Organizing Learning Experiences in Distance Education

Sanjaya Mishra, PhD

Reader in Distance Education

What is Distance What is Distance Education?Education?

Technology mediated teaching and learningTechnology mediated teaching and learning Quasi-permanent absence of teacherQuasi-permanent absence of teacher Quasi-permanent absence of learning peer Quasi-permanent absence of learning peer

groupgroup Industrialized form of teaching and learning Industrialized form of teaching and learning

signifying division of laboursignifying division of labour Presence of an Institution to organize Presence of an Institution to organize

learning experienceslearning experiences Teacher is in-built into the text (self-Teacher is in-built into the text (self-

learning)learning)

Learning Experiences in Learning Experiences in Distance EducationDistance Education

Self learning from Self learning from various mediavarious media

Participation in Participation in Counselling sessionsCounselling sessions

Participation in Participation in Interactive TV and Radio Interactive TV and Radio sessionssessions

Discussion with peer Discussion with peer groupsgroups

Working on Assignments, Working on Assignments, Projects, Practicals, etc.Projects, Practicals, etc.

Is it comparable to F2F Is it comparable to F2F experience?experience?

Who Organizes Learning Who Organizes Learning Experiences in Distance Experiences in Distance

Education?Education? A PrioriA Priori model in model in

Distance EducationDistance Education Teacher-centred model Teacher-centred model

in F2F educationin F2F education Curriculum designers Curriculum designers

and developersand developers Course writersCourse writers Also CounsellorsAlso Counsellors Learner-centred model Learner-centred model

designed designed A PrioriA Priori Teacher has little Teacher has little

control over the control over the implementationimplementation

Self Learning MaterialsSelf Learning Materials Use of advance Use of advance

organizersorganizers Use of activities to Use of activities to

promote active promote active learninglearning

Use of Illustrations, Use of Illustrations, graphics to provide graphics to provide near real experiencesnear real experiences

Engaging learning Engaging learning material to promote material to promote critical thinking and critical thinking and reflectionreflection

Working on Assignments, Working on Assignments, Projects, PracticalsProjects, Practicals

Give the confidence to Give the confidence to demonstrate the demonstrate the achievement of achievement of learninglearning

Provide opportunity to Provide opportunity to the learner to practice the learner to practice important contentimportant content

Develop skills related to Develop skills related to problem solving and problem solving and other pychommotor other pychommotor objectivesobjectives A

SS

IGN

MEN

TS

Interactive TV and RadioInteractive TV and Radio Brings in Experts and learners Brings in Experts and learners

togethertogether Provides an opportunity to Provides an opportunity to

clarify doubts in study materialsclarify doubts in study materials Can be organized using Can be organized using

different techniques (Use of different techniques (Use of audio clips, use of video clips, audio clips, use of video clips, use of online experts though use of online experts though Internet and satellite)Internet and satellite)

Can show live events leading to Can show live events leading to discussiondiscussion

Laboratory experiments can be Laboratory experiments can be organized live for organized live for demonstrationdemonstration

Organizing Counselling Organizing Counselling SessionSession

Not a lecture sessionNot a lecture session But a Problems solving But a Problems solving

sessionsession Can use variety of Can use variety of

small group teaching small group teaching techniquestechniques

Bring and use Bring and use individual experiences individual experiences to construct knowledge to construct knowledge in a groupin a group

Allow learners to share Allow learners to share their learning with their learning with othersothers

Develop self-help Develop self-help groupsgroups

Questions & CommentsQuestions & Comments

My sincere thanks to SOE, EMPC, RCs My sincere thanks to SOE, EMPC, RCs and all students.and all students.