Achieving pedagogical richness to meet the needs of ODL learners

Zoraini Wati Abas and Halimatolhanin Mohd Khalid
Open University Malaysia
Malaysia

Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions around the world have realized that effective pedagogies are critical in retaining students. In addition, as technology becomes increasingly available and affordable, more ODL institutions are leveraging on various technologies of learning to provide more efficient and effective pedagogies.

The Open University Malaysia (OUM), for example, adopts a blend of learning approaches to educate its growing number of learners spread across the country. The blend involves interactive print and electronic media to support self-learning, peer learning, and learning that is facilitated by the tutor. A successful blend is one that provides the right amount of opportunity for learners to construct their own learning. As OUM continues to experiment with new ways of using technology, it is important for the learning to be more efficient and effective particularly to cater to its exponential growth in student numbers.

How pedagogical richness through various technologies such as video streaming, online discussions, multimedia and print is achieved as a result of the blend is described in the paper. How this blend is achieved through the development of various learning modes, approaches and media or delivery used will be discussed. The model for the blend and pedagogical richness (in response to the need to cater to the different learning styles and requirements of over 40,000 learners who are dispersed geographically in over 40 locations, both urban and rural) will be provided. The greater challenge of ensuring the effectiveness of tutors who need to be able to adapt (from their preferred teaching style) to the requirements of the various pedagogical strategies at OUM will also be described.