A Survey of Student Satisfaction of Institutional Processes at the National Open University of Nigeria

Authors

Keywords:

Student assessment, Satisfaction, Institutional Processes, Learners’ Support Services, Open and Distance Learning

Abstract

This study investigated National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) students’ perception of the University’s services. Specifically, it explored students’ level of satisfaction with the five core aspects of the services provided by the institution of learning: admission and registration, course materials, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Learner support, and Assessment and evaluation. The study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design implemented expost facto. A total of 2,471 learners which were selected through stratified random sampling method from 12 Study Centres in the National Open University of Nigeria participated in the study. Data were collected with the use of a self-developed 5-point scale of the Likert structure (r=0.82). Data were analysed using selected descriptive statistics. Results revealed students’ satisfaction with admission and registration processes, quality of course materials and assessment and evaluation processes but perceived the ICT infrastructure and Learners’ Support Services as highly satisfactory. Based on these findings, recommendations point to the effect that the few gaps identified in the study should be used to improve institutional processes and future strategic plans while every staff involved in the critical areas identified should pay greater attention to the issues towards a culture of quality assurance practices in NOUN.

Résumé : Cette étude a examiné la perception qu'ont les étudiants de la National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) des services de cette université. Plus précisément, il a examiné le niveau de satisfaction des étudiants concernant cinq aspects fondamentaux des services fournis par l’institution d’apprentissage: admission et inscription, matériel pédagogique, technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC), soutien aux apprenants et évaluation. L'étude a adopté le modèle de recherche descriptif transversal mis en œuvre expost facto. Un total de 2,471 apprenants qui ont été sélectionnés par la méthode d'échantillonnage aléatoire stratifiée dans 12 centres d'étude de la National Open University of Nigeria ont participé à l'étude. Les données ont été collectées à l'aide d'une échelle à 5 points auto-développée de la structure Likert (r = 0.82). Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de statistiques descriptives sélectionnées. Les résultats ont révélé la satisfaction des étudiants à l’égard des processus d’admission et d’inscription, de la qualité du matériel pédagogique et des processus d’évaluation, mais ils ont jugé l’infrastructure des TICs et les services d’appui aux apprenants très satisfaisants. Sur la base de ces résultats, des recommandations indiquent que les quelques lacunes identifiées dans l'étude devraient être utilisées pour améliorer les processus institutionnels et les futurs plans stratégiques, tandis que le personnel impliqué dans les domaines critiques identifiés devrait accorder une plus grande attention aux problèmes vers une culture des pratiques d'assurance qualité à NOUN.

References

Akinsola, M. K. and Ogunleye, B. O. (2003). Improving Mathematics and Science curricula at the implementation stage. In O. Ayodele-Bamisaiye, I. A. Nwazuoke and A. Okediran (Eds) Education this Millennium- Innovations in Theory and Practice. Ibadan: Macmillan Nigeria Publishers Limited, 211-218.

Akinsola, M. K. and Ogunleye, B. O. (2004). Statistical methods and research design in education. Unpublished Mimeograph, Department of Teacher Education, University of Ibadan. Ibadan, Nigeria.

Alvis, H. and Rapaso, M. (2006). Conceptual model of Student Satisfaction in Higher Education. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 17 (9), 1261-1278.

BC College and Institute Student Outcomes (2003). https://www.kpu.ca/sites/default/files/downloads/Understanding_Student_Outcomes6359.pdf

Bolliger, D. and Erichsen, E. (2013). Student Satisfaction with Blended and Online Courses Based on Personality Type. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie, 39 (1). Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/178006/.

Bolliger, D. and Halupa, C. (2012). Student perceptions of satisfaction and anxiety in an online doctoral program. Distance Education, (May 2013), 37–41. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01587919.2012.667961

Bolton, R. N., Kannan, P. K. and Bramlett, M. D. (2000). Implications of loyalty program membership and service experiences for customer retention and value. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 28 (1), 95–108.

Bozarth, J., Chapman, D.D., and LaMonica, L. (2004). Preparing for distance learning: Designing an online student orientation course. Educational Technology and Society, 7 (1), 87-106. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/7_1/ets_7_1.pdf#page=92

Braun, T. (2008). Making a choice: The perceptions and attitudes of online graduate students. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 16 (1), 63-92. Retrieved from ProQuest database (1433117061)

Chang, S. H. and Smith, R. A. (2008). Effectiveness of personal interaction in a learnercentered paradigm distance education class based on student satisfaction. Journal of Research in Technology in Education, 40 (4), 407-426. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database (32589305)

Ddarwazeh, S. (2014). The Impact of Service Quality Provided by Admission and Registration Deanships at Jordanian Private Universities on Student Satisfaction. European Journal of Business and Management, 6 (39). Retrieved from https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/EJBM/article/viewFile/18827/19149.

