An analysis of student support services as a factor that impacts on distance students' progress and completion of studies at the University of Namibia's Centre for Open, Distance and E-learning
This study examined student support services as a factor that impacts on students’ progress and completion of studies at the University of Namibia’s Centre for Open, Distance and eLearning. The Centre for Open, Distance and eLearning (CODeL) at the University of Namibia (UNAM) was established through a merger between the Centre for External Studies (CES) and the Centre for eLearning and Interactive Multimedia (CeLIM) in 2016 to provide and strengthen distance education in Namibia. However, one of the major challenges experienced by CODeL has been on support services which impacts on progress and completion of studies of students. The study adopted a mixed method approach to analyse student support services as a factor that impacts on distance students’ progress and completion of studies at the University of Namibia’s Centre for Open, Distance and eLearning. The research questions for the study were: To what extent do student support services impact on distance student’s progress and completion of studies? How effective are student support services to distance students at CODeL of the University of Namibia? This study also followed a case study research design to present a real-life situation and to provide a better insight pertaining to student support services as a factor that impacts on students’ progress and completion of studies at the University of Namibia. The data was collected from a sample size of 15 staff members at CODeL and 60 students. The findings of the study revealed that student viewed vacation school as extremely effective followed by administrative support. The study concluded that in-dead student support services impacts on students’ progress and completion leading to delays in students’ progress and completion of their studies. Students view on the types of student support services were that lecturer not turning up for classes during vacation school, short days for the vacation school and administrative support such as staff members not answering student’s inquiries on time. The study recommends more attention should be given to student support services such as vacation school, administrative support and as they are the ones viewed by students as extremely effective.
Student support services, Distance students, Completion of studies, CODeL, Students’ progress
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations