E-LEARNING COST IN NIGERIAN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING UNIVERSITIES

E-learning as a medium for teaching and learning is one of the major cost drivers in open and distance learning. The type and quality of e-learning available in an institution depends on how much the institution actually has to expend on it, especially in an open and distance education where the learner is separated from the teacher. This study therefore, examined the total and unit cost of e-learning in three Nigerian universities providing distance programmes through a descriptive survey employing the ex-post facto design. The findings revealed that the difference in the unit cost among the institutions was not significant. Therefore it was concluded that the type of distance institution do not differ in its unit cost of e-learning. It was therefore recommended that the cost inducing factors for e-learning should be properly classified and documented. This will enhance the attainment of the actual cost of e-learning.