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Effective Learning Interaction As A Prerequisite 
To Successful Open Distance Learning (Odl): 
A Case Study Of Learners In The Northern State Of Kedah And Perlis, Malaysia

Year 2013, Volume: 14 Issue: 1, 111 - 125, 01.03.2013

Abstract

The provision of ODL is now largely available in most part of the world, and is just a matter of choice for working adults to pursue. With the competing priorities of work, home, and school, adult learners everywhere desire a high degree of flexibility and accessibility. The structure of ODL provides learners with the greatest flexibility. It provides control over time, place and pace of education; however, learning at a distance is not without problems. Loss of student motivation due to lack of face-to-face (f2f) contact with tutors, peers and content; high startup costs, and lack of support are all barriers to the success of ODL. One important element of success factor for students attending ODL program is the level of interactivity within the student-tutor-content dyads. This paper looks at the issue of interactivity as reported in this research on students’ perspectives and experiences of ODL programs in the northern part of Malaysia. The study supported the widely held belief that a high level of interaction is desirable in ODL environment (Dzakiria, 2008, Dzakiria & Idrus, 2003; Rumble, 2000; Walker, 2002)) and positively affects the learning experiences. Recent technological advancements, allowing an increasing level of interaction between the interactivity dyads have implicated how teaching and learning should be in an ODL environment. This study believes to improve ODL experience, decrease dropout rates and maintain success stories for ODL, tutors and all-important stakeholders in ODL must improve the provision of interaction and interactivity. It is evident from the literature that there is a still research gap on interaction issues in ODL which must be pursued and address to improve the learners’ educational experience-for they are the primary clientele of ODL.

