Assessment of challenges in developing self-instructional course materials at the National Open University of Nigeria

Abstract

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is Nigeria’s only university dedicated to providing education through the use of distance instructional methods. So far, however, the lack of availability and poor distribution of course materials, which underpin instructional delivery at NOUN, continue to be hindrances to achieving the university’s vision and mission. There are delays and difficulties in developing and distributing materials to students and Study Centres. Many pioneer students cannot graduate because of this challenge. This paper examines the process of developing self-instructional course materials at NOUN. It reflects on the challenges associated with the quantity, quality, and timely production of course materials, labelled “the hills, the wills, and the skills” obstacles. The paper concludes that there is a need for better professional development in order to provide efficient ODL delivery.

IRRODL Volume 13, Number 4

“…In Nigeria, this situation is even worse at the tertiary level of education, which is expected to provide the opportunity for those willing and able to further their studies. But providing education for all is a daunting task, considering the size of the country's population (about 150 million), and the compelling needs of the people (Okonkwo, 2012). The ever-growing demand for education in Nigeria cannot be met by the traditional means of face-to-face classroom instructional delivery alone.…”

Students’ perceptions of the open and distance learning mode for initial primary teacher training in Malawi: A case of Lilongwe Teachers’ College

“…In addition, Sultana and Kamal (n.d.) found that failure of on-time production and delivery was a major problem at Bangladesh Open University. Similar challenges involving poor distribution of study material characterized the National Open University of Nigeria (Okonkwo, 2012).…”

“…For some students, the study material was of good quality and featured appropriate content (10); one student indicated that 'the modules were well designed and easy to understand and included relevant information ' [FG5]. The quality of self-study material for distance learners was also found to be a challenge in Nigeria (Okonkwo, 2012). However, in contrast to popular distance education delivery systems worldwide (Howland & Moore, 2002), there was a limited range of media used in the ODL program.…”

Usability of Instructional Interface: Accessibility Strategies of Courseware Design for Distance Learning, Nigeria

“…This is reflected in the diversity of languages in Nigeria, it has been avowed that product will not be embraced by users if it fails to enclose strategies that increase the usability and having a significance effect to them [10]. Similar study by [12] observed that low design of courseware toward usability strategies to enhance courseware usage is a continual problem in National Open University, Nigeria. He affirmed that the situation is critical for the headway of students and for the institution to fulfill its mission.…”

“…In addition, the study had indicated that the available coursewares in Nigeria distance learning have difficulty in searching for content. It could be interpreted that their perceived easy to use the courseware is very low and frustrating [12], [13].…”