Development of interactive and reflective learning among Malaysian online distant learners: An ESL instructor’s experience

Abstract

Technology has brought tremendous advancements in online education, spurring transformations in online pedagogical practices. Online learning in the past was passive, using the traditional teacher-centred approach. However, with the tools available today, it can be active, collaborative, and meaningful. A well-developed task can impel learners to observe, to reflect, to strategize, and to plan their own learning. This paper describes an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor’s attempt to foster interactive and reflective learning among distance learners at a public university in Malaysia, working within the framework proposed by Salmon (2004). The authors found that proper planning and close monitoring of a writing activity that incorporates interactive and reflective learning helped to raise the students’ awareness of their own learning process and consequently helped them to be more responsible for their learning. The students acquired significant cognitive benefits and also valuable practical learning skills through the online discussions. However, there were challenges in carrying out the writing task to promote this form of learning, including students’ professional and family commitments and cultural attitudes as well as communication barriers in the online environment. To overcome these challenges, the authors recommend the following: ensure tutor guidance, enforce compulsory participation, address technical problems quickly, commence strategic training prior to the beginning of a task, and implement team teaching with each instructor taking on certain roles.

Review and Content Analysis of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance/Distributed Learning (2000–2015)

“…However, researchers around this time are fascinated by the enormous opportunities that the new information and communication technologies afford for collaborative online learning and teaching (micro-level). There are several publications in IRRODL that seek to understand how online collaborative learning occurs and how students are best supported to facilitate their learning processes: Barnard-Brak, Paton, and Lan (2010) developed a typology of self-regulated learning profiles in the online learning environment and several studies deal with the role and function of online tutors (e.g., Ng, 2007;Murugaiah & Thang, 2010). The concept of support is connected with access.…”

The importance of interaction for academic success in online courses with hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing students

“…Recently, Murugaiah and Thang (2010) utilized an active, collaborative, asynchronous approach to teaching English as a second language online to students at the National University of Malaysia. They incorporated interactive and reflective writing activities which helped to raise students' awareness of their own learning processes and to become actively engaged learners responsible for their own learning.…”

ESL Distance Learners’ Participation in an Online Forum: The Interplay of Contextual Factors

“…The tutor's involvement through prompt response and feedback to queries by learners encouraged them to participate to a greater extent in the OLF and this finding is widely echoed in the literature (Pramela 2011;Puvaneswari & Thang 2010;Dennen 2005;Salmon 2004). The distance learners in the present study seemed to find it crucial to obtain their tutor's validation to information and answers.…”

“…As a result, even though the potential for active group participation and group interaction exists, learner participation in the OLF does not always take place (Kreijns et al 2003;Harasim 1989). This situation has prompted researchers to study factors influencing participation in the OLF and numerous factors have been recorded, for instance, role of the facilitator (Pramela 2011;Puvaneswari & Thang 2010;Dennen 2005;Salmon 2004;Tsang et al 2002); design of discussion activities (Vonderwell & Zachariah 2005;Aspden & Holm 2004;Lamy & Hassan 2003); learner characteristics (Gerbic 2006;Tsang et al 2002) and assessment grades (Supyan Hussin 2008;Gerbic 2006). The findings of these studies have shown that it is important to consider the needs and perceptions of learners in order to understand their participation in the OLF.…”