This study addresses the applicability of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within the administrative learner support services at Anadolu University Open Education System, a giga university with more than one million learners in Türkiye. The study reveals the performance differences between a rule-based chatbot and different GenAI-based…

Purpose: This paper presents the features and relevance of open distance learning in the context of the socio-economic conditions of people living in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in India. Although the primary purpose of the present study was to ascertain the effectiveness of the learner support services (LSSs) and different…

The epistemological beliefs of students are an important area for higher education research. This paper firstly reports on a research review concerning the impact of epistemological beliefs on academic outcomes. This review indicates that students' epistemological beliefs are an influence on their engagement with learning and academic success, and…

Purpose: The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 has had a profound impact on education institutions at all levels. Open universities, with their privileged delivery method, have been in an advantageous position. In the earlier stages of the pandemic, they made remarkable contributions to assuring learning continuity. However, with more and more…

Learning analytics promise significant benefit to online education providers through improved, better-targeted student services. Much has been written about the potential of analytics and how they might be technically implemented, and various ethical considerations are published highlighting the significant potential risk of gathering,…

Dropout is a global and complex phenomenon affecting all universities. This study aimed at investigating the intrinsic and extrinsic factors causing dropout at the Open University of Mauritius (OU). Secondary data about 1885 learners were collected for five intakes and three levels of study -- foundation, undergraduate and Master courses. The…

Distance education institutions worldwide are adopting online learning to take advantage of its benefits. However, online learning is often seen as a mode of delivery that will work for any distance education institution in any context. The increased relevance of online learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has further exaggerated the…

We describe findings from a study based upon a collaborative project carried out online as the end of module assessment activity of a multidisciplinary science module at the UK Open University. Our aim was to determine how well students dealt with working in a team of unfamiliar multidisciplinary scientists and to identify tools and processes that…

The use of robots in open and distance learning university libraries is a relatively new and innovative concept that has emerged in recent years as a response to the increasing demand for remote access to library resources and services. However, there seem to be limited studies that focused on the adoption of robots in open and distance learning…

The Internet has been massively utilized for educational purposes during the last ten years with many platforms, including e-Learning Services (e-LS). This survey study aimed to report factors affecting the intention to use e-LS in the Indonesian Open University (OU) context. The original technology acceptance model (TAM) was extended, involving…

Purpose: In the last few decades, the growth in management institutions in India has become significant. The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions also have started offering management programmes at various levels. In the ODL scenario, the learning path has been shifting from the traditional Self-Learning Material (SLM)-based model to…

Leveraging technology to break the iron triangle of access, cost, and quality is a legacy of open universities (OUs), becoming a source of inspiration for higher education in general. Today, OUs face increasing competition from conventional universities, no longer enjoying the first-mover advantages as they did in the earlier years. Can artificial…

The primary objective of this research is to ascertain the manner in which higher education institutions offering open and distance education incorporate the concept of openness into their vision, mission, core values, and tactics. This study employs a descriptive research design to ascertain the current state of affairs. The research methodology…

There may be many kinds of e-learning material presented to learners. However, learners may not have the consciousness or not want to spend time to examine to select the most appropriate one. Recommendation systems seem to be a feasible solution for an efficient learning process both for learners and the service provider. In this study, we propose…

This study examines relationships among several variables within the context of online learning in higher education including self-regulated effort, maintained situational interest, gender differences, and age-related factors. Analyzing data from a diverse Open Cyber University of Korea student sample, the research highlights a positive…