A Case Study in the Measurement of Educational Efficiency in Open and Distance Learning

Abstract

Open and distance learning (ODL) gives learners control of the time, place, and pace of learning, often being characterized as flexible learning. However, this flexibility goes hand‐in‐hand with procrastination and non‐completion. As a result, the efficiency of the educational process is of importance to ODL providers, government funding agencies, and learners themselves. Despite its importance, measuring efficiency in ODL is problematic. This article presents a case study in measuring educational efficiency using a method which reflects the special characteristics of ODL. The article concludes with a discussion of the wider applicability of the measurement method in the context of lifelong learning.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the management and staff of the Schloss Dagstuhl International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science for providing a pleasant, stimulating and well organised environment for the writing of this article. The authors would also like to thank Bert van den Berg and José Janssen for their valuable input to this work.

Notes

1. Units of Learning are equivalent to the Units of Study described by Robinson (2004). We give preference to the alternative term due to its prominence in the educational technology literature.

2. The propaedeutic phase reflects the two tier structure of Dutch higher education described by Jansen (2004), although the timing constraints mentioned in Jansen’s article are not applicable in the ODL context of The Open University of The Netherlands.