Learning Skills for Distance Learner

Learning Skills for Distance Learners: Providing 21st Century Learning Support

Sara Al-Oraini
Dep. Curricula & Teaching Methods
College of Education, King Saud University

Abstract
One of the main goals of open and distance education (ODE) programmes is to ensure that knowledge and skills gained positively affect performance or behavior. Apart from that, ODE programmes should also ensure learners extend their existing learning skills into new directions. However, it has always been a challenge for open and distance learners to cope with learning varying degrees of skills as they lack face-to-face interactions when compared to traditional learners. As such, learning skills are essential if students are to develop as independent, lifelong learners in the information age. The teaching and learning environment of open and distance education has been transformed by the independent learning opportunities that technologies have provided. However, the mass of information available as well as the growing educational demands has created new sets of problems for students in managing and using information effectively to build their own knowledge and future careers. Due to this, most distance education institutions have developed their own learning skills programs in order to prepare their students for open and distance education environment. In this paper, we will share findings on Open University Malaysia’s Learning Skills for Open and Distance Learners course (OUMH1103). A questionnaire of 25 Likert-type statements and three open-ended questions was designed and used to gather data from students. Questionnaires were distributed to students randomly through the web. 330 students completed the questionnaires and uploaded them to the web. It can be concluded that students are satisfied with the OUMH1103 course and there are no major differences in course attitudes. However, one compounding finding is related to application of search skills and also discernment of

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