Distance Education Programs Research Articles

Industry Mentoring Program: Empowering External Degree Students for Career Success – Case Study from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

In today's interconnected world, open distance education has become widespread, granting students the flexibility and accessibility to pursue higher education through external degree programmes. Despite the increasing feasibility of delivering knowledge and skills online, a significant hurdle remains in ensuring that participants are adequately equipped for the demands of the professional world of work. Traditionally, exposure to industry standards and practical experiences is gained through activities like industry visits, guest talks, meetups, and workshops, which are often absent in online distance education programs due to their remote nature. This dearth of industry-preparedness and practical skills presents a formidable obstacle for graduates as they transition into the workforce. Thus, bridging the gap between academic learning and industry expectations becomes imperative to enhance students' employability and career readiness, ultimately fostering their success in the workforce. This case study delves into the solution to this challenge through a meticulously crafted programme aimed at cultivating industry-ready graduates. Leveraging available technology, the program provides immersive experiences within the online learning environment. The paper details the Industry Mentoring Program (IMP), which employs technology to simulate real-world experiences, assesses stakeholder perceptions of the programme's value, and offers insights for future enhancements. This programme was conducted targeting the final year students of the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) External Degree programme of the University of Moratuwa. This study investigates the experiences and viewpoints of students taking part in the IMP using surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. Four student cohorts who have undergone the programme have provided their feedback both quantitatively and qualitatively. Across all groups the student satisfaction was totally positive with over 80% of the participants indicating their satisfaction at 4 or 5 on a Lickert Scale of 5 indicating very satisfied. Students’ perception of their preparedness for the workforce after participating in the IMP also is extremely positive. The findings indicates that the IMP significantly improves the career opportunities of BIT students. Feedback obtained from other stakeholders such as potential employers, resource persons and administrators also validate the effectiveness of the programme. The feedback and suggestions are incorporated to enhance the programme. University has decided to incorporate this programme into the curriculum with the 2024 curriculum revision of this open distance degree programme of BIT.

Collaborations to Support the SJ4A Curriculum in Archival Studies and Social Justice Intersections: Training of Community-Embedded Paraprofessional Archivists Who Are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program recently awarded a $463,238 grant titled “Training of Community-Embedded Social Justice Archivists” (SJ4A) to the School of Library and Information Studies atthe University of Alabama. The grant’s goal is to recruit/train 17 community-embedded paraprofessional archivists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color to complete their master’s degree part-time from January 2023 – December 2024 in the SLIS’ synchronous distance education program. SJ4A meets an urgent need to diversify the professions and for archivists to apply social justice competencies in work experience and community-embedded practice with graduate instruction and curriculum support. This paper identifies ongoing collaborations to support curriculum development in the SJ4A phases, including recruitment of students,needs assessment of archives-related professionals about social justice services, implementation of educational activities, mentoring, evaluation of program outcomes, dissemination of results, and post-graduation career tracking.

Digitized Mathematics Module: Its Acceptability and Influence on Students’ Motivation and Performance

With the shift to online learning or distance education programs, higher education, in particular, has to focus on ways to cater with the demand of its clientele. Thus, Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Katipunan Campus developed a Digitized Mathematics Module to adapt with the changing landscape of education. However, it is imperative to determine if the module is effective. Thus, the study aimed to determine the acceptability of students towards the digitized Mathematics module and its influence on their motivation and performance of the Mathematics in the Modern World course. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational design, and stratified technique, the study employed one hundred seventy- two (172) students enrolled in Mathematics in the Modern World classes during the first semester of academic year 2020-2021 as respondents of the study. Two sets of questionnaires, adopted from Rio (2014) and Keller (2010), were used as instruments to yield the necessary data for the study. Frequency count, percentage, mean, chi-square, and Somer’s D were the main statistical tools used. Based on the results, the Digitized Mathematics Module is acceptable. The study also revealed that the acceptability of digitized Mathematics module, level of students’ motivation, and students’ Mathematics performance have no significant relationship. As the students accepted the digitized module, they also claimed that they were motivated. Though the module is accepted at a certain level, it is still recommended that the mathematics module needs to be improved so that its acceptability level turns into very acceptable. Instructional Materials and Development Committee (IMDC) may intensify quality assurance in preparing the module to improve its acceptability and motivation levels. The researcher is also proposing to conduct an online seminar workshop serving as an intervention to increase the acceptability of the digitized Mathematics module.

