**5. Perspectives on student success rates in ODL contexts**

As argued earlier, open distance education has grown exponentially over the past few years. Credible research statistics on the students' success rates constantly paint a shocking and uncomfortable picture in the HE sector throughout the world. This happens despite the sectors' efforts of providing opportunities of success to all students [30]. There is an abundance of empirical evidence on the factors that contribute toward low students' success rates [31]. The challenges and the complexities that face HE institutions, especially those that are related to the graduation rates are huge, and Mattie [32] points out that "HE environment continues to be complex, with increasing expectations about performance." Student success rate is understood and described differently by different scholars. Nitecki [3] describes student success rate as the process where students successfully complete their qualifications such as a degree. In this chapter, students' success is described as the ability of HE through ODL mode to help students graduate or complete the programs they are enrolled for in a stipulated time, for example, finishing a three-year qualification within specified record time.

**6. Benefits of student success rates**

poverty in all its manifestations."

of individuals.

An education system that aims at producing high quality graduates assists in solving the challenges the world faces. The majority of countries face challenges, which are socioeconomic and political in nature. These current global socioeconomic and political challenges require a generation that is educationally enlightened, and hence, in 2000, 189 countries of the world came together to chart the strategy in an attempt to propose future solutions, and from that gathering, 59 sustainable development goals (SDGs) were identified. Though 59 sustainable goals have been identified, this section mainly focuses on the implications of improved student success rates on only three SDGs, namely the alleviation of poverty, decent work and economic growth, and industry, innovation, and infrastructure. The intention of HE is to produce the human capital that is able to respond to the societal needs [10]. Individuals who have attended universities become professionals and transformed because they are highly skilled and knowledgeable which is critical and helpful in the societies they come from. Through their skills, the communities they come from are economically advanced than communities with individuals who did not attend HE. The Sustainable Development Goals Report [40] maintains that "the objective of sustainable development goal number one is to ensure that people in every part of the world are given support that they need to lift themselves out of

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It can be argued that constructively aligned and technology-mediated pedagogical practices can help improve student success rates which can indirectly assist in the alleviation of poverty, particularly in most poverty-stricken countries. This constitutes the very essence of sustainable development. "The fundamental goal focuses on ending poverty through interrelated strategies, including the promotion of social protection systems, decent employment and the resilience of the poor [40]." One of the strategies beneficial to societies in alleviating poverty is through the provision of constructively aligned ODL and technology-mediated tuition. Once the majority of the poor receive education, they will be able to sustain them-

selves either through creating employment or finding employment in the job market.

HE is playing a fundamental role in the countries' economic improvement and development, and through educated graduates, sustainable growth is easy to achieve [41]. The British Council [42] also believes that the massification of HE is a major contributor toward national wealth and economic development. In supporting this assertion, Wood and Breyer [43] postulate that by "providing higher education opportunities to most students, governments adopt a human capital approach by investing heavily in higher education, believing that there are positive associations between higher education, transition to the labor market and economic growth." Further, Wood and Breyer [43] maintain that the fundamental reason for the establishment of HE is mainly for the production of workforce that is adequately capacitated to firstly benefit the individual, secondly the communities, and thirdly the economies of the world. According to Mirowsky and Ross [44], holding a university qualification means status and prestige and improves the socioeconomic positions

The pass percentage rate at HE, particularly in ODL, is alarming [33]. Brock [34] laments that "although access to higher education has increased substantially over the past forty years, student success as measured by persistence and degree attainment, has not improved at all." Upholding and adding to the viewpoint above, Agiomirgianakis et al. [10] claim that "despite substantial government funding incentives, numerous policy initiatives and well-intentioned institutional efforts, retention and success rates remain extremely poor." Leadership in ODL settings have a huge responsibility and are under pressure to ensure that constructively aligned instruction opportunities are created and technologically mediated to boost the academic achievements of students.

Doley [35] is of the view that students who now participate in HE through ODL system have increased, but despite such growth, ODL institutions continue to face low student graduation rates because some of the enrolled students do not complete their qualifications within regulated specifications and some drop out of the system. Credible empirical research findings conducted by organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF paint a gloomy picture of matters related to the students' graduation rates across the continents. What makes matters worse is the fact that ODL institutions do not only face low students' pass rates but the majority also drops out from the system. Figures supplied by Van Stolk et al. [36] supported by UNESCO [37] show a sturdy increase in enrolments, and the numbers recorded were above 170 million. Unfortunately, statistics continue to show that despite this increased participation, the majority of these students do not complete their qualifications and some drop out from the system.

The main argument advanced in this chapter is that when teaching and assessment strategies in ODL settings are aligned and students are provided with opportunities to construct their own meaning through appropriate technology, the intended learning outcomes are achieved and result in the promotion of the graduation rates of students. Biggs and Tang [38] are of the view that some HE staff members associate the decline of academic standards with intellectual abilities of today's students. Adding their voices to these debates, Tremblay et al. [39] postulate that "in the context of massive expansion of higher education systems and wider participation, there are persistent concerns related to the quality and relevance of students' preparation for higher education." In the next section, this chapter focuses on the benefits of students' success.
