6 - Availability of Study Time for Undergraduate Finance Students at an Open and Distance Learning Institution in South Africa
Corresponding Author(s) : G.P.M. Gref
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 14 No. 1 (2016): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
Adult learners at open distance learning institutions often experience in- creased demands from their employers, families and society. Continuously challenged by time constraints, adult learners are confronted with time allocation decisions of meeting academic responsibilities while maintain- ing a work–life balance. This research evaluated the time management of adult learners by determining whether adult learners commit the appropriate number of study hours to their academic responsibilities in accordance with the prescribed notional credit hours. An online questionnaire was distrib- uted to a sample of students studying towards a baccalaureate degree in financial management within an academic department at an open distance learning institution. The results suggested that students commit insufficient time to academic responsibilities measured against the notional credit hour system. To manage time better, adult learners should be informed of the rationale behind the notional credit hour system and be introduced to a time management tool whereby those students who fail to make adequate progress should be enrolled on time management courses.
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- Academic Development Centre, 2009, ‘A brief guide to understanding and using “cre- dits” and “notional hours” in course design’, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
- Anzanello, M.J. and Fogliatto, F.S., 2011, ‘Learning curve models and applications: Literature review and research directions’, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 41: 573–83.
- Davis, A. and Venter, P., 2010, ‘The Long Walk to Success: Drivers of Student Per- formance in a Postgraduate ODL Business Course’, in I. Ismail, ed., Proceeding of the 5th International Conference on elearning, Penang: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.
- Grové, J.P., 2001, ‘Music education unit standards for southern Africa: a model and its application in a general music appraisal programme’, D.Mus. thesis, University of Pretoria.Higher Education Research Institute, 2003, ‘The official press release for the American freshman 2002’. Available from: http://heri.ucla.edu/pr-display.php?prQry=18, accessed 24 March 2015.
- Ishler, J.L.C. and Upcraft, M.L., 2005, ‘The Keys to First-year Student Persistence’, inM.L. Upcraft, J.N. Gardner and B.O. Barefoot, eds, Challenging and Supporting the First-year Student, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Lawless, C., 2010, ‘Using learning activities in mathematics: workload and study time’, Studies in Higher Education 25 (1): 97–111.
- Martins, J.H., 2007. ‘Failure by distance education students in economic and mana- gement sciences’, South African Journal of Higher Education 21 (1): 129–46.
- McGrath, P.J. and Nickola, L., 2008, A New Education Framework and the Impact on Vocational Qualifications Offered by South African Comprehensive Univer- sities of Technology, International Association of Technology, Education andDevelopment.
- Mtshali, N., 2013, ‘Causes of low graduation rates exposed in new report’, Johannes- burg: Monash South Africa. Available from https://www.msa.ac.za/about/ news/2013/graduation-rates-exposed.html, accessed 8 September 2015.
- National Education Association, 2000, ‘A survey of traditional and distance learning higher education members’, Washington, DC: Abacus Associates. Available from: www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/dlstudy.pdf, accessed 24 March 2015.
- Nonis, S.A. and Hudson, G.I., 2010, ‘Academic performance of college students: influence of time spent studying and working’, Journal of Education for Business 81 (3): 151–59.
- Pitter, G.W., LeMon, R.E. and Lanham, C.H., 1996, ‘Hours to Graduation: A National Survey of Credit Hours Required for Baccalaureate Degrees’, State University System, Florida.
- Pityana, N.B., 2009, ‘Open distance learning in the developing world-trends, progress, challenges’, keynote speech presented at 23ʳᵈ ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education, 7 June.
- Prinsloo, P., Muller, H. and Du Plessis, A., 2010, ‘Raising awareness of the risk of failure in first-year accounting students’, Accounting Education: An International Journal 19 (1): 203–18.
- Ritter, F.E. and Schooler, L.J., 2002, ‘The Learning Curve’, in International Ency- clopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
- Shedd, J.M., 2003, ‘Policies and practices in enforcing the credit hour’, New Directions for Higher Education 2 (122): 13–30.
- Smith, A.G., 2004, ‘Unisa and TSA negotiate the winding NQF and SAQA road ahead’,Progressio 26 (1): 23–38.
- Tait, A., 2008, ‘What are open universities for?’, Open learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning 23 (2): 85–93.
- Thurmond, V. and Wambach, K., 2004, ‘Understanding interactions in distance educa- tion: a review of the literature’, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 1 (1): 9–26.
- Tinto, V., 2002, ‘Promoting Student Retention: Lessons Learned from the United States’, 11th Annual Conference of the European Access Network, Prato, Italy, 19 June.