Dempsey, J. V., Fisher, S. F., Wright, D. E. and Anderton, E. K. (2008). Training and support, obstacles, and library impacts on elearning activities. College Student Journal, 42(2), 630-636. Retrieved from ProQuest database. (1485911721)

Dong, Y. and Lucey, A. (2013). Relationships between student satisfaction and assessment grades in a first-year engineering unit. Teaching and Learning Forum. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/DongLuceyTL2003PublishedConferencePaper.pdf

Elliott, K. and Shin, D. (2002). Student satisfaction: an alternative approach to assessing this Important Concept. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 97-109.

Elliott, K. M. (2002). Key Determinants of Student Satisfaction. Journal of College Student Retention, 4 (3), 271-279.

Garrison, R., and Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7, 95-105.

Ghaderizefreh, S. and Hoover, M. L. (2018). Student Satisfaction with Online Learning in a Blended Course. International Journal of Digital Society (IJDS), 9 (3). Retrieved from https://infonomics-society.org/wp-content/uploads/ijds/published-papers/volume-9-2018-2/Student-Satisfaction-with-Online-Learning-in-a-Blended-Course.pdf

Ginns, P. and Ellis, R. (2007). Quality in blended learning: Exploring the relationships between on-line and face-to-face teaching and learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 10, 5364.

Hanssen, T. E. S. and Solvoll, G. (2015). The importance of university facilities for student satisfaction at a Norwegian University. Facilities, 744-759.

Harrington, R., and Loffredo, D.A. (2010). MBTI personality type and other factors that relate to preference for online versus face-to-face instruction. The Internet and Higher Education, 13, 89-95. Doi:10.1016/J.iheduc.2009.11.006

Harrison, R., Gemmell, I. and Reed, K. (2014). Student satisfaction with a web-based dissertation course: Findings from an international distance learning master's programme in public health. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 15 (1). Athabasca University Press. Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/148198/.

Herman, H., Puspitasari, K. A. and Padmo, D. A. (2015). The Importance of Student Support Services and Students’ Satisfaction at Universitas, Terbuka. ASEAN Journal of Open Distance Learning, 7 (1). Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/The_Importance_of_Student_Support_Servic.pdf

Hersh, R. H. (2007). "Going Naked". Peer Review, 9 (2), 4-8.

Holley, D. and Dobson, C. (2008). Encouraging student engagement in a blended learning environment: The use of contemporary learning spaces. Learning, Media and Technology, 33 (2), 139-150.

Hon, W. (2002). Applying customer satisfaction theory to community college planning of student services. Insight in Student Services, 2.

Hussain, A. and Abalkhail, A. M. (2012). Determinants of library use, collections and services among the students of engineering: a case study of King Saud University. Collection Building, 32 (3), 100 –110.

Ke, F., and Kwak, D. (2013). Constructs of student-centered online learning on learning satisfaction of a diverse online student body: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 48 (1), 97–122.

Kelso, M. (2011). What is the effect of an online orientation course on student satisfaction?. In Proceedings of Global TIME -Online Conference on Technology, Innovation, Media & Education (pp. 406-419). Online,: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/37110/.

Khurshid, F. and Arshad, M. (2012). Students satisfaction with campus facilities. Elixir Soc. Sci. 52 (2012) 11412-11416. https://www.elixirpublishers.com/articles/1352886135_52%20(2012)%2011412-11416.pdf

Koroghlanian, C. M. and Brinkerhoff, J. (2008). Online students’ technology skills and attitudes toward online instruction. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 36 (2), 219-244. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database (31161448)

Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management. NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lo, C. C. (2010). How student satisfaction factors affect perceived learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10 (1), 47-54.

Mahmood, W. N., Dangi, M. R. M. & Ali, K. A.M. (2014). Investigating students’ satisfaction level on implicit services of Malaysian Public Higher Education Institutions. Gading Business and Management Journal, 18 (1), 41-59.

Moore, J. C. (2005). The Sloan Consortium Quality Framework and the Five Pillars. The Sloan Consortium. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e482/e560c0f4bc6182fa3bb04ffdc886fcce229d.pdf

Mukhtar, U., Anwar, S., Ahmed, U. and Baloch, M. A. (2015). Factors effecting the service quality of public and private sector universities comparatively: an empirical investigation. Arts, Science & Commerce, 132-142.

