How to write Self-Learning Material for Distance Education students

How to write Self-Learning Material for Distance Education students


Prof.(Dr) M.K.Ghadoliya


The development of Self Learning Material (SLM) for distance learners is not an easy task. In fact it is quite a challenging task and also quite different from writing a text book, a seminar paper or a research article. For those who are serving in conventional system of class room teaching it requires special training in incorporating and exploiting various skills and communication methods to suit the needs of learners. Before launching any programme the concerned faculty members at the headquarter should prepare a concept note about the utility and viability of the new programme. The proposal is then should be discussed in the light of the following variables: viability, utility and overall significance. The Proposal should then be discussed in the Planning Board on the basis of the following variables:

1. Need Analysis
2. Facilities Available
3. Resources Required

If the course fits in the priority of the University or Institution and the required facilities are available or can be arranged by collaborating initiations then the  Planning Board may approve the idea of launching the new programme. The proposal then goes to the Academic Council for approval. After the approval of the concept of launching a new programme by these statutory bodies, the concerned department should prepare a panel of Course Development Committee (CDC). The names of the Experts goes to the academic council for approval. The CDC consists of the experts in their respective fields. The concerned departments then identify the courses/ papers to be included in the syllabi. The unit wise detail of each one of the course is then prepared for consideration of the CDC prior to this the detailed unit wise syllabus of the course are sent to the members of CDC so that they may suitably suggest and make comments in the CDC meetings.
The Course Development Committee (CDC) from their vast experience allot credit* to each course.
Approval of the Academic Council:
The detailed syllabus in the form of its unit wise break-up is then placed before the Academic Council for its approval. with the prospective course writers, audio/video components and the media-mix to be used in the delivery of the courses.  Once the course along with the programme structure is passed the concerned Faculty member who is supervising the content development approaches the unit writers as per the syllabi. The identified course writers are called by the by the University  head quarter or at any one of the Regional centre of the University for imparting training in the Self Learning Material Development (SLM) by the experts in this field

Characteristics of SLMs:

The standardized SLM format developed by institutions of repute is then followed for writing the course material. The course material is meant for students in distance education which consists  of the hetrogeneous group  and adult learners. The adult learners are more matured and experienced persons. The learners have the following special characteristics:

1. Self- Motivated, self-esteemed, Voluntary
2. Problem-centric learners (related to world of work)
3. Experienced learner
4. Life long learner
5. Knowledge update
6. Desirous of Promotion
7. Interested in an increase in their salary, etc.

The preparation of SLM for these experienced adult learners is not an easy task. The adults learn only when they find course material interesting and useful in fulfilling their aims and objectives. The print material should be organized in short and progressive steps, in a logical sequence, graded in difficulty so that the learners make few mistakes. The examples should be from their work place or matching past experience so that they feel actively involved in the process of learning. The print material of the university has the following features:
1. Self explanatory.
2. Self sufficient – to impart full details of the subject matter.
3. Self directed – necessary hints, suggestions and guidance is in built at each stage of learning.
4. Self-motivating – tailored to suit the learner needs.
5. Self evaluating – in text questions, self assessment questions (SAQ) activities unit-end questions.
6. These materials have clearly stated objectives in the beginning of each unit.
7. The content is presented in conversational style, and therefore users’ friendly.
8. In the print material wherever necessary tables, charts and graphs are also given.
9. At the end of each unit the summary is given to facilitate the understanding of the text, besides glossary of key words and suggestions for further regarding are also provided in the bibliography references.
10. At the end, model answers for the self-assessment questions (SAQs) is provided.
11. At the end, of the Unit some questions are given in Exercise. These questions are relevant from the point of view of the term-end examination.

ACCESS DEVICES:

In the self-learning material access devices are of three types

(A) Those, which appear before the presentation of contents:

1. Title (in Hindi – and English both )
2. Structure
3. Objectives

(B) Those, which appear during the main body of content:

4. Introduction
5. Headings and sub-headings( Give Number with Chapter Number, for tables, graphs and Charts, Maps Equations etc.))
6. Check your progress ( Give in Box . Leave blank Space for writing Answers)

(C) Those, which appear after the presentation of the main body of the content:

7. Summary
8. Glossary
9. Some useful books or Further Readings
10. Answers to SAQs
11. Unit- end questions

The course writer should be well aware of these access devices and their importance. Further he must appreciate that the print material is mainly meant for those who could not have access to the formal system of education due to one or the other reasons and that now they wish to resume the studies in the second innings of their life.

