Are facebook “likes” enough to assess student satisfaction in Open Distance Learning (ODL)? An incursion into students' experience of ODL through online social networks (OSNs)

Abstract

Online social networks (OSNs), until recently, were tagged as child's play until they caused massive revolutions with upheaval of whole nations. This clearly announced the coming in of a new era with the empowerment of the masses through technology. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many others have changed the way interaction occurs. The world's largest universities have created their pages on the main OSNs, particularly those operating on the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode. However, besides showcasing the activities of universities, these OSNs play an important role in the communication process. It is often assumed that student satisfaction can be measured in terms of student “likes” alone. However, this is misleading as comments reveal another “darker” picture of ODL. This study proceeds by a case study, based on a qualitative content analysis of the Facebook pages of some major ODL institutions. Findings reveal that there are some common problems faced by the student population which include simple queries about fees to complex advice on how to proceed during an interview. This mine of information could serve as a database to understand the student experience and serve as a basis for setting up viable solutions which will promote the image of ODL institutions in bridging frontiers with students.