Part 1

Perspectives on Learner Support

 Towards a definition of learner support 

The term ‘learner support’ has been used very broadly and has been used in relation to a range of diverse activities. The following list (based on Siaciwena, 1996; Nonyongo & Ngengebule, 1998; Mills & Tait, 1996; Lockwood, 1995; Back, Cheng & Lam, 1993; Sewart, 1993) illustrates the broad range of activities which are offered to distance learners and which are listed under the broad rubric of learner / student support:

	record management
	information on admission and registration
	pre-course registration counseling
	pre-course study skills training
	information on administrative procedures and regulations
	bookshop services
	library services
	personal timetables
	learning and teaching contracts
	network of learner support centres
	compulsory residential schools
	practical sessions for professional training, e.g. nurses, teachers; for artisan training,                                       e.g. access to workshops, etc,; for natural scientists, access to laboratories, etc.
	academic advising, tutoring, and personal counseling in person and by letter, telephone and email
	tutor marking and feedback and quick turnaround time on assignments
	orientation and ongoing training of tutors to ensure provision of quality support
	supply of high quality learning materials
	pre-examination counseling
	information on fees and financial support
	radio broadcasts
	audio and/or video tapes
	telematics
	newspapers (internal and mass media)
	administration of examinations
	access to information technologies
	internet and email support
	peer support/study groups
	career guidance
	disabilities support
	minorities support
	adult learners support
	ESOL and languages teaching unit
	multicultural education coordination
	social events.

While lists such as the above are useful, they are descriptive rather than analytical and conceptual and they offer no insight into how these strategies are used, in line with the underpinning educational philosophy and its associated learning and teaching practices. 

In addition to lacking in conceptual rigour, many definitions of learner support are too broad to be of practical use. For example UNISA (1997), in their draft report on Integrated Learner Support, define learner support as “the entire range of methods and strategies employed in the presentation and delivery of courses aimed at assisting and enabling learners to comprehend fully, assimilate and master the skills and knowledge needed to achieve success in their studies.” Another example of a broad definition is Northcott’s (1986: 6 cited in King, 183) definition that defines learner support as “the attempts made by educational institutions to meet the perceived needs of their students and prospective students”.

Without a conceptual understanding of learner support, research is difficult as the term cannot be operationalised. The lack of a shared definition of learner support also inhibits the development of a framework for the collection of comparative data. It is therefore necessary to work towards a more practically useful definition of learner support.

While the tendency in the past was to group all activities offered to learners as learner support, recently educators have started to grapple with a more focused definition of learner support. The most recent definitions of learner support see it as those elements of the system which are responsive to the individual needs of learners as opposed to the standard and mass produced elements of a course (irrespective of medium) that are distributed to all learners. 

Support systems, which most likely vary more than packages of materials are: … those activities which are individualised or delivered in interactive groups (whether face-to-face, by telephone, electronically or in some other medium), such as tutoring and counseling, in contrast with the learning materials prepared for a mass of users without any actual individual or group in mind. (Tait, op cit. p59) 

Tait argues that those activities which are traditionally classified as elements of learner support, namely tuition, correspondence and interacting in their various forms should have as a key conceptual component the notion of supporting individual learning. This provision he says stands in direct contrast to features traditionally associated with distance education, namely printed course materials, audio and video materials, etc. 

Hodgson (1985) in her review of the literature on distance education found that learning programmes were considered to consist basically of two components: the learning materials and the support systems. Similarly, Bailey, Kirkup and Taylor (op cit, p.139) argue that 

Support systems are usually conceptualised as that range of resources – human, technical and administrative – available to learners, which are complementary to centrally produced, possibly multi-media, materials. (our emphasis)

1.  Learning materials and learner support 

While Tait’s distinction (cited in Leach 1996: 104) between “mass-produced materials [which] are provided for students regardless of prior experience, personal needs and preferred learning styles” and learner support activities which are not standardised but tailored to the unique needs of the individual learner, is useful, it can be argued that learner support also includes prepackaged learning materials. For example, Fage and Mayes (1996) have argued that materials can be a form of support through activities and self-diagnostic tests. Rowntree, in a number of publications, also describes how support can be built into interactive materials. 

