P.S.D. Aluwihare and R. Manoshika
Research was conducted to investigate the reasons behind low enrollment to programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET) of the Open University of Sri Lanka…
Abstract
Research was conducted to investigate the reasons behind low enrollment to programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET) of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) in Regional Centres away from the main campus. A preliminary study was conducted to identify the issues behind reduced enrollment, taking Kandy Regional Centre (KRC) as a case study. Preliminary study revealed that improvements are needed in five contrasting areas to improve the rate of enrollment. Necessary measures were undertaken to address the issues identified in the five areas and the enrollments in the academic years 2011 and 2012 were observed to have a significant increase. It was exploited whether the increased enrollment is due to the improvements adopted in the identified areas. Results of a questionnaire administered among new registrants to FET in KRC for the academic year 2012 indicate that the measures adopted have reached the potential learners increasing the rate of enrollment.
Shriyangi Aluwihare and Shammi De Silva
It has been observed that the students attending the bachelor’s degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET) at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL…
Abstract
Purpose
It has been observed that the students attending the bachelor’s degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET) at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) take extraordinarily longer period to complete their degrees. The purpose of this paper is to identify the institutional barrier, student-related personal barrier and psychological barrier behind the prolonged duration of completion of the said degrees.
Design/methodology/approach
A well-developed questionnaire was administered among a selected sample of graduates who were awarded the Bachelor of Technology (Engineering) and Bachelor of Industrial Studies degrees within the past ten years.
Findings
Results indicate that institutional barriers such as poor academic counselling and guidance; laboratory sessions being inappropriate/not sufficient to understand the course material; inadequate facilities, such as library resources, and lack of laboratory facilities at the regional centres have contributed immensely to the lengthy duration taken to complete the degrees. Personal factors such as work-related challenges, travelling time and cost of commuting to the main centre located in Colombo and inability to spend the required time expected of the programme have played major roles in the prolonged completion. Results indicate that the cost of tuition is not a major barrier for on-time completion. Psychological barriers such as possessing a limited repertoire of study strategies, lack of understanding of open and distance learning (ODL) methods and deficiency of continuous motivation had a tremendous impact on the delayed graduation. A high satisfaction rate was observed regarding the ODL tools that were used within the programmes and the formative and summative evaluation criteria. Approximately 75 per cent of the sample approved of the five remedies suggested.
Originality/value
Findings of this study provide insight for shortening the duration of the bachelor’s degree programmes offered by the FET at the OUSL.
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Keywords
Chandanie Wijayalatha Navaratna, Gunadya Bandarage, Dilsha Nimmi Rajapaksha Appuhamilage, Hemali Pasqual, Joseph Calistus Nihal Rajendra, Menaka D.D. Ranasinghe and Uditha W. Ratnayake
The purpose of this study is to identify the learner characteristics attributable to the likelihood and the duration of programme completion in the Bachelor of Science (BSc) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the learner characteristics attributable to the likelihood and the duration of programme completion in the Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Technology Honours in Engineering (BTech) degree programmes of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered from the re-registrants for the degree programmes in the academic year 2020/2021, using a questionnaire developed as a Google form. The sample consisted of 301 and 516 re-registrants from the BTech and BSc programmes respectively. Influential factors were identified using Kruskal Wallis test (for duration of completion), binary logistic regression (for likelihood of completion) and Chi-squared test (associations between presage and process factors).
Findings
Entry qualification, age and time management skills at entry had significant effects on duration of completion. Attendance at academic activities, organizing time for self-studies and the competency in English at enrolment had significant effects on the likelihood of completion. Prior open and distance learning (ODL) experience had no significant effect on any of the product factors considered.
Research limitations/implications
Inaccessibility of dropouts and using only the responses from the first administration of the questionnaire are limitations. Active learners are more likely to respond, in the first administration and may bias the results.
Practical implications
Findings are useful for designing future studies to identify at-risk students and thereby enhance the programme completion and reduce prolonged time for completion.
Social implications
Effective strategies to control the identified factors will uplift programme completion and reduce drop-out rates.
