Assessing Learners' Participation and Challenges in Online Facilitation in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Institutions in Nigeria

Online facilitation remains a critical component of instructional delivery in single-mode and dual-mode Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions across the world. This study focuses on assessing learners’ participation and challenges in online facilitation in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions in Nigeria. A Cross-sectional case study survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consists of undergraduate learners from the only single-mode ODL institution in the country (NOUN) and the two oldest dual-mode institutions from Eastern and Southern regions (UNN and DLI, UNILAG) during the 2021/2022 Academic Session. Participants were purposefully selected based on availability and willingness to participate in the study. The total sample size of the study was 829 learners participated in the study. Two research questions guided the study and two hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The instrument used for data collection was; the Students’ Participation in Online Facilitation Inventory Scale (SPOFIS) and a reliability coefficient value of 0.80 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The finding reveals that the mean difference in the level of participation in online facilitation across learners’ courses of study was found not to be statistically significant (p > 0.05). Based on the identified challenges, it is, therefore, recommended that ODL institutions should endeavor to make affordable internet available to learners across courses of study, in order to improve their participation in online facilitation.