system favours those from better social
economic families,poor students do not go to school as only
few schools & far away.
For children only 7 years old start & only a small % to
tertiary education, they start work & no longer study .

At what age did you stop

schooling ? What were your
reasons for doing so? Are your
reasons the same as your
friends?

The traditional education system has served

most humans for centuries.
Why then did you decide to continue your
studies ?
Why do you want to take up formal education
again?
More importantly, why did you choose WOU and
the ODL system?

In your opinion, do you think the traditional system still

discriminates against those from the lower social economic
status?
Give reasons to support your view.
Students from the lower social economic status (SES) tend to lose out
in the following aspects:
1. Additional reference books they may not be able to buy so many
reference books compared to their friends from the higher SES.
2. Study time they may have less time tostudy as they may be
required to help out in the family, or to work after school to earn
extra money.
3. Location of the school students from lower SES have fewer choice
over the schools which they can attend due to transport. (They
usually have to cycle or walk and so can to nearby schools only
compared to their friends of higher SES)
4. Private coaching/tuition students of lower SES may not have so
many private coaching/ tuition due to financial problems.

 open = the learning system available to anyone,

irrespective of age, qualification or ethnic group.
distance = has a spatial & a time dimension.
The physical distance means you study away from
the academic institution.
Time = the teaching & learning activities are
separated.
Teaching activities = the preparation of the course
materials well in advance.
Learning activities = your studying activities at
home or elsewhere and completing your assignments

 In both the geographical and spatial sense then,

ODL is distanced.
Apart from WOU, other institutions offer open
distance education.
Some well-known ones are :
The Open University (UK)
The University of South Africa (South Africa)
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
(Thailand)
Arhabasca University ( Canada)
Indira Gandhi National Open University (India)
Open University Malaysia ( Malaysia)

 ODL = the system of learning accessible to all,

where the teaching & learning activities are
separated in time & space.
Learning need not necessarily take place in the
physical presence of a teacher & learning also
need not necessarily takes place at the same
time as teaching.
In distance learning the mode of communication
is replaced by technological innovations: self
instructional printed materials, electronic
communication, telephone, teleconference, audio,
video, broadcasting and on-line communication.
You also have the privilege of studying in the
comfort of your home.

 The WOU via ODL, provides an opportunity to all

those who are working & wish to further their
education.
Students learn at times & places different from
the institution & gives you flexibility & choice over
what, when, where, at what pace, & how you
learn.
You can tailor your own timetable to fit in your
lifestyle.
You decide the technology that best suits your
style of learning & circumstances.
ODL = an education system that puts students in
command.

 In distance learning, the human touch is still

maintained thru regular F2F tutorials with a
personal tutor.
There are 2 main types of separation in distance
education spatial & time dimensions.
Some distance education systems use
synchronous ( at the same time) mode of
instruction.
Synchronous instructions requires all students
and instructors to be present simultaneously or
together at the same time.
They may meet at the same place, or they can be
miles apart but connected via technology.

 Example, classroom learning, Internet chats,

teleconferencing and web conferencing.
Asynchronous instruction does not require the
simultaneous participation of all students &
instructors.
Email is asynchronous because the 2 parties
need not have to be in front of the computer
screen at the same time.
In term of ODL, it means students do not need to
be at the same time.
You can choose you own time frame and interact
with the learning materials, other students &
instructors according to their own schedules.

 Asynchronous instruction is definitely more

flexible than synchronous instruction.
This leads to self-paced learning & also selfmanaged learning.
It allows multiple learning levels & schedules.
Other examples of asynchronous delivery =
email, listserves, audiocassette courses,
videotaped courses, correspondence courses and
WWW-based courses.
Benefit of ODL = access to education that you
would not otherwise have, allows learners to
study when & where suits them, you are able to
continue studying while fulfilling work, family or
community commitments.