Impact of a social media-delivered distance learning program on mhGAP training among primary care providers in Jalisco, Mexico

BackgroundThe World Health Organization’s (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for the management of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in non-specialized healthcare settings. However, implementing these guidelines remains a challenge due to various factors, including limited training opportunities for primary care providers. This study con the effectiveness of a social media-delivered distance education program on the mhGAP intervention guide, to overcome barriers of technology access and digital literacy, providing a familiar and accessible platform for primary care providers in Jalisco.MethodsA quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design was conducted. Primary care providers from Jalisco were invited to participate in a distance education program on the mhGAP intervention guide. The program consisted of online modules, webinars, and discussion forums facilitated by mental health experts. Knowledge assessments were conducted before and after the intervention using a standardized questionnaire. Participant satisfaction and perceived utility were also evaluated through surveys and focus group discussions.ResultsA total of 1,096 primary care providers completed the program. The mean knowledge score significantly improved from 58.2% (SD = 12.8%) in the pre-test to 81.4% (SD = 9.6%) in the post-test (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.04). Subgroup analyses revealed consistent knowledge gains across different demographic and professional characteristics. Participant satisfaction was high, with 92% rating the program’s overall quality as “good” or “excellent.” Qualitative findings highlighted the benefits of accessibility, flexibility, interactivity, and practical applicability of the distance education approach.ConclusionsThe social media-delivered distance education program on the mhGAP intervention guide effectively improved the knowledge of primary care providers in Jalisco, Mexico. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived utility. This study demonstrates the potential of distance education strategies to disseminate evidence-based guidelines and enhance mental health service delivery in primary care settings, particularly in resource-limited areas.

Measurement model of readiness for online testing of undergraduate students in Thailand’s distance education programs

PurposeThis study aims to develop a model for readiness measurement and to study readiness levels for online testing of undergraduate students in Thailand’s distance education programs.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 870 undergraduate students enrolled in the 2022 academic year of a Thai university were sampled for the study. The samples were divided into two groups: Group 1 comprised 432 students who underwent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Group 2 comprised 438 students who underwent second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Both were multi-stage random samples. Descriptive statistics, item-total correlations (ITCs), coefficient correlations, EFA and second-order CFA were used.FindingsThe readiness for the online testing model comprised 5 factors and 33 indicators. These included self-efficacy (SE) in utilizing technology (nine indicators), self-directed learning (SL) for readiness testing (six indicators), adequacy of technology (AT) for testing (five indicators), acceptance of online testing (AC) (seven indicators) and readiness training for testing (six indicators). The model was congruent with empirical data, and the survey results indicated that students were highly prepared at the “high” level.Practical implicationsThis study disclosed several factors and indicators involved in the readiness for online testing. The university may use these findings in preparing its students for online testing for better achievement.Originality/valueThese findings may serve as a framework for the analysis of the readiness issues for online testing of undergraduate students and also offer guidance to the universities preparing to offer online testing.

Massification of Higher Education in Türkiye and Its Challenges

In the last 20 years, the education system in Türkiye has witnessed massive growth and transformation from primary- and secondary education to higher education. Significant improvements have been made in enrollment rates at all levels of education, reaching a level comparable to OECD countries. In this context, this study focuses on the transformation and massification of higher education in Türkiye. The net enrollment ratio in higher education in Türkiye has increased from 10% to 46% during this period. Especially, the establishment of higher education institutions in all cities has contributed positively to women's access to higher education, and for the first time, the enrollment and graduation rates of women have surpassed those of men. The increase in the supply of higher education and easier access has raised the proportion of higher education graduates from under 20% to over 40% in the 25-34 age group during this period. At the same time, the average length of education for the population aged 15 and over is increasing every year. Additionally, this study identifies problem areas and proposes solutions to ensure the sustainability of the expansion in higher education during this period. The evaluation identifies insufficient face-to-face teaching capacity in the higher education system and attempts to compensate for this deficiency with distance education programs as the primary problem area. Especially since 2015, almost half of the students who have enrolled in higher education have been able to enroll in distance education programs. Therefore, increasing face-to-face teaching capacity in higher education and reducing the proportion of distance education in higher education stand out as challenging issues. The second problem area is highlighted as being related to the limitations in scientific knowledge production performance of higher education institutions and the number of doctoral graduates. Despite an increase in the number of doctoral graduates from all disciplines every year, sustaining the growth achieved during this period is highly inadequate. This problem not only negatively affects the capacity for scientific knowledge production but also creates significant challenges, especially in meeting the need for faculty members in newly established universities, thus adversely affecting the quality of higher education. The study also offers some recommendations for addressing these problems.

