Research On Guiding Strategies For The New Learners In Modern Distance Education

Learning Support Service System, including service targets, service environments and service contents, is an efficient tool to provide an important quality assurance to modern distance education. Quite often, new comers in modern distance education are encountered with learning obstacles such as learning concept, distance learning method and computer/network operating skills. These obstacles can seriously hinder the new learners to carry out distance learning. Providing learning support services for new learners is the key to improve quality of Learning Support Service System. However, the learning support services for new learners in China now are not yet developed at all, and there is no concrete guidance or mature strategy ready for utilization. In order to help new learners to overcome above-stated learning obstacles, to well master necessary skills, and to shorten the adaptive period of independent on-line learning, it is significant to conduct research on feasible and efficient guidance and strategies for new learners in modern distant education.This paper has conducted surveys of guiding activities on new learners of OUNH in Guangdong, the learning center in NanHai of Network Education Institute of BeiJing Normal University and Network Education Institute of South China Normal University. The main problems with current guiding activities and concrete learning obstacles of the new learners in modern distance education are deeply analyzed by means of interviews and questionnaires. Under the guidance of personality theory of humanistic psychology, blended learning theory, achievement motivation theory, psychology of affective instruction and TV communication theory, an elementary guiding strategy that well combines face-to-face lecture of tutor with independent on-line learning of new learns has been put forward, so as to provide new learners with learning materials (video lecture program and interactive animation) for conquering learning obstacles by means of streaming media courseware. Action research method is adopted in the dissertation. The freshmen of DALI Learning Center of OUNH in Guangdong in autumn 2004 enrolling in the course of Accounting are chosen as the experimental object. The guiding strategy and the streaming media courseware have been optimized gradually during the action research period, and the system of the guiding strategyof the learning support for new learners in modern distance education is structured by the use of ISM at the base of action rearch. The guiding strategy's effectiveness is verified by the Learning Portfolio Assessment based on all kinds of data such as platform data, questionnaire investigation, new learners' task performance, and the quarter exam of "Entrance Guidance to Open Education". The effectiveness is also verified by means of qualitative and quantitative analysis using several mathematical and statistical methods such as model of unilateral and bi-directional assess table, model of multi-factor compositor assess table, and so on.This study has clearly shown that the general guiding strategy of the learning support for new learners in modern distance education is: to respect the new learner's individuality and specialty, to offer the diversified guidance and flexible learning opportunities, and to integrate face-to-face lecture of tutor with independent on-line learning of new learners. In this way we can help new learners to change learning concept, to better understand distance-learning methods, to well master computer and network operating skills, and to get more familiar with network learning platform. It's also important that during the guiding process we should also efficiently utilize on-line discussions and task-driven practical models to further inspire new learners' interests and initiative in learning.