INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM

The current system of instruction at TNOU comprises the following:

• Printed materials in self-learning format.
• Face-to-face contact classes in the form of counselling/tutoring sessions.
• Continuous assessment of learner progress through assignments.
• Term-end examinations.

Computer-media materials including interactive CDs, teleconferencing sessions, radio interactive, phone-in sessions, etc., are being planned to add value to the Courses and enrich the learning experience of the learners.

Instructional transactions are effected with the help of techniques appropriate to distance learning and enriched by capitalizing on the ones that may maximize the effectiveness of such transactions and are easily available to TNOU. Didactic interaction is provided by a variety of techniques/means. For example, the self-learning study materials have ample in-text questions and advance organizers, access devices, learner activities and self-check questions, which work as in-built devices for academic interaction, however simulated it may be; carefully created assignment-questions, assignment-responses and the teaching type tutor-comments thereon constitute another level of academic interaction; tutorials, whether face-to-face, on the network or by correspondence/e-mail/telephone, constitute yet another means of such interaction and a judicious use of appropriate technology contributes to sustain the quality.

However, note that only limited face-to-face instruction will be available to DE students and, in certain cases, there may be no face-to face instruction at all. In the main, the number of such sessions depends mainly on the requirements of the Course.

Assignments are used for purposes of enhancing interaction as well as assessment of learning outcomes. Generally, assignments will reflect Course objectives and the style and form of term-end examination. The instructions accompanying the assignments will advise about the dates of submission (for assignment-responses) and explicitly outline the scope and extent of responses expected from the learners. In addition, the assignments will comprise short answer questions (to cover the course content), essay type questions (to support and assess cognition), application type questions (to support and assess applications of what is supposed to have been learnt) and any other subject-specific items. Assignments will generally be delivered to learners along with the course materials as pullouts so that they may be changed every year. Depending on the Course-requirements, assignments will carry a certain weight for final assessment. In order to ensure uniformity in assessing the assignment-responses, tutors/examiners will generally be supplied with marking schemes to assess them.

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Structure:
Pay attention to Unit-structures, if you want to get a clear picture of the Course as a whole and a Unit in particular. From the way the Unit is structured, you will easily deduce the relative importance of the topics in the context of that particular Unit. In other words, you will know how the Unit writer has arranged the topics for you.

In technical terms, STRUCTURE represents the concept map of the Unit. That is, it gives you an idea as to how the content has been visualized and sequenced by the writer, and this helps you read and comprehend the materials better. Notice the numbering scheme. Evidently, the Units are divided into structural and thematic (topic) sections and only thematic sections are numbered. They are numbered in the sequence using one point, e.g., 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and so on. In this example, the left digit (i.e., 2) denotes the Unit number and the digit on the right hand side of the point denotes the section number, i.e., the first thematic section of Unit 2, the second thematic section of Unit 2 and so on. Similarly, a thematic section may be divided into subsections using two points. Under Section 2.3 above, the subsections could be 2.3.1, 2.3.2 and 2.3.3. Each number conveys a meaning in terms of a Unit or a section or a subsection. For example, in the case of 2.3.2, 2 stands for the Unit, 3 stands for the section and 2 for the subsection. In other words, it indicates the second subsection of the third thematic section of Unit 2.

Numbering has been kept only at two points - beyond which it will look structurally clumsy. However, where subsections are further divided, they have been indicated in the materials with appropriate type sizes and/or typefaces.

Overview:
Besides giving an overview of the topic of discussion, this section provides you with a link across the Units. Look also for study-advice in this section.

Learning Objectives:
This section states what you will be able to do after working through the Units. In fact, you can compare your progress with the expected learning outcomes specified in this section. If you could not achieve the objectives, reflect on why you could not achieve them. To identify the problem or the solution, keep in touch with your academic-counsellor, fellow learners and of course the Student Support Services Division. Do not hesitate to do this.

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Summary:
While recapitulating the current Unit-content, this section gives you an idea about the Unit that follows as well, and to that extent it prepares you for the next Unit.

Besides, these structural and thematic sections, there are a few LEARNING ACTIVITIES in the materials.

Learning activities:
Each Unit has a few questions under the title LEARNING ACTIVITY. These Activities are essentially for self-assessment and are presented in a box. Each question is followed by an answer-space for you to write the answer. Once you complete writing your own answers, you can compare them with the ones given at the end of each Unit. So, you get an immediate feedback as to whether you have answered the questions correctly or otherwise.

Remember to write your own answers before checking them with those at the end of each Unit. You may, however, discuss with your friends and conceptualize the answer. The purposes of self-assessment questions are varied ranging from breaking monotony of continuous reading to reflective thinking.

Margin space:
All Units have wider margin space. Use these margins to make notes. Jot down important points on the margins as you read. Along with STRUCTURE, OVERVIEW and SUMMARY, your jottings on the margins help you save time during revision - you need not have to go through each and every paragraph to understand what is presented in these sections.