Reading and study skills and the distance learner

This article draws on the extensive research and literature available on reading and study skills in North America. The scope of the topic means little recognition is given to recent northern European research. Nevertheless the article gives a profile of the field, — fundamental to correspondence education — and describes the ‘state of the art’ and its relevance to distance education.     

The distance learner competencies: a three-phased empirical approach

This study identifies a set of competencies displayed in the successful distance learner. It employed a three-phased approach. Phase I, conducted to develop an initial list of competencies, comprised Behavioral Event Interviews with nine successful distance learners. In Phase II, these competencies were reviewed, elaborated and categorized by seven distance education experts by means of semi-structured interviews. A list of 15 competencies in 5 clusters was then developed and in Phase III, these competencies and clusters were verified quantitatively by surveying 197 successful distance learners. The results reveal that all of these 15 competencies are critically important to, and commonly displayed by, successful distance learners and that of these, management skills is the most important. The findings and their implications are examined and the paper concludes with suggestions for further research into learner competencies.     

Adult beginner distance language learner perceptions and use of assignment feedback

This qualitative study examines perceptions and use of assignment feedback among adult beginner modern foreign language learners on higher education distance learning courses. A survey of responses to feedback on assignments by 43 Open University students on beginner language courses in Spanish, French, and German indicated that respondents can be classified into three groups: those who use feedback strategically by integrating it into the learning process and comparing it with, for example, informal feedback from interaction with native speakers, those who take note of feedback, but seem not to use it strategically, and those who appear to take little account of either marks or feedback. The first group proved to be the most confident and most likely to maintain their motivation in the longer term. The conclusion discusses some of the pedagogical and policy implications of the findings.     

Learner agency in language learning: the story of a distance learner of EFL in China

Learner agency plays a key role in self-regulated learning. Yet, there is a paucity of research into its role in the distance learning context. Using reflective narratives written by a distance learner of English in China, this longitudinal case study aims to investigate the ways in which learner agency mediates the language learning in the distance mode. Findings from the study suggest that agency has a major impact on learners’ self-efficacy, identity, motivation, and metacognition—four constructs which are instrumental in determining language learning success, in particular in the distance learning context. Analysis of the data indicates that positive changes in these four constructs, in turn, lead to further agentic engagement, hence forming a virtuous circle of mutual enhancement. Implications are discussed in relation to fostering distance learners’ goal awareness, enhancing their self-efficacy, maintaining their motivation, and encouraging metacognitive efforts.     

Adapting distance education for Indonesians: Problems with learner heteronomy and a strong oral tradition

This paper discusses the difficulties being experienced by the Indonesian Open University identified in a joint UNESCO/ICDE analysis. It proposes that a fundamental cause of distance education failure in Indonesia has been the adoption of western models without adaptation to suit the acculturised behaviours of Indonesian teachers and learners. Western distance education assumes that learners will become autonomous and can cope with a teacher relationship mediated through text. The paper describes the heteronomous nature of Indonesian social and learning behaviour, and the strong oral tradition of Indonesian education. Various suggestions are advanced for adapting western models to suit local conditions.     

Guiding the older learner

The literature of gerontology provides compelling evidence that the adult learner has more than sufficient residual potential to profit from instruction and/or novel experience. A number of educational delivery models, with diverse philosophical-theoretical cores, were discussed through which the adult might realize maximum potential, thereby adapting successfully to the contingencies of survival. Aids in learning coupled with teaching strategies were suggested for inclusion in the design of learning environments. The emphasis throughout is on maximization of capacity through recognition of individual differences observed along the entire age continuum.     

Current status of learner support in distance education: emerging issues and directions for future research

This study examines the literature on learner support with the aim of helping institutions of higher education plan and implement support services for distance learners. The following issues emerged as areas of particular importance to future research in distance learner support: 1) the lack of research on cost-effectiveness; 2) the lack of empirical research; and 3) the need for a learner-centered approach in designing and implementing learner support. These issues are discussed in detail to enhance our understanding the role of learner support in post-secondary level distance education programs. It is further argued that future research should focus more on developing and refining methods for cost-benefit analysis of learner support, developing a general framework of the learner support model in dual-mode institutions, and developing systematic methods to identify, analyze, synthesize, and assess the needs of distance learners.     

An apple for the learner

We all know that apples are delicious and nutritious, but do you know all the ways they can be used in learning activities with young children? Following are some ideas for incorporating this favorite fruit into your curriculum.     

Mentoring the Experienced Teacher

New teachers have a structured induction programme when they first begin teaching and there are systems in place for new headteachers, but for those teachers who are moving to a new post there is often little support. This article looks at mid-career induction. It explores the formal and informal induction acculturation processes that operate and a model of mentoring new staff in a behaviour support unit where staff are working with several agencies. It identifies that opportunities for development to facilitate growth within a learning organisation can occur when the potential of newcomers is recognised.     

Mentoring and the emotions

Drawing on data from nine secondary school mentor teachers, the authors explore the emotional aspects of mentoring. Embracing a view of ‘cool’ professionalism, the mentors hid from their interns the intensity and complexity of their work as mentors. The authors argue that to maximize the value of mentoring neophyte teachers should be given a glimpse into its difficulty as part of engaging in rich conversations about teaching and learning.     

Liberating the learner through self-assessment

An international agenda to raise educational ‘standards’ and increase the accountability of schools has the unintended consequence of increased uniformity around pedagogical practices, and of introducing assessment practices that influence the way students experience learning. This paper explores how the self-assessment experiences of primary and secondary school students in relation to their learning reflects their perceived respective institutional demands to account for their learning. Students’ dilemmas and experiences of school-based assessment include the use of pre-defined criteria for assessment tasks focusing the learner’s attention to ‘getting to the identified outcome and in the right way’. When school assessment systems do not reflect students’ socially and culturally valued learning, this reduces conversations around learning to that of outcomes. In contrast, by supporting learners to self-assess in increasingly sophisticated ways, teachers encourage students to think about their learning across contexts, and liberate them from thinking only about institutional assessment demands.     

Mentoring Online about Mentoring: Possibilities and practice

Mentoring is most often associated with direct personal contact between individuals. Computer-based learning, on the other hand, is more associated with the impersonal interaction between human and machine. Recent developments in online technology, however, have paved the way for more personal interactions between people via machines. This article reports on the experience of a university professor and her graduate students as they embarked on learning about the very personal domain of mentoring via face-to-face and online learning. The results in terms of student learning, professional practice and mentoring suggest the benefit of utilizing technology as a support and enhancement to direct personal interaction, not replace it.