| Summary: | An increasing number of higher educational institutions have embraced e-learning. Many of
these institutions have, however, realized that blending the “e” with traditional pedagogies is
more effective than offering an entire environment based on e-learning. The right mix of
technology and media can more effectively cater to the variety of learning styles and learning
conditions. At Open University Malaysia (OUM), the blended pedagogical approach has been
adopted for the delivery of all its academic programmes. The three main approaches are face-toface
learning, online learning and self-managed learning. These approaches involve a variety of
media such as printed modules, multimedia, collaborative online discussions, classroom tutorials,
laboratory sessions, a digital collection of e-books and e-journals, and so on. Since opening its
doors in August 2001, OUM today has about 25,000 students spread over 16 academic
programmes. More than 1,600 part-time tutors provide regular face-to-face tutorials. There are
31 learning centres located throughout the country to cater to the student population. The paper
will describe OUM’s blended pedagogies. It will also present some of the challenges the
University faces as it tries to propagate a new learning culture among its tutors and learners
particularly for online learning. (Author's abstract)
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