Learners' Priority-Satisfaction Analyses As A Diagnostic Too in Managing Open And Distance Learning (ODL) at Open University Malaysia (OUM)

• Main Author: Latifah Abdol Latif
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/340/1/PRIORITY-SATISFACTION_PAPER_FOR_UNIMAS_2004.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/340/
• Institution: Open University Malaysia

The Open University Malaysia (OUM) started its operations in 2001. Being a new and the first ODL institution in the country, it needs to identify its institutional strengths and weaknesses. The success of OUM is very much dependent on the quality of the support services it provides. Traditionally, quality is measured uni-dimensionally, that is, using learners' satisfaction. However, for greater reliability and accuracy, learners'satisfaction should be viewed in the context of their priorities or expectations. Combining the two dimensions of priority and satisfaction, the results of the survey will enable OUM to determine its strengths (high priority-high satisfaction) and weaknesses (high priority-low satisfaction). The study is based on a survey to determine the profile of learner-respondents, the priorities placed on OUM's support systems and their levels of satisfaction for the support systems. The analysis was done separately on three cohorts of learners: the "BPG"/ teachers group; the Open Market Bachelor's Degree group and the Open Market Diploma group. The results indicated slight variations in the profiles of the respondents, their priority listings and satisfaction levels. However, all three cohorts accorded the highest priority to: (i) program of study and (ii) fees. They rated highest satisfaction for: (i) tutor and (ii) program of study. The lowest priority items include (i) learning centers, and (ii) learning materials. The least satisfied items were: (i) library, and (ii) e-Learning platform (myLMS). Overall, eight out of the nine services rendered fell in the high priority-high satisfaction quadrant (its strengths). Only the library services fell in the high priority-low satisfaction quadrant (its weakness). (Authors' abstract)