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…

This paper reports on the use of feedback as part of a tuition strategy applied in a distance design course at The Open University in the United Kingdom. A blended feedback model (audio and summary text) was compared to the existing written-only feedback model in terms of student attainment, use, and perception. Comparison of feedback models…

Increasingly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having an impact on distance-based higher education, where it is revealing multiple ethical issues. However, to date, there has been limited research addressing the perspectives of key stakeholders about these developments. The study presented in this paper sought to address this gap by investigating…

During the war, a significant number of Ukrainian universities were tragically destroyed, while others were relocated. The challenging wartime circumstances in which universities operate in Ukraine have increased the use of distance education. University management and academic staff agree that the quality of services offered hinges on the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to articulate how the user experience (UX) approach was initiated and integrated into the centre's scope of operations with the objective of improving the e-learning layout on the D2L learning management system (LMS). One of the most effective ways to collect user feedback has historically been to evaluate…

Partnerships are central to the awareness, implementation and development of open and distance learning (ODL). It is an attribute that is distinct in the higher education sector, where ODL has made a large footprint by dispelling the notion that university enrolment is reserved for a narrow and elite demographic. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL)…

E-tutors are viewed as major role players in supporting virtual collaborative learning. This is the view espoused by Kopp et al. (2012). Consequently, they are expected to bridge the gap between academics and students in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) environment. However, it has become apparent that the interaction between e-tutors and lecturers…

This paper reports findings from a research study at The Open University, UK into the quality of distance learners' online exam experience and the differences in experience between online (pandemic) and in-person (pre-pandemic) modes of examination. Our research responds to the ongoing need for greater insight into the exam experience and…

The study examines assessment and evaluation procedures in mega universities. Within the scope of the study, the literature focusing on mega universities offering open and distance education and their assessment and evaluation systems were examined first. Later, the results of the questionnaire administered in the study-specific mega universities…

In recent years, automated feedback (AF) has greatly increased its applicability as a mean to support development of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing competence in the context of face-to-face education. This study examines contribution of AF to the development of writing competence of EFL learners in open and distance learning…

There is Individual variation in how people interact with videos presented in online distance education. Educational videos can be embedded with interactive content to increase engagement and make cognition more efficient. Accordingly, we predicted that embedding questions during videos (rather than after) would enhance the performance of…

The article illustrates the potential of engaged arts-based pedagogies in higher education with respect to integration interventions for young refugees in Europe. It discusses the conception and implementation of the collaborative initiative "Find Refuge in Art", which was part of the research Project PRESS at the Hellenic Open…

Using multivariate linear regression models, this study estimates the relationship between graduates' self-reported skill improvements from attending a virtual university, the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), and their salaries after obtaining the degree. Our results show that graduates made considerable earnings gains and especially high rates…

The objective of this research was to develop non-test instrument or questionnaire to measure the evaluation of the use of Webtoon among the students of Open University in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia and to obtain the instrument's validity and reliability. This research employed the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE)…

This paper offers insights into the establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Chair of Open Distance Learning (ODL) at the University of South Africa (UNISA). The aim of the UNESCO Chair is to stimulate ODL research at UNISA. The paper briefly describes UNISA, which is the largest dedicated…