--

3 (1) 2013

Determinants of students’ satisfaction with distance education programs at Ho Chi Minh City Open University


Author - Affiliation:
Nguyen Van Phuc - HCMC Open Univeristy , Vietnam
Nguyen Minh Duc - HCMC Open Univeristy , Vietnam
Corresponding author: Nguyen Van Phuc - nvphuc@yahoo.com

Abstract
This study was implemented to identify factors affecting students’ satisfaction with the distance learning programs offered by Ho Chi Minh City Open University. A system of econometric equations was simultaneously regressed by SUR procedure in SAS program with dependent variables representing three components of students’ satisfaction with instructors, their satisfaction with curriculums and their satisfaction with program administration. Data for the regression were collected from a survey in two years 2009 and 2010 with structured questionnaires responded by 361 students following distance learning programs in five majors: Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Sociology and Construction. The regression results confirmed that there existed positive interrelationship among students’ satisfaction with the three components. A diagram was constructed to exhibit magnitude of the interrelationship as well as determinants of students’ satisfaction with each component. Besides the interrelationship, the satisfaction for instructors was significantly determined by other factors such as age, marital status, communication (directly or indirectly) with instructors. Whilst, other factors affecting students’ satisfaction with distance learning curriculums include the frequency of students’ Internet use and their income.

Keywords
student; satisfaction; distance learning; Seemingly Unrelated Regression; curriculum

Full Text:
PDF

References

Arbaugh, J.B., (2001). “How Instructor Immediacy Behaviors Affect Student Satisfaction and Learning in Web-Based Courses”, Business Communication Quarterly 2001, 64(4): 42-54


Brown, R.E., (2001). “The Process of Community-Building In Distance Learning Classes”.Journal of Asynchronous Learningh Network. 5(2): 18-35


Chen, C-K and Hughes, J., (2004).“Using Ordinal Regression Model to Analyze Student Satisfaction Questionnaires”.Association for Institutional Research, Volume 1.


Duy, N.K. (2007). “A Study on Students’ Satisfaction with Training Quality of Master Programs at the Hochiminh City University of Economics”. The Hochiminh City University of Economics, Vietnam.


Evans, T. N. (2009). An investigative study of factors that influence the retention rates in online programs at selected state, state-affiliated, and private universities. Doctoral dissertation. Robert Morris University. AAT 3388741.


Frank, R.H., (2005). Does absolute income matter? In: P. L. Porta and L. Bruni (editors.), Economics and Happiness, Oxford University Press,


Fredericksen E., Pickett, A., Shea, P., Pelz, W. and Swan, K., (2006). “Student Satisfaction and Perceived Learning with On-line Courses: Principles and Examples from the SUNY Learning Network”, UR Research University of Rochester (www.aln.org/publications/jaln/v4n2/pdf/v4n2_fredericksen.pdf)


Hermans, C. M., Haytko, D. L. and Mott-Stenerson, B. (2009). Student Satisfaction in Web-enhanced Learning Environments, Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Vol. 1: 82-100.


Holmberg, B. (1996). “On the Potential of Distance Education in the Age of Information Technology”. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 2(6): 484-491


Johnson, S., Aragon, S. R., Shaik, N., and Palma-Rivas, N., (2000).“Comparative Analysis of Learner Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes in Online and Face-toFace Learning Environments”.Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 11(1): 29-49


Kane, K. (2004). Quality matters: Inter-institutional quality assurance in online learning. Perspectives in Quality Online Education, Sloan-C View, 3(11):1-3.


Northrup, P, (2002). “A Framework for Designing Interactivity into Web-based Instruction”. In: The ASTD E-Learning Handbook- Best Practices, Strategies, and Case Studies for an Emerging Field (Edited by A. Rossett), The McDraw-Hill Companies, Inc., New York. USA, p.127-137


Ortiz-Rodriquez, M., Teig, R;, Irani, T., Roberts, T. G. , & Rhoades, E. (2005). College students’ perceptions of quality in distance learning. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(2), 97-105.


Pannekoek, F., (2008). Trends, Innovations, and Opportunities in Open and Distance Learning. The Global Forum on Open Distance Learning, Shanghai, 2008


Phuc, N.V. and Hong, T.T.K. (2011). An Investigation of Students’ Satisfaction with the Distance Learning Program at Hochiminh City Open University. Journal of Science. HCMC Open University, 3(21):85-95.


Powell, D. C., (2007). Student Satisfaction with a Distance Learning MPA Program: A Preliminary Comparison of On-Campus and Distance Learning Student Satisfaction with MPA Courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(1)


Sampson, P.M., Leonard, J., Ballenger, J.W., and Coleman, J. C. 2010. Student Satisfaction of Online Courses for Educational Leadership. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, University of West Georgia, 8(3)


Scott, G. et al. (2008). Using Qualitative Data to Prove and Improve Quality in Australian Higher Education, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia


Thiep, L.Q. (2009). Contribution of Distance Education to Higher Education System in Vietnam in Recent Decades, Proceedings of National Conference on Distance Education, The Globe Publishers, Nhà Xuất Bản Thế Giới, Hà Nội.


Umbach, P. D. and Porter, S. R., (2000). Academic Departments Impact Student Satisfaction? Understanding the Contextual Effects of Departments. Paper presented at the 41st Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, California, 2000


Wyatt, G. (2005). Satisfaction, academic rigor and interaction: Perceptions of online instruction. Educational Researcher, 125(3), 460-468.


Zarghami, F. and Hausafus, C.O., (2002). Graduate student satisfaction with interactive televised courses based on the site of participation. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 3(3): 295-306.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.46223/HCMCOUJS.econ.en.3.1.902.2013
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.