Abstract-The study adopted an Ex-post facto research design. The population consisted of 637 PGDDE students that were selected with the use of randomization sampling technique. 248 students were sampled for the study and the samples were grouped into two (High and Low) Decision-making skills students. The grouping was done based on the analysis of the samples responses on a standardised Students Academic Decision-making Skills Scale (SADMSS). The instruments for data collection were: Students' Academic Decision-making Skills Scale (

Inappropriate goal setting and decision-making skills are threat to distant learners' completion of academic programme, development and social well-being. This was realised following two related studies carried out by the authors of this write-up in addition to facts from reviewed literatures as one of the factors responsible for low retention and completion rates among undergraduate learners in open and distance learning institution, To further x-ray the problem, a simple survey was conducted on Student counsellors' responses with 57 Student counsellors representing 91.94% out of the 62 Student counsellors on the need to integrate training on goal setting and decision-making skills into learners support services. The findings suggested learner support services that should integrate the basic steps that were researched for setting achievable goals and decision-making skills necessary for implementing set learning goals. This paper therefore, proposed modalities that can be followed by support services unit of open and distance learning institutions in training learners diagnosed to have inappropriate goal setting and decision-making skills into modules. The modules were tested in training twelve volunteered undergraduate distance learners identified from previous study carried out by the authors. At the end of the trial testing the participated undergraduate distant learners were asked to rate the effectiveness of the activities involved in the training. The trust of the proposed module was to serve as a strategy in training the distant learners particularly, when low retention and completion rate are traced to inadequate skills for setting goals and decisions-making skills.

Many higher education institutions moved from in-person to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, but these shifts have a longer history and potential. They require challenging individual and collective decision making by staff, beyond their usual repertoire of practice. This paper, therefore, aims to understand the nature of decisions that staff made as they moved to online teaching, the reasons, processes, and reflections on the perceived impacts. Eighty-four participants with diverse roles connected to moving online from four institutions across Africa were purposively sampled. Using a constructivist paradigm and qualitative approach, participants were invited to describe decision-making experiences through short narratives with prompts around their context, decisions, and impacts. Twenty-two of these participants attended a workshop to augment the narrative data and identify good practices. Qualitative analysis directed by Activity Theory concepts revealed that decisions related to policy and rules, pedagogy, community, and technology were frequently cited by participants. The main objective expressed in these narratives was maintaining the continuity of education for students. However, mixed impacts were observed on student engagement, and further decisions were made in response to this. Common challenges related to tools and technology, and similarly, the biggest tension for implementing the decisions was found between tools and technology and the participants or their communities. Good practices include updating policies and introducing continuous assessment. Implications for reflective professional practice are discussed, including how previous practices are initially drawn on to try to reproduce in-person teaching online but then adapt in recognition of the tensions this raises.