Page 108 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

88 OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATON IN ASIA
Good Practices from AAOU Members

programs couldn’t be played back and to approach the content of the teaching
it was necessary for learners to arrange materials from several perspectives
their time in line with the programs lists, (Zhang et al., 2017).
the advantages of this method lay in its
rapid spread and wide coverage. Secondly, regarding the storage and
transmission of learning resources,
The second was audio and video computer storage gradually took the
recordings sent to learners. These place of audio and video tapes, making
were usually TV programs made by it more convenient to store and deliver
local teaching centers through satellite information and teaching resources. The
reception teaching institutions. Learners online delivery of teaching resources
listened to or watched the programs gradually became the mainstream
with the help of broadcasting devices. thanks to the development of online
The advantages of this method lay in technology and the improvement of
the repeated use of teaching resources, related infrastructure.
and so that learners could study more
flexibly. Lastly, the emergence of learning
management systems thoroughly
2. Stage Two: Multimedia and Digital changed the distance education learning
Learning environment from the perspective of
At the end of the 1990s, the growing use the organization and management of
of computers and network technology in learning activities. With the support
the field of education promoted the digital of learning management systems, all
transformation of open and distance learning activities can be completed
education in China. The teaching system virtually. The teacher-student
developed in new directions in terms of relationship has been reconstructed, and
the design, development, and storage of the autonomy and flexibility of learning
learning resources and the organization has been enhanced. Teaching institutions
and management of learning activities. have made corresponding changes in the
design of course resources and learning
Firstly, in terms of the design and activities in line with the properties of
development of learning resources. online learning.
learning resources integrated a wider
range of media and became more
interactive. For example, the digital
teaching materials launched by the OUC
integrate multimedia resources and
include multiple functions such as content
searching, learning process records, and
tests and exercises, encouraging learners

The Open University of China (OUC)