The role of IT in enhancing the quality of student support services in open education

Hui Cai
Shenzhen Radio and TV University
Shenzhen, China

Yan Wang
Shenzhen Radio and TV University and
Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.
Shenzhen, China


After more than ten years of development, the annual enrolment in the Shenzhen Radio and TV University’s open education system rose from 30,000 in 1999 to 920,000 in 2010. This rapid expansion raised increasing problems related to the lack of student support services and declining student satisfaction, and improved quality in these areas is now becoming urgent. In this context, IT offers new opportunities to improve open education student support services, both academic and non-academic. This paper explores the ways in which IT can enhance the quality of student support services in terms of tangibility, reliability, responsibility, assurance and empathy. The paper also provides a case study of Shenzhen Radio and TV University to support the views expressed.