Thorpe (1994) however, distinguishes between the interactive devices used in a text to support learners and those features that respond to a “known individual”. The former, she sees as effectively contributing to the learning process but not replacing the latter, which she refers to as “learner support”. 

Tait’s definition of learner support focuses on support which is tailored to the needs of the individual, however, many institutions make use of generalised support, e.g. general tutorial letters with generic feedback on common problems after an assignment, a pamphlet about study skills, a video, audio cassette or radio programme. A useful distinction has been made between support that is based on “predicted responsiveness” and support that is based on “direct responses” (UNISA, ?). All pre-prepared materials, such as print, radio, video, are called predicted responses as they are aimed at a specific target group. As the term implies, direct response is in direct response to a specific individual learner, and would fit more readily into Tait’s definition of learner support as geared towards meeting the needs of the individual learner. However, many learner needs cannot be met individually and it may be appropriate to have strategies that are aimed at meeting the needs of groups of learners rather than the individual learner. 

2.  A working definition of learner support 

Realising the complexity of the issues at hand, but needing to set parameters for the research, we adopted the following definition of learner support: 

	Learner support is the “interface between the institution and its students”  (Sewart, 1982) as such; it is developed for a particular population of students within a particular context (unlike other elements of course production which are largely context independent).
	Learner support includes activities or interventions other than those that are mass-produced and pre-packaged learning materials designed for a general audience. Interactive devices (Thorpe, op cit.) that are built into the learning materials are an essential component of good distance education practice. However, given the        wealth of material already available on effective course design, these forms of support will not form part of the definition of learner support applied in this research.
	Learner support activities may take place through a range of activities, a variety of mediums, a range of support staff, and at a range of places as well as at varying stages (pre-course, during course and after course).
	While there are many central activities that are integral to a well functioning distance education system, learner support activities are aimed at meeting the unique needs of the individual (although this may occur in groups) and have as their specific goal counteracting disadvantage and ensuring maximum opportunities for success and a quality educational experience.

 3.  The needs of distance learners

Three key but interlinked areas have been identified in relation to learner support. These are academic issues, personal or social concerns and access to information and resources.

Academic

As noted, many distance learners experience a range of academic problems. They may lack the study skills necessary for successful study and/or may have inadequate subject knowledge. They may also not be fluent in the medium of instruction, which is usually English. The nature of the old race-based South African Department of Education and Training (DET) education provision is widely regarded as a major cause of the academic problems faced by many learners at a tertiary level. The problems of apartheid education will not be reviewed as they have been well documented elsewhere (Kallaway, 1984). Suffice to say that DET schooling has produced approaches to learning that actively limit learners’ preparedness for further education (Miller, 1992). Furthermore, even those learners who have had access to privileged education are not likely to be Knowle’s (1990) self-directed learners. Paul (1988) questions whether any new distance education learners can really be independent / autonomous learners. 

Social and personal problems

There is a body of research that has focused on problems which may affect academic performance but which are technically not academic (Kraft, 1991). Many learners are faced with problems relating to studying and family and work commitments.  Learners who have not studied for a number of years may lack confidence. Smedley (1993) makes a useful distinction between “generic role strains” related to the role of being a learner and “minority stresses” which among other factors may result from poor socio-economic status and may contribute to poor performance. 

Access to resources and information

A further reality faced by many learners in South Africa is lack of resources and inadequate living and studying conditions. Although in the South African context very little literature exists on the impact that material factors such as lack of funding have on academic performance, it is self evident that having to cope with adverse conditions combined with a poor educational background contributes to poor performance and there is an increasing awareness that many distance learners experience problems of a non-academic nature. Distance learners may also feel isolated from the institution and from fellow learners.