Turning the tide: a socio-critical model and framework for improving student success in open distance learning at the University of South Africa

Abstract

The article presents a socio-critical model and framework for understanding, predicting, and enhancing student success developed at the University of South Africa. An extensive literature review indicated that predominant models from international contact institutions were of partial application in this context. Integrating socio-critical, anthropological, and cultural theoretical perspectives, the model applies the key constructs of situated agency, capital, habitus, attribution, locus of control, and self-efficacy to both students and institutions in understanding success at each step of the student’s journey. The model and framework, to be implemented incrementally during 2011, provide useful pointers for open distance learning and other institutions in pursuing greater student success.

Keywords:

• student retention model
• ODL
• socio-critical
• student success

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the blind reviewers for their helpful comments and especially John Cowan who, as critical friend, substantially contributed to enhancing the quality of this article.

Notes

1. Throughout this article, unless otherwise indicated, the notion of success is broadly defined to include retention, persistence, course success, and graduation, as well as student satisfaction and effective graduate attributes.

2. In this article, model refers to the conceptual model developed to explain and predict success in the Unisa context, and framework refers to the integrated, coordinated institutional approach and plan adopted to enhance success.

3. Within the scope of this article, it is impossible to report adequately on the wealth of international and South African research on student success. The extensive literature review undertaken to inform the development of the socio-critical model at Unisa is available from the corresponding author. The notion of international research here refers to research published primarily in North Atlantic and Australasian contexts.

4. For a full description of these perspectives, see Koen (2007)

5. The authors are indebted to Dion van Zyl, Manager: Information Services, Department of Information and Strategic Analysis, Unisa, for clarification of these points.