INTEGRATING OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AS A TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Background and Purpose: The threat brought about by Coronavirus or Covid-19 had made a huge impact not only on the economic, tourism, and health sectors, but it also hardly hit the education system of the world at large. Specifically, this pandemic crisis has caused higher education institutions (HEIs) to abruptly shift to open distance learning (ODL) as a response to the call for continued education despite the global health threat. Methodology: Using quantitative approach and purposive sampling that led to soliciting good responses from 320 respondents from both private and public HEIs in Melaka, this study explains the reality, the readiness and willingness of learners and lecturers have experienced in ODL. Findings: Findings indicate that technology use in ODL teaching and learning offers a lot of opportunities for both learners and lecturers. The instructors and learners perceived that ODL is effective with the use of technology merging the old and the new. Three aspects were indicated from this study namely 1) interaction between learners or among themselves as peers and 2) technical support and 3) pedagogical demands. Nonetheless, there were some challenges faced by both lecturers and learners such as; unreliable internet access, high costs associated with bandwidth, technophobia and inadequate pedagogical skills of online lecturers found from this study too. Contributions: Thus, it is deemed important to identify and understand learners' experiences in an online education technology course facilitated through various digital platforms. It is time we accept blended learning if not ODL. Blended learning has grown in use across HEIs to replace traditional classroom learning.