References

  • Bernard, R. M.; Abrami, P. C.; Borokhouski, E.; & Tamim, R. M. (2009). A Meta-analysis of
  • Three Interaction Treatments in Distance Education, Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243-1289.
  • Billings, D. M., Connors, H. R., & Skiba, D. J. (2001). Benchmarking best practices in Web- based nursing courses. Advances in Nursing Science, 23, 41-52.
  • Boyle, D. K., & Wambach, K. A. (2001). Interaction in graduate nursing Web-based instruction. Journal of Professional Nursing, 17, 128-134.
  • Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), 3-6.
  • Crawford, M. W. (1999). Students' perceptions of the interpersonal communication courses offered through open distance learning (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 1999). UMI Dissertation Services, (UMI No. 9929303).
  • Cyrs, T. E. & Smith, F. A. (1990). Tele-class Teaching: A Resource Guide (2nd Ed). Las
  • Cruces, NM: New Mexico State University. Dempsey, J. V. & Sales, G. C. (1994). Interactive Instruction and Feedback. Englewood
  • Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Dillon, C., Gibson, C., & Confessore, S. (1991). The economics of interaction in technology-based open distance learning. Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin.
  • Donald, J. (1997). Improving the learning support for Learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Publishers.
  • Dunlap, J. C., Sobel, D. M., and Sands, D. (2007). “Supporting Students’ Cognitive
  • Processing in Online Courses: Designing for Deep and Meaningful Student-to-Content Interactions.” TechTrends, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 20-31. Dzakiria, H., Don, S. & Andul Rahman, H.D. (2012), Blended Learning (BL) as an Effective
  • Pedagogical Alternative to Teach Business Communication Course: Case Study of UUM Executive Diploma Program, (Unpublished: Manuscript Submitted to TOJDE for publication consideration). Dzakiria, H. (2008). Students’ accounts of the Need for Continuous Support in a Distance
  • Learning Program, Open Learning, vol. 23(2), 103-111. Dzakiria, H. (2006). Learning at a Distance is Just Not a Plea for Knowledge…but
  • Continuous Support, Malaysia Journal of Distance Education, vol. 8(1), 83-106. Dzakiria, H. & Hassan, Z. (2005). Use of Information Communication Technology in
  • Teachers’ Professional Development Courses Via Distance: A Case Study of Teachers in Kedah, Educational Media in Asia, 147-164. Dzakiria, H. (2005). The Role of Learning Support in Open & Distance Learning: Learners’ experiences and perspectives, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, vol.6 (2) 1-14.
  • Dzakiria, H. & Idrus, R.M. (2003). Teacher-Learner Interactions in Distance Education: A
  • Case of Two Malaysian Universities, Turkey Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), Volume 4,(30). ISSN 1302-6488, http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde11/articles/idrus.htm
  • Dzakiria, H. (2004). “The Teacher is Always there, but isn’t…”Distance Learners’
  • Experiences & Perspectives On Distance Learning at Universiti Utara Malaysia. Unpublished thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. Flanders, N.A. (1970). Analyzing Teacher Behavior, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
  • Fulford, C. P. & Zhang, S. (1993). Perceptions of interaction: The critical predictor in open distance learning. Amer. J. Distance Education., 7(3), 8-21.
  • Garrison, D. R. & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating cognitive presence in online learning: Interaction is not enough. American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3),133-148.
  • Gibson, C. C. (1998). The Distance Learner in Context. In C.Gibson (Ed.), Distance
  • Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes, Atwood Publishing: Madison, Wisconsin. Keegan, D. (1986). Foundations of Distance Education. London: Croom Helm.
  • Kenny, A. (2002). Online learning: Enhancing nurse education? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 38, 127-135.
  • King, J. C., & Doerfert, D. L. (2000). Interaction in the Open Distance Learning Setting.
  • Retrieved January 5, 2004, from http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/ssu/aged/naerm/s-e-4.htm
  • Lochte, R.H. (1993). Interactive Television & Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
  • Educational Technology Publications. Meacham, D. & Evans, D. (1989). Distance Education: The Design of Study Materials.
  • Open Learning Institute, Charles Stuart University, Wagga. McCloughlin, C. & Marchall, L (2000). Scaffolding: A model for learner support in an online teaching environment. In A. Herrmann and M.M. Kulski (Eds), Flexible Futures in
  • Tertiary Teaching. Proceedings of the 9th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 2-4 February 2000, Perth: Curtain University of Technology.
  • Meyen, E., & Lian, C. H. T. (1997). Developing online instruction: One model. Focus on
  • Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12, 159-165. Monson, M.K. (1978). Bridging the Distance. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin- Extension.
  • Moore, M. G. (1989).Three types of interaction.The American Journal of Open distance learning, 3(2), 1-6.
  • Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Open distance learning: A systems view. Belmont:
  • Wadsworth Publishing Company. Muirhead, B. (2001a). Enhancing social interaction in computer-mediated open distance learning. USDLA Journal, 15(4). Retrieved January 25, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/APR01_Issue/article02.html
  • Muirhead, B. (2001b). Interactivity research studies. Educational Technology & Society, 4(3). Retrieved January 21, 2011, http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_3_2001/muirhead.html
  • Murphy,D., Walker, R., & Webb,G. (2001), Online learning and teaching with technology: case studies, experience and practice, Kogan Page Limited.
  • Ostendorf, V. A. (Sept/Oct 1991). Increasing interactivity in live satellite events. Teleconferencing News.
  • Rumble, G. (2000), Student support in distance education in the 21st century: Learning from service management, Distance Education, 21(2), pp.216-235.
  • Saw, K.G., Awang, M. N., Idrus, R. M., Atan, H., Azli, N.A., Jaafar, I, Rahman, Z. A. and Latiff, Z. A. (1999). Educational Transition of East Malaysian Distance Learners, Open Learning, pp.24-36.
  • Segall, G. R. (1998). Points of Viewing: Children’s thinking. A digital Ethnographers’
  • Journey. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, London. Schwier, R.A., & Misanchuk, E. (1993). Interactive Multimedia Instruction. Englewood
  • Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational
  • Telecommunications, 1, 337-365. Retrieved January 9, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~lsherry/pubs/issues.html
  • Simpson, O. (2002). Supporting Students in Online, Open and Distance Learning (2nd edition), London: Kogan Page.
  • Smith, P. L., & Dillon, C. L. (1999). Comparing distance learning and classroom learning:
  • Conceptual considerations. American Journal of Open distance learning, 13(2), 6-23. Stake, R. E. (1995). The Art of Case Study, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Soo, K., & Bonk, C. J. (1998, June 20-25). Interaction: What does it mean in online open distance learning? Paper presented at the ED-MEDIA/ED-TELECOM 98 World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia & World Conference on Educational
  • Telecommunications (10th), Freiburg, Germany. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 428724).
  • Tait, A. (2000). Planning Student Support for Open and Distance Teaching, Open Learning, 15(3), pp. 287-299.
  • Wagner, E. D. (1994). In support of a functional definition of interaction. The American
  • Journal of Open Distance Learning, 8(2), 6-29. Wagner, E. D. (1997). Interactivity: From agents to outcomes. In T. E. Cyrs (Ed.),
  • Teaching and learning at a distance: What it takes to effectively design, deliver, and evaluate programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Walker, R. (2002) Is there anyone there? The Embodiment of Knowledge in Virtual
  • Environments. Paper written for Charalambos Vraasidas and Gene Glass (eds.), Current Perspectives on Applied Technologies, Vol.1, Distance Learning.

