Article Review: Blog as the Media in Teaching-Learning Process (+Speech-To-Text Tutorial Link)

The full article can be accessed and downloaded from
rumahbelajar.id

Based on the journal article "Blog as the Media in Teaching-Learning Process", rapid improvement of the Internet is the reason why people are increasingly using blogs. 

A blog is one of the facilities on the Internet that allows users to send data and regular diaries which can be accessed by others. Teachers can use a blog for educational purposes. Among the purpose is to collect student's assignments. 

In their research, Suratinah and Suraja conducted interviews with teachers and students from the Cross-Cultural Understanding Program to find out what they think about the Internet and the use of blogs in the teaching-learning process. 

The results show that teachers do not only utilize blogs to collect assignments, but also to share information, motivate students to adapt to the development of technology, know cultures of different countries, improve writing skills, and publish them. 

Students consider the Internet as very important to get data. Perceiving blog as a teaching-learning facility on the Internet, 70% agree that a blog is effective to collect assignments, while 30% disagree. 

In conclusion, a blog or blogs can be used as media in our teaching-learning process. Therefore it is recommended for teachers and students to use blogs in their classes. 


SPECIAL NOTE:

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Article Report: Improving English Competence of JHS Students Through Lecfencto

The full article as it appeared in the journal
can be accessed and downloaded from rumahbelajar.id

Reading is one of the key skills that junior high school students must master. Through his classroom action research, Joko Sulistya (2012) investigated how Lectora for English Competence (Lectora) might impact students' learning outcome in terms of reading procedure text. Classroom E, which consisted of 30 pupils of SMPN 2 Bambanglipuro, were selected because of their low reading scores.

The research was conducted in 2 cycles with each cycle consisting of planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in form of a questionnaire, interview transcripts, observation, and reading test scores.

As accomplishment indicators, Sulistya divided the indicators into two categories:

• Process accomplishment indicator: The process is successful if more than 70% of the students are in favor of Lecfenco and active during the learning process.
• Action accomplishment indicator: The action is successful if the students' average reading score is higher than the passing grade, namely 70.00.

The qualitative data show that:

• 24 of the pupils (80%) were active.
• 73.33% believed that Lecfenco made it easier for them to comprehend procedure text.
• 76.67% felt their confidence improved.
• 83.33% had more motivation to practice reading (and writing).
• 80% found their ability in answering procedure text increased.
• 96.67% grasped the usefulness of Lecfenco in learning how to read.

Thus, it can be concluded that the use of Lecfenco improved students' reading skills at SMPN 2 Bambanglipuro which is located in Bantul, Yogyakarta, and it would be beneficial to be conducted in our schools or educational institutions as well. 

Article Report: Quality of Open and Distance Learning at Hanoi Open University

The full article can be accessed and downloaded from
rumahbelajar.id

Pan Van Que and Tran Duc Vuong from Vietnam conducted a research about the quality of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) towards Hanoi Open University in 2008. The main question was the management and development of quality in ODL: How an educational institution can manage ODL effectively and improve the quality to meet expectations of its intended audience.

According to the provisional regulations on accreditation published by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, there were 10 areas of standards that needed to be met. To ease the process of identifying what and how the quality of ODL can be measured, Que and Vuong relied on a Four Component Model developed by Professor Robinson from the University of Leeds, UK. The model investigated: 

• Products
• Services
• Administrative system
• Philosophy and ethos in connection to the quality of learning experience for learners.

In addition, they incorporated the Quality Wheel Model (focusing on learning materials, administration, learner support services, & learning experience) and Model of Five Criteria (consisting of effort, performance, adequacy, efficiency, and process). Based on the three mentioned models, Hanoi Open University has proven itself to provide quality education. It lived up (and surely still does live up) its slogan to upgrade people's knowledge, train human resources and breed talents. This was evident through the following indicators:

• The faculties produced graduates with good quality that attracted employment of enterprises.
• The human resources trained met requirements of particular areas, regions, and industries in terms of suitability, adaptability, and effectiveness.
• The number of students continuously increased.
• Hanoi Open University catered students from all social spheres, leading to new motivations to learn.
• Cooperation with mass media allowed nearly 9.000 ODL programs to be broadcast, bringing knowledge and news to million.
• 45 local centers were established in 26 provinces and cities, making the system stretch from north to south, serving people from different areas.
• Print media were combined with CDs, VCDs, CD-ROMs, video conferencing, e-books, web-based materials, online tutorials, and radio transmissions.
• The university minimized costs, resulting in effective budgeting.

In conclusion, ODL in Hanoi Open University met standards of quality when measured with the three selected models. But by the end of the day, the students are in the best position to evaluate the quality, which is personal and subjective, based on individual needs, demands, desires, and experiences.

Since customer satisfaction is the most prominent aspect in quality, Que and Vuong suggested ODL institutions to have among others: Measurable standards, guidelines for implementation, the inclusion of stakeholder involvement, consistent evaluation methods, and coordinated quality assurance initiatives at regional, national, and international levels.