Teacher practices regarding teaching presence in Vietnamese tertiary online distance education programmes

This study explored how teachers adapt their agentic teaching practices in the context of online distance education programmes in Vietnam. A single-institution case study design was used to collect data through online individual semistructured interviews that were conducted via Zoom with five teachers from a variety of disciplines who had been teaching in online distance education programmes at the Centre for E-Learning at a Vietnamese higher education institution. Data analysis highlighted the role of teachers’ agentic teaching presence in the pedagogy used in online distance education programmes. Specifically, the teachers exhibited acceptance of an approach to organising their practice that involved adherence to course outlines that had previously been designed and approved without questioning and modifications. However, the results further revealed the agentic direct instruction strategies used by teachers in terms of the varied delivery of course content, student feedback and assessments, which exhibited a stronger emphasis on facilitating online classroom discourse and interactions via various channels with the goal of enhancing students’ learning support, experience, and engagement. The findings of this research thereby affirm the pivotal role played by teaching presence in the setting investigated in this research in particular as well as in the context of online distance education in general. The study highlights the need for further interconnections to be established to link multiple aspects of social, cognitive and teaching presence to the practices that teachers use to enhance students’ engagement and learning experience. The study also has pedagogical implications with regard to teaching in online distance education programmes that pertain not only to teachers’ classroom practices but also to their professional development.

Systematic Review of Human Resource Management Practices and Their Influence on the Success of Distance Education Programs in Mauritius

Study examined HRM Practices and performance/success of distance education program in Mauritius. The review focuses on recruitment, training and development by synthesizing extant research to examine how these HR practices impact educator effectiveness, engagement and retention in online learning environments. The methods used a systematic search of academic databases (e.g., ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springer Link) using well-informed search terms and selection criteria to find appropriate research. The review examines the effectiveness of HR practices in improving educational outcomes, and discusses their relevance for distance education programs. Critical insights indicate that successful recruitment implies proper training followed by robust development, which together can provide the required support to educators, in turn ensuring program success; thus, underpinning HRM as a vital factor in augmenting distance education initiatives.

Exploring Accessibility and Sustainability of Prison Education Through the Supervision of Students in Distance E-Learning

The purpose of the study was to explore the accessibility and sustainability of prison education through the supervision of students in distance e-learning. The method involved qualitative interviews with 12 prison students in a Namibian prison who were registered and actively studying via distance e-learning. Participants were selected based on their engagement with distance education programs, ensuring relevance to the study's focus. A professional transcriber meticulously transcribed the interview data verbatim. Using an interpretive paradigm, the author analyzed the transcriptions to derive meaningful insights into the experiences and challenges faced by incarcerated students. This approach allowed for a nuanced understanding of how supervisory support in distance e-learning impacts the accessibility and sustainability of educational opportunities for prison students. The findings underscore the importance of effective supervision in overcoming barriers to education within the prison context, highlighting critical factors that contribute to successful learning outcomes.

How smartphone addiction disrupts the positive relationship between self-regulation, self-efficacy and student engagement in distance education

Given that students maintain a continuous connection with their smartphones in their daily lives and rely on them for participating in distance education, it becomes imperative to explore the factors associated with student engagement, considering the mediating role of smartphone addiction in distance education programs. Although extensive research has been carried out on smartphone addiction, very little is known about it in the context of distance education. This study aims to explore the relationship between student engagement, smartphone addiction, self-regulation, and self-efficacy among distance education students in online learning environments. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Türkiye. Data were collected via an online questionnaire from 1514 university students (n = 842 females, n = 672 males; Mage = 33.11, SD = 10.09) enrolled in various distance education programs in Turkey, specifically those undertaking synchronous online courses, through an online questionnaire distributed via e-mail. Path analysis modelling was used to test the hypothesised model. Maximum Likelihood Estimation was used as a method for estimating parameters in path analysis. The findings of this study indicate that self-regulation had a positive impact on student engagement, while smartphone addiction had a negative influence. Importantly, smartphone addiction acted as a mediating factor, weakening the relationship between self-regulation and student engagement. No significant correlation was found between general self-efficacy and smartphone addiction. These results highlight the significance of interventions focusing on self-regulation skills and promoting healthy digital habits to enhance student engagement and addressing smartphone addiction is crucial for enhancing student engagement in distance learning environments.

