Section outline

  • ODC 028: Student Support Services in Distance Education and Open Learning

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    Course Description

    In the first part of the Programme, you learnt about education in general, history and philosophy of distance education and open learning in particular. You also studied about communication and the development of study materials in different media. In this second part, you are going to study about learner support services as well as research and evaluation. You will also study about management and the basis for sustainable distance education and open learning programmes/institutions. Furthermore, this part will empower you with knowledge and skills for carrying out an Independent Study. The essence of this task is to enable you to do a specific project in an area of interest to you. We hope that the project will assist you to write and submit a comprehensive academic paper at the end of the Programme.

     

    Any distance education and open learning system must have provisions for developing study materials and providing learner support services. These are the fundamental activities of such a system. In this Unit, you will learn about learner support services. We will attempt to define learner support services and also explain why it is essential for any distance education and open learning system to provide them to its learners. However, the Unit will introduce you to types of learner support services, their cost - factor and ways of providing them cost - effectively. At the end of the Unit, you will be exposed to different models of Regional and Local Study Centres. You will also study about the kind of support services such Centres organize and  provide to their respective  learners.

     

    Course Objectives

    After studying this Unit, you should be able to:

    • Define learner support services,
    • Explain the nature and importance of learner support services,
    • Analyse the cost - factor in the provision of learner support services,
    • Discuss ways of providing learner support services cost- effectively.,
    • Organise provision of support services through Regional and Local Study Centres, and
    • Analyse organization of Regional and Study Centres in different distance education and open learning institutions,

  • Part 1: What are Student/Learner Support Services?

  • Part 2: Identification and Provision of Learner Support Services

    • Lecture 2: Identification of Learner Support Services

    • Lecture 2: Notes Page
    • Review Questions Page

    • Lecture 3: Conditions for Appropriate Learner Support Services

    • Lecture 3: Notes Page

  • Part 3: The Nature and Importance of Learner Support Services

    • Lecture 4: Distance and Traditional Education Systems: Any Differences?

    • Lecture 4: Notes Page

    • Lecture 5: Distinctive Features of Distance Education and Open Learning.

    • Lecture 5: Notes Page

  • Part 4: Characteristics of a Poor Distance Education and Open Learning System

    • Lecture 6: Characteristics of a Poor Distance Education and Open Learning System

    • Lecture 6: Notes Page

  • Part 5: Cost – Factor in Providing Learner Support Services

    • Lecture 7: Cost – Structure of Distance Education and Open Learning

    • Lecture 7: Notes Page

    • Lecture 8: Ways of Controlling Cost

    • Lecture 8: Notes Page

  • Part 6: Organisation of Regional and Local Study Centres

    • Lecture 9: Organisation of Regional and Local Study Centres

    • Lecture 9: Notes Page

    • Lecture 10: Roles and Functions of Regional and Local Study Centres

    • Lecture 10: Notes Page

  • References and Further Readings

  • Glossary

  • Course Evaluation

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