Dual Mode University Research Articles

Understanding the Learning Style Preferences of ODL Students Using VARK Model: Implications for Individualized Pedagogy and Student Success

Aims: The study aims to assess the learning styles among ODL students in higher education, and propose practical strategies for integrating personalized learning approaches to enhance student engagement and educational outcomes. Place and Duration of Study: Research was carried out among the higher education students who enrolled in different ODL programs under the dual-mode universities. Survey was administered during Personal Contact Programme (PCP) for the academic session of 2023-2024. Methodology: Descriptive survey design was employed to gather quantitative data on higher education students learning styles under ODL mode of study and provides a deeper understanding of ODL students' learning preferences based on VARK model. The sample comprised of 246 post-graduate ODL students from various disciplines. A simple random sampling technique was employed to ensure representation from diverse academic backgrounds of ODL students. Results: Study revealed significant variations in learning style preferences among the ODL students. There are 89 (36.18%) ODL students with single preference of learning style and 157 (63.82%) ODL students with multimodal preference of learning style. Statistically significant difference found between male and female ODL students concerning their learning styles. Visual learning style is the most preferred learning style, followed by aural, kinesthetic, and read/write learning style respectively. Majority of ODL students preferred to learn by multiple sensory modalities. Conclusion: Integrating learning style assessments into distance learning practices holds immense promise for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of distance education. Designing course curriculum for distance education based on multiple sensory modalities is crucial for enhancing learning outcomes and student engagement. Incorporating various sensory channels such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and read/write, ODL professionals can cater to diverse learning styles and preferences, ultimately promoting a deeper understanding of the subject matter and academic success.

Management Of Distance Education Degree Program At The Indonesian Dual Mode University

Indonesia needs much more traditional higher education institutions offering distance education (DE) degree programs. However, there is little in the literature that can be used as reference on how to plan and implement the DE program in the Indonesian context. This study aims to help fill the gap in the knowledge by investigating the management of two DE degree programs at two traditional campus universities in Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and document reviews using the collective case study approach. The collected data were then analyzed individually within case and across cases to identify similarities and differences. Evidence shows that the decision to open a DE degree program was based on a careful assessment of its market potentials and its compatibility with the institution’s vision and mission. In addition to having clear goal and strategy, the program was also planned, implemented and evaluated in a manner suitable with the unique characteristics of distance education. The results of this study could be used as reference by other universities considering or planning to open a DE degree program.

Sociodemographics and Psychosocial Experiences of Distance Learners in Nigeria: A Comparison of Single-mode and Dual-mode Universities

The study explored the psychosocial experience of distance learners at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife. Psychosocial experience refers to the aggregate outcome of events and feelings that define or affect a person’s knowledge and perception of their prevailing social environment. The study adopted mixed-methods phenomenology research design. We deployed multiphase mixed-method sampling involving a quota sampling technique to select 182 respondents, and a purposive sampling technique to select eight interviewees selected from the initial respondents—four students from each of NOUN and OAU. Two researcher-designed instruments—a questionnaire and an in-depth interview guide—were deployed for data collection. The collected data were analysed with frequency counts, percentage analysis, and phenomenological analysis. Analysis of their sociodemographic characteristics showed that the profile of the students at the dual-mode university (OAU) reflects characteristics of conventional distance learners more than does the profile of the students at the single-mode university (NOUN). Distance learners at NOUN and OAU had both similar and different psychosocial experience. Their experience was largely positive—only 14% and 12.3% of NOUN and OAU students (respectively) had considered dropping out. Factors affecting learners’ experience in both institutions included personal motivation, the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of distance learning, insufficiency of facilitator-led tutorials (at NOUN), and difficulties due to work and family responsibilities (at OAU). The study concluded that Nigerian distance learners possess the requisite psychosocial capacity to negotiate meaning and acquire knowledge in single-mode or dual-mode institutions.

A Learning Mindset Needed from Faculty in Online Program Management and University Partnership Business Model