Exploration of the Development of the "Television Program Planning" Course in the Context of Distance Education

The methods of distance education evolve continuously with media changes, currently relying mainly on internet video to meet students' educational needs. The specialized course "Television Program Planning" in the Broadcasting and Hosting Art major provides planning for both long and short videos as well as live broadcasts for distance education and prepares for the next generation of virtual reality. Under the guidance of distance education technology, the course teaching has gradually achieved a transition between online and offline modes. In the context of the audience separation that exists in both distance education and television programs, effectively utilizing the "sense of object" in the Broadcasting and Hosting Art major can enhance teacher-student interaction and guide student participation, providing a better emotional experience and improving teaching effectiveness.

Stress-related experiences and intentions to quit studies among female married postgraduate distance education students in Ghana

BackgroundAlthough postgraduate studies have been shown to be associated with stressful experiences, students reading programmes through the distance and e-learning mode experience greater levels of stress due to several reasons. These stressful encounters might be heightened in female married postgraduates on distance education programmes due to other family-work-related engagements. This study investigated the stress-related experiences and intentions to quit studies among female married students on a distance education programme in Ghana.MethodsUsing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 164 married postgraduate distance education students were sampled to participate by responding to a questionnaire. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 10 participants to offer insight into the quantitative findings. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, while the qualitative data were thematically analysed.ResultsStress was prevalent among the female married distance education students, with the majority having intentions of quitting their studies. The stressors identified ranged from personal (i.e., work and family demands) to institutional ones (i.e., academic load, unresolved complaints and high financial demands from the programme).ConclusionsKey findings suggest that female married postgraduate distance education students perform multiple roles as full-time employees with family and academic demands that can negatively impact their health and academic work. Implications and recommendations of the findings are discussed.

Data mining approach for prediction of academic success in open and distance education

Predicting and improving the academic achievement of university students is a multifactorial problem. Considering the low success rates and high dropout rates, particularly in open education programs characterized by mass enrollment, academic success is an important research area with its causes and consequences. This study aimed to solve a classification problem (successful or unsuccessful), predict students’ academic success, and identify those at risk. The primary objective was to predict the academic success status with 26,708 students enrolled in Istanbul University open and distance education programs between 2011 and 2017. Predictions were based demographic data and success grades in Turkish, Atatürk's Principles and History of Revolution, English, and Disaster Culture courses. The study utilized classification models from supervised learning algorithms and was conducted using the SPSS Modeler 18 program. Initially, the data was divided into 70% training and 30% test data. Then, models were constructed by using Random Forest, Tree-AS, C&amp;RT, C5.0, CHAID, QUEST, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, NeuralNet, and SVM algorithms. Model performances were compared according to accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Matthews Correlation Coefficient criteria. The C&amp;RT model demonstrated the best performance, achieving the highest specificity value of 0.915.

Using the perceptions of online university students to improve the pedagogy and practice of distance educators

This paper reports on the findings of an investigation into the experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate distance education students from one higher education institution, Avondale College of Higher Education. All of the institution’s current students who were enrolled in a distance course or who had previously completed a distance component of their course were surveyed using an online questionnaire. A subgroup of this population also contributed to focus group discussions. Findings from an analysis of the combined data gathered from the online questionnaire and the focus groups were used to inform the institution’s professional development (PD) program that supports lecturers to design and teach online courses. Results of the study are outlined in terms of distance students’ perceptions about the institution’s distance education program, specifically in relation to course structure, interaction and communication, presentation of materials, use of media and design consistency. The paper concludes with recommendations for addressing the weaknesses of online learning programs including both curriculum design and PD strategies.

Digital Competence to Bridge Transactional Distance in Distance Education

Utilising primary data and a stratified random sampling method, this study explores the proficiency of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students in navigating digital resources and their intrinsic motivation for academic growth. Data collected from 390 IGNOU students, via stratified random sampling, includes undergraduates enrolled from 2016 to 2021 and postgraduates from 2018 to 2021. The study emphasies the crucial importance of fostering an interactive and engaging learning environment for the development of affective skills, countering transactional distance. It underscores the pivotal role of ICT in bridging gaps and promoting meaningful social interactions in distance education programs, thus enhancing holistic growth and employability.

Desertion in Distance Education, Living Together in Higher Education

The paper reports a study of desertion of a distance education programme in a Colombian University to explore the reasons for desertion. The study is based upon the conception that desertion involves the student’s failure to complete a particular cycle of education, but that this is a collective rather than an individual phenomenon, and has causes both inside and outside the educational system. The study concludes that causes of desertion are many and varied, and that they cannot easily be separated in terms of their explanatory power.

Achieving human potential through community learning centres in Ghana: a capabilities approach to community development

This article uses Sen’s Capabilities Approach (CA), which prioritises access and equality, to critically investigate distance education (DE) programmes in the community learning centres (CLCs) as a programme that sheds light on how to best promote a community’s residents’ quality of life in Ghana. According to this study, encouraging distance learning in CLCs can have an impact on community development. To investigate how DE in CLCs aids community development, this study used a qualitative case study methodology and conducted in-depth interviews with students and service providers (n = 25) from the Greater Accra CLCs. Key emerging themes included fostering equity in the community and encouraging access and opportunity for learning through DE. Studies have demonstrated that the more active and knowledgeable individuals are, the greater their independence from families and, consequently, on the resources and services of the community. Additionally, engaged-educated people contribute to the development of their communities through the knowledge, expertise, and experience they have gained. Hence, Sen’s capability approach, which seeks to comprehend issues of access and opportunities in the community, makes the connection between studies in CLCs and community development. It is, therefore, imperative to conclude that CLCs are designed to offer learning activities for adults to promote an active lifestyle that contributes to the development of sustainable communities.

Critical factors affecting student satisfaction in a distance learning environment

Abstract Student satisfaction plays a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of distance education programmes. This is very important for the instructional design in higher education institutes and for educational decision-making and policy. The main purpose of the present study was to examine some key processes that affect learning in a distance education environment and how these influence student satisfaction. The study was conducted in the Hellenic Open University (HOU) through quantitative research involving students from three postgraduate programmes. The main variables examined were internet self-efficacy, student–student and student–tutor interaction, self-regulated learning skills of students and the satisfaction that they receive from participating in distance-learning courses. The results indicated that relatively high levels of these variables were observed, with the exemption of student–student interaction. The correlation coefficients amongst variables were all positive and statistically significant, but were small to moderate. Regarding the effect of demographic parameters, learner–tutor interaction is influenced by the number of modules completed by students, and satisfaction varies significantly between unemployed students and those who are full-time employees. Finally, a logistic regression model was developed with satisfaction as the dependent variable. Self-regulated learning and student–tutor interaction were identified as the main predictors of student satisfaction.

Determining a framework for institutional support of instructors engaged in distance education programmes using the multiple-criteria decision-making method

Determining a framework for institutional support of instructors engaged in distance education programmes using the multiple-criteria decision-making method

Investigation of distance education students' opinions on distance education, their expectations on student-student interaction in distance education and their perceptions regarding the community feeling

Distance education offers opportunities for widespread and continuous learning, granting access to information without limitations of time or location. Despite its numerous advantages, the absence of social interaction stands out as a primary obstacle in online learning, as these interactions can play a pivotal role in mitigating students' feelings of isolation and disconnection. Current trends in higher education seek to support students not only in meeting their academic requirements but also in addressing their emotional and mental well-being. This study aims to investigate the perspectives of associate degree students engaged in distance education on various aspects of this mode of learning, their expectations regarding interaction with fellow students, and their perceptions of the community feeling. To conduct this study, a cross-sectional survey method was utilized, involving 102 associate degree students enrolled in distance education programs. The findings of this study suggest that students express a reasonable level of satisfaction with distance education. Students enrolled in distance education courses express a desire to engage with their peers while pursuing online courses. While students may experience some sense of community in the realm of distance education, this sense may not reach a fully satisfactory level. Both the sense of community in distance education and student-student interaction in online courses have a significant and positive impact on students' overall perceptions of distance education.