ASSIGNMENTS

SPECIALIZEDAREA: DISTANCE EDUCATION

MASTER OFARTS (EDUCATION)-2nd YEAR
January 2019 & July 2019

MES-112: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-LEARNING

PRINT MATERIALS

a) Critically analyse the cognitive approach to learning with its implications for designing
and development of self-learning materials. (500 Words)

b) What are the key features of beginning section of a Unit? Discuss each feature with
suitable examples. (500 Words)

c) How is content editing different from format and language editing of self-learning
materials in distance education system? Discuss with suitable examples. (500 Words)

Answers

a) Critically analyse the cognitive approach to learning with its implications for designing
and development of self-learning materials.

Ans.: The success and effectiveness of the ODL system largely depends on self-learning
materials. (SLMs). Developing SLMs is a challenging task, and is quite different from that of
face-to-face teaching or writing a textbook and/or journal article. It is pertinent for you to
understand the concept of self-learning materials which are based on the principles of use of
the means and ways of communication.

The distance learners pursue their study on their own for they are away from their teachers,
institution, and fellow learners. They learn independently with minimum external support
from teachers and peers. Moreover, a majority of the distance learners is usually adults; and
they need learning materials, whiah facilitate their independent learning. Normally they are
motivated enough and also possess certain study skills which enable them to pursue their
study independently and at their own pace.

Instructional design is a process comprising analysis of learning needs and goals and the
development of a delivery system to meet these needs. It is concerned with research about
instructional strategies and the processes for developing and implementing those strategies. It
is the science of creating strategies for development, implementation, evaluation, and
maintenance of environment1 situations that can facilitate learning. Instructional design
involves systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and
instructional theory to ensure quality teaching and learning. SLMs are based on instructional
design involving analysis of learning needs, development of learning materials, and
placement of a delivery system and the mechanism of assessment to know whether the

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learners have achieved the course objectives. The quality of instructional design has a direct
link with learning on the part of learners. The more innovative an instructional design is the
more effective and learner-oriented the SLM shall be. This is so because there is a direct link
between quality of instructional design and learning.

Self-learning materials perform the functions of an effective teacher who guides, motivates,
explains, discusses, asks questions, assesses progress, suggests appropriate remedial
measures, and provides advice to learners. Self-learning materials emphasize pedagogical
dialogues with the learner. While reading the course units, the learners interact with an
invisible teacher (in a simulation situation since the teacher is simulated in the materials) and
feel as if they are being taught by him/ her. The materials also provide questions for self-
check and thus increase curiosity of the learners. The success of self-learning depends on the
quality of the learning materials.

Self-learning materials follow learner-centered approaches. They are designed and developed
as per the needs of the learners. The following are some of the characteristics of self-learning
materials:

Self-contained: Efforts are made to make the text self-sufficient so that a learner does not
hunt for the additional sources, or even a teacher. For this the scope of the content of the unit
'is visualized in detail. While avoiding what is redundant only the essential details are
presented so that the unit can cover information required by the learners and keep away all
that is superfluous or redundant.

Self-explanatory: The content is presented in a style so that a learner can learn from the
material without much external support. The concepts are explained to the extent such that
majority of the learners are able to comprehend them. Therefore the content is self-
explanatory and conceptually clear. To make concepts self-explanatory the content is
analyzed and presented logically considering the mental and lingual background of the
learners1 target group. A few may not be able to comprehend the contents fully and may
therefore need additional help and guidance by teachers through correspondence and at study
centre .tutorials.

Self-directed: The learning materials aim at providing necessary guidance, hints and
suggestions to the learners at each stage of learning. The self-directed material is presented in
the form of easy explanations, sequential development, illustrations, learning activities, etc.,
thus performing the role of a teacher who for instance guide, instruct, moderate and regulate
the learning process in classroom situations.

Self-motivating: In distance education systems, the learners remain off the campus for most
of their study time. The study materials, like a teacher in the classroom, should be highly
encouraging for the learners. The materials should arouse curiosity, raise problems, relate
knowledge to familiar situations and make the entire learning meaningful for them, providing
reinforcement and feedback at every stage of learning.

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Self-evaluating: As the learners remain separated from the distance learning institution as
well as the teachers, the study materials should make provisions for feedback as well. To
ensure optimum learning, the learners should know whether they are on the right track. Self-
evaluation in the form of self check questions, exercises, activities, etc. provides the learners
with the much needed feedback about their progress, reinforces learning, and motivates them
for self-learning. The course writer should develop a built-in evaluation system by giving an
appropriate number of self-check exercises, activities and questions in the course units.

Self-learning: Self-instructional materials are based on the principles of self-learning. So, a

unit, besides information, provides the learners study guide - directions, hints, references, etc.
to facilitate their independent learning. To make the content comprehensible, it is supported
by simple explanations, examples, illustrations, activities and so on. In other words, the
materials are designed and, developed in such a way that the learners can undertake learning
by oneself with occasional help from others including the teachers.

b) What are the key features of beginning section of a Unit? Discuss each feature with
suitable examples.