The access devices help distance learners to reach the desired portion of the unit directly. Every course writer should therefore be well aware of it. Now we discuss each one of the access devices in some detail:

1. Title The title of the unit should be precise, clear and communicative. The title should give a clear idea of the contents. It should be bold and visible. The title should be given both in Hindi and English at the top.

2. Structure:

In order to make study materials more accessible and instructional we should present a list of teaching items at the beginning of the unit. Such a list helps distance learners to know the contents of the unit. The list learning items is called the ‘structure’. The structure of the unit is detailed itemization of the content broken into headings and sub-headings of main themes, introduction, objectives, summary, glossary, and additional readings. It helps learners to overview the text and in locating relevant parts efficiently.

3. Objectives:

A list of learning objective is given in the beginning of the unit, which notes clearly what the learners will be able to learn or do after understanding the text. The objectives should be written in non-technical language preferably in the behavioural terms. Accordingly, objectives should be written in such behavioral terms as:

After going through this unit you will able to learn -----
You will be able to distinguish ----
Describe, define, explain, list, state, select etc.
You will be able to measure compare, compute, summaries etc.

4. Introduction:
There are three major components of an introduction:

i. Structural component:

In an introduction we give information about the previous contents and establish a link between what a learner has already learnt and what he is going to study in the present unit.

ii. Thematic component:

This is an overview describing the main concepts to be discussed in a particular unit. Its function is to attract the learner’s interest so that he/she gets motivated to go through the text.

iii .Guidance component:

What are the pre requisites or what the learners are supposed to do before they start reading the unit?

5. Headings and sub-headings:
Each heading should at least discuss one new concept and a self-check exercise related to that concept. Usually each section should be numbered and this numbering can be done in various ways. The Numbering system like 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 may be used for each heading. We have adopted the use of points where first digit before decimal refers to unit number and the second digit after decimal represents various headings in sequence. Similarly section has been divided into sub sections using two points 1.1.1, 1.1.2 …. and so on. It should be noticed that generally we do not use numbering beyond two points in the text. If any sub-section requires such numbering, we may give them simple number in bold typeface.
Having decided on the outline of the unit the course waiters develop the course with the following special considerations:
a. Small steps
b. Logical arrangements
c. Ordering the content
d. Personalized style
e. Simple language
f. Illustrations wherever essential
g. Assessment SAQs Assignments and unit end questions
6. Check your progress: ¼cks/k iz’u½
After the end of every section in the course material the writer should give some short answer questions to check the progress of the learner. The SAQs should be given in Boxes and sufficient blank space should be given for writing the answers by the learners. The number of SAQs may vary from unit to Unit depending upon the length of the lesson unit.
7. Summary: ¼lkjka’k½
At the end of the unit the course writers summarize the contents of the unit. The summary will supply feedback to the learners. There are two main purposes of summarizing the unit:
i.Recapitulation:
It helps the learners to recapitulate the important learning points discussed in the unit.
ii.Reinforcement:
Through the summary of the unit the learners remain motivated for further reading. They feel themselves capable of managing learning without much external help.

8. Glossary:
The glossary will help the learners comprehend the concepts as discussed in the text. It refreshes and clarifies the learners’ comprehension. It contains difficult words, concepts or key words.

9. Further Reading:
Many courses require learners to read some extra material in addition to the course units. The suggested books should be easily available to the distance learners. Full reference of the book should be given e.g. name of the author, year of publication, Title of the book publisher, place of publication, chapter specific page number etc should be given.
10.Answers to SAQs:
At the end of the unit answers to self assessment questions(SAQs) should be given so that the learner may match his/her answer to the model answer and may improve accordingly.
11. Unit end Questions:
At the end of the unit some questions should be given. These may be essay type long-answer questions, Open questions or short answer questions. In some units if there are needs, some objective type questions, true/ false questions may also be given.
In certain cases even after sending the model unit and detailed instructions the course writers do not strictly follow the format. Some others may partially follow the SLM format. In all such cases the faculty members in the department perform internal editing to bring it into the format. Many unit writers contribute text that is repetitive such text has to be deleted. After the internal editing the course material is sent to the subject editors. Depending upon the quality of the material, the editor is empowered to change the content, presentation and structure of the unit. If the Editor does not find a unit suitable, for whatever reasons, he/she has the authority of send it back to the author for improvement with his/ her suggestions or asks for rewriting or replacing that unit. After the subject editing the course material is sent for language editing. The convener is required to produce Camera Ready Copy (CRC) of the course material. Finally, the CRC of the course material is sent for printing to the Material Production and Distribution Division. The whole system of working is analogous to an industrialized system in which every stage/process is important and time bound. But in many cases delay at any one stage disturbs the whole process of developing the Self Learning Material in relevant to the Open University.

