扩大开放远程学习的规模并提高保持率——马来西亚开放大学的策略

Widen Access and Improve Retention in Open and Distance Learning: The Strategies of Open University Malaysia

作为马来西亚第一所开放远程学习机构，马来西亚开放大学的创建旨在通过向不同背景的人士提供高等教育机会，从而帮助政府实现教育民主化的倡议。然而，这里存在两个明显不相容的议题，一是无所不包，另一个就是卓越。为了应对这一挑战，马来西亚开放大学设计并实施了一些策略，以确保获得学习机会的学习者能有成功的机会，这些策略涉及到开放远程学习的很多方面，例如入学要求、提供相关专业和课程、适当的评估和监控。本文还介绍了规模和保持方面的问题，以及未来一些新的确保教育公平、灵活的方法。

As Malaysia's premier open and distance learning(ODL) institution, Open University Malaysia (OUM) was established to help realize the Government's call for the democratisation of education by facilitating and widening access to higher education for people from diverse backgrounds. However, underlying the widening access agenda are two distinct propositions that are not readily compatible with each other: inclusiveness and excellence. To rise to this challenge, OUM has devised and employed strategies to ensure that learners who are given the opportunity to engage in learning have a realistic chance of success. The strategies encompass the various facets of ODL, from entry requirements to providing relevant programmes and curriculum, ensuring flexible, effective and engaging learning, providing appropriate support services, ensuring appropriate assessment and monitoring right through to learners' graduation. Some pertinent issues related to access and retention are raised and some new future approaches to ensure an equitable and flexible path to education are included.