AWARENESS OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE

BY

NOU203091114

TIJANI ADEBISI

ABEOKUTA STUDY CENTRE

A SEMINAR SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE,

FACULTY OF SCIENCE, NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,
ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD

OF THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE,
NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, ABUJA, NIGERIA.

SEPTEMBER 2023

1
ABSTRACT

Open and distance learning is different from traditional learning .It focuses on freeing learners

from limitations of time and place while offering flexible learning opportunities. ODL is

delivered using a variety of print and electronic systems either through learning, in which all

parties participates at the same time, or through learning in which parties participate at different

times. It is done through correspondence, audiovisual means (television and radio), multimedia

(audio and text files), and the Internet. In the traditional education system, some constraints can

be observed with regard to access and equity. But in ODL, the learner has the opportunity to

learn regardless of age, educational level or geographical barriers. Therefore, it is worthwhile to

understand the awareness level of the public regarding ODL in Sri Lanka. Hence, the following

research problem is being discussed.

2
 INTRODUCTION

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is a truism that education is universally seen as a weapon to combat diverse ills that can befall

any nation. Any nation that toys with the education of its citizen may not experience accelerated

development and may not be ranked high among the developed nations of the world (Etejere and

Ogundele, 2018). Education is seen as an agent of light that can illuminate a nation and place it

on a pedestal for development, and every nation that wants this light thrives by all positive

possible means to provide education to all its citizens. Educated citizens are not just creative and

productive citizens; they are culturally and socially tolerant people who exercise ethical and

moral considerations in national and local affairs (Jegede, 2020). Education is provided through

formal and informal means. In formal setting, the conventional (face-to-face school instruction)

and the distance learning offered with separation in terms of the physical location of

instructors and students has been used to provide educational opportunities to recipients. having

realized the contributions of education to a nation, the Nigerian government decided to

introduce Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to enable citizens who could not access

conventional education have access to be educated, whether young and old, privileged and

non-privileged, working class and non-working class. With this system of education, diverse

channels are created in our educational system to provide access to quality education and

equality in educational opportunities to all, as stipulated in our national policy on education.

Open and distance learning is an educational pattern, approach and strategy that permit

people to learn with no barrier with respect to time and space, age and previous educational

3
qualification, no entry qualification, no age limit, no regard to sex, race, tribe, state of origin

(Jimoh, 2021).

In the same vein, Kaufman, Watkins and Guerra (2021) stated that distance learning means the

delivery of useful learning opportunities at a convenient place and time for learners,

irrespective of the institution providing the learning opportunity. Jegede, (2023) opined

that distance learning is the education provided by a mode other than the conventional face-to-

face method whose goals are similar to and just as noble and practical as those of on-campus,

full-time, face-to-face education. It is a field of education that focuses on imparting knowledge

through methods and technology to students who are not physically present in a traditional face-

to-face setting such as the classroom. This process provides access to learning experiences when

the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance.

Distance learning also known as distance education, traditionally involved correspondence

courses wherein the students correspond with the school via mail. Today, it usually involves

online education. A distance learning programme can be completely distance or a combination of

distance learning and traditional classroom instruction called Hybrid or blended. Massive Open

Online Courses (MOOCs) offering large-scale interactive participation and open access through

the World Wide Web or other network technologies are recent educational models in distance

education (Wikipedia, 2022).

Aderinoye and Ojokheta (2019) posited that distance learning is an appropriate instrument for

filling the gap in the provision of education. It has created more room for all to be educated

and to get more education, meeting the special needs of employers and employees through

special certificate programmes, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Our teachers and

4
instructors can also have the opportunity to further their education which in turn increases their

input and productivity. This form of education is being used by the government to tackle

problems of education deficiency in high priority area puts which includes teacher education,

amongst others. This is an area that can be described as an umbrella covering other areas in the

field of education because when the trainers (teachers) are trained and well-equipped, the transfer

of knowledge, skills and values to meet educational goals will be easily achievable.

The history of distance learning dates back to correspondence education which was a means of

preparing candidates for the general certificate in education, a prerequisite for the London

Matriculation Examination before independence. Shortly after the colonial era, distance learning

was no longer operational in Nigeria until 1983 when it was re-introduced but became

operational in 2001 following the establishment of the National Open University of Nigeria

(NOUN) which takes the lead in exclusively providing open and distance education for students.

