Abstract:

Even though online learning has been becoming a normal mode in western distance learning practices, it is still relatively new for Indonesia. As an open university, Universitas Terbuka has started to develop online learning supports for its students since early 2000, but the institutional policy to provide online tutorials for all courses did not begin until 2010 and its implementation was done gradually in accordance with the faculty’s readiness.

Universitas Terbuka (UT) is the only open university in Indonesia and the only university that delivers all its courses at a distance. UT’s instructional system is based on printed learning materials supplemented by various learning supports including online tutorials that are not compulsory. The non-compulsory policy was taken considering the lack of IT infrastructure in many parts of Indonesia where students live. As an insentive to encourage students to participate in online tutorials, their participation (and assignments) in the online tutorials will contribute 30% to their final course grades. In accordance with this flexibility, UT students can be grouped into those who register and participate in online tutorials and those who do not. Within student group that register in the online tutorials, they can be further clustered into those who are only lurking and those who actively participate in the discussions and submit assignments.

UT has four faculties among which is the Faculty for Science and Technology (FST). One of the study programs in the FST is Biology and and one of the core courses in Biology curriculum is Ecology (BIOL4215). Although Ecology is initially developed for students in Biology Study Programs, but due to its content relevance, this course is also one of mandatory courses in another Study Program, i.e Rural and Urban Planning Study Program (Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota).

The course has been offered to students since 2011, but the provision of online tutorial for the course only started in 2014. It is expected that online tutorials will help students learn/study better and thus enhance their learning achievement. Data show that the number of students who register for online tutorials has been increasing (Hewindati, 2018), but its effectiveness in enhancing students’ achievement has never been investigated. This paper discusses the participation rate of students registered for Ecology course in online tutorials and its contribution to the final course grade. Specifically, the paper discusses whether students’ participation in online tutorials have a significant positive correlation with their final examination scores and final course scores (with the contribution of online tutorial scores).

Based on data of 2017-2019, the study found that students’ active participation in online tutorials significantly correlated with their examination grades and their course final grades. However, the study also reveals that when the students were only lurking and did not submit the assignments, their participations is not correlated with their final achievement. These findings indicate that the provision of online tutorials can significantly enhance students’ achievements as expected if students participate actively.

Keywords:

Online learning, online tutorial, ecology, student achievement.