Dedy Gunawan*
There have been great changes in technology and its use. More teachers all around the world have considered using technology in teaching. This global trend of technology integration in teaching and learning has also influenced the Indonesian education system. In distance education, particularly in the Open University, technology is a part of teaching and learning. However, there is still a big question about whether or not technology has effectively been integrated in the Open University education system.
Since its establishment in 1984, Open University has used wide range of media in instructional programs. At the beginning the university relied on traditional printed course materials and limited use of radio, telephones, videocassettes and computers. Following the launch of Nusantara 21, a national electronic communication infrastructure, the Open University expanded the use of technology in instruction with the Internet (Belawati, 2002). Yuheti (cited in Ali, 2004) states that in the future the school curriculum as well as higher education in Indonesia will continue to adjust to the trend of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The Internet resources applied in Open University tutorials are Internet and Fax-Internet. In the Internet tutorials, the tutors deliver the material through email. If there is a question about a certain subject, the students also use email. The Open University also provides Fax-Internet Gateway (FIG) Services in its regional offices. This device enables the students to receive the materials as well as to send any questions during the tutorials through Fax-Internet.
In distance tutorials, these types of technologies are considered to be an effective and efficient media of instruction. Despite is effectiveness and efficiency, however, they do not seem to support properly teaching and learning. There are still barriers particularly in its implementation related to human factors and the availability of the technology.
The problems that occur during the Internet-based tutorials are mostly because of the lack of students’ technological proficiency and tutors’ responsiveness. According to a study carried out by Belawati et al (2002) some Open University students do not have enough skill to send and retrieve email while the others do not seem to have a sufficient understanding about the purpose of on line tutorials. The problems are made worse since tutors awareness of incoming emails was likewise unsatisfactory. They failed to adhere to minimum tutorial performance guidelines i.e. initiating contact with students, checking their email regularly, and responding to any incoming email. 80 per cent of tutors did not even open their email account during the study.
In contrast to tutorials through email, which can easily be used by the students throughout Indonesia, Fax-Internet tutorials are only available in a university with FIG service that is currently located in only seven (out of 31) of the Open University regional offices. This problem causes a low participation rate in the tutorials.
Nevertheless, the technical problem is not merely students’ problem but the tutors’ as well. The number of personal computer (PC) provided by the university is not balanced with the number tutors. The ratio between the number of PCs and the tutors is 1:20 at ideal proportion of 1:5. This makes it difficult for the tutors to access to the Internet to either deliver the material or open the incoming emails.
Yulaelawati (2006) offers a solution that the university might have to give pre-training for a certain period of time about the use of technology before the students study. The training should also be given to the tutors by providing qualified mentors who are technologically proficient and present better and more effective strategies for technology integration. This preparation program should also provide adequate modeling of technology integration (Brown D & Warschauer M, 2006).
The tutorial rules concerning the duty of the tutors must be clearly stated. This will guide the tutors to work more responsibly. The implementation of rewards and punishment within the rules would be a good idea. Rewards could be given to the tutors who can perform good works and obey the tutorial rules. On the other hand, the tutors who could not work responsibly might get punishments from the university. The punishments could hopefully reduce the tutors’ lack of awareness and the rewards would motivate the tutors to do better jobs.
In addition, the Open University should provide the technology needed in the tutorials. The university should provide FIG service in each regional office. This will give similar opportunities to the students throughout Indonesia to participate in the Fax-Internet tutorials and would probably increase the students’ participation rate in the tutorials.
Eventually, the university should also pay more attention to the availability of PC used by the tutors. The university should balance the ratio between the tutors and the number of PCs. This will hopefully increase the tutors’ awareness to send the tutorials materials to the students and solve the students’ problems delivered through email. What can be inferred from this situation is that the technology integration in Open University is still very far from satisfactory. Although the Internet and Fax-Internet are considered effective and efficient media of distance instructions, there are still some problems in its implementation such as lack of the students’ technological skill, bad responsiveness of the tutors and the availability of the Fax-Internet Gateway and the tutors’ personal computer. The technological literacy related problems could be solved by giving pre-training both to the students and the tutors before the period of study. The clearness of rules, with rewards and punishments implementation, could probably increase the tutors’ responsibility in giving distance tutorials. Finally, the university should provide sufficient numbers of personal computers to fit the ratio between the tutors and the PCs as well as provide the Fax-Internet Gateway service in all regional offices.
*Gunawan, D, currently works for Education Quality Assurance Institution, based in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia and is Master of Education candidate in Adelaide, South Australia.
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