***
Notes

* Credit has been defined in terms of study hours required to complete the components of the Study Material i.e. reading text, answering the assignment, listening to audio, watching the video attending counselling sessions and memorizing the text for the purpose of the examinations. Generally in the opinion of the Experts one Credit is equivalent to 30 hours of study. As such, if Experts feel that a Course requires 240 hours of study during a year that is 30 hours a month for eight months then they assign it 8 credit. A programme may have number of Courses.

* In Open Universities a Paper is called a Course
* All the Courses together make a Programme.
* It is not essential to have uniform Credits for various Courses.
* Generally a 6 month Certificate Programme is of 18 Credit.
* A one Year U.G. Diploma Programme is of 24 Credits
* A One year P.G. Diploma Programme is of 30 Credits
* A Bachelor’s Degree Programme such as B.A. B.Com. B. Sc is of 108 Credits to be offered in three years.
* A Master’s Degree Programme is of 72 Credits 32 credits are to be offered in the Previous Examination and 40 credits are to be offered in the final year examination.
* Many other courses have their own pattern and the details could be seen in the prospectus.

Key Terms of Ethical Language :

The key terms of Ethical language are as follows :

(i)                Values : The moral principles and faiths that they think are important in life.

(ii)             Rights : A right is something that a person is normally or legally entitled to do it or to have it.  Right is entitlement.  The scope of right is limited by the right of others.

(iii)           Duties : A duty is something that a person feels he ought to do.  In simple words, a duty is an obligation.

(iv)           Moral Rules : These rules are rules for behaviour and guide people in competitive situations where interests collide.  A rule is the course of action to achieve a goal.  The examples of moral rules are ‘keep promises’, ‘use no violence’, help each other, ‘do not copy in exams’, etc.

Concept of Business Ethics

Business Ethics

Introduction :

               The word ethics finds its origin from the Greek word ethos which means character or customs.  It is a subject of moral philosophy where we study certain values that concern human beings.  A sense of ethical values informs people’s lives, directly in deciding what to do, and in their comments, and judgments on people and actions including their own.  People try to shape their lives by reference to such values.  The subject is called indifferently, ‘moral philosophy’ or ‘ethics’, but the terms, ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’ do have slightly different resonances.  ‘Ethical’ (derived from Greek word for personal character) carries a broader conception including a concern with the value of different kinds of like and activity; ‘moral’ (derived from Latin Word for social custom) tends to narrow its interest to rules and obligation, and to the experiences and consideration most closely related to those morality deals with right and wrong conduct and also with good and bad character.  Ethics clarifies the concept or right and wrong with rationality.  It tries to define and distinguish with reasons, what is right and what is wrong.  Since beginning of history, people have lived by rules of some kind or other.  These rules were simple in the traditional village society but became more complex and more complicated as these societies grew, they formed certain moral codes.  These were often closely identified with their religion.  The ‘Golden Rule’, with its simple statement, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, has remained over the centuries a basic moral code.  Society judges the human behavior in the light of the motives and actions.  Either an action it self may be right or wrong or the motive behind the action is good or bad.  Some persons do not believe in following rules or codes often these persons believe in a code for others but not for themselves.  This situation demands enforcement of more and more laws.  However there are some schools of thought who criticize government intervention and advocates less governmental control.

Concept of Business Ethics :

               When the ethics is applied to business dealing what does it mean.  Business is an economic activity which aims at earning profit by producing at optimum cost.  Therefore some people think that business and ethics are two different concepts.  They cannot be put together under any case.  As we have already explained above ethics is concerned with moral behaviour of an individual and guide individual behaviour by defining what is good or bad, right or wrong behaviour.