- Wellman, J.V., 2003, ‘Of time and the feds: the federal interest in enforcing the credit hour’, New Directions for Higher Education 6 (122): 33–38.
- Wellman, J.V., 2005, ‘The student credit hour counting what counts’, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 37 (4): 18–23.
- Wright, J. and Mischel, W., 1987, ‘A conditional approach to dispositional constructs: the local predictability of social behaviour’, Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology 53 (6): 1159–77.
References
Academic Development Centre, 2009, ‘A brief guide to understanding and using “cre- dits” and “notional hours” in course design’, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
Anzanello, M.J. and Fogliatto, F.S., 2011, ‘Learning curve models and applications: Literature review and research directions’, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 41: 573–83.
Davis, A. and Venter, P., 2010, ‘The Long Walk to Success: Drivers of Student Per- formance in a Postgraduate ODL Business Course’, in I. Ismail, ed., Proceeding of the 5th International Conference on elearning, Penang: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.
Grové, J.P., 2001, ‘Music education unit standards for southern Africa: a model and its application in a general music appraisal programme’, D.Mus. thesis, University of Pretoria.Higher Education Research Institute, 2003, ‘The official press release for the American freshman 2002’. Available from: http://heri.ucla.edu/pr-display.php?prQry=18, accessed 24 March 2015.
Ishler, J.L.C. and Upcraft, M.L., 2005, ‘The Keys to First-year Student Persistence’, inM.L. Upcraft, J.N. Gardner and B.O. Barefoot, eds, Challenging and Supporting the First-year Student, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lawless, C., 2010, ‘Using learning activities in mathematics: workload and study time’, Studies in Higher Education 25 (1): 97–111.
Martins, J.H., 2007. ‘Failure by distance education students in economic and mana- gement sciences’, South African Journal of Higher Education 21 (1): 129–46.
McGrath, P.J. and Nickola, L., 2008, A New Education Framework and the Impact on Vocational Qualifications Offered by South African Comprehensive Univer- sities of Technology, International Association of Technology, Education andDevelopment.
Mtshali, N., 2013, ‘Causes of low graduation rates exposed in new report’, Johannes- burg: Monash South Africa. Available from https://www.msa.ac.za/about/ news/2013/graduation-rates-exposed.html, accessed 8 September 2015.
National Education Association, 2000, ‘A survey of traditional and distance learning higher education members’, Washington, DC: Abacus Associates. Available from: www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/dlstudy.pdf, accessed 24 March 2015.
Nonis, S.A. and Hudson, G.I., 2010, ‘Academic performance of college students: influence of time spent studying and working’, Journal of Education for Business 81 (3): 151–59.
Pitter, G.W., LeMon, R.E. and Lanham, C.H., 1996, ‘Hours to Graduation: A National Survey of Credit Hours Required for Baccalaureate Degrees’, State University System, Florida.
Pityana, N.B., 2009, ‘Open distance learning in the developing world-trends, progress, challenges’, keynote speech presented at 23ʳᵈ ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education, 7 June.
Prinsloo, P., Muller, H. and Du Plessis, A., 2010, ‘Raising awareness of the risk of failure in first-year accounting students’, Accounting Education: An International Journal 19 (1): 203–18.
Ritter, F.E. and Schooler, L.J., 2002, ‘The Learning Curve’, in International Ency- clopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Shedd, J.M., 2003, ‘Policies and practices in enforcing the credit hour’, New Directions for Higher Education 2 (122): 13–30.
Smith, A.G., 2004, ‘Unisa and TSA negotiate the winding NQF and SAQA road ahead’,Progressio 26 (1): 23–38.
Tait, A., 2008, ‘What are open universities for?’, Open learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning 23 (2): 85–93.
Thurmond, V. and Wambach, K., 2004, ‘Understanding interactions in distance educa- tion: a review of the literature’, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 1 (1): 9–26.
Tinto, V., 2002, ‘Promoting Student Retention: Lessons Learned from the United States’, 11th Annual Conference of the European Access Network, Prato, Italy, 19 June.
Wellman, J.V., 2003, ‘Of time and the feds: the federal interest in enforcing the credit hour’, New Directions for Higher Education 6 (122): 33–38.
Wellman, J.V., 2005, ‘The student credit hour counting what counts’, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 37 (4): 18–23.
Wright, J. and Mischel, W., 1987, ‘A conditional approach to dispositional constructs: the local predictability of social behaviour’, Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology 53 (6): 1159–77.