Ans.: Learning at a distance is not a new concept for most of us. It is known by several
names, such as home study, postal tuition, correspondence courses, independent study, off-
campus study, external study, non-formal education, etc. At this stage, you may recall what
you have studied in Block 1 of this course. Distance education is supported by
communication technology .and based on sound principles of instructional design. It is when
openness is built into it in forms of both removal of constraints to access and learning as well
as provision of learner choice oflcontrol on self-learning, we call it open distance learning
(ODL). Iinstitutions offering courses through the distance mode are variously known as open
institutions/universities, directorate of distance education, tele-university, university of the
air, e-learning institutions, virtual universities, etc. The use of various media is an integral
part of the ODL system. Media and technology are used both as carriers of educational
information and as instruments to bridge the distance between the teacher and the learners
(and amongst learners). The learners pursue their studies independently with minimum
external support. Self-learning materials are designed and developed keeping this
requirement of the distance learners in mind.

In Unit-1 we shall discuss the concept, features and principles of writing self-learning
materials. We shall also discuss the process of designing and developing self-learning
materials. You will study more on the process of learning from self-learning materials in Unit
l/Block 3 of this Course. You are therefore advised to read these two units together so that
you are able to understand the concept and use of self-learning materials more meaningfully.
We hope that the knowledge and skills acquired in this unit will help you prepare self-
learning materials for your students.

The unit-1 is aimed at helping you develop skills of writing self-learning materials. After
going through this unit you should be able to:

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  analyse the concept and features of self-learning materials;
 explain the principles of developing SLMs;
 describe the process of writing SLMs;
 and C design and develop SLMs for your students.

In unit-1 we discussed the concept of learning and tried to link it with self-learning materials
(SLMs) because SLMs are based on the principles of learning. We discussed the main
characteristics = of SLMs. We differentiated between the textbook and SLM. The preparation
of SLMs depends on the synthesis of theories of learning and communication. Access devices
and transaction of content constitute a self-learning unt. Access devices help the learners to
reach as close to the content as they can and make the content more intimate. To transaction
the content it is divided into sections and sub-sections, and arranged in most logical .
sequence. The content is transacted in simple language and in conversational style. The
selfcheck questions, exercises and activities help the learner-s to know whether they are on
the right track and are able to achieve the objectives.

c) How is content editing different from format and language editing of self-learning
materials in distance education system? Discuss with suitable examples.

Ans.: In a situation where course team approach is followed, as is the case with distance
teaching institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, the job of an editor is
usually confined to copy editing which is commonly done by editors of publishing houses. Or
the editor may additionally have to function as liaison manager coordinating the various
activities of the members of the course team and finally to bring out the printed booklets. In
the case of audio-video materials, the editor will perform a role similar to that of an editor of
a film or radioltelevision programmes. Here we are concerned with editing of self-Iearning
materials in print only.

In the absence of course team proper, the responsibility of getting the courses in a desirable
format rests with the 'course coordinator' and the 'programme coordinator', as they are called
in the context of the open universities in India. While the course coordinator is responsible
for the individual course(s), the programme coordinator has the responsibility to get all the
courses in time and give a shape to the materials constituting the programme. If the
coordinators are not in a position to take care of the editing job, then, they have to engage
appropriate editors. At times course editing and programme editing may come into conflict
mainly in terms of sequencing of the content, if not the editing of the format, house style and
the language.

You may be a coordinator of a programme or a course or even a block at times, depending on

the way in which your institution has planned and distributed the course development work.
Whatever the arrangement, as a coordinator, you have the responsibility to carry out, besides
other tasks, the different editorial functions either by yourself or through others who are
experts in their respective areas, such as subject specialization, educational technology and

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language. If you are lucky, which you are not always, you may get writers who have
sufficient experience in writing self-learning materials.

In countries like India, though correspondence/distance education has been In practice for
decades you do not get many good writers with professional skills to write genuine self-
learning materials in print. The 'experience' of the academics working in many of the
institutions offering distance education programmes is often unprofessional and they do not
differ much from their conventional counterparts with regard to expertise and attitude
necessary to respond to the &stance learners' needs.

Absence of training policies and facilities and the general apathy towards professionalism
have made these academics sceptical about the very idea of writing self-learning materials in
a special and professional way. Lack of exposure has limited their understanding of the vast
range and variety of ways of developing self-learning materials and therefore, they tend to
treat any professional training in writing self-learning texts as imposition. They even take
pride in their ever increasing enrolments and argue that their students are happy with the
materials in the form of notes, little realizing that in the absence of better alternatives students
will accept aaything that is available to them. Such an approach also indicates that there is
little institutional concern for standard and quality of learning materials and educational
programmes, notwithstanding high enrolments and pass rates in the examinations. So you
cannot expect the writers of 'correspondence lessons' to write the self-learning materials in
the full sense of the term without sufficiently training them.

Other alternative is to choose writers from conventional institutions - writers with good
classroom teaching experience. They may or may not have the necessary writing skills you
are looking for andmany of them may not accept the offer. The third alternative is to get the
units written by your own colleagues. This third alternative is constrained by two factors: a)
the number of writers willing to write the materials and b) the time they need, because they
will have responsibilities other than writing for you. In any case, some sort of orientation and
training will be necessary for all or any one of the three categories of writers who may be
writing the learning materials. Without the necessary training background, the writers will not
get the clear focus and the guidelines as to what and how to write.