Student Support: The Engine of Attaining and Sustaining Quality in the Zimbabwe Open University

Quality student service is one of the main concerns among institutions and stakeholders today especially those involved in Open and Distance  Learning (ODL) because it is the engine for quality practices. This study examined the views of students and student advisors on student services that will lead to attaining and sustaining quality in the Zimbabwe Open University. The study was qualitative, collecting data through open-ended questionnaires and interviews from a purposive sample of 223 students and nine student advisors. The study found out that implementing one-stop student services housed at the learner support centre and backed by 10 regional campus centres will lead to attaining and sustaining quality. The respondents cited support system that includes library, Internet, and ancillary services as critical aspects that connects students to the institution. Respondents further impressed that tutor availability, timely giving feedback, face-to-face tutoring and/or online tutoring support and counseling, are critical if student support is to be the engine of attaining and sustaining quality in an ODL context. The study recommended more competent, information literate tutors to be employed, receive extensive training and have their performance assessed for effectiveness in student support. Lead tutors must be appointed from the most competent tutors to mentor others on supporting students. It also recommended further research to be conducted involving more institutions and more respondents.Key words: Open and distance learning (ODL), student services, quality, student support centre, information literacy and counselling

Student Perceptions of Service Delivery at the Zimbabwe Open University: Masvingo Regional Campus

This study investigated students’ perceptions on service delivery at the Zimbabwe Open University Masvingo Regional Campus. The study employed the qualitative descriptive survey design. It generated qualitative data using a questionnaire with open and closed items. A sample of 92 students was selected from a population of 1500 returning students using the stratified random sampling technique. Data was presented in simple frequency tables and analysed thematically. The study found out that students were satisfied with the examination management, fees payment structure, module distribution, enquiries, student tutor relationship and academic advisement. They expressed dissatisfaction with registration process, tutorials, library services, assignment management, overcrowded offices and communication. The study recommended that urgent steps must be taken by the university to expedite the registration process, provide on line services, expand library, train staff in customer care and mobilise resources that adequately support the growing student population. Further research can be done in customer care and assignment management

E-learning System Success: Challenges of Mainstreaming E-learning in Zimbabwe

As the e-learning system promises a new way of delivering education, the need to ensure e-learning system success becomes imperative. However, after 65% of the students failed to voluntarily register for an e-learning blended programme, in three universities, this research set out to find the challenges of mainstreaming e-learning in the Zimbabwean context. This was a survey of a purposive sample of 60 students and 54 university lecturers from three universities who are part-time tutors of the Zimbabwe Open University. The study found out that the divisive vectors of race and inequality appear to re-emerge via technology which is at best stagnating and at worst putting minorities at the margins owing to the dilapidated infrastructure, the digital divide that characterize students in the universities under study, lack of teacher competencies, and challenges of accessing electronic materials. In such instance, e-learning was seen as the monster under the bed and technology adoption acceptance is grossly affected. In this study, historical, technological, social, political and economic challenges appeared to be inextricably linked. Thus the research recommend the need to enable the technological possibility for students to be masters of their own destiny by changing the way they live, work, organise, communicate and interact