Title: Importance, availability, and utilisation of support services for postgraduate distance education in a public university in Ghana

Authors: Justice Mensah; John Victor Mensah; Godwin Awabil; Albert Justice Kwarteng

Addresses: Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana ' Department of Environment, Governance and Sustainable Development, School for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana ' Counseling Centre, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana ' Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract: Effective running of academic programmes at the university level requires that the core services are complemented with support services. This study examined the importance, availability, and utilisation of four key support services (library, counselling, internet, information and communication technology) in running postgraduate distance education programmes at a public university in Ghana. Qualitative data were collected from students, course facilitators, and management staff at six postgraduate study centres of the university through structured interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. It was revealed that these support services were exceedingly important, but the availability/accessibility and utilisation of the services were generally limited. Students at the headquarters had more advantage with respect to access to support services than those at the other centres. The programme managers should increase access to support services in all the study centres but with particular attention to the centres outside the headquarters, where the students were more disadvantaged.

Keywords: postgraduate distance education; support services; information and communication technology; ICT; library; counselling; internet.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHES.2021.120951

International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability, 2021 Vol.3 No.4, pp.282 - 303

Received: 19 Sep 2020
Accepted: 06 Feb 2021
Published online: 18 Feb 2022 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article