Many universities are transforming themselves from single mode on-campus universities to dual mode universities after recognizing the importance of providing online education programs and the kinds of opportunities they offer. These universities often have their faculty work with instructional designers (ID) in-house or at times outsource online course development to an Online Program Management (OPM) provider. The ID process involves course development where faculty and instructional designer (ID) work together to build the online course. A gap exists in the literature around how faculty interact with such IDs provided by OPMs and what impact the ID process has in their teaching design, and their pedagogical knowledge and development. This research uses a Case Study to analyze how the nature and dynamics of the ID process in a business partnership between a research university and an OPM provider influence faculty. This case study included a private research university that had recently joined a partnership with an Online Program Management Provider (OPM) to develop and offer online Master’s degree programs. The Activity Theory conceptual framework was used to direct inquiry and analysis. Results show that the impact on faculty pedagogical knowledge and development is different for each faculty and is dependent on faculty assumptions, personality, attitudes, training in pedagogy and technology, and past online teaching experiences. A learning mindset from the faculty side is very important to get the best of this relationship. This research supports e-learning practice by guiding that faculty should not be participating just due to the pressure by their upper-level management but because they really want to teach online. Faculty should be ready to check their own assumptions and knowledge they have about pedagogy before getting into this process. This study is a novel approach to understand the impact on faculty teaching design using Activity Theory framework. It shows how Activity Theory could be a useful technique to solve problems in e-learning research and practice.

Open educational resources (OERs) and courseware development in dual-mode universities in Nigeria

Open educational resources (OERs) and courseware development in dual-mode universities in Nigeria

Open Distance Learning System: A Critical Reflection on the Issues, Challenges and Opportunities of Open and Dual Mode Universities in India

The Open Universities and Dual Mode Universities in India are catering millions of Open Distance Learners (ODL) through its chain of Regional Centres and Learner Support Centres (Study Centres) across the country. In order to improve the Gross Enrollment Ration (GER), the regulatory bodies should act as facilitator rather than the administrator or inspector. Today, Open Distance Learning (ODL) offered by the Open Universities and Dual mode Universities in India is at cross roads because of multiple control and regulation by several regulatory bodies of the Central Government. A new approach is needed by the regulatory bodies as well as the Govt. of India to remove obstacles put forth by various Regulations restricting the very access of open and distance learning to reap the demographic dividends in the country. This paper critically analyzes the aspects that affect the ODL being offered through Open and Dual mode universities. The paper also critically highlights the challenges being faced by the ODL institutions as well as the opportunities available to them. The paper also touching the latest global trends related to distance and digital learning.

A trend analysis of opportunities and challenges of open and distance learning provision in dual-mode institutions

Highly skilled manpower is critical for sustainable socio-economic development. However, participation in higher education in Africa continues to be the lowest in the world. Even though some contact universities have adopted the dual-mode strategy to expand access, they continue to enrol fewer students through their open and distance learning (ODL) component. A case study conducted at the University of Botswana to determine possible causes of continued low enrolment through ODL, together with a recent literature review, indicate that within dual-mode universities, ODL experiences challenges related to stigma, resources, planning, implementation and monitoring, resulting in slow growth and low impact. The paper recommends that dual-mode universities need to change their attitude towards their ODL strategy and invest more resources in its development. It also recommends enhancement of parity between ODL and face-to-face provision.

To walk invisible: distance students in a dual-mode university

This paper argues that dual mode provision has a critical role to play in widening participation. The mixed methods study drew on institutional records, an online survey (n = 126) and 17 semi-structured interviews to explore the participation experience of a group of distance graduates (n = 268) from a dual mode university. Derived from the theories of Bourdieu, a social reproduction framework was employed, using the concepts of habitus, field and capital. Findings indicate that graduates shared a predominantly working class background. They chose a dual mode university as they did not want their degree seen in any way as different from those of conventional university graduates. During their participation they experienced a sense of belonging to their peer group, but not to the university. They perceived themselves to have been less important to the university than full-time students and felt excluded from institutional supports. Implications for dual mode provision are drawn from the findings.

Avoiding to fit a square peg into a round hole: a policy framework for operationalising open distance education in dual-mode universities

Although education policies in many African countries refer to the need for distance education to widen participation in universities, they have not articulated guidelines on how they plan to develop systems and structures that will support it. The purpose of this study was to develop a policy framework specific for distance education provision in conventional universities. A two-step approach was utilised to guide the process of the development of the framework. The first step was to analyse national education policies, which provide the educational vision of the country. The second step was to analyse distance education policy frameworks in order to provide specific criteria that need to be met when providing distance education. Futures research methodology was employed to look at policy interventions with the aim of identifying probable development in education that may influence distance education practices within the conventional university context.

