ABSTRACT

The study investigated the nature of learner support services in open, distance and e- learning programme in three public universities in Kenya. Specifically, the study set out to ascertain the types of learner support services offered to open, distance and e-learning students as well as identify learner support services that the students and the administrators felt were essential for effective learning. The study also intended to establish the attitudes of the users of open, distance and e-learning programmes on the learner support services offered and identify the factors that influence learner support services offered in open, distance and e-learning programmes in selected public universities in Kenya. The study limited itself to fourth year students undertaking a bachelor‟s  degree  programme  only.  This  study  was  guided  by  the  systems  approach model whereby the types of learner support services offered by an institution enhances the success of open, distance and e-learning programmes through provision of adequate learner support services. Literature reviewed on the categories of services such as teaching and learning needs, access of information and personal and social needs (independent variables) showed that they determine the overall satisfaction of learner support services (dependent variable) offered. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling was used to select three public universities offering open, distance and e-learning programmes, namely Egerton University, Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi. Further, purposive sampling method was also used to select three study regions where each of the three universities had a study centre. A sample size of 329 fourth year students in the selected universities was arrived at using tables instituted by Morgan and Krejcie (1970). Stratified sampling technique was used to get a representation of students from each university while convenience sampling  was used to select the students at each study centre from each university. All the administrators (directors and coordinators) were used in the study. The study instruments (interview schedules and questionnaires) were constructed to help in data collection. The data collected was coded, analysed and tabulated using the SPSS version 20 programme. Results were presented in form of frequency distribution tables and graphs. The study established that students rated majority of learner support services offered by their institutions across the three universities as poor while the administrators indicated that the services offered were good. However, the students and the administrators were of the opinion that there were essential learner support services that were very necessary to open, distance and e-learning students. Further, there was a consensus by the students and the administrators that the services offered were necessary though they needed to be improved. Lastly, the study found out that the administrators were aware of the essential learner support services but were limited by other factors that were beyond their control. The study recommends that; institutions offering open, distance and e-learning programmes should constantly assess the value of learner  support  services  offered  by constantly seeking  the  students‟ opinion and  offer few but essential learner support services that are of high quality, adequate, of good quality and satisfactory to the students.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

This chapter focuses on the background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives, research questions and significance of the study. It also discusses the scope of the study, limitations and delimitations, assumptions of the study, theoretical framework, conceptual framework and the operational definition of terms.

            Background to the study

The rapid technological changes in education today have become paramount towards meeting our educational demands for the 21st century. The emerging trend in the use of Information Communication Technology has helped in bringing down the traditional barriers of access to higher education leading to access of quality education and training. This has provided learners with opportunities for lifelong learning and meaningful participation in the world of work and society as productive citizens through distance learning. In its earliest form, distance learning meant study by correspondence which dates back to 1728 (Tait, 1995), when Caleb Phillips started offering students weekly lessons. However, distance education mode of learning did not attain a marked progress until the University of London, which was the first to offer distance learning degrees through an external programme in 1828, was established (Bates, 2003). Later, Isaac Pitman taught shorthand through correspondence in Britain in 1840s where he communicated with his students through mail.

This mode of learning was revolutionized by the emergence of open universities. As such, Britain‟s Open University was opened in 1965 and by 1971 it had 25,000 student againist 130,000 students in conventional universities across the United Kingdom. According to Moore et al (2005), this inspired the opening up of other institutions across other countries like America and Japan. Thus the Open University has become a leader in the use of new technology in teaching as well as bringing respect and confidence in the distance education programme across the world. Therefore, through Britain‟s Open University (Siaciwena, 1996), students have been able to overcome not only the barriers of place and time, but also access education beyond political boundaries and across nationalities. Today, these developments have given birth to modern distance education where students learn without any physical contact with tutors.

Distance education in USA started with Anna Ticknor who wanted the marginalised and especially women to acquire education (De Salvo, 2002). Like Pitman, she adopted the use of printed materials through mail as the main medium of communication with her students. This led to the official recognition of Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts that offered education through correspondence though the National University Extension Association (NUEA) insisted that this form of education had to be conducted on an experimental basis. Through innovations and research, new education delivery technologies such as lantern slides, motion pictures and instructional radio supplemented the printed materials (Allen & Seaman, 2008). Although this form of education was not acceptable to many scholars in USA, the high cost of resident

education coupled with the growing interest in non-traditional education and the success of Britain‟s Open University in United Kingdom led to the growth of distance education.

Indian distance education has a short history. This mode of education was established after independence when the government realized that there was need to make education available to the masses to fulfil its constitutional obligations. Cheng et al (1993) indicated that there was need for radical changes into the system of education to change the traditional education that was restricting and inaccessible to many. Therefore distance education was embraced and a school for correspondence studies was established in 1962. By 1968, Punjab University that taught using the regional language (Punjab) besides English was established. The establishment of Andhra Pradesh Open University in 1982 as the first Open University in India brought a new dimension in education (Reddy & Manjulika, 2000). This brought a total shift in instructional process where institutions adopted innovation and flexibility in the teaching and learning processes. Today, India has the most number of established open universities that are networked to enhance accessibility of quality learning materials while eliminating duplication of efforts done by other universities.

Although the evolution of distance education is more than a century old in the Western world, in Africa it is a more recent phenomenon with the University of South Africa (UNISA) having been established in 1946to offer distance education programmes. With time, other open and distance universities started and as of today, there are a number of private and public profit and non-profit institutions offering a large number of degree

programmes through distance education in South Africa (SAIDE, 1999). In East Africa, the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1992 as a single-mode institution offering certificate, diploma and degree courses through distance learning. Later an E-learning Centre was set up to focus on the capacity building of staff and students from OUT and other universities and colleges. Accordingly, Makerere University of Uganda was established in 1922 as a technical school and grew to become the University of East Africa in 1963 offering degrees from the University of London. Later in 1970 it was split into three and became an Independent National University in Uganda and in Kenya, University of Nairobi was created while in Tanzania, the University of Dar es Salaam was born. These days Makerere houses the main African Virtual University facility for Uganda and has a thriving Centre for Continuing Education.

In Kenya, as in Uganda, distance education activities date back to 1953 when the first Department of Extra Mural Studies was founded in Makerere with a resident tutor for Kenya. However, the need for degree courses by distance teaching was first expressed  in 1966 when an Act of Parliament established the Board of Adult Education (Juma, 2006). The Institute of Adult Studies was established in 1973 and moved to the Adult Studies Centre at Kikuyu. A course under the auspices of the College of Adult and Distance Education, Faculty of External Degree Studies was launched in the mid-1980s with financial support from the British Council which made it possible for the development  of  course  programmes  and  simplified  students‟  handbooks.    As  such,

Bachelor of Education programme was started at University of Nairobi based on the course units (Republic of Kenya, 1998). Later, in 1983, the Kenyan government agreed that the external degree programme be started at the University of Nairobi and the then Kenyatta University College to provide learning opportunities for those aspiring Kenyans who could not secure university admission (Juma, 2006). This was to provide the much needed high level manpower, an opportunity for adults to learn at their own pace, and also provide an opportunity to maximize the use of the limited educational resources both human and material by making university education available beyond the lecture halls (Jowi, 2003).