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ASSIGNMENT SOLUTIONS GUIDE (2014-2015)

E.S.-364
Distance Education
Disclaimer/Special Note: These are just the sample of the Answers/Solutions to some of the Questions given in the
Assignments. These Sample Answers/Solutions are prepared by Private Teacher/Tutors/Auhtors for the help and Guidance
of the student to get an idea of how he/she can answer the Questions of the Assignments. We do not claim 100% Accuracy
of these sample Answers as these are based on the knowledge and cabability of Private Teacher/Tutor. Sample answers
may be seen as the Guide/Help Book for the reference to prepare the answers of the Question given in the assignment. As
these solutions and answers are prepared by the private teacher/tutor so the chances of error or mistake cannot be denied.
Any Omission or Error is highly regretted though every care has been taken while preparing these Sample Answers/
Solutions. Please consult your own Teacher/Tutor before you prepare a Particular Answer & for uptodate and exact
information, data and solution. Student should must read and refer the official study material provided by the university.

Answer the following questions

(i) Explain the rationable for distance education.
Ans. Distance education is an educational mode supplementary, complementary and alternative to conventional
or traditional system of education, depending on the situation. It is an independent system of education which is very
flexible to use the modern technologies for the pedagogic purposes. It is an innovation of education to meet different
educational needs and demands, of present society, which are sequal to changing social, economic and other
technological developments.
Distance education is a broaden term both in terms of its denotation and connotation. Depending upon the
knowledge, perceptions and points of view of different people have defined distance education in different ways.
Distance education is an innovation system of education which sets it own system of noun, method of teaching,
approaches and methodologies which are different from the direct system of education, i.e., face to face education
process. It is not direct medium of teaching. It is non tradional and non-conformist in nature. It has adequate provision to impact instruction to learners at a distance by incorporating a variety of means for didatic interaction between
its students and the teachers and institutions.
According to Peters (1973), defines distance education as a method of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes which is rationalised by the application of division of labour and organizational principles as well as by the
extensive use of technical media, specially for the purpose of reproducing high quality teaching materials which
makes it possible to instruct great numbers of students at the same time wherever they live. It is an industrialised
form of teaching and learning.
According to Dohmen (1977), distance education as a systematically organised of self study in which student
counseling, the presentation of learning materials and receiving and supervising of students, success is carried out
by a team of teachers, each of when has responsibilities. It is made possible at a distance by means of media which
can cover long distances.
According to Moore (1973), distance teaching defined as, the family of instructional methods in which the
teaching behaviours are performed apart from learning behaviours, in a contiguous situations, would be performed
in the learners presence, so the communication between the teacher and the learner must be facilitated by print,
electronic, mechanical or other devices.
Holmberg (1981) defines distance education as the kind of education which covers the various forms of study
at all levels which are not under continuous, immediate supervision of tutors present with their students in lectures
rooms on the same premises but which nevertheless, benefit from the planning, guidance and tutions of a tuitions
organization.

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Wedemeyer (1977), defines, that distance education as an independent study which consists of various forms
of teaching learning arrangements in which teachers and learners carry out their essential tests and responsibilities
apart from one another, communicating in a variety of ways. Its purposes are to force on campus on external learners
with the opportunity to continue learning in their own environments and developing in all learners, the capacity to
carry on self directed learning, the ultimate maturity required of the educated persons.
Keegen (1986) defines distance education as a form of education characterised by
* The quasi permanent separation of teacher and learner throughout the length of the learning process, this
distinguishes if from face to face education system.
* The quasi-permanent absence of the learning group through out the length of the learning process so that
people are usually taught as individuals and not in groups, with the possibility of occasional meetings for both
didatic and socialisation purposes.
* The provision of two ways communicating so that the student may benefit from are even initial dialogue,
this distinguishes it from other uses of technology in education.
* The use of technical media - print, audio, video or computer to unite teacher and learner and carry the
content of the course.
* The influence of an educational organization both the planning and preparation of learning materials and in
the provision of student support services that distinguishes it from private study and teach yourself programmes.
The objectives of the distance education system is
* Explain the concept of distance education.
* Distinguish the term distance education from other related terms.
* Explain the scope of distance education.
(ii) Discuss key issues of media selection and integration in the context of distance education.
Ans. Distance education uses different media, that means media is successful practice of distance education. A
number of communication used in distance learning. Use of more than one media called as multiple media or
multimedia. Multimedia is very popular in computer world. Multim media has several meaning. In computer world
the meaning of multimedia is a package which combines computer generated text and graphies in same screen.
Multimedia includes the hardware and software which combine pictures, photographic, images, computer graphics
animations with sound, text, computer generated data. These are necessary for preparing certain programmes. All
the programmes are recorded in the on a disc that may be sound, pictures, text, data and animation. Multimedia also
used for integration of various communication i.e. Printed text audio broadcasts, video broad cast, audio tapes, video
tapes computer, face to face and direct contacts.
Different media are used in distance education to enhance the course effectively and efficiently. In distance
education multimedia approach must be included. Multiple media in distance education is to exploit the potential of
each media. Each and every media are distinguished from each other. Every media has its own course curriculum.
Teaching and learning by multimedia is more effective than the single or traditional media.
Media are combined in such a way that they supplement or complement each other and work as a unified force
of teaching to help students achieve course objectives. Multimedia approach caters to more than one sense, senses of
seeing and hearing Moreover, student learn more from multiple media than the single media. Multi-media approach
increase the support of the theory of learning and communication.
According to Jenkins, the student learn better if the information comes from more than one source, particularly
if they have the opportunity to share and discuss the information with other people.
According to Koul (1993), multiple teaching offers students various ways of learning, and variety entains
certain advantages i.e., if a student misses an audio broadcast, he can study printed text. That means multiple media
approaches the students to learn according to their choices. There is a wide range of multimedia approach is distance
learning.
Media help in delivering the contents or information from the teacher to receiver and from the student to their
teachers. Media of distance education means educational transaction. There are a lot of communication media used
between teacher and the taught, by which the student can choose the media according to their choice.

