Since 2003 the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has been developing many course materials - the vital tools used in instructional delivery. Nine years into NOUN's existence, no attempt has been made to assess whether or not course writers have been applying basic instructional design principles in course material writing. Knowing this fact is essential because any shortfall will adversely affect students' learning output. Therefore this study was conducted to evaluate the instructional effectiveness and quality of NOUN study materials in terms of level of compliance with basic instructional design principles. Document analysis was employed to analyse 43 copies of printed course materials randomly selected from the university's archives. A team of 43 trained assessors conducted the analysis using an instrument designed for the study to analyse the following instructional components: unit topics, statement of learning objectives, unit contents and evaluation devices. These were evaluated against a set of 12 assessment criteria. All items were rated on a 4-point scale (1 = poor to 4 = excellent). Data collected were analysed using basic descriptive statistics. Findings revealed some positive aspects of course material content as well as some limitations. Statement of performance-based (skills) objectives and evaluation devices were among the instructional components that received poor ratings by a majority of the assessors. Recommendations were made towards improving the instructional quality to improve the prospects of positive learning outcomes on the part of students.
Title of Article
Analysis of the instructional effectiveness and quality of self-study materials used by students of the National Open University of Nigeria
Research Method
Thematic Area
Author(s)
Ofoha, D.
Abstract
Year
Journal
Progressio
Type of Document
State (Author)