SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF LEARNERS’SATISFACTION IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

Abstract

The need for Nigeria to start to embrace the social inclusion offered by Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in the country’s ailing tertiary educational sector cannot be overemphasized.  However, to properly position ODL as a valid alternative, there is need to assess the quality of the current offerings in the country.  Measuring satisfaction of the users is a veritable assessment of quality and as such forms the purpose of this study whose objectives were to Design a scale for Learners’ satisfaction in ODL in Nigeria, to assess the reliability of the scale for Learners’ satisfaction in ODL in Nigeria and to determine the validity of the scale for Learners’ satisfaction in ODL in Nigeria. Using a multistage scale development method, three scales to measure the three identified stages of ODL in Nigeria were developed and tested for validity and reliability using Factor Loadings and Cronbach’s Alpha respectively.  Results showed that the scales were reliable, and the items all had factor loadings within acceptable limits as found in literature. It was thus, recommended that ODL institutions in the country should consider using the scale as a basis for their own self-examination to improve quality of learner experience.