CFOS/Efficiency and Effectiveness of ODL/Exercise 9.2 - Sample Answers
Exercise 9.2 - Answer Sheet
| Programme | Delivery Mode | Total Student Enrolments | Total Graduates | Success Rate (percent) | Total Costs (Cdn.$) | Average Costs per Student (Cdn.$) | Average Cost per Graduate (Cdn.$) |
| Cert in Cost Accounting | ODL | 131 | 43 | 34,977 | 267 | ||
| Cert in Cost Accounting | Conventional | 954 | 886 | 712,433 | 747 | ||
| Programme as a Whole | Combined | 1,085 | 929 | 747,410 | 689 | ||
| Efficiency Ratio | 0.36 | ||||||
In this case study, delivering the Certificate in Cost Accounting programme through paper-based distance education is considerably more efficient than through traditional, face-to-face classes. When the average cost per learner for the ODL mode of delivery is divided by the average cost for the conventional teaching approach, the efficiency ratio is 0.36. This means that the unit cost for ODL is only 36% of that for classroom-based studies. When the efficiency ratio is less than 1.00, then ODL is more efficient than conventional education.
As discussed in Unit 2, in most cases where sufficient students register for a particular programme and variable costs are controlled, the average cost per student will be lower for ODL systems than for conventional education. This is a key difference in the cost structure between the two modes of delivery.
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