OUM’s Tracer Study: A Testimony to a Quality Open and Distance Education

• Main Authors: Latifah Abdol Latif, Ramli Bahroom
• Format: Article
• Published: ASEAN Journal of Open and Distance Learning 2010
• Subjects: LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/476/1/AJODL_oum_tracer.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/476/
• Institution: Open University Malaysia

Internally, the quality of a university can be determined by the evaluation made by its own graduates. Having gone through the system and graduated from it, they are in a very good position to appraise the quality of education which they have received in terms of preparing them to become more holistic individuals equipped with relevant lifelong learning skills. An online tracer study conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, in collaboration with all local universities, colleges and polytechnics was carried out via a set of questionnaires to evaluate the responses from Malaysian graduates on the performance of their alma maters. This paper presents the results of the study conducted on the 2006-2008 batches of OUM graduates. It is gratifying to find that OUM graduates are generally satisfied with the services provided by the university and that the level of satisfaction has improved over the three years. OUM study programmes have had a high impact on the holistic development of graduates, in terms of self-readiness such as maturity, reliance and teamwork. OUM’s reputation among its graduates is high and almost all (97.4%) would recommend others to pursue higher education at their alma mater. Finally, more than three-quarters of the graduates appear to embrace lifelong learning as indicated by their willingness to attend additional training after graduation. All the above findings serve as testimony of the quality education provided by OUM. (Authors' abstract)