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The Need for media in distance education is necessary for* The process of media selection is an important part of course design and course development. Media selection is based on the capabilities of a medium.
* An educational medium should be selected only if it is capable of presenting the intended information to
students and should enable then to actively participate in the learning process.
These are the general feature which influence the media selection according to Dececco and Cramford in 1977,
three bases for the selection of the media. They are
* Availability of Media
* An Analysis and design of instructional system.
* Knowledge of research findings on the effectivencess of the media.
These are same effective criteria of media selection for distance education. They are as below:
* Pedagogic effectiveness.
* Availability and accessibility,
* Cast effectiveness.
* user friendliness.
* Trained human power
* Hardware
Media integration supplements each others strengths, present in students use their strength in a better way.
According to Bales in 1992, the integration of media requires a team mode approach. Intergrated multimedia
teaching materials take a great deal of time to prepare the students. The role of teachers varies from teaching materials to teaching processes. In media iintegration, there are a lot of new technologies work in.
The need of integrated media favoured by Todds in 1986, according to him:
(i) Contents is difficult to communicate in one medium than another.
(ii) More than one medium can motivate the students interest.
(iii) Media combination enhances access to educational input.
(iv) Use of more than one medium helps in reinforcing learning.
(v) Use of multimedia can be economic and effective in teaching.
(vi) Each medium has its an weaknesses.
The effectiveness of multimedia approach has been traced out by open universities which found multimedia
packages very effectively to teach distance students.
Sucessful integrated media teaching requires a genuine team approach.
Media can be classifed under four categories based on their use. They are:
* Supplementary use.
* Complementary use.
* Intergrated use.
* Independent use.
Multiple media approach is used to describe the integration of various media such as text, audio, video, broadcast, face to face contact and to achieve a specific teaching learning objectives.
Multiple media approach and multimedia approach are interchangeably used.
(c) What are the skills of self-learning? Narrative your experiences in using these skills for self-learning.
Ans. Learning stress upon learners capacity to acquire, represent, recall, respond to and use of information. Self
learning referes to greater ability to reflect upon, understand and control ones learning. The stress given on the
learners capability to learn according to the student needs and ability or pace. In this the teacher is a facilitater who
helps diagnose the learning needs of the learners. The teacher create a climate conductive to learning and design a
series of learning experiences with appropriate techniques and resources. In this the learners are expected to be goal
oriented activity oriented and learning oriented.
Self learning defined as self managed and self directed. Self learning requires learners to be highly committed,
self initiative and self disciplined. Self learning characterised by learner-centered features of learning. It facilitates
the learners to learn

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When they want.

How they want.
What they want.
The learner who are with the direct contact with the teacher can not learn through self learning. So self learning
is principally initiated and managed by the learner himself.
Distance learning promotes self learning which is individualised and independent learning. This learning is
independent due to physical separation of the learner from the learning institutions. Self learning encompasses over
the learners Self leaving depends upon the learners motivation, commitment, and self disciplines. Self learning is a
demanding task which depends on the main requisites:
A desire to learn.
Clear and realistic goal
Systematic approach to study.
Adequate academic support.
The concept of self learning in distance education system is characterised by:
(i) Learner centered approach.
(ii) Learners responsibility.
(iii) Flexible provision of education.
(iv) Use of learning materials.
Some factors are influenced in self learning, these are given below:
(i) Motivation.
(ii) Learning materials.
(iii) Educational background.
(iv) Environmental factor.
(v) Learning support.
In self learning the learners required study skills, reading skills and writing skills. Self learning helps the
learners to develop different activities, i.e. listening, viewing, speaking, reading and writing there, are two aspects of
self learning, i.e.
(i) Learning materials help the learners.
(ii) Learners develop study skills by the learing materials.
Learners can develop their skills without teacher through reading skills reading skills are two types, i.e. deep
and surface.
Writing skills help the students to keep them active while they learn and help them to maintain record of the
studies.
The role of technology in self learning arcgued that the existing and energing communication technologies
have contributed the effectiveness on self learning of distance education. Computer and the internet are referred to
as important technological innovations serving the cause of self learning at present and as an a large scale in future.
The factors that contribute to promotion of self learning in distance education are:
(i) Intrinsic motivation of adult learners.
(ii) Effective self instructional materials.
(iii) Educational background of learners
(iv) Autonomy of learning.
(v) learning support made available to learners.
Study skills help the learners gain maximum from the learning materials. Learners with adequate study skills
can make important decisions about various aspects of their learning. These aspects include:
(i) How to study: Preferred methods and media of learning.
(ii) Where to study: locations.
(iii) When to study: start and end dates, face of learning.

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Concept mapping is a learning strategy in which learners, identify key concepts in the body of the subject
matter and average them in a meaningful way around the focus points. These are the technique of concept mapping
given
(i) Choose and determine the amount of information for studying.
(ii) Road through the whole materials that has been choosen for studying.
(iii) Locate the central idea and theme of what is being real.
(iv) Re-read each paragraph to identify the main tapic in each paragraph.
(v) Note down the central index and the topics of the paragraphs studied in easily accessble format.
Reading skills helps the learners uses the symbols to activate the informations from his memory and uses this
information to arrive at a persnasive interpretation of written messages. There are six stages in Reading skills:
(i) Recognition of words
(ii) Association of meaning with symbols.
(iii) Literal comprehensive.
(iv) Interpretation.
(v) Critical Reading.
(vi) Creative Reading.

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