Unique nature of ODL charateristics:

separation of teacher & learner in time or place or
in both time & place.
self-managed learning learners have to be
independent & organise their own learning.
synchronous & asynchronous learning teaching &
learning take place simultaneously or at different
times.
unlimited access to course 24 hours a days, 7
days a week, 52 weeks a year.
just in time and on-demand learning digital learning is

delivering knowledge when & where the student needs it, and
as often as they need it. This concept of :anywhere-anytime
learning leads to greater retention and satisfaction, in addition
to a significant cost savings for employees.

 instituitonal accreditation that is, learning is

accredited or certified by some institution or
agency.
use of mixed-media courseware including print,
radio and television braodcasts, video and audio
cassettes, computer-based learning and
telecommunications.
two-way communication - allows learners &
tutors to interact as distinguished from the
passive receipt of broadcast signals.
Communication can be synchronous or
asynchronous.
face-to-face meetings for tutorials - learnerlearner interaction, library study & lab or practice
sessions

Based on what we have discussed so far, can you fill in the table
below with at least 6 differences 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

same time set by the
institution

Studies the course materials

at a time of his/her choice.

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.

Attends lectures oncampus

Studies wherever is
convenient.

Usually has to study full- Can study while

time
employed full-time.
Can only apply the
knowledge gained after
completing the degree

Can apply the

knowledge as it is
learned.

Starts the degree

programmes
immediately after
leaving school.

Often is matured,
experienced individual.

Motivation is to get a
degree than a job.

Motivation is to improve
his/her work
performance and
prospects for promotion.

Studies with his/her

peers

In relative isolation.

Traditional student

ODL student

Has immediate academic Has limited face-to-face

& administrative support support
from the university.
Depends on the quality
of the lectures delivered
by the lecturer.

Has well-developed
course materials
specifically designed for
the independent learner.

Learning is teacher
centred.

Learning is selfmanaged by the learner

Delivery of teaching
teachers talking most of
the time.

Delivery of teaching
relies a lot on
technologies, especially
computer technologies.

 ODL students go thru a very vigorous academic

process.
Being an ODL learner you need to : Organise and manage your own learning.
Take responsibility for your own learning by
making decisions as to what, when & how you will
learn.

Qualities
ofODL
ODL
QUALITIES OF
STUDENTS
students

Responsible

Motivated

Dedicated

Possess
multitasking
skills

Forward
thinkers

 Responsible - employees increasingly recognises

the value.
Dedicated - ODL learners are recognised as goaloriented individuals who see education as ongoing
process lifelong learners.
Possess multitasking skills- ODL learners are
recognised as individuals who perform effectively
in a multi-tasking environment cos majority are
full-time or part-time working adults who juggle
job, coursework & family responsibilities. They
understand the need to prioritise.

 Motivated - ODL learners are seen to be

motivated self-starters with the ability to
complete assignments on time & adapt to dynamic
environments. They strive on challenge.
Forward thinkers ODL learners are perceived to
be capable of stretching their thoughts & ideas
into new territories to be innovative & creative
people. They also seek to understand the
competencies & personality traits of their
colleagues or team members.
At the end, you will be a more organised,
systematic & independent person a change in
your attitude & mindset is necessary.
You must be prepared to face a lot of challenges
along the way.

 You are now n independent distance

learner &there are certain changes
that you need to make in order to be
successful.
You will need to decide when, how,
what & where to learn.
You need to organise & take
responsibility for your own learning.

The following are some things expected of you as

ODL : This system is student oriented & student
controlled. Good time management comes in
handy here.
You now have a tutor to guide you & advise you
in your learning but does not teach you- facilitate.
You need to exercise flexibility in your learning
approach you not only work independently but
collaborate & work in a team as & when the need
arises.
You need to be more resourceful to finding
solutions especially when faced with ambiguities.
You must be willing to initiate calls to your tutors
or course mates for assistance.

 As a distant learner, you need to become more

selective & focused in your learning in order to
master new information. For example, you should
be able to focus on what is signified ( the tutors
argument) or organise & structure content
presented to you.
So, if you want to be a successful open distance
learner, think about the commitment &
responsibility that lies ahead of you & take the
necessary efforts to make the transition.

Are you ready to become a distance learner ?

Two simple tests are provided here to judge your
readiness or become a distance learner.
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
_____ 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 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.
______ 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 have been set for
me into objectives that reflect my own personal style of learning.

_______ 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
below

I hope your score does not fall within this range. Distance
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:
1.Explain constructivism and ODL.
2. Identify the four learning modes of ODL.
3. Apply the four learning modes in your studies.

 So, how do you learn at WOU ?

WOU is a dedicated distance education institution.
It uses all the resources to successfully design and
implement ways & means to help you reduce your worries &
to make your learning process as a distance learner easier
& smoother.
Before that, you need to know about the constructivist
learning philosophy & how it relates to you as an OD learner.
This constructivist philosophy is based on the basic
concept of human beings being seekers & builders ( now
termed constructors) of knowledge.