Two other universities in Nigeria (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Nnamdi Azikiwe

University, Akwa) were also given the license to operate open and distance education.

Thesethree universities introduced diverse programmes such as correspondence study, part-time

programmes, sandwich programmes and continuing education programmes. The programmes

were opened to all categories of persons with no discrimination concerning age, sex, marital

status, religion or race, but with varied entry qualifications which from primary school,

secondary school certificate, NCE to first degree Holdangeers ( Owoeye in Jimoh, 2013). A lot

of people seized the opportunity to be educated. Today, many universities have introduced

distance learning programmes, consequently increasing people’s access to education. Khakhar

(2021) stated that distance learning is spreading to all areas of education and training, as

government becomes aware of its potential in dealing with the numerous problems they face.

5
The seminar applies theresponsibility of higher education authorities to promote ODL in Ogun

state Abeokuta in order to enhance equity and access to education for all. It can be recommended

that an integrated marketing communication plan be launched to make the public aware of this.

1.2 Problem Statement

The increasing rate of population in Ogun State Abeokuta who are denied access to education in

our conventional institutions, especially at the tertiary level influenced the introduction of open

and distance education. The quest to provide a wide range of access to education has greatly

popularized distance education all over the world. Nigeria has taken a giant step in recent times

to introduce distance learning to our education system. The National Open University takes the

lead in providing exclusive open and distance education for students, with study centres across

the nation, while some other universities have sections where distance education programmes are

offered. Over the years, it was believed that a lot of successes have been made in the education

sector, as thousands of students have benefited from distance learning programmes, while a large

number got admitted every year. However, attention must be drawn to the fact as to whether this

system of distance learning is providing quality learning experiences to students can the

graduates from distance education compete favourably with other graduates from the traditional

education system? What are the attitudes and perceptions of the students towards distance

learning? These questions spurned this investigation to examine the effectiveness of distance

learning programmes and explore factors driving students’ interest in distance learning.

6
1.3 Aim and Objective of the Study

The major purpose of this study is to create awareness of open and distance learning to the

general public in Abeokuta, Ogun state

1. To identify weather the general public is exposed to quality and standard educational

distance learning experiences.

2. To know if the general public perception of distance education affect their attitude

towards learning.

7
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

According to Okonkwo (2022) open and distance learning, particularly of the correspondence

variety, is not new in Nigeria. In fact, the history of educational development in Nigeria is

replete with success stories of illustrious Nigerian pioneer university graduates most of whom

earned their degrees, against great odds, through home study and correspondence education from

the prestigious external system of the University of London, among others, and were

subsequently admitted into elite professions such as law and accountancy.

Okebukola (2019) stated that from the policy perspective, there is abundant evidence that

successive Nigerian governments have long realized the importance of open and distance

learning. The foundation of open and distance education in Nigeria having been laid through the

National Policy on Education (NPE) .Peters (2022) noted that as far back as 1977, following

government’s search for alternative models to the traditional conventional system, which had

been found, even at that time, to be rather restricted and limited in scope. This policy on ODL

has continued to be upheld by successive governments.

The Nigerian National Policy on Education recognizes the place of open and distance learning in

achieving lifelong education and affirms that lifelong education shall be the basis of the nation’

seducation policy with opportunities for individuals to choose between continuing full-time

studies, combining work with study, or embarking on full time employment without excluding

the prospect of resuming studies later

Ojo and Olakunlehin (2019) outlines that the National Policy on Education which envisaged the

development of open and distance learning programmes in the country, defined open and

distance education as the mode of teaching in which learners are removed in time and space from

8
the teacher and which uses a variety of media and technologies to provide and/or improve access

to good quality education for large number of learners wherever they may be.

According to the policy document, the goals of open and distance education are to:

 Provide access to quality education and equity in educational opportunities for those who

otherwise would have been denied

 Meet special needs of employers by mounting special certificate courses for their

employees at their work place

 Encourage internationalization especially of tertiary education curricula

 Ameliorate the effect of internal and external brain drain in tertiary institutions by

utilizing experts as teachers regardless of their locations or places of work.(NPE, 2004)

