Competitiveness in ODL from Stakeholders’ Perspective: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in higher education has gained momentum in previous decades. ODL institutions too require competitiveness in the market place of educational products/ services through their capabilities and core competencies by adopting cost and/or differentiation strategy, especially due to the increasing competition arising from the existence of large number of institutions with similar objectives. The competition has further increased due to Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization, virtually collapsing the boundaries to access education being offered from any other country; technological developments; changes in demographics, societal & economic structures; and most importantly emergence of online institutions with different nomenclatures. ODL institutions in India are in dire need of making strategic efforts to create and maintain sustainability in competitiveness by reaching out to larger sections of different stakeholders to satisfy their needs/ expectations in view of the huge untapped potential in India and abroad. All stakeholders are not equally important and influential and their identification is a critical step in selecting appropriate strategy for achieving competitiveness. This study sets the research agenda on the topic of competitiveness in ODL in higher education from the perspective of the relevant stakeholders and not learners only, with the help of Systematic Literature Review (SLR), showcasing the findings to provide the future research framework with a deeper understanding of ODL, Competitiveness, stakeholders and their interrelations in the Indian context.

Identification and Learning Styles' Variation Factors for a Hybrid and Distance Learning Professional Training ODL-SPOC

“…Most establishments adopting ODL aim to transcend the boundaries of the education sector while allowing students to study what they want, where they want and when they want. Thus, ODL aims to increase access to education and increase educational choices.Institutions imparting education through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode have been incessantly trying to gain competitiveness through development of their capabilities, especially with the increasing competition due to increase in the number of institutions with similar objectives [15].In this context,for [16] results of students' satisfaction with online learning experiences show that participants were highly satisfied with Google Hangouts the most for lecture delivery, followed by Google Classroom and LMS (Moodle) for course management and assessments.…”

Strategy of using ICT in ODL to disseminate higher education in tribal communities: a case of MP, India

“…Negi et al (2017) support it further suggesting integration of their traditional knowledge with western scientific knowledge for using it for effective climate actions and sustainable development. The strategies for the ODL system and its institutions should be in line with the expectations of varied stakeholders (Kant, 2019) for the purpose of providing optimum technological and employability skills by adopting collaborative approach instead of mere coordination or cooperation approach in order to meet its strategic vision-mission-objectives-goals (Faridi and Ouseph, 2014).…”

Can blockchain be a strategic resource for ODL?: a study

“…Chen et al (2018) stress on the idiosyncrasy of blockchain in making available a reliable balance to measure the processes and outcomes of learning for the stakeholders underscoring its VRIN attributes visible through information symmetry and trust emerging from decentralization, immutability, traceability and currency properties embedded in it, which can help ODL remove institutions from the middle of educators and learners. Kant (2019) argues that ODL needs to make strategic efforts for attaining competitiveness through optimal resource utilization using core competencies arising from locational advantages, usage of ICT, reputations and differentiated learning materials to meet the continuously increasing demands of other stakeholders than learners only, as ODL has various complementing and interacting stakeholders.…”

“…They must try to do so with the help of enhancement of their capabilities of combining tangible and intangible resources. Competition in the ODL environment too has immensely increased, as innumerable learning institutions have emerged in addition to already serving institutions with similar objectives after the introduction of liberalization, privatization and globalization (Kant, 2019). Noorani (2014) emphasizes on the dire need for organizations to continually look out for newer tools/services/approaches to attain greater competitiveness.…”

“…With the advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) and technological innovations, the learning ecosystem has transformed immensely facilitating the open and distance learning (ODL) system in providing education anywhere anytime meeting the changing learning requirements in modern society (Kant, 2019; Nayak et al , 2020). ODL, in recent times, has successfully occupied a well-recognized place in the educational landscape drawing increasing numbers of learners belonging to different backgrounds (Nayak et al , 2020).…”