How to survive in an ODL environment?

Many of us have gone through the conventional learning environment of attending face-to-face lectures and tutorials at universities or colleges.

Many would then ask how is it like learning in an ODL (Open and Distance Learning) environment when hours of classes attended are limited or it doesn't exist at all!

For me, I don't like the idea of attending classes to learn something. I rather read a book on my own and learn it by myself. I prefer reading a book by myself rather than sitting in a classroom listening to some unnecessary dreadful painful lectures. Anyway, lecturers are humans as well just like you and I. If they can master the subject matter, so can you.

The key to success in an ODL environment is self-discipline!

You have to study on your own, practice exercises on your own, and revise everything on your own. If you have questions, just post your questions online and your lecturers/tutors will answer you. That's what I like about ODL.

If you had been attending tuition classes when you were in primary and secondary schools, the ODL environment will definitely give you a culture shock because classes are limited. The tuition classes you had attended when you were in school have made you very reliant on the teachers. Attending tuition classes does not encourage you to do your own reading and to do your own research. The tuition teachers are just spoon feeding all of the students by teaching, teaching, and teaching every single detail of the syllabus.

The ODL environment inculcates independent learning because you won't be given any lectures. For those who are lazy and for those who refuses to read on their own, they won't survive the ODL environment.

To survive in an ODL environment, you must be independent and you must have strong self-discipline!