However. a critical appraisal of the scope of open and distance learning practice at any level of

education in Abeokuta Ogun State against the backdrop of the long- standing recognition of its

potential for increasing access to education for all socio-cultural groups, unfortunately, reveals a

glaring mismatch between policy and practice even in the face of the obvious and widely

acknowledged perennial inadequacies of the conventional face-to-face mode, in meeting the

higher educational aspirations of a large number of Nigerians, especially in the university sub-

sector. Although the NPE envisages the deployment of the ODL mode at all levels of education

in Abeokuta, from primary to tertiary education with the establishment of open schools, open

colleges , open polytechnics and open universities, regrettably, decades after the articulation of

the policy, only the university sub-sector has managed to implement the ODL policy to a

tangible extent, albeit the implementation and practice of the delivery via the mode, is still a far

cry from what is delivery of flexible, cost-effective, accessible and affordable education

9
withoutthe constraint of time and space required to fully optimize the mode, within the context

of contemporary, information and communication technology(ICT)- driven delivery of flexible,

cost-effective, accessible and affordable education without the constraint of time and space.

Open learning

The concept of Open learning is based on the idea that knowledge should be disseminated and

shared freely through the Internet for the benefit of society as a whole. The two most important

aspects of openness are free availability and as few restrictions as possible on the use of the

resource, whether technical, legal or price barriers. Openness exists in different forms and

domains and has different meanings in different contexts. For example, in the social domain it is

fundamentally motivated by the expected social benefits and by ethical considerations related to

freedom to use, contribute and share. Openness in the technical domain is characterised by

access to source code and/or access to interoperability standards or the standards process.

According to Tuomi (2019) a higher level of openness is about the right and ability to modify

repackage and add value to the resource. The definition of ‘open’ is constantly evolving and

varies according to context e.g. sharing software source code, use/reuse of content and open

access to publications.

Distance Learning

According to Keegan, (2019). Distance learning is used as a term to describe the student-

centeredness of distance education and it deals with the use of print and electric technologies to

present individual lessons to learners at a distance. Distance teaching refers to the didactic

strategies of delivery of instruction to students, and this is instructor-centered. Correspondence

study entails distance education through the postal sub-groups. That is, learning at home and

10
communicating with instructors using the print materials as fundamental element of distance

education. External study is a form of education that is external to but not separated from the

faculty staff of the institution offering distance education programme. Independent study is used

for a range of teaching-learning activities, which indicates students’ control over learning time,

pace and place. However, this is misconstrued as independence from an educational institution

which is not usually the case.

Holmerg(2020) defined distance learning as the various forms of teaching and learning at all

levels which are not under the continuous, mediate supervision of tutors present with their

students in lecture rooms or in the same premises but which nevertheless benefit from the

planning, guidance and tuition (i.e. tutoring, teaching) of the staff of the tutorial organization. Its

main characteristic is that it relies on noncontiguous, i.e. mediated communication. Therefore,

distance learning means the delivering of useful learning opportunities for learners at their own

convenient place and time, irrespective of the institution providing the learning opportunity.

2.1 Type of Open and Distance Learning in Ogun state Abeokuta

National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)

The national open university of Nigeria is a federal open and distance learning institution,

probably the first of its kind in West Africa. It is reputed to be Nigeria’s largest tertiary

institution with respect to student population. Initially established in 1983, suspended in 1984

and reestablished in 2001, the university took off with 32400 students. It has study centers all

across the nation and offers more than 750 courses. (WHED, 2022). The entry requirements are

not as strict as in the conventional universities.

11
Benefits of Open and Distance learning to the general public in Ogun State Abeokuta

Immunity to strikes: The problem of incessant strikes by lecturers of higher institutions of

learning in Nigeria does not arise. Thus students have unhindered access to learning materials

and are able to make progress at their own pace.

Availability to all: in Abeokuta, open and distance learning education is available to all

regardless of age , occupation, location etc even to prison inmates.

Availability of ilearn portal technology: this is a platform created by the NOUN to ease access to

Open Education Resources, online class discussions, creating a virtual classroom environment,

networking and collaboration tools to boost communication among students and facilitators

Challenges of Open and Distance Learning to the general public in Ogun State Abeokuta

Despite the overwhelming benefits of open and distance education in Abeokuta, challenges still

exist. Some of the challenges facing open and distance education in Abeokuta include but are not

limited to the following:

1. Funding: every viable programme/project is only sustained by adequate funding. The

goals of the Open University have not been fully realized especially in the rural areas

majorly as a result of inadequate funding. It is not enough for government to make

policies; government should also make adequate funds available for the implementation

of these policies at all levels. Adequate funding will ensure the continuity of the Open

University programme.

