Innovative online survey: assessment of ODL’s impact on graduate skills and career outcomes

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has become prominent in recent years. The adoption of ODL, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, ignited a new revolution in the educational landscape, particularly in today’s digital era. Nevertheless, its effectiveness in generating job-ready graduates remains uncertain. Most importantly, the current workforce is heavily influenced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, necessitating competence in a wide range of skills compatible with this industrial trend. The new educational delivery mode is now under question, particularly regarding how effectively it can develop and deliver the skills critical for today’s industry and labour market. To address this, a novel online survey was created to assess how well ODL equips students with essential skills and prepares them for the future workforce. Featuring a self-assessment scale, the survey captures valuable insights into the alignment between graduate competencies and industry needs. The findings obtained for the survey aim to support the ODL educational mode continuity based on its contribution in graduates’ human capital development. At the same time, strengthen the connection between academic training and real-world job expectations.