               Though this view is logical but one should not forget that business is a part and parcel of human life.  Business organizations do not exist and function outside society.  Therefore it is quite normal that business organizations accept the social responsibility and behave for the maximum good of the society.  The business ethics, however, should be given special attention due to the specific problems and opportunities faced by business.  We shall try to look at a few definitions of ethics and business ethics to clarify the meaning and concept.

               According to Webster dictionary – “Ethics is the discipline dealing with what is good or bad, right or wrong or moral duty or obligation.  It is as group of moral principles or set of values.  These principles and values govern the conduct of an individual or a profession.”

               According to Paul W. Taylor, ethics may be defined as a philosophical enquiry into the nature and grounds of morality.

               Ethics is related to law, but it is a much broader field because it includes more than the punishment of the individual.  An act may be lawful and yet unethical because it violates a moral consideration involving the difference between right and wrong.  Ethical rules differ from legal rules chiefly because the former are not enforced by public authority, whereas legal rules are.  If business transactions were conducted on a high ethical place there would be no need for business law.  Though the basic ethical standards are universal, the difference lies in the application of ethical principles in business situations.  Therefore Baumhart says that, the objectives, intentions, circumstances and outcomes of the actions of businessmen and the right or wrong of it is the domain of business ethics.

               To some it is very surprising that there should be a term called business ethics.  On their opinion the basic ethical standards are universal.  The business community forms such a large part of society that “ethics of businessmen”
 or “business ethics” are of social importance.  This business ethics, we may define as: “Businessman’s integrity so far as his conduct or behaviour is concerned in all fields of business as well as towards the society and other business”.

               “Business ethics’ deals with morality in the business environment it involves moral judgements based on understanding of norms of society.  Ethics extends beyond the legal question and involves goodness or badness of an act.  Therefore charging higher price by a village trader may be legally right but morally, this is not fair.

               In ethical conduct, there is an implicit awareness of the need to transcend selfishness, greed, and striving exclusively for material wealth.  The desire for profit is seldom the sole motive in managerial decisions.  As managers become more professionally oriented and as corporate social consciousness expands, the ethical foundations of managerial actions will increase its importance.”

               “Garrett has defined “ethics” and “Business ethics” in the following words, Ethics is the science of judging specially human ends and the relationship of means of those ends.  In some way, it is also the art of controlling means so that they will serve specifically human needs”.  From this point of  view, ethics involves the use of any human knowledge whatsoever which has something to tell us about the relations between men or about the suitability of the available instruments.  As an art it involves techniques of judging and decision making as well as the tools of social control and personal development.  Ethics is or should be involved in all human activities.

               “Business ethics” is concerned primarily with the relationship of business goals and techniques to specific human needs.  It studies the impact of acts on the good of an individual, the firm, the business community and the society as a whole.  Business ethics, in other words, studies the special obligations which a men and a citizen accepts when he becomes a part of the world of commerce.  Business ethics examines the impact of actions and interactions of the business people as a whole.  Business system is a means, not an end in it self.  The system is controlled by businessmen.  Business ethics attempts to develop a self monitoring mechanisms to see that fair practices prevail and business will be organized and conducted in good spirit.

(1)        Ethics relates to all human activities including business activities as an individual.

(2)        The lawful act may also be unethical.  This means the field of ethics is broader than law.

(3)        Ethical behaviour in one society may differ from another society.  Thus the behaviour which is accepted as ethical in one societal situation may be generally unethical behaviour in another.  It is the sociocultural environment that determines the behaviour as ethical or unethical.

(4)        The concept of equity is implied in ethical rules.  It provides basis of ethics.

(5)        Ethical behaviour is personal.

(6)        Ethics carries the idea of what should be, it demands the existence of sound moral character.

(7)        Business ethics is the behaviour of business man as an individual different from the business organization.  It makes businessman honest, just and responsible citizen.

(8)        Business ethics is not enforced by legislation  but by a sense of moral values and good behaviour.  It emphasizes self-imposed discipline rather than any external force.

(9)        Ethics is not simply an emotional expression such as be good and do good.  It is a rational analysis and conclusions about the fundamental elements that decides good and bad behaviour.

(10)   According to William Shaw  business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong or good and bad, human conduct in business context.