ODL offers the widest opportunity to practise the

ideas behind constructivism.

 Constructivism is a philosophy of learning

founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our
experiences, we build our own understanding of
the world we live in.
We all generate our own metaphors, rules
and mental models that we use to make sense
of our individual experiences.
Learning thus becomes the process of making
adjustments to our mental models to include all
these new experiences.
According to this philosophy, learning is an
active process.

 Learning is active mental work, not passive

reception of teaching.
The use of a variety of technologies in the oDL
setting provide an ideal environment for infusing
and constructives principles.
The use of computer mediated communication &
computer-supported work, for e.g., offer the field
of ODL alternative ways of learning.
In addition, learner autonomy required in ODL is
also reflected in the constructivist views to
encourage active, collaborative, & responsible
learners.

 The WOU LMS WawasanLearn is an e.g. of

constructivist practices for learner involvement,
and so does the wider Internet & the search
engines like Google, Yahoo!, where you search &
construct your own personal view about a
concept or a specific topic of duty.
It is therefore, a student-centred approach that
places responsibility on students to take charge
of their learning experiences.
In this approach, teachers are the knowledge
experts who have a good understanding of the
subject matter- they prepare activities &
assignments that foster the acquisition or
creation of knowledge.

 Students are then challenged to produce reality

based products such as oral presentations or
project papers.
This allows students the opportunity to discuss
& question each others understanding & explain
their own perspectives in order to develop some
form of shared understanding.
The approach not only fosters active
participation of both teachers & students in the
learning process but encourages collaboration
between teachers & students & among other
students as well.
In other words, not only is learning shared but
responsibilty for instruction is also shared.

 The amount of guidance & help given by the

teacher will depend on the knowledge level &
experience the students bring to class.
As an OD learner, this is the approach that you
need to get used to.
You will no longer depend on your teachers or
expect them to spoon feed you all the time.
You will take responsibility for your own learning
or be a self-directed learner.

Constructivist checklist
This checklist serves as a simple measure of some of the
ways in which the constructivist charateristcs 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 translates into practice in ODL settings. The
checklist should only be applied to assignments, projects
and activities which are presented to you online. It may
not always be possible to observe all of the
characteristcs depending on the content and the group of
students. So, do not worry if all the characteristics are
present in the assignment, project or activity.

Instructions:
Select one assignment, project or activity that you need to do
online and check if the following charatceristics are present (Yes),
not present (No) or cannot be observed. (Cannot observe). Put a
tick (/)in the appropriate column.

Characteristics
Is it goal-oriented ?
Is it student-centred?
Doe sit have clear, specific objectives?
Does it have multiple perspectives?
Do your tutors act as facilitators for this
activity?
Does it encourages peer learning?
Does it have a learner control?
Does it contain authentic activities and
contexts?
Does it encourage knowledge
construction?
Does it encourage knowledge
collaboration?

Yes

No

Cannot observe

Characteristics
Previous knowledge constructions?
Doe sit include problem solving?
Does it allow exploration?
Are there alternative viewpoints?
Is there authentic assessment?
Is there primary sources of data?

Yes

No

Cannot observe

In this section, we will discuss 4 major modes of learning under

ODL.
They are self-learning, F2F learning, group learning & online
learning.
Distance learning?
No school?
No classroom?

(a)

(b)
Figure 2.3 Types of learning

(c)

 means that you will spend most of your time

reading course materials on your own.
Make decisions on when, what, how and where
to study
read all course materials provided and
understand them, go thru all the activities &
exercises & check with the answers given at the
end of each unit.
refer to other reading materials available at
either your RC or public library or DL.
read the summary at the end of every unit.

1. Look through all the course material which you have received. Make a full
list of all of them. Write down briefly what each course material is about.
No.

Title of Course Materials

What is it
about?

 In WOU, you do not have the opportunity to meet your tutor

as often & as frequent as in traditional institution.
In an ODL, tutorials have a very different function.
It is important that you understand thoroughly the role of
the tutor & the function of the tutorial. So that you can derive
maximum benefits from them.
In an ODL system, most of your learning is expected to
occur thru self- learning- you study independently, at your
own time & place.
Tutor is the one you will meet most frequently throughout
the 18 weeks of your course.
The tutor is not a lecturer engaged by WOU to play on a
part-time basis, a facilitative role in your learning.

