CFOS/Efficiency and Effectiveness of ODL/Exercise 9.4 - Sample Answers

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Exercise 9.4 - Answer Sheet
When the average cost per graduate for the ODL mode of delivery is divided by the average cost per graduate for conventional education, the resulting figure is 1.01. This means that it costs 1% more to produce a graduate of this programme using paper-based, distance education materials than through traditional face-to-face classes. In this case, because the cost-effectiveness ratio is greater than 1.00, delivering this particular course through the ODL mode is less cost-effective than conventional methods.

The main reason for this is the low success rate for those pursuing their studies at a distance. The table shows that less than one third of ODL students (43 out of 131) graduated. Those who did not successfully complete the programme may have dropped out, may not have completed all their assignments or may have failed the exam. As noted in Unit 8, it is not uncommon for ODL institutions to have higher drop-out and failure rates than conventional schools, colleges or universities.

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