Demystifying the process of ODL policy development in a dual-mode context: lessons from Zambia

This paper demystifies the process of open and distance learning (ODL) policy development in a dual-mode university after existing without one for 50 years. The two-pronged critical questions this paper addresses are: What does it take to successfully develop an ODL policy? And what aspects constitute an ODL policy applicable for a dual-mode context? To address these, the study adopted a qualitative constructivist approach to generate evidence on policy development process and content. In using the constructivist approach, the researchers focused on policy development records, such as proposals, correspondence, speeches and workshop reports. Four lessons emerged for dual-mode institutions with a similar context to replicate, two of which are the need for high leadership level sponsorship of the policy development process and product; and the need for total involvement of staff to minimise sabotage at the implementation stage.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN CONVENTIONAL AND OPEN DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA

This study was carried out to discern the relative effectiveness of open distance instruction delivery mode as compared to conventional (face-to-face) instruction delivery mode by understudying the academic performance of students enrolled in the University of Abuja, (a dual-mode university in Nigeria) from 2004-2008. Using the descriptive survey research method, students’ academic performance records for four academic sessions were collected and analyzed using mean scores, standard deviations and t-test statistical analysis technique. The findings indicate that there were significant differences between the academic performance of students in conventional education and open distance education delivery modes. Students of conventional education programmes appear to perform better than their open distance education counterparts. This was contrary to many researches on distance education which indicated a finding of no significant difference between the two delivery modes. The findings can be explained by the way and manner in which the open distance programmes are run in Nigeria, which have perennially fallen short of internationally acceptable standards especially as it pertains to use of technology in open distance education. The paper recommends improvement in the distance learning as practiced in Nigeria, in order to harness the known comparative advantage of this delivery mode, for improving access to higher education by bridging the instructor-learner gap via modern information and communications technology.

Dual Mode Offering As Viable Approach For Promotion Of Higher Education In Pakistan

Pakistan is a developing with 148 universities and degree awarding institutions including public and private sector. The enrolment as given in the National Educational Policy 2009 was up to 5% only. It reflects greater demands of higher/tertiary education and calls for alternative strategic measures for addressing the issue. An innovative approach was necessary to address the issue of access. Therefore, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur –a formal mode university took an innovative initiative to become a dual mode university by establishing an Institute of Distance Education (IDE) in 2011. The institute offered along with others, an M.Phill programme in ten disciplines through distance education mode in semester fall 2011. More than eight hundred applications were received by potential learners against 275 seats. However, after test and interview 189 students were enrolled in M.Phill programme in Applied Psychology, Arabic, Education, English, Media Studies, Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, History, Persian, and Urdu. In the beginning, the Institute organized an orientation workshop for learners to guide them studying in distance education system. The programme was offered under semester system and the semester was broke up into two halves –mid-term and final term. The respective departments provided learning materials to students whereas the IDE provided instructional booklet. Submission of two assignments was compulsory for the entire semester; one before mid-term and second before final-term workshop/ examination for each of the courses. Similarly, students’ presence in workshops for 24 hours (12 during mid-term and 12 during final-term workshop) for one 3-credit hour course was mandatory. Students’ support services were provided through Skype conference, social media and mobile phones. Students necessarily had to give presentations and submit their assignments after checking their similarity index by using turnitin software. At the end of the course work the instructors rated performance of learners’ to be good. Learner’s appeared to be enthusiastic for continuing their studies. The experience appeared to be a milestone in promoting higher education and feasible for replication at larger scale in Pakistan. The process and procedures; achievements; and problems, issues and challenges were discussed paper to be presented during the conference. The detailed experience will be shared during the conference.

Examining Policy Guidelines for Distance Education in Dual Mode Public Universities in Ghana

The study reports a case of distance education policy in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a dual mode University in Ghana. The interview method was used to obtain information from 21 purposively selected key informants in the University. Policy documents that addressed Distance Education (DE) were reviewed. The study showed that KNUST has identified DE as a policy initiative for meeting institutional goals. The current DE policy focus was on student support services. However, policy areas under Governance/ Administration and Academic/Faculty/Department were yet to be fully developed. The study recommended a systematic review/audit of existing institutional policies to take care of the needs of distance learners. These needs include addressing key issues of facilities and resources in the Regional centers and documenting policies that showcase the benefits of individual and departmental efforts relating to workload to increase interest, satisfaction and participation in the DE programmes by the various Departments. Keywords: Policy guidelines, distance education, dual mode Universities

A needs assessment of ODL educators to determine their effective use of open educational resources