 Tutors are the key interface between WOU & your understanding
of the course materials.
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.
Of course a tutor most important job is to conduct F2F tutorial
sessions.
But there are only 5 tutorials & each lasts 2 hours.
10 hours is not enough for the tutor to lecture the content of the
whole course to you.
So, what are the tutorials for then ????
All students are encouraged to attend all the tutorial sessions.
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.
When you are in tutorial class, it is important you participate
actively cos it is the most effective way to learn.
Another way is by sharing your knowledge & understanding with
other students it helps to check how accurate your understanding
is.
One of the major activities conducted during the tutorial session
is the completion of the TMAs.
All the courses have 2 TMAs- can be essay, short test, short
project, research proposals, or presentations during tutorials.
The first TMA is normally after the second tutorial.
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.
They highlight the most important points or arguments in the study
units, exemplify & give further explanation, provide more examples,
or relate the points to your personal experiences.
They will provide alternative imterpretations to what has been
given in the study units.
They will help you to solve your individual problems.
In a nutshell, you can say that they are the most important component
of WOU to provide a personalised learning experience for you.
In fact, many of you probably ar enot aware that assignments such
as TMAs are themselves important & effective personalised learning
tools too.

Based on what you have written in your TMAs, the

tutors can :
Comments on your understanding of the course
content.
Point out your weaknesses, highlight areas or
topics you should pay more attention to or need
further clarification.
Refer you back to specific sessions of the study
units, and/or make any further suggestions.

Question 1 (40%) Write an essay on why you made a

decision to continue your studies at this point of your
life. In your essay, include three reasons for your choice
as well as three ways you think your life will change as
an open distance learner. Your answer must have an
introduction and a conclusion.
TMA Cover page
1. Introduction Info on decision to study
2. 3 reasons for choice & elaboration
3. 3 ways you think your life will change as an ODL &
elaboration.
4. Conclusion

Question 2 (60%) Discuss four (4) major modes of learning under ODL. Your
answer must have an introduction and a conclusion. Additional marks will be
given for essays that have extra points not found in the course content in Unit
2.
It is important for you to cite and quote appropriately. Remember to list your
sources on the References Page at the end of your essay. You must have at
least 2 in-text citations and references for Question 2. Use the Chicago Style
of referencing. Your tutor will explain this to you. For more information on
how to do proper referencing, please refer to the WOU university citation
guide which 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
2. 4 major modes of learning and sub points
3. Conclusion summary of essay.
4. 2 Citations
5. 2 References

Tutor- marked assignment 1 Instructions:

1. TMA 1 has TWO questions. Question 1 requires you to reflect on the topic
while Question 2 is taken from Unit 2 Learning modes at WOU.
2. The first question requires you to produce an essay of about 350 words.
The second question will require you to base your answer on Unit 2 in
about 600 words. Both answers must have double- line spacing, using
Times New Roman Font 12.
3. This is an individual assignment so ensure that you do not plagiarise other
peoples work. Any plagiarism may result in disciplinary action. Your tutor
will explain more about this to you.
4. You are to submit your answers online using the OAS system and it is your
responsibility to submit your TMA correctly and in a timely manner.

5. Your TMA 1 deadline is Saturday, 23rd April 2016 by

2400 hours.
6. TMA 1 will contribute 25% towards the total course
grade.
7. You DO NOT need to submit your Turnitin Originality
Report to OAS anymore. However, you are highly
encouraged to passage your TMAs to the Turnitin
system before submission, to encourage honest
academic writing but it is not mandatory except for
Project courses.
Bear in mind that when you submit your TMA in Turnitin
the second time the system will usually take at least 24
hours to send you the report.

8. The cover page and answers for both

Questions 1 and 2 must be done in ONE
Microsoft Word document.
9. Finally zip the folder that contains your
TMA file and name the file before
submitting it to the Online Assignment
Submission (OAS).

Question 1 (50%) Discuss FIVE (5) ways your

family and social life has changed after becoming
a WOU student. How have you been dealing with
these changes? Your answer must have an
introduction and a conclusion.

Question 2 (50%) Explain FIVE (5) strategies

that can help you reduce anxiety on the day
of the examination. Provide a relevant
example of how you plan to implement this
strategy in your own life on the day your
final exams begin. Your answer must have
an introduction and a conclusion.
Unit 4