Originality/value
Decision making using inferential techniques makes the study distinct among studies undertaken on the same population. The study enriches the limited current research on factors affecting programme completion in ODL mode.
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K.A.J.M. Kuruppuarachchi and K.O.L.C Karunanayake
The purpose of this paper is to identify socio-economic/demographic characteristics and to evaluate the knowledge on different open distance learning (ODL) concepts of BSc…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify socio-economic/demographic characteristics and to evaluate the knowledge on different open distance learning (ODL) concepts of BSc undergraduates of The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) at first registration.
Design/methodology/approach
The surveying technique was adapted with a piloted structured questionnaire consisting of two components. The structured component was used to evaluate personal, socio-economic and demographic data. The open ended component evaluated the student’s perception on ODL concepts. The questionnaire was randomly adapted to 456 (35 percent Colombo Regional Centre (CRC) registrants) prospective BSc undergraduates at first registration time at the CRC in 2014. Data collected from the structured component were frequency tabulated and cross-tabulated with the SPSS computer software. Responses of the open ended part were examined, categorized and the frequency percentages of each response category were calculated.
Findings
The structured component recognized that the majority of BSc undergraduates of the OUSL represent employed (53 percent), late adolescents (92 percent below age 27) who reside in rural or semi-urban areas (75 percent). They belong mostly to the lower middle class and 69 percent are from families which have a monthly family income below SLR30,000/(USD208). Answers of the open ended component on ODL concepts recognized that, prior knowledge on ODL concepts were developed by most BSc undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent of respondents perceived OUSL as an institute which facilitates working people by conducting part time-based or distance mode education with self-learning features. In total, 56.9 percent students perceived the role of an ODL teacher correctly as a facilitator or a guide. The educational process was perceived correctly as an ODL system by 52 percent, while the remainder also identified the system to be a more self-study and student centered flexible learning system. However, the role of a BSc student at OUSL was recognized as self-independent learners by only 36.7 percent and the majority had no clear perception of the role they have to play as an ODL student. Hence, more attention should be paid to make students recognize the role they have to play in an ODL system in order to succeed at OUSL.
Originality/value
Although research has been carried out periodically on the process of ODL education system at OUSL, on the graduate (output) and dropouts, etc., not many have focused on the nature of input such as characteristic features of first registrant and their prior knowledge on ODL. As the output invariably depends on the input and the process, this type of survey is timely and novel.
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Keywords
This study envisioned plausible influential factors on service quality and academic excellence relatable to graduate self-confidence in an open distance learning (ODL) outlook…
Abstract
Purpose
This study envisioned plausible influential factors on service quality and academic excellence relatable to graduate self-confidence in an open distance learning (ODL) outlook. The objective was to expose the moderating role of academic excellence (graduate satisfaction) between service quality and self-confidence (engagement, achievement, loyalty and opportunity, EALO). It was also of interest to explore how, in what routines factors involved interrelated.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized exploratory design. Qualitatively, service quality included acclimation, advising, module, tutorial, assessment, feedback and referral factors. Service quality led to academic excellence (GPA, study length, relevance and recognition). Besides, academic excellence influenced self-confidence. Quantitatively, service quality, academic excellence and self-confidence were the independent, moderating and dependent variables. Respondents were randomly selected through a survey of eligible Universitas Terbuka alumni.
Findings
11 hypotheses were assessed under structural-equation modeling (SEM). Responses from 122 out of 500 graduates were completed. Eight hypotheses were validated by the analysis. The tutorial was the most influential factor followed by module, assessment and acclimation; advising, feedback and referral were excluded. Academic excellence also led to self-confidence. The study was able to visualize a substantial role of academic excellence in moderating service quality to EALO. Besides, important-performance analysis and customer-satisfaction index (IPA-CSI) recognized 21 out of 32 attributes as the pillars of academic excellence.
Originality/value
Three of the hypotheses were invalidated by the quantitative analysis. Further inquiry with much broader coverage is then required to diminish the variance to finally find the ideal framework.