Nasser, R., Khoury, B. and Abouchedid, K. (2008). University students’ knowledge of services and programs in relation to satisfaction. Quality Assurance in Education, 16 (1), 80-97.

National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN. (2019). Brief Historical Background of NOUN. Retrieved from https://www.nou.edu.ng/index.php/page/university-you-0

Nolen, S. B. (2003). Learning environment, motivation, and achievement in high school science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40 (4), 347-368.

Ogunlela, V. B. and Ogunleye, B. O. (2014). Promoting quality assurance practices for ODL programmes in West African higher education institutions: The role of RETRIDAL. International Open and Distance Learning Journal. 4th ACDE 2014 Special Edition, 95-108.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2007). Teachers’ perceived barriers to successful implementation of ICT in the teaching and learning of science subjects in Nigerian secondary schools. Nigeria Journal of Computer Literacy, 8 (1), 15-31.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2008). Statistical data analysis and making inferences. In A. I. Olayinka, A. L. Popoola and A. Ojebode (Eds) Methodology of Basic and Applied Research. Ibadan: The Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan. 128-139.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2009a). Integration of contemporary ICT tools in the teaching of Chemistry: awareness and attitudes of Chemistry teachers in South West, Nigeria. Journal of e-Learning, 8 (2), 1-18.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2009b). Students’ background in science, mathematical ability and practical skills as determinants of performance in senior secondary school chemistry. African Journal of Educational Management, 12 (2), 215-226.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2012). Relationship among teachers’ science process skills, scientific attitudes and students’ performance in Chemistry. International Journal of Educational Leadership, 4 (4), 41-48.

Ogunleye, B. O. (2019). Effects of concrete-representational-abstract instructional strategy on chemistry performance of students with mathematics learning difficulties in Ogun State, Nigeria. KIU Journal of Education, 14 (2),135-151.

Ogunleye, B. O. and Agoro, A. A. (2013). Reflective-Reciprocal Teaching and Mode of Entry as Determinants of Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Process Skills. Journal of Applied Education and Vocational Research 10 (2), 151-164.

Ogunleye, B. O. and Apata, F. S. (2018). Integrating Intelligent Pedagogical Agents into Learning Management Systems for Student Exposure to Science Experiments in the National Open University of Nigeria. Kampala International University Journal of Education, 13 (2), 31-51.

Ogunleye, B. O. and Bamidele, A. D. (2013). Peer-led guided inquiry as an effective strategy for improving secondary school students’ performance and practical skills performance in chemistry. Journal of Studies in Science and Mathematics Education 3 (1), 33-46.

Petruzzellis, L., D’Uggento, A. M. and Romanazzi, S. (2006). Student satisfaction and quality of service in Italian universities. Managing Service Quality, 349-36 .

Rad, A. and Yarmohammadian, M. (2006). A study of relationship between managers’ leadership style and employees’ job satisfaction. Leadership in Health Services, 11-26.

Ross, J. (2012). Four out of five students satisfied. The Australian.

Sahin, I. and Shelley, M. C. (2008). Considering Students' Perceptions: The Distance Education Student Satisfaction Model. Educational Technology & Society 11 (3), 216-223

Szymanski, D. M. and Henard, D. H. (2001). Customer satisfaction: A meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29 (1), 16–35.

Tenebe, V. A. (2013). NOUN News Bulletin quarterly publication of media and information special Edition NOUN Update: A Dream Tempered with Reality. 1.

Weerasinghe, I. M. S., Lalitha, R. and Fernando, S. (2017). Students' satisfaction in higher education literature review. American Journal of Educational Research 5 (5), 533-539. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325022530_Students'_Satisfaction_in_Higher_Education_Literature_Review.

Wickersham, L. E. and McGee, P. (2008). Perceptions of Satisfaction and Deeper Learning in an Online Course. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9 (1), 73-83.

Wikiversit (n. d.). University student satisfaction. Retrieved from https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/University_student_satisfaction

Yusoff, M., McLeay, F. and Woodruffe-Burto, H. (2015). Dimensions driving business student satisfaction in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 86-104.

Downloads

Published

2019-01-14

How to Cite

Ofulue, C. I., & Ogunleye, B. O. (2019). A Survey of Student Satisfaction of Institutional Processes at the National Open University of Nigeria. West African Journal of Open and Flexible Learning, 7(2), 69–92. Retrieved from https://wajofel.org/index.php/wajofel/article/view/36

Issue

Section

Research Articles