How the Printed Materials Designed and Standardized to Meet the Needs of UT Students

 

 

Darminah

Benny Nugraha

 

 

 

Universitas Terbuka (UT) conducts a different system than other conventional universities, a distance learning system in which the students learn by themselves most of the time. In conventional universities, teachers and students meet face to face regularly on the classroom. UT students, however, do not attend lectures. They never meet and the do not even know their teachers because they study in using “self instructional” learning materials which are specifically designed to enable the students to study on their own, independent of direct assistance from a lecture. Therefore, UT has to provide the students with the appropriate learning materials that enable them to study by themselves. These learning materials should be readable and comprehensible.

 

One important thing that UT should take into its consideration is that its students come from around the country and who have various backgrounds of skills and ability. Therefore, UT has to provide the students with the right learning materials so that they will have skills and ability needed at their workplace. Consequently, the learning materials should be well designed and standardized to meet the needs of the students.

 

The course materials that UT provides include print and non print materials such as modules, audio cassettes, reference materials, practicum guides, and electronic mails. However, the most favorable material chosen by the students is the module. How are the modules designed and standardized to meet the needs of the students? The paper will answer this question comprehensively. The discussion will include the course designs, the components of the modules, and how to write the modules.

 

 

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Darminah, & Nugraha, B. (2003, October). How the printed materials designed and standardized to meet the needs of UT students. Paper presented at the 51^st TEFLIN International Conference, Bandung, Indonesia.

 

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