Page 176 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

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

1. The necessity to deliver and make instruction, their concretization is very
available learner support services to all much different in an online environment.
students wherever they are became the The managerial role for instance would
initial driving force for DE to become require knowledge and skills in an
online. The instructional content was e-classroom management and delivering
the last to be digitally transformed, as instructional content and motivating
per UPOU’s experience, which can be and engaging students would also be
attributed to the fact that there were different in online learning.
many learners who preferred their course 3. The technologies associated with the
module to be in the printed format and delivery system also made an impact
also the state of the internet connectivity on the organizational structure of the
in many areas of the country which made academic institution as well as in the
it difficult to download large files from the administrative processes and procedures.
Internet. Learning packages were made One example that can be cited here is
redundant in terms of being available in the changing role of the learning centers
both the digital and printed format. in the overall configuration of DE in
2. The change in the delivery system also the country. Another component also
has a corresponding change in the role emerged in the organizational structure,
and functions of the teacher. The roles the Testing Centers, which have to
of the teacher and the tutor which were be identified within and outside the
distinct during the early years of DE in country. In this instance, the embassies,
the country became blurred with the consular offices, alumni of the university
implementation of online learning. From and other partner organizations became
course materials preparation, which was important as they were tapped either
primarily printed during the early years to as Testing Centers or proctors for the
the resource-based model of preparing students based outside the country.
course packages which rely heavily on the
materials from the Internet became the
norm for UPOU. With the online delivery
system, the teacher has to assume other
roles in addition to the usual pedagogical
role. These additional roles include
social role to foster a friendly and social
environment and help learners connect
with one another, and the technological
role to enable the students to use the
different tools and platforms to facilitate
learning. While the other teacher roles
like the pedagogical and managerial roles
are also being done in the conventional

University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)