Attitudes of The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) Students Towards Distance Education

Abstract

This paper is a descriptive study about attitudes of distance learners
towards distance education at the university level. It has been established that in developing countries many students decide to join distance education programmes after missing opportunities in campus education systems. Likewise, this study confirmed that students join The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) after futile attempts at admission to campus universities in Tanzania or elsewhere. It was also disclosed that all other things being equal, mature applicants generally prefer to pursue their degree studies through the distance mode due to its flexibility and the
possibility of earning while learning. Direct applicants (fresh from high school) are extremely marginalized in accessing information about distance learning, thus their initial choices for university education tend to focus on campus universities. The paper recommends, inter alia, more concerted efforts to publicize OUT and its programmes (especially through outreach activities in rural areas), for the government and general public to increase the support for the development and promotion of OUT, and to coordinate the institutions that offer distance learning programmes.

Keywords: distance education; attitudes towards distance education; distance learners; Open University of Tanzania.