Learning Skills for Open and Distance Learners

visiting Skills for Open and Distance Learners1.0 INTRODUCTIONOnline reading is sweet type of further studies offer by higher donnish learning around the world. Before higher academic learning institution offer this style of learning method, traditional learning such as class direction meeting or slope to face learning, part time learning and distance learning was successfully born outstrip key worker and great counsel leader.The demanding of the professional skill worker increase severely every years and the awareness about further studies by batch specially adult garner higher academic learning institution think the new way to punt and give a opportunity to adult people to upgrade their academic qualification and upgrade their living.The academic professional every day burn their midnight oil to think the new kind of learning to fit this adult people need and perform the best practice of learning to suit with adult people lifestyle mostly working and having own family. These academic professional in the end come out a brilliant ideas to support new learning method for adult people. The Online discipline was introduced to the open market and the result is sufficiently further adult people to further their study. jibe to Tham (2004), scholarly person who evolved from distance learning and traditional face to face classroom now change to online learning method. Although this new learning method is design to suit adult learners, adult learners still reserve a enigma especially in the first year of outset the online learners. In this paper we pull up stakes discuss about the worry faced by commencement exercise online learners and typically try to solve it accordingly support from professional thinker facts.2.0 BACKGROUND OF LEARNING ONLINEIn this Information Era, Computers and Internet is very important media for channeling information. Its means Online Learning method use this type of media for learning process. schoolman institution use computers and internet and adding this media to create a study environmental class for their online students. This situation is look like an invisible classroom to the online student (Tham, 2004). According to Chen Sun (2008) to develop an integrate online learning module, it involve six dimension criteria.To develop online method criteria, Learners, Instructors, Design, Technology, Environment and Course mix together to fulfill Online Learning methodology. Now we want to focusing one of six criteria that will be discussed with deeper and examine. Although the all six criteria important in online learning, students capability itself to separate the fivesome criteria that need to be prioritized. Be a beginner in online learners is a challenging because learners are compulsory to learn by itself. According to Ash (2010), online learner only spends 2 (two) hours and 15 minutes for lesson in a classroom per week and spends almost the rest of lesson virtually from home. It authorise se nse from Tham (2004) statement invisible classroom. Make your own learning classroom at home using the technology and educational material provide from academic institution.3.0 FINDING PROBLEM VERSUS exculpate PROBLEMBe a beginners of online learners is very challenging decision. Mostly online learners are adult working and own family person. They moldiness add more burden intimacy in their live. The flexible time is the major fact adult people attract to use online learning to fulfill their dream to breeze degree or master scroll, but as online learners you must deduct time for learning, working, brotherly, family and resting yourself. Someone said financial and working condition withal the problem faced by beginner online learners. These problems are happen actually before becoming online learners. These people will think and doing some research before pack online learning as their learning study method for further their education. They must settle all financial and working condition subject before enrolls with academic institution.Now we will discuss about the problem after student enroll to academic institution and becoming online learners. The most important problem faced by beginning online learners is their mindset issue. According to Combes,(2006). The major issue in mentality problem of beginning in online learners is lack of mentality. He find out is four (4) issues on mental problems which occurred to online learners namely most isolation and lack of identity, lack of indigence, lack of confidence and misgiving.3.1 Isolation and lack of identityThis mental issue about this mentality problem is the feeling inside when online student start enroll as online learners. When online learners start their learning process at home, actually their friend only books and face-to-face computer in front it. What feeling inside online learners thats time is loneliness. According to Pond (1998) loneliness define as an enduring condition of emotional scathe that arises when a person feels estranged from, misunderstood, or rejected by others and or lacks appropriate social patterns for desired activities, particularly activities that provide a sense of social integration and opportunities for emotional intimacy. Online learners will not have immediate and fast access to lectures and mates when learning activities begin. No fast respond about their difficulty make online learners unhappy and the social time with their colleague also reduce due to increase time for spending in learning make loneliness or feel of isolation becoming worst. Now we learn how to quash this problem related to online learners. According to Rosenblit, (2005) Academic institution must providing comfortably interaction amidst online learners and tutor. Active peer greatly needed to always contact with online learners to help among themselves. What is most important once is every online learner should give information on this problem and understand that state and knowledge to resolve. Online learners also be encouraged to hold grouped discussion once in a while with peer to share knowledge and their problem and dont keep your problem alone.3.2 Lack of motivationMotivation is important mental support to achieve high quality as online learners. Motivation is consist of psychological, biological, social and cognitive cause direct behavior (Fulmer 2009). Motivation is spirit hidden inside a person. Online learner with week motivation will cause him unenterprising, often absent from class and no