2. Power supply: since distance education depends largely on the use of Information and

Communications Technology, the importance of steady power supply cannot be over-

12
 emphasized. Some rural areas in Abeokuta are yet to be connected to the national

electricity, even the urban areas experience erratic power supply. This affects the full

delivery of the open and distance education programme in the country. Alternative

sources of power supply are not within the reach of most Nigerians due to high cost of

living in Abeokuta

3. Challenges of ICT Facilities: Many Nigerians are yet to have access to Information and

Communication Facilities. Even for those that have access, it is quite limited due to high

cost of internet services. This makes it quite difficult or even impossible for students to

have access to educational resources even when they are available. A study conducted by

Nigerian Information Technology Professionals in America in 2022 revealed that it may

take Nigeria about fifty years to catch up with America on the aspect of Pc count per

Households, considering the current ICT penetration (Iromanto, 2022). This is largely

due to the high cost of PCs

13
3.0 MAIN SECTION

The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study

comprised students and graduates from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) who

are teachers in public senior and junior secondary schools in Ogun state Abeokuta. A sample of

20 graduates and 65 students were drawn from the population using a stratified sampling

technique. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire tagged “awareness

of Open and Distance Learning to the general public in Ogun State Abeokuta (AODLGOS)”

and consisted of two parts, A and B. Part A elicited information on the demographic data of

respondents, while Part B contained10 items that sought answers to the research questions raised

by the researcher, structured on a 4-point Likert rating scale of Strongly Agree (SA) -4, Agree

(A) -3, Disagree(D) -2 and Strongly Disagree(SD) -1. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to

answer the research questions and determine the homogeneity of the respondents’ views.

Decisions were based on a criterion mean of 2.50. Any item that attained a response score of

2.50 and above was accepted otherwise was rejected.

Discussion of Findings

It was affirmed from the findings that, quality and standard educational experiences are provided

for students of open and distance education, as respondents were of the view that: distance

education students enjoy standard and quality educational experiences. Through the use of media

mix (in the teaching-learning process), regular assessments and evaluation, counselling services

and availability of study centres forface-to-face contact when appropriate, quality education is

ensured. This is in line with one of the objectives of open and distance education as stated in the

national policy on education which is: to provide access to quality education and equity in

14
educational opportunities for those who otherwise would have been denied Jimoh,(2023).

Similarly, the outcome of this study supported the submission of Duffy, Gilbert, Kennedy and

Kwong, (2022) from a comparative study on the academic achievements of distance learning

students and classroom-based students. They concluded that though all the sampled students

were successful in their studies, the distance learning students’ performance was significantly

higher than the performance of the classroom-based students.

The findings further showed that the perception of distance education students positively affected

their attitude towards learning. The respondents agreed that distance education provided the

needed access to Nigerians who cannot access conventional education and it is relatively

affordable, they are strong of the opinion that distance education should be encouraged and

sustained, and students of distance learning are motivated and ready to continue and complete

their learning programmes as they do not see themselves as inferior to their counterparts in the

conventional school system. This research supported the findings of Udokang, Michael and

Ogundele (2023), that there is no significant difference in the products of both distance learning

and conventional system of education

15
 RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

4.0 Conclusion

These problems if not addressed will hinder the proper implementation of open and distance

Learning in Abeokuta Ogun State. All hands must be on deck, efforts should be intensified to

improve electricity, telecommunication and other communication facilities in both urban and

rural areas. There is a need for integrated involvement of all stakeholders in the various fields.

The goals of open and distance education in Nigeria can only be fully realized through proper

planning and monitored implementation. All the necessary infrastructure and equipment should

be made available in order not to allow gaps in communication between students and resource

persons. There is also need for appropriate mix of “low-tech” delivery approach using the print

media and technology based delivery system. Since learners are social beings, no technology

regardless of its interaction ability can serve as perfect substitute for human interaction. Thus, the

use of study centres for adding face-to-face communication where appropriate is important. This

will provide opportunity for teacher-student and student-student interaction which can greatly

enhance the delivery of distance teaching (Adebisi, 2023).

16
 REFERENCES

Aderinoye, R. & Ojokheta, K.O. (2020). Open and distance education as a mechanism for

sustainable development: Reflections on the Nigerian experience. Research in Open and

Distance Learning, 5(1), 1-9.

