The Effectiveness of Distance Education in Ghana

Abstract

Distance Education (DE) focuses on the pedagogy, technology, and instructional system designs that seek to deliver education to students who are not physically present "on site" in a traditional classroom or campus. The introduction of new educational technologies has brought in its wake a pedagogical shift in higher education. Emerging technologies especially in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have unleashed new opportunities and frontiers in higher education for a countless number of the populace who otherwise would have had no access to tertiary education. Essentially, the study sought to determine the Effectiveness of Distance Education Programmes in the Ghanaian school system, the contribution DE has made in improving quality and accessibility to higher education in Ghana and the benefits derived from DE as well as providing a platform for improving productivity in both public and private sectors of the economy. The study made use of primary data collected using stratified random sampling procedure. The data was extensively analyzed using graphs and tables as well as chi-square test of goodness-of-fit. The results showed that, DE has improved quality and accessibility to higher education culminating in significant improvement in productivity levels in both public and private sectors of the economy over the last several years. Access to tertiary education, convenience, flexibility and improved knowledge and employee efficiency are the ultimate benefits derived from Distance Education programmes. Empirically, the study also established that Distance Education has been effective in the Higher Education Enterprise in Ghana.