This paper focuses on the use of Wiki in enhancing learners' skills in writing argumentative essays. This paper describes the implementation of the online collaborative writing technique (OCWT) through Wiki activities and aims at analyzing the effectiveness of the OCWT to enhance the learners' argumentative essay writing. This study applied a descriptive method, involving a group of 29 students from the English Education Study Program at Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia. In order to find out the effect of teaching material model on improving students' English writing skills, the researchers used two types of instruments, test, and non-test. The observation was also conducted to describe the process of implementing the OCWT. Based on the observation reports, the results of the statistical tests, and the analysis of the learners' perceptions, the OCWT using Wiki integrated into Moodle has a significant influence in improving the learners' argumentative essay writing skills, and as its implication, this approach is very appropriate to hone learners' learning independence. Moreover, the results of the survey show that the learners were very enthusiastic in participating in OCWT.

Recent advances in mobile devices have opened up opportunities for every individual to be able to communicate and obtain information quicker. Users of mobile devices in Asia now account for 49% of mobile device users in the world. This growth is partly supported by the rapid development of the Internet use. Indonesia has a potentially huge market in the use of mobile devices and Internet. The extent of utilization of mobile devices by the students pursuing higher education, especially at Universitas Terbuka (UT), is an important component of this development. This study seeks to develop an understanding of the following issues: (1) the types of the mobile devices that are used by students, (2) the types of learning and information accessed through mobile devices, (3) the time used to access learning through mobile devices, (4) the degree of students’ satisfaction in using the mobile devices for learning, and (5) the effectiveness of using mobile devices for learning. The data of this research were collected by using an online questionnaire containing 26 questions. The questionnaires were distributed to UT students from four faculties and the Graduate Programs from all UT’s regional offices at 38 locations spread across Indonesia, including UT’s regional office for overseas student. Overall, there were 767 respondents. The results of this research show that the utilization of mobile devices, especially in the use of smartphones to access UT’s online learning, seems to have great potential.

he Covid-19 pandemic forced all universities in Indonesia to divert their learning process from face to face to online mode within a limited resource and in a very short time. The approach, methods, and mechanisms of learning process, which have to be adjusted, during the Covid-19 are extremely varied within university. The study was conducted to explore the implementation of online learning in Indonesia during Covid-19 pandemic. In order to get information on how the institution, lecturers and students face this situation, an online survey was conducted. The questionnaire contained some aspects of approaches, methods and mechanisms of online learning; provisions of learning materials; resources such as devices for accessing online learning, internet connection, the cost of the internet connection; as well as the usability of online learning after the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 828 respondents participating in the survey. The participants involved in the survey were lecturers (51.21%) and students (35.39%) from various universities and the rest 13.41% from other institutions in Indonesia. A case study of Universitas Terbuka on the strategies, methods, and techniques of organizing online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic was discussed specifically to enrich the information. Based on the information from online survey and a case study of Universitas Terbuka, the learning strategies, methods and technics in online learning in the future, after the Covid-19 pandemic have been addressed.

English Writing for Academic Purposes (EWAP) seems daunting for higher education students in the Indonesian context. Genuinely, the ability of EWAP is one of the study skills required in the academic field. Preliminary research has shown that EWAP materials have not been identified based on students’ needs. This study focuses on the students’ need analysis of the EWAP materials, including confirming the quality of the task-based material design that enhances the students’ skills of the EWAP. The study used the educational research and development method, involving non-English learners from a private college in Indonesia. Researchers used the test, the semi-structured interview, and the questionnaire as instruments. The observation was also carried out to describe implementing the task-based material design of the EWAP. The results indicate that students need task-based material as an authentic EWAP material that focuses on learning to communicate through interaction. It also gives them the ability to focus not just on the use of languages but also on the learning process itself. The task-based EWAP materials have a significant influence on the development of students’ writing skills. As a result, this approach is well suited to foster a learning desire to write in a context-approximately as a means of expressing their intentions. Besides, the study’s findings show that students were very enthusiastic about engaging in the learning process.

The open and distance learning system implemented in Universitas Terbuka (UT) requires students to do self-learning, individually or in groups. Therefore, the students of UT must be able to motivate themselves to self-study and use their time effectively. The use of integrated learning media as one of the learning resources can support them in their learning activities. The use of internet, as a part of e-Learningbased Learning Preparation, is one way for students to perform learning activities. In the study group, students can use the internet services provided in mobile telecenters and local government offices. The implementation result of this model in Kepulauan Seribu, a group of islets located in the Jakarta Bay, in which the sample were taken from students living in Pramuka Islet, Harapan Islet, Tidung Islet, Panggang Islet, Untung Jawa Islet, and Pari Islet, showed that e-Learning-based Learning Preparation Model can motivate distance students to actively study in their groups. Due to geographical constraints of those islets, it is difficult to meet their peers in groups frequently. Using the regularly scheduled study groups and the computers connected to the internet, students can easily access the information and minimize the frequency of transportation for face-to-face meetings. About 70% of the students have accessed the learning resources through internet and get experiences and knowledge during eight months period of the study in 2006.