planning in manage self learning. Lack of motivation is a serious problem for online learners and the percentage to fail is highest. How to overcome this problem? To motivate online learners is not same with traditional learners. It because Online learners almost an adult person. They have be different approach or strategy to motivate them. They are five step to motivate learners.3.2.1. Reward myselfPeople always get motivated by rewarding something. Setup a goal for yourself and reward yourself. Example, if I evoke finish this semester, My family and I will take a vacation to Manchester, England.3.2.2. Make sure my itinerary has real cheerBefore you start learning, make sure you choose phone line can reward you something very valuable. Example, if Im get P.H.D, all my article and books will be recognise and the publishing company will offer me as a Chief Editor.3.2.3. Help me perform betterYou must relate what you learn with your working environment. If you choose course similarly with your real working environment, it make you perform better in your studies and your job.3.2.4. Set clear expectation for the courseYou must setup your mind, the course that you learn will give you new information and you will use that information later. These tips also need help by a tutor to rationalise what you will learn and achieves after finish it.3.2.5. Tell me if Im wrongThese tips also need tutor fully cooperation. You may ask your t utor to tell you if you do something wrong with your quiz, assignment or in learning process. Sometimes adult learners also need a little attention to keep them continually motivate. They technique and method to criticize online learner must be suitable. Offences criticize online learner will probably become worst.3.3 Lack of confidenceLack of confidence also an issue for online learners. 47.5% citing lack of confidence when they use internet for their study (Combes 2006). This student actually want more practical assistance when enroll to the academic institution. convinced(p) means full trusts, believe in one self, abilities and reliability to think. People always said, if we have confidents, we have ability to success. How to drive up confident? They have five (5) tips to overcome this problem.3.3.1. Find supportYou have your own family and you need them now to support and understand you as online learners. Your also can find support around your peer and friend. All this combin ation of support can drive up your confidence back.3.3.2. Apply your skillYou are online learners because you are working person. travail apply your working skill to your learning environment. If you working as a shift hours, it means you can work in the morning, afternoon and night. So you can take this working environment to your learning environment. You can do learning process in the morning, afternoon or at night. That is your advantage3.3.3. Set logical goalYou must set a goal for what u doing. If you now as online learners, you must set a goal to get a diploma, degree, master or P.H.D. whatever happen. Write your goal in a white board, working table or else where that easy to you to see.3.3.4 Develop a routineYou must develop your own time management planner to arrange your study time, working time, family and resting hour. If you set a daily planner to manage your activities, please begin on it. Try to arrange activities at the same time everyday, because if you do the sa me thing and the same time everyday, lastly it become your routine.3.3.5 Never stop over dreamingDreaming is not a good thinker but sometime dreaming is good depends on the situation. Dreaming to be success is good thinker but it must follow with effort. With a high passion and never stop effort is the key to success. Online learning must dream to grab a scroll of their certificate on the stage of the high profile convocation event everyday.3.4 disturbanceAnxiety is feeling inside online learners if they dont well prepare. 51% experiencing anxiety when using the internet for study (combes 2006). The impact of anxiety always happen at younger online learners. According to wikipedia, Anxiety define as psychological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components either the absence or presence of psychological stress, feeling of fear, worry, uneasiness and dread. In learner concept Anxiety is define as psychological and physical response to treat a self concept characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of tension( Vitasari 2010). According to Mauri (1992), the major problem of anxiety is panic situation. How to overcome panic situation? According to Gard (1999), panic must be handles carefully before it become panic attack. These is are triplet (3) tips to overcome this problem.3.4.1 Know first before dealThat mean learners must know randomly about the course and the syllabus before attending to face to face meeting. Example, work seeker also must know about the company history first before attend an interview.3.4.2 Always relaxLearn to relax yourself when panic situation appear. Take a deep breath and exhale with your mouth slowly. Try to calm down and try to think creatively to overcome that situation. Get help if you cannot handle that situation by yourself.3.4.3 Believe yours ghostlikeAlways pray to avoid you from panic situation. We believe all religious have their own way to overcome this panic situation. 4.0 CONCLUSIONThey are many problem faced by beginner online learners. Financial and Working matter are not relevant problem by beginner online learners. The major problem is mentality issue. Isolation and lack of identity, lack of motivation, lack of confidence and anxiety are the major problem will faced all beginner online learners. To overcome isolation and lack of identity, academic institution must providing good interaction between online learners and tutors and active peer.Five (5) tips like reward myself, make sure my course has real value, help me perform better, set clear expectation for the course and tell me if Im wrong are the tips to overcome lack of motivation problem. They have also five (5) tips to overcome lack of confidence. Find support, apply your skill, set tenable goal, develop a routine and never stop dreaming is the key to avoid lack of confidence. Anxiety are similarly to panic situation. Three (3) tips to overcome this problem are know first before deal, always relax and believe yours religious.5.0 REFERENCESKim, K.J. (2009). 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