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"OPEN UNIVERSITY"
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Persistence and time challenges in an open online university: a case study of the experiences of first-year learners
Student persistence in the first year of studies is a crucial concern in online higher education. Recent accelerated growth in online programs due to the COVID pandemic has increased concerns over higher dropout rates, which are often connected to students’ time challenges—time poverty, juggling multiple commitments, and fitting studies into busy lives. However, research seldom focuses on students’ perceptions of time issues related to persistence. This study addresses this gap by exploring how 20 second-year students retrospectively viewed their experiences of time challenges and how they impacted their persistence in their first year at an online open university. Content analysis of in-depth interviews demonstrated that time pressure and time-conflicts were crucial barriers for success in the foundational semester; the main barrier was juggling study with multiple priorities. Most persisters had good time management and high levels of intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, and self-determination. However, even procrastinators with heavy work-family duties managed to persevere due to their resilience and personal motivation. Lastly, recommendations and strategies for effective student-based interventions to foster persistence are suggested.
Journal Article
Open University
This historical perspective on The Open University, founded in 1969, frames its ethos (to be open to people, places, methods and ideas) within the traditions of correspondence courses, commercial television, adult education, the post-war social democratic settlement and the Cold War. A critical assessment of its engagement with teaching, assessment and support for adult learners offers an understanding as to how it came to dominate the market for part-time studies. It also indicates how, as the funding and status of higher education shifted, it became a loved brand and a model for universities around the world. Drawing on previously ignored or unavailable records, personal testimony and recently digitised broadcast teaching materials, it recognises the importance of students to the maintenance of the university and places the development of learning and the uses of technology for education over the course of half a century within a wider social and economic perspective.
eBook
Open Universities: the next phase
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on research on the views of Presidents and Vice Chancellors of Open Universities of current threats and opportunities for their institutions as the author marks the 50th anniversary of the first Open University in the UK established in 1969. The paper offers a historical account of the development of the Open University model, and assesses the extent to which it remains in the key position as owner of innovation in the higher education sector.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted with leaders of Open Universities or distance teaching universities. They covered a total of 14 universities.FindingsThe replies from institutional leaders reveal the current developments, opportunities and strategic challenges of the universities. It is suggested that the digital revolution along with a wider range of environmental changes for higher education have substantially eroded the first-mover advantage that Open Universities had undoubtedly enjoyed in the first 25 years.Originality/valueThe paper concludes that there are significant concerns that innovation in Open Universities is not sufficiently embedded to ensure that their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be maximised, or even in some cases their survival, and that a key but undervalued element is leadership development for innovation and change.
Journal Article
Open, Dual, Interpersonal, and Distance Education: A Comparative Study of Al-Quds Open University and Arab Open University
This study compared Al-Quds Open University with the Arab Open University, targeting young learners in addition to adults, and tried to answer four questions. The first question dealt with the similarities and differences between these two universities and showed similarities in the degrees, most notably the bachelor’s degree, but differed in their organizational models. This study showed that Al-Quds Open University prepares its courses internally, while the Arab Open University develops some courses internally and others externally. These two universities employ asynchronous interactions on the internet. The second question dealt with the organizational models of virtual education, the most prominent of which was the adoption of blended education. The third question dealt with the quality of virtual university education, where the literature showed the difficulty of determining a definitive answer about the quality of this learning. The fourth question was about what made the virtual university successful. The most critical factors were using the principles of teaching science and adequate funding, having good technical infrastructure and strong electronic programs, a support system and professional applications, and individual property laws. The study included some recommendations to encourage virtual university education in the Arab world and to propose studies in this field.
Journal Article
Investigating the influence of the updated DeLone and McLean information system (IS) success model on the effectiveness of learning management system (LMS) implementation
The learning management system (LMS) is claimed to be a crucial strategy for creating successful e-learning and teaching methods, enhancing students' learning satisfaction and achieving academic outcomes. Although the Indonesia Open University has implemented e-learning innovation through LMS in higher education, it has not gained popularity. Hence, the present research aimed to investigate the updated DeLone and McLean information system (IS) success model on the effectiveness of LMS implementation, focusing on system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. A total of 386 respondents from undergraduate and postgraduate programs were selected through stratified random sampling. Subsequently, research data were collected through online survey questionnaires administered to students enrolled at the Indonesia Open University. Structural equation modeling with AMOS version 24 software was deployed to analyze data and test hypothesis. Findings revealed that the updated DeLone and McLean IS success model had a positive and significant influence on the effectiveness of LMS. Therefore, the top-level management of the Indonesia Open University and decision-makers in the Indonesian government could provide a better LMS practice environment infrastructure utilizing the updated DeLone and McLean IS success model.