Distance education. (2022, june 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? title=

Distanceducation & oldid=1117830191

Duffy, T., Gilbert, L., Kennedy, D. & Kwong, P. (2022). Comparing distance education and

conventional education: Observations from a comparative study of post

registrationnurses. Association of Learning Technology, 10(1), 70-80.

Etejere, P.A.O. & Ogundele, M.O. (2018). Information and communication technology and

administrative effectiveness of Nigeria distance education. National Association for

Educational Administration and Planning, 8(2), 135-145.

Jegede, O. (2023,). Taking the distance out of higher education in 21 st century Nigeria [Paper

presentation]. Federal Polytechnic

Convocation Ceremony and 10th Anniversary, Oko, Anambra State, Nigeria, Friday 28th,

February

Jegede, O. (2016). Open and distance learning practices in Nigerian higher institutions of

learning. [Conference session] University of Ibadan Annual Distance Learning Centre

Distinguished Lecturer and Stakeholders Forum, Ibadan, Nigeria, 14th- 15th, July.

Jimoh, M. (2023). An appraisal of open and distance learning programmes in Nigeria. Education

and Practice, 4(3), 1-8.

17
Kaufman, R., Watkins, R. & Guera, I., (2021). The future of distance learning: National open

and distance learning programme. Distance Education, 1(1), 2-10.

Khakhar, D. (2021). A framework of open distance learning organization and management.

Department of informatics. Lund University, Ole Romers, Sweden

Napodia, E.D. (2020). Management of distance education in the development of Nigerian

Education. Social Science, 23(1), 45- 52.

Obioha, M.F. & Ndidi, U.B. (2021). Administrative problems of open distance education in

Nigeria: A case study of National Open University of Nigeria. Educational and Social

Research, 1(5), 88- 97.

Peat, J. & Helland, K. (2022). Perception of distance learning and effects on selected decisions.

retrieved from https://bus:ulk.edu/iopsyc/pdf/perceptions–of-distance-Education-

siop2003pdf

Udokang, A.E. & Michael, O.O.(2014). Comparative study of distance learning and conventional

system on the teachers’ job performance in Kwara State. Social and Behavioural

Sciences, 141(1), 1192-1195.

Verduin, J.O. & Clark, T.A. (2021). Distance education: The foundations of effective practice.

Higher Education, 63(4), 468-472.

vmellini, A., & Nie, M. (2013). Open educational practices for curriculum enhancement. Open

Learning, 28(1), 7-20. doi: 10.1080/02680513.2013.796286 [2] (n.d) Retrived December

20, 2018, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/awareness

18
vlinton, V. (2018). Savings without sacrifice: A case report on open-source textbook adoption.

Open Learning: the Journal of Open, Distance, and e-Learning. Retrieved January 24,

2019, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324088320 [4]

wones, S. (2017). Models for Sustainable Open Educational Resources. Interdisciplinary Journal

of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 3(1), 29-44. Informing Science Institute. Retrieved

May 24, 2019 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/44796/. [5]

Xeldstein, A., Martin, M., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton, J., III, & Wiley, D. (2022). Open

textbooks and increased student access and outcomes. European Journal of Open,

Distance and E-Learning. Retrieved January 11,2019 from http://www.eurodl.org/

Xion (2019) Open Educational Resources (OER).Retrieved January 10, 2019 from

https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer

Xion (2019) Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning. Retrieved January 3,

2019 from http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g909097565

Xion (2019) Opening the Textbook: Educational Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2015-16 I.

Elaine Allen, Ph.D. Professor of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, UCSF Co-Director,

Babson Survey Research Group Jeff Seaman, Ph.D. Co-Director, Babson Survey

Research Group

Yaweh, M.S. and Casserly, C.M. 2016. The promise of open educational resources. Change,

38(5): 8– 17 [10]The evolution of educational publishing: Does OER have a quality

problem? Retrieved January ,2019 from https://edscoop.com/the-evolution-of-

educational-publishing-do-we-have-an-oer-quality-problem/

19
Zainab (2019) the Open University. About the OU .Retrieved January 13, 2019, from

www.open.ac.uk/about/ou/p2.shtml

UNESCO. 2022. Forum on the impact of open courseware for higher education in developing

countries: Final report Retrieved November 3, 2008, from

www.wcet.info/resources/publications/unescofinalreport.pd

20