<p>Nigeria has joined the global race of teaching and learning in a changing educational environment by adopting open and distance learning (ODL). Although it is a global trend, ODL poses some challenges at local levels, one of which is the untimely production of teaching materials currently affecting instructional delivery in Nigeria. The modern approach to ameliorating this challenge is the deployment of open educational resources (OER), and this practice is enabled by information and communication technology (ICT). Hence, today’s educators need OER tools and ICT skills to address the changing nature of education. This paper assessed the needs, readiness, and willingness of ODL professionals from two dual-mode universities in Nigeria to deploy OER in teaching and learning. Data were collected using structured questionnaire items. The major findings of the study’s survey indicated that educators have not really embedded OER in teaching and learning, but they are very eager to be trained in the rudiments of OER and wish to employ them thereafter. The results indicate there is an urgent need for professional development to include training in the rudiments of OER for educators.</p>

Distance education and dual-mode universities: an Australian perspective

Dual-mode distance teaching universities differ from their single-purpose counterparts, such as the great open universities, in one critical dimension. They are not generally established to serve distance students. That is typically a commitment entered into at some point after the institution is operating conventionally with on-campus provision. The argument here is that as dual-mode provision is challenged in various ways, not least through the impact of new technologies, the commitment to serving students who are genuinely at a distance from the physical campus is at some risk in the institutions involved.

Dual-mode universities in higher education: way station or final destination?

Dual-mode universities in higher education: way station or final destination?

Troubled times: the role of instructional design in a modern dual-mode university?

Reduced higher education funding and other austerity measures imposed by governments and institutions have resulted in cascading cuts in resources for programme design, delivery and revision. The instructional design function is often the first casualty of these cuts in many universities. This paper considers the roles and functions of instructional design, illuminates the differences in instructional design functions in on-site learning and in distance learning, and examines the broadening of skills and responsibilities encompassed in instructional design, especially in dual-mode institutions. Two case studies, illustrating different levels of instructional design in course development for distance learning in a dual-mode institution, lead to reflections on the value of instructional design in the current and future higher education landscape.

Financial management of distance learning in dual-mode institutions

Dual-mode universities operating in a tough economic environment need to be able to answer a range of questions concerning their use of different teaching modes accurately and with confidence. Only an activity-based costing approach will provide them with this tool. Cost studies of other distance learning projects may provide benchmarks against which they can make judgements about their own costs, and the generalised lessons gained from recent experience may help them weed out non-viable options. However, studies on distance education costs undertaken in the 1970s and 1980s are now largely irrelevant to the issues facing those working in dual-mode systems in the 2010s.

From F2F to Online Sessions: Changing Pattern of Instructions in Open and Distance Learning in India

This paper presents an assessment study conducted among the distance learners in India. Open and distance learning systems have traveled a long way since its inception and its journey has witnessed the evolution and adoption of different generations of technology. This study focuses on the distant learners in India. Sampling for this study has been derived from the mass enrollment from Tamil Nadu area, a southern state of India. Learners were chosen from dual mode universities, private universities, Tamil Nadu Open University and IGNOU. The main focus of the study is to examine the coverage and appropriation of students support services and learning aids. It explores two aspects: the facilities available and the awareness and use of such services. It includes, self-learning materials, face-to-face counseling, multimedia learning materials, website, e-learning, radio and television services etc. While exploring the student’s perspective on these learning aspects, it is important to understand the perspectives of the teachers. Two different interests are visible among the teachers. Majority of the teachers support faceto-face counseling. However, the young teachers are in favour of online learning and multimedia supports in teaching. Through the awareness is somewhat high, the actual participation in online is very low. This is due to the inadequate infrastructure as well as the traditional attitudes of the teachers. Still the face-to-face sessions remain popular than online. Keywords—Face-to-face session, online session, distance learning, multimedia

From Face-to-Face to Online Sessions: Changing Classroom Environments in Open and Distance Learning in India

This paper presents an assessment study conducted among the distance learners in India. Open and distance learning systems have traveled a long way since its inception and its journey has witnessed the evolution and adoption of different generations of technology. This study focuses on the distant learners in India. Sampling for this study has been derived from the mass enrollment from Tamil Nadu area, a southern state of India. Learners were chosen from dual mode universities, private universities, Tamil Nadu Open University and IGNOU. The main focus of the study is to examine the coverage and appropriation of students support services and learning aids. It explores two aspects: the facilities available and the awareness and use of such services. It includes, self-learning materials, face-to-face counseling, multimedia learning materials, website, e-learning, radio and television services etc. While exploring the student’s perspective on these learning aspects, it is important to understand the perspectives of the teachers. Two different interests are visible among the teachers. Majority of the teachers support face-to-face counseling. However, the young teachers are in favour of online learning and multimedia supports in teaching. Through the awareness is somewhat high, the actual participation in online is very low. This is due to the inadequate infrastructure as well as the traditional attitudes of the teachers. Still the face-to-face sessions remain popular than online.