Using Distance Education for Skills Development

The research aims to analyze the role of Open and distance learning (ODL) in skills development across South Asia and presents data on the ability of ODL to enhance accessibility to education. Research reveals that males from lower-middle class are able to acquire education through means of ODL and gain skills that enables them to realize opportunities that would otherwise not have been possible. ODL is an important means to attain professional qualification specifically for Muslim females that are restricted from travelling to far distance universities in order to achieve higher education. Data analysis reveals that while completion rates are higher for certificate and postgraduate program they are significantly low for diploma and bachelors’ program.

Although institutional cost per student in ODL institutes is low, low completion rates result in high private cost to be borne by the students that hampers the accessibility benefit of ODL. ODL private sector institutes are significantly better than ODL public sector institutes and although ODL qualification results in non-pecuniary benefits, misinformation regarding ODL qualifications hinders the ability of graduates to realize the desired benefits. The research concludes that ODL program must be streamlined and focus must be placed on qualification subjects. Furthermore, emphasis must be placed on maximizing completion rates as opposed to maximizing enrollment rates. New methods of financing must be researched in order to decrease cost per student whereas sources of misinformation regarding ODL program must be eliminated through closer collaboration with public and private sector employers.