Consolidated Peer Review

Authors:

Higher Education Focus Group (Jenkins, Preston, Jacques, Avery)

Case Study:

The Open University of China

Summarize the case studies under the following aspects:

1. Content: How well developed are the case study sub-topics? Are the most important topics
covered sufficiently given the context, and are these effectively communicated? Are there gaps in
the information needed in order to make informed recommendations about learner support and if
so, what are these? Overall, does the case study automatically lend itself to some logical
recommendations about learner support (e.g. demonstrating that the authors were thinking about
what they need to know about this situation in order to provide the best and most appropriate
support for these particular learners)?

The sub-topics are developed to varying degrees with some sub-topics more thorough
than others, although much of the important details are present. While the study presents
details about learner support services, there lacks sufficient detail to allow the reader to
figure out what improvements are needed. There was little detail about the types of
academic programs the university offers; although mention is made they do not have
enough variety, leaving the reader unsure of where improvements can be made. While
there is some discussion of the types of learners, there is not enough detail about the
types of support the learners require given that China is a huge country and many learners
are either in small villages or large cities, each representing different support challenges.

The sub-topics cover relevant information. There does appear to be information that is
referenced on the surface and then leaves the reader with questions of what the answer is.
The case study does share some learner support information but does not go into
necessary detail to determine clear path ahead for decisions. There was discussion on the
needs of specific learners (i.e., military service members, remote region inhabitants), but
not enough information on support services provided. Other references lacked substance
with vague innuendo to other universities.

Most subtopics cover the subject matter fairly well. A view/review of the services offered
would help in the document. There is some inconsistency in the Institution Characteristics
and Institutional Resources sections, some of it due to sentence construction and how the
material is organized. Learner Support Services was a well-documented section. The
Conclusion points to a number of fixes that should happen, but a more detailed response
would have been helpful. Much of the detail in the document is open-ended and requires
more information. While it is hard to do given time constraints, a unified writing style
should have been utilized, probably through an editor/document assembler.

Based on the vast scope of the task, the Higher Education Focus Group (HEFG)
conducted a literary review by analysing and identifying the various relevant topics
associated with the CRTVU's teaching and learning model also known as the Open
University of China. The (HEFG) members in collaboration with one another chose to
focus on areas of learner support by exploring various strategies and methodological
approaches. While gathering information on the characteristics of the (OUC), reviewing
its learner support services, researching the availability of possible resources, deciding
the types of learners, taking note of the desired learner outcomes, as well as assessing the
challenges and opportunities faced by the institution, the information obtained was based
on a literary review produced a final report.

While reading the case study I was thought that they gave a general understanding of the
basic information for The Open University of China. I understood that there were a
couple of challenges they had but I didnt think they had enough information to cover a
individual assignment. I would have been nice to see that they dug deep into the
challenges of having an Open University in China. I would think it would be a challenge
to have support services in rural area. How do they handle tech support and
administrative services even though their growth rate increases each year. Since they are
a looking to find information for an individual paper, it would have been nice to see that
information in order to state which services they needed to improve.

2. Research: Is the case study sufficiently researched? What sources are used and are these
used effectively to support the information provided and any claims that are made?

While the case study cites a number of sources, the predominant source is the OUCs own
website, which could include some bias in the details. Also, there is some concern about

the use of Wikipedia as a source when the information is probably available on a more
reliable source. I had difficulty finding the referenced material from the one citation I
attempted to use (the citation read para. 3 but the page was not in paragraphs).

The main source of information is from the OUC website. Other sources, such as the
President of OUC and Wikipedia left concern of possible bias in source material or use of
possible unreliable material/source.

Much of the information comes directly from the Open University Worldwide website.
Some more diversity would have been helpful to get a broader and less controlled picture
of the university.

Although the proposed recommendations made by the (HEFG) were sound, due to the
nature of the assignment, they were unable to perform a more detailed analysis based on a
limited access to external resources that mostly comes from first-hand knowledge. When
investigating a case, first hand research methods such as personal interviewing techniques
and surveying a potential pool of participants prove to be a more useful tool in areas
where literary reviews may fall short.

There seems to be substantial research in the case study but I was not sure about the table
they provided. That information was nice but it would have been nice to see that
information in a paragraph.

3. Organization: Is there a clear introduction, body, and summary/conclusion? Is the case study
organized logically with clear sub-topics? Is the information within each sub-topic organized well
using bullets and or paragraphs? Does one sentence and each idea flow logically to the next?