A Case study of Learners in the Northern State of Kedah and

Year 2013, Volume: 14 Issue: 1, 111 - 125, 01.03.2013

Abstract

References

  • Bernard, R. M.; Abrami, P. C.; Borokhouski, E.; & Tamim, R. M. (2009). A Meta-analysis of
  • Three Interaction Treatments in Distance Education, Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243-1289.
  • Billings, D. M., Connors, H. R., & Skiba, D. J. (2001). Benchmarking best practices in Web- based nursing courses. Advances in Nursing Science, 23, 41-52.
  • Boyle, D. K., & Wambach, K. A. (2001). Interaction in graduate nursing Web-based instruction. Journal of Professional Nursing, 17, 128-134.
  • Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), 3-6.
  • Crawford, M. W. (1999). Students' perceptions of the interpersonal communication courses offered through open distance learning (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 1999). UMI Dissertation Services, (UMI No. 9929303).
  • Cyrs, T. E. & Smith, F. A. (1990). Tele-class Teaching: A Resource Guide (2nd Ed). Las
  • Cruces, NM: New Mexico State University. Dempsey, J. V. & Sales, G. C. (1994). Interactive Instruction and Feedback. Englewood
  • Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Dillon, C., Gibson, C., & Confessore, S. (1991). The economics of interaction in technology-based open distance learning. Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin.
  • Donald, J. (1997). Improving the learning support for Learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Publishers.
  • Dunlap, J. C., Sobel, D. M., and Sands, D. (2007). “Supporting Students’ Cognitive
  • Processing in Online Courses: Designing for Deep and Meaningful Student-to-Content Interactions.” TechTrends, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 20-31. Dzakiria, H., Don, S. & Andul Rahman, H.D. (2012), Blended Learning (BL) as an Effective
  • Pedagogical Alternative to Teach Business Communication Course: Case Study of UUM Executive Diploma Program, (Unpublished: Manuscript Submitted to TOJDE for publication consideration). Dzakiria, H. (2008). Students’ accounts of the Need for Continuous Support in a Distance
  • Learning Program, Open Learning, vol. 23(2), 103-111. Dzakiria, H. (2006). Learning at a Distance is Just Not a Plea for Knowledge…but
  • Continuous Support, Malaysia Journal of Distance Education, vol. 8(1), 83-106. Dzakiria, H. & Hassan, Z. (2005). Use of Information Communication Technology in
  • Teachers’ Professional Development Courses Via Distance: A Case Study of Teachers in Kedah, Educational Media in Asia, 147-164. Dzakiria, H. (2005). The Role of Learning Support in Open & Distance Learning: Learners’ experiences and perspectives, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, vol.6 (2) 1-14.
  • Dzakiria, H. & Idrus, R.M. (2003). Teacher-Learner Interactions in Distance Education: A
  • Case of Two Malaysian Universities, Turkey Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), Volume 4,(30). ISSN 1302-6488, http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde11/articles/idrus.htm
  • Dzakiria, H. (2004). “The Teacher is Always there, but isn’t…”Distance Learners’
  • Experiences & Perspectives On Distance Learning at Universiti Utara Malaysia. Unpublished thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. Flanders, N.A. (1970). Analyzing Teacher Behavior, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
  • Fulford, C. P. & Zhang, S. (1993). Perceptions of interaction: The critical predictor in open distance learning. Amer. J. Distance Education., 7(3), 8-21.
  • Garrison, D. R. & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating cognitive presence in online learning: Interaction is not enough. American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3),133-148.
  • Gibson, C. C. (1998). The Distance Learner in Context. In C.Gibson (Ed.), Distance
  • Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes, Atwood Publishing: Madison, Wisconsin. Keegan, D. (1986). Foundations of Distance Education. London: Croom Helm.
  • Kenny, A. (2002). Online learning: Enhancing nurse education? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 38, 127-135.
  • King, J. C., & Doerfert, D. L. (2000). Interaction in the Open Distance Learning Setting.
  • Retrieved January 5, 2004, from http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/ssu/aged/naerm/s-e-4.htm
  • Lochte, R.H. (1993). Interactive Television & Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
  • Educational Technology Publications. Meacham, D. & Evans, D. (1989). Distance Education: The Design of Study Materials.
