A Case Study: Performance Between Open and Distance Learners and Traditional Classroom-Based Learners

Abstract

The recent change in the education platform, relying heavily on the use of internet, has caused a revolution in the education world. The use of technology has allowed many education institutions to reach learners in a mass and provides flexibility to learners in pursuing their tertiary education; they are able to complete their studies via open and distance learning (ODL) mode. Nevertheless, ODL concur less human touch/ face-to-face classroom with the facilitator as compared to traditional classroom-based learning mode. Many institutions become interested in documenting its learning-teaching pedagogy with the performance of learners; whether the learners’ academic performance differs in these two different learning settings. This study aims to investigate on the academic performance of part-time learners via ODL and full-time learners via traditional classroom-based settings. Two quantitative courses would be selected for comparison in this study due to its nature of the course, “core” courses status in most programmes and the number of learners taking this course. The results would be able to highlight the need of certain additional workshops for certain learning-setting based to assist learners in their quest to higher education. Other than that, it may also show the future direction of the education industry in Malaysia. // Paper ID 97