The case study is organized in an orderly and logical manner with a conclusion and
clearly labeled sub-topics. The two tables should be formatted and cited so the reader
knows where the information came from. Most of the case study does flow logically,
although at times grammar errors cause some confusion.

The case study does contain the sub-topic areas as well as a conclusion. Most sentences
and thoughts do flow logically but have a few areas that display minor disjointedness in
the writing flow. Grammar and word choice cause some difficulty for the reader in
determining the meaning. The tables should be properly formatted and cited within the
body. It would be beneficial to convert to a picture format so the information does not
distort when opening in word processing.

The material is well organized and placed appropriately for structure. Some of the
introductory information could be summarized better and some details moved elsewhere.
Also, the conclusion material could expand more on what is being done, what needs to be
done, how these actions are being performed, etc.

Based on the information contained in the report, the (HEFG) group took advantage of
their collaborative time spent and worked together as a team to ensure the success of the
overall completion of the assignment. The (HEFG) group used an introductory opening
paragraph in consultation with the instructional format and used a sequence of paragraphs
to outline various subtopics of interest.

I did not see an introduction section. They started the case study with the context first.
The information did flow very well from one paragraph to the next.

4. Writing: Is the writing clear in its meaning? Is the writing concise (no extraneous content,
efficient use of words, tight sentences and paragraphs)? Is the writing free of grammatical and
other types of errors? Does it read like a professional report about the educational or training
provider being described?

The writing is basically clear in meaning, although it contains grammar and punctuation
errors that give the reader some difficulty in understanding the meaning. The case study
should be reread and checked for errors in order to read more professionally.

The writing does contain some grammatical and format errors. Most of the writing is
clear but needs additional attention and polish to present a more professional

presentation.

Some inconsistency due to different writing styles. While some sentences are trying to be
short and to the point, they sometimes dont have the content laid out properly.

While communicating the high points of the assignment, the (HEFG) completed the
writing assignment with few grammatical errors.

There was one sentence that was awkwardly stated in the Institutional Resources section.
It was the first reference they used from the Open University. I was paraphrased and
needed to be read out loud.

5. APA Format: Are APA formatting and citing (quotes, references, sources) guidelines followed?

Most of the formatting follows APA standards, although there are some instances of
errors in punctuation, numeration, grammar, and citations. The tables were not APA
standard.

There were several APA formatting errors in the body and the reference (i.e., table). A
few reference sources did not have complete information.

It looks like the APA standards are well-supported.

Attempting to follow a uniform style of writing, the (HEFG) applied the APA formatting
with little technical difficulty.

They had many references, which helped them with the content of the case study.

6. Overall: As a reader, do you have additional questions or comments for the authors? If you
were the CEO or President of the education or training provider described in the case study,
would you say that the consultants had done a thorough job of researching and describing your
organization and its learner support system -- providing a clear and logical path to
recommendations for action?

I had to read the study twice before I had a good feel for the potential learner support
needs of OUC because these needs support opportunities/needs did not stand out in the
paper. If I had contracted the consultants, I would expect more clarity in the support
needs and requirements, although the remainder of the case study gives the reader a good
overall background of the institution.

As a CEO or President, this report would provide basic information but should be
augmented with additional learner support information.

There is a lot of high-level information. Some degree of detail is necessary in order to get
a better perspective on what kinds of classes are offered. It would useful in the case study
to get a mini-profile of a class, particularly if upon review it was felt that it was a good
representation of the other classes available. I think another study would also have some
other parameters that would make the case study more helpful such as the availability
of equipment, why certain segments are being targeted as learners, what kinds of courses
are being suggested for them, etc.

While reviewing the information contained in the (HEFG)s report, the group researched
and used a literature review to reveal a number of areas that influence learner support.
Although the group completed the assignment with a high degree of success, additional
information targeting students who may be struggling academically to help them improve
learning outcomes may prove to be a valuable contribution.

I think that they did a good job with some need for deeper research in the services they do
provide and the services they did not. I like that they make a clear indication of what the
university was about and the link it had with the Open University. It was great that they
found out that OUC were offering classes to other countries.

Overall evaluation:

A good summary of the OUC, although more details are needed about the learner support
services currently provided by OUC to its students.

The case study is a good starting point but further investigation would be required to
implement learner support system improvements.

A good general report. There is room for adding content and adding some structure to
show the progress and direction of the distance education initiative. Those details will
demonstrate just what the university offers and how its students will benefit.

Reviewed by:

Non Profit Training Team (Donoghue, Majette, Reed, Venteicher, Reyes)

4/24/2014