"Hellopeter! On: How are they doing?" The perceptions , experiences and recommendations of social work students as customers of an open and distance learning university

Abstract

This paper originated from an explorative, descriptive Q-methodology study undertaken, with the aim to explore and describe social work student customers‟ perceptions about their social work studies at Unisa and only reports on the findings deduced specifically from their free comments. In responding to the question, on: “how are they doing?” the participants‟ unsolicited experience-based perceptions point to the fact that the Department of Social Work is not just doing “bad”, or only performing “well”. The student customers seem both and simultaneously satisfied and dissatisfied with similar and different aspects related to the quality of services offered by Unisa and the Department under scrutiny. In view of feeling both positive, and negative about the quality service delivery experienced by them, all is not lost, as the unsolicited recommendations forwarded by them invites both Unisa and its Social Work Department to consider these recommendations in order to enhance the customers‟ service delivery experiences.