Abstract:

Student support services (SSS) are an essential and integral component of open and distance learning (ODL). It consists of all the services provided for the students to enable them overcome learning barriers and complete their studies. This study investigates the extent to which students make use of the SSS provided by the National Open University of Nigeria. It also examines the level of satisfaction that the students derive from using the SSS provided for them. A 20-item questionnaire was designed for the study. The questionnaire was supplemented with open-ended questions to allow the respondents to express themselves fully. Four research questions guided the study. The subjects of the study were 200 to 500 level students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Six hundred students enrolled in the university were drawn from six study centres that were randomly selected from fifty-four (54) study centres across the country. The instrument had a coefficient of 0.81. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that students made the greatest use of orientation, facilitation and counseling sessions. Students expressed satisfaction with the quality of the course materials and the facilitation sessions. However they were generally dissatisfied with library and counseling services and non- availability of course materials. The study also found that non-availability of course materials, counseling and library services ranked highest in the list of SSS that should be improved. Recommendations were made for providing quality SSS to the students of National Open University of Nigeria.

Keywords:

Student Support Services, National Open University of Nigeria, Open and Distance Learning, Course Materials.