With rapid emergence to the birth of the knowledge era, an active and interactive learning environment is fundamental to any teaching and learning process. Over time, negative implications of traditional learning environment are mounting, and measures must be taken to challenge it. With extensive research on available learning tools, it has become more feasible to provide our students with better learning opportunities. Such was the anticipation in the Malaysian educational context. Hence, this paper aims to address qualitative findings of a study on self-regulated learning strategies conveyed through the proposed interactive elearning community (iELC). In duration of eight weeks, students (n = 50) from regular national secondary schools were subjected to online learning tasks aimed to advance strategies on self-regulated learning. To date, strategies of self-regulated learning have been perceived as key to learner to succeed academically and after the schooling years. By means of semi-structured interview, data were collected from small group and one-to-one perception. Results were directed at the overall development of self-regulated learning strategies and its diffusion in the iELC discussion platform. Conclusively, these findings add significantly to the understanding of self-regulated learning strategies in an online learning environment.

One of the emerging issues in educational discourse today is the development of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and its potential in expanding access and improving the quality of education, particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia. There are an increasing number of OER materials which are created and made available by multilateral agencies, consortia and individual organizations but it is under-utilized. The increasing potential of OER is said to bring change perspectives from learners as well as the teachers who struggle to find new approaches to make the learning and teaching more meaningful. This paper will explore the perceptions of English language teachers in a developing country such as Malaysia on the creation, sharing and usage of OERs to increase their students' participation in higher education, especially in a lifelong learning context. Data was collected based on a survey conducted among English language teachers who are currently employed in a local public university. The findings of this study is hoped to change the mindsets of traditional English language teachers as to the inclusion or acceptance of OER in their teaching process, in line with Malaysia's vision to become a centre for knowledge in the Asian region.

With the latitude of globalisation spreading across countries in the world, student transfer and studying abroad have been made easier and more economical for students who intend to further their studies abroad. This growing population of international students shows the need to start addressing critical underlying issues regarding accommodation of new environment of international freshmen, plausible barriers faced by international students at their host countries and measures to minimise negative impression of intercultural communication. The growing amalgamation of local and international cultures also evinces symptoms of isolation among the local students. In light of this aim, this descriptive-analytical study investigates the correlation between student isolation and their university learning experiences, with the latter variable indexed in terms of academic, social and psychological isolation. A total of 581 students across various disciplines participated in this study. Findings provide rich, descriptive understanding of the phenomenon of student isolation, and facilitate the awareness to all stakeholders to give more leverage in the engagement and management of such issue in the educational context. Conclusively, findings have shown the importance of prioritising students’ needs from a holistic view as every aspect intertwines to enhance students’ success rate during their learning journey in university, as well as employability rate after their graduation.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.*Related content and download information correct at time of download. (1999), to profile information-seeking behaviour of their distance students in using library resources in their research and learning activities. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -Using random sampling method, samples were selected to ensure proper representation of the population across four schools of studies and five regional centres. A total of 550 questionnaires were sent to undergraduate and postgraduate students, and 435 completed questionnaires were returned with a success response rate of 79 per cent. Findings -Findings indicated significant differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students in using the university's MyDigital Library and physical library for their information needs. Findings also indicated significant difference between first-year and post-first-year students in using internet search engines as part of their information-seeking process. Practical implications -Students improving on their information-seeking behaviour in the learning and research work paved way for them to better experience university vivacity and not isolate themselves from distance learning. Originality/value -This paper acknowledges the importance of promoting good informationseeking behaviour among distance learners in the scholarship of learning and research work. The paper also amplifies the important role library plays in minimizing students' sense of isolation in university learning experience. IntroductionThe emergence and development of technology-aided distance education is a relatively new approach in the Malaysian educational landscape. With the recent exponential technological development in educational practices, a growing number of institutions have attempted to service distance education programmes via various modes, some favouring more face-to-face contact hours while others take a liking for engagement in the online learning environment. Regardless on these modes of delivery, what is certain is the need for students to be technologically literate for them to successfully savour the university learning experience.Wawasan Open University offered the first suite ...

Purpose Recent advancement in technological development has encouraged distance learning institutions to be more productive and creative in effectively utilizing the Learning Management System (LMS). Among the many measures employed is the integration of federated search engine into the LMS which allows for a more productive and wider scope of information retrieval through the provisions of library resources and services. The purpose of this paper is to report one such case study in Wawasan Open University exploring the integration of federated search engine (EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) widget) into the learning spaces of LMS. Widgets resemble apps that enable the integration of EDS functionality in providing access for students to retrieve library learning resources from the convenience of the LMS, excluding the need to log onto the library. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a discussion that highlights the development and conjectural implementation of a framework on the integration of the EDS widget into the University’s LMS. Data collection includes meta-analysis data from the micro- and macro-level infrastructure that make up the framework, namely, end-user layer, system layer and data management layer. Findings Findings from this study addressed significant importance to the library in promoting effective search and utilization of information needs. The findings will also make clear recommendations in developing effective collaborations between the library and faculties. Although the implementation of this framework is still in a developmental stage, this study still provides pertinent information in validating the integration of EDS into the University’s LMS. Research limitations/implications While serious limitations are not anticipated, possible concerns do exist with programming algorithms in the integration of EDS into the LMS. These challenges will be reported in the paper as reference for future replications of study Practical implications One key implication is the increase in the usage of the library resources and the potential to reach a larger audience of remote library users. Originality/value The primary advantage is to minimize the need for multiple gateway login while ensuring the library to monitor relevant library databases activities throughout the system check of the LMS.