OUM SYSTEM IS CONDUCIVE FOR NEW TUTORS This is my first semester teaching at OUM and I have to say that I am very impressed with the whole system. Everything seems to be in place such as the online system, modules and trainings. Although tutoring is not entirely new to me (I have taught at several private institutions for many years), I am new to OUM´s online teaching environment. However, the staff from CTMD guided me along with other tutors so much so that I now know what to do as a tutor. Here, I would like to commend the centre for doing a good job Caroline Anne Justin Gaya Learning Centre, Sabah Thank you for the nice words. We are trying our best to provide our tutors with relevant tutoring skills by stressing the importance of teaching strategies to encourage adult learners in the ODL environment. We know for a fact it is different conducting tutorials in an ODL context compared to traditional and conventional teaching in public universities. We at CTMD truly appreciate your comments very much. Assoc Prof Dr Santhi Raghavan Centre for Tutor Management and Development (CTMD)
IMPROVEMENTS TO BENEFIT LEARNERS I have been teaching at OUM since 2002 and I am quite happy with the infrastructure here such as the classrooms and so on. Nevertheless, there are some areas for improvement. One area discussed in the previous TCX issue was modules. In Australia, the modules for ODL learners are far more interactive than those at OUM. Our modules usually ask our learners to visit relevant sites and so on. Being Malaysian, our learners´ mentality is exam-oriented and they are often not bothered to go to these sites, thus defeating the purpose of the exercise. In addition, some modules have massive mistakes and are not updated. It is a pity because most learners depend 100% on the modules. Another aspect is online learning. I propose that OUM has a window time for tutor-learner interaction. This means setting aside a particular timeframe whereby they go online to chat on subject-related issues and assignments. The interaction between tutor and learners needs to be more comprehensive. Most learners go online for the sake of getting extra marks and this needs to be changed. Having a timeframe for each assignment can ensure continuous learning on the part of the learners. Dharshan Singh Sembulan Learning Centre, Sabah Thank you for your feedback on online learning. Your proposal concerning the timeframe is being used by some of our tutors. These tutors and their learners go online at a specific time on a particular day to discuss subject-related issues and assignments. I am also pleased to inform you that OUM plans to introduce a simpler myLMS interface in the January 2010 semester to facilitate effective teaching and learning at OUM. Assoc Prof Dr Santhi Raghavan CTMD
TCX NEEDS TO BE MORE DIVERSE I clicked on the TCX website early this year and found it to be uninteresting. I am into multimedia and IT, so I find the website lacking in the aspect of multimedia presentation. In terms of contents, it does not cover a wide array of subjects. This is the same for other OUM resources like the online library. Too much emphasis is given to subjects like management and I find it hard to look for information on multimedia technology. Brenda Anne Stephen Likas Learning Centre, Sabah Thank you for your constructive comments. The Editor