Journal Article
The challenge of establishing world-class universities
Governments are becoming increasingly aware of the important contribution that high performance, world-class universities make to global competitiveness and economic growth. There is growing recognition, in both industrial and developing countries, of the need to establish one or more world-class universities that can compete effectively with the best of the best around the world. Contextualizing the drive for world-class higher education institutions and the power of international and domestic university rankings, this book outlines possible strategies and pathways for establishing globally competitive universities and explores the challenges, costs, and risks involved. Its findings will be of particular interest to policy makers, university leaders, researchers, and development practitioners.
eBook
A nonlinear state space model predicting dropout: the case of special education students in the Hellenic Open University
While open and distance education gains growing recognition over time, it also faces increasing drop-out rates. Consequently, the development of predictive models for early identification of students at-risk for drop-out could be critical to promote ongoing engagement. This study aims to gain insights into the dropout prediction problem in a sample of postgraduate special education students. Therefore, a nonlinear state-space model was employed. An Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm that iterates between state estimation (E-step) and parameter estimation (M-step) was retrieved from the existing literature. However, the variables were redefined according to available data. In the dataset a total number of n
1
= 1337 students were enrolled, attending n
2
= 7 different modules. Statistical analysis showed that the majority of the students dropped out during the second week. Moreover, an inversely proportional relationship was observed between the dropout rates and the number of weeks that the student has actively engaged in the module. Significant differences across modules were also observed. Results are discussed in terms of their application in the training and education of the collaborating teaching staff working in the HOU. Future work in the field should be expanded in order to investigate students’ drop-out in more courses other than special education.
Journal Article
Centring the human: critical AI literacy, student engagement, and institutional implications for open universities in developing Asia
Purpose This paper explores the underexamined human dimension of artificial intelligence in education (AIED) within open universities (OUs) in developing Asia, focusing on students’ critical AI literacy and how their insights may help shape more humanistic approaches that integrate ethical and sociopolitical concerns. Design/methodology/approach Using the method of empathy-based stories (MEBS), responses were gathered from 44 postgraduate students at an OU in developing Asia, then thematically analysed and interpreted through critical discourses on technology and education. Findings While most respondents demonstrate some degree of critical AI literacy, this is largely limited to a foundational level marked by curious scepticism. The study underscores the value of student input not merely as feedback but as epistemic contribution to humanistic AIED. It highlights students’ shared concern about preserving what they see as essential human qualities amid accelerating AI integration. Originality/value This paper contributes to the limited research on the human dimension of AIED in OUs in developing Asia by centring the student body as key stakeholders and advocating a more humanistic approach. It also offers a novel methodological lens through MEBS to provide fresh insight into student engagement with critical AI literacy.
Journal Article
Determinants of e-Learning Services: Indonesian Open University
The Internet has been massively utilized for educational purposes during the last ten years with many platforms, including e-Learning Services (e-LS). This survey study aimed to report factors affecting the intention to use e-LS in the Indonesian Open University (OU) context. The original technology acceptance model (TAM) was extended, involving seven variables: facilitating conditions, perceived enjoyment, subjective norms, perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitudes, and intention to use. The survey questionnaire was piloted prior to the main data collection. Through random sampling, 2787 out of 341,956 Indonesian OU students responded to the questionnaire. The main data were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) procedures. For predicting intention to use e-LS, the strongest affecting factor is attitudes. Subjective norms play a bigger than perceived usefulness in predicting intention to use. In predicting attitudes, perceived ease of use is the strongest predictor, followed by perceived usefulness. Subjective norms, facilitating conditions, and perceived enjoyment are significant predictors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Recommendations were elaborated for all stakeholders: researchers, tutors, policymakers, and OU students.
Journal Article