Successful Students in an Open and Distance Learning System

Abstract

Learning in a higher education institution that applies an open and distance learning system requires the students to study as independent learners. This research is a survey research with the purpose of exploring the characteristics, habits and learning motivation of high-achiever students or those who obtained a high level of Grade Point Average (GPA). The sample used in this study was Universitas Terbuka (UT) students of Non Elementary Education Programs who had completed at least four semesters and had obtained a GPA of 2.50 or higher. This study discovered that the high-achiever students were younger students of the average age of 29 years. Most of these higher achiever students were highly motivated to study and were studying at UT to support their career development. They usually studied 3-4 hours/for each course each day. Interviews showed that students generally did the self-assessment tests and they regularly attended the tutorials. The time of study (p=.001) and methods of study (p=.01) recorded in this study have the potential to contribute to the students' GPA.

Learner Characteristics’ Factors and their Relationship with Drop-Out in Distance Learning: The Case of the Arab Open University in Saudi Arabia Riyadh Branch

“…In general, the retention theory basically discusses the factors that influence student retention positively or negatively (Kinder et al, 2002). Several theoretical models of retention have been offered in both domains of traditional learning and DL (Bean & Metzner, 1985;Boshier, 1973;Boyles, 2000;Braxton et al, 1997;Frankola, 2001;Garland, 1993;Kember, 1981;Khan et al, 2018;Kinder et al, 2002;McEwen & Gueldenzoph, 2003;Morris & Finnegan, 2005;Puspitasri & Oetoyo, 2018;Tinto, 1975Tinto, , 1982Tinto, , 1993Sweet, 1986;Tillman, 2002;Traxler, 2018 Cabrera, Castaneda, Nora, and Hengstler (1992) pointed out that individual attrition from academic institutions can be ascribed to a longitudinal process of interactions between an individual and other members of the academic and social systems of the institution, herewith stressing the importance of individual factors and institutional involvement in attrition and retention research. Bean and Metzner (1985), on the other hand, considered attrition behaviour as a function of the person and his/her environment, and, given the fact that DL students do not regularly attend classes on campus, emphasized the need to take external environment factors into account, rather than so-called social integration variables that mainly affect traditional students on campus (Boyles, 2000).…”

Attitudes towards Online Learning: What Do Brazilian Students Think About?

“…According to Puspitasari and Oetoyo (2018), student motivation is related to the learner's purpose to study. Possible reasons for opting to enroll in online courses are discussed in the literature.…”

“…As a result, Puspitasari and Oetoyo (2018) suggested that institutions should offer guidance in planning and managing time in order to help students reconcile work/family and study responsabilities. Moreover, Park and Choi (2009) recommended that learners' family and organization should be apprised of the course advantages since students are more likely to withdraw from online courses when they perceive lack of family and organizational support.…”

“…On the other hand, lack of pre-course orientation to students also represents a barrier (Ali et al, 2018). Information about how to take control of one's learning should be provided (Ghazal et al, 2018) and training sessions should include student motivation, learning habits and learning strategies (Puspitasari & Oetoyo, 2018). In addition, instruction design must contain clarification of objectives allowing easy access to course syllabus and details of the program (Cheawjindakarn et al, 2012).…”

“…Therefore, changes in learning habits are necessary (Puspitasari & Oetoyo, 2018). Competences that are expected of the online learning student may be illustrated by the need of high levels of self-regulation and motivation (de Barba, Kennedy, & Ainley, 2016), perceived self-efficacy, learning autonomy, student preparation (Valencia-Arias, Chalela-Naffah, & Bermudez-Hernandez, 2018), and skills of independent learning (Puspitasari & Oetoyo, 2018). Thus, it is noteworthy to investigate factors influencing students' behaviors in the online learning context considering their importance to improve student persistence and online learning expansion (Sivo et al, 2018).…”