  • Open Learning Institute, Charles Stuart University, Wagga. McCloughlin, C. & Marchall, L (2000). Scaffolding: A model for learner support in an online teaching environment. In A. Herrmann and M.M. Kulski (Eds), Flexible Futures in
  • Tertiary Teaching. Proceedings of the 9th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 2-4 February 2000, Perth: Curtain University of Technology.
  • Meyen, E., & Lian, C. H. T. (1997). Developing online instruction: One model. Focus on
  • Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12, 159-165. Monson, M.K. (1978). Bridging the Distance. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin- Extension.
  • Moore, M. G. (1989).Three types of interaction.The American Journal of Open distance learning, 3(2), 1-6.
  • Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Open distance learning: A systems view. Belmont:
  • Wadsworth Publishing Company. Muirhead, B. (2001a). Enhancing social interaction in computer-mediated open distance learning. USDLA Journal, 15(4). Retrieved January 25, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/APR01_Issue/article02.html
  • Muirhead, B. (2001b). Interactivity research studies. Educational Technology & Society, 4(3). Retrieved January 21, 2011, http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_3_2001/muirhead.html
  • Murphy,D., Walker, R., & Webb,G. (2001), Online learning and teaching with technology: case studies, experience and practice, Kogan Page Limited.
  • Ostendorf, V. A. (Sept/Oct 1991). Increasing interactivity in live satellite events. Teleconferencing News.
  • Rumble, G. (2000), Student support in distance education in the 21st century: Learning from service management, Distance Education, 21(2), pp.216-235.
  • Saw, K.G., Awang, M. N., Idrus, R. M., Atan, H., Azli, N.A., Jaafar, I, Rahman, Z. A. and Latiff, Z. A. (1999). Educational Transition of East Malaysian Distance Learners, Open Learning, pp.24-36.
  • Segall, G. R. (1998). Points of Viewing: Children’s thinking. A digital Ethnographers’
  • Journey. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, London. Schwier, R.A., & Misanchuk, E. (1993). Interactive Multimedia Instruction. Englewood
  • Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational
  • Telecommunications, 1, 337-365. Retrieved January 9, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~lsherry/pubs/issues.html
  • Simpson, O. (2002). Supporting Students in Online, Open and Distance Learning (2nd edition), London: Kogan Page.
  • Smith, P. L., & Dillon, C. L. (1999). Comparing distance learning and classroom learning:
  • Conceptual considerations. American Journal of Open distance learning, 13(2), 6-23. Stake, R. E. (1995). The Art of Case Study, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Soo, K., & Bonk, C. J. (1998, June 20-25). Interaction: What does it mean in online open distance learning? Paper presented at the ED-MEDIA/ED-TELECOM 98 World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia & World Conference on Educational
  • Telecommunications (10th), Freiburg, Germany. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 428724).
  • Tait, A. (2000). Planning Student Support for Open and Distance Teaching, Open Learning, 15(3), pp. 287-299.
  • Wagner, E. D. (1994). In support of a functional definition of interaction. The American
  • Journal of Open Distance Learning, 8(2), 6-29. Wagner, E. D. (1997). Interactivity: From agents to outcomes. In T. E. Cyrs (Ed.),
  • Teaching and learning at a distance: What it takes to effectively design, deliver, and evaluate programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Walker, R. (2002) Is there anyone there? The Embodiment of Knowledge in Virtual
  • Environments. Paper written for Charalambos Vraasidas and Gene Glass (eds.), Current Perspectives on Applied Technologies, Vol.1, Distance Learning.
There are 55 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Hisham Dzakırıa This is me

Azilah Kasım This is me

Abdul Halim Mohamed This is me

Anne Althea Chrıstopher This is me

Publication Date March 1, 2013
Submission Date February 27, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 14 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Dzakırıa, H., Kasım, A., Mohamed, A. H., Chrıstopher, A. A. (2013). Effective Learning Interaction As A Prerequisite 
To Successful Open Distance Learning (Odl): 
A Case Study Of Learners In The Northern State Of Kedah And Perlis, Malaysia. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 14(1), 111-125.