Implementation of a Learner Support System in Online Education

Implementation of a Learner Support System in Online Education
Author: Emily Susanne McKelroy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 490
Release: 2019
Genre:
ISBN:

Learner support systems that provide academic and non-academic supports, which are planned and strategically integrated into the online learning experience have been shown to have a positive impact on student’s persistence and satisfaction in online environments. Insufficient research exists on how these systems are implemented, how support is provided, and how students perceive the support they receive, especially for adult learners. To address this gap in research, this descriptive case study analyzed the implementation of a learner support system in an online program in which three-quarters of the students are nontraditional. Through the use of qualitative methods, the study describes the experiences and perceptions of faculty, the academic advisor, and students who administered or received support through the system. This study contributes needed research to the field of education by exploring student support as a method of improving student persistence in online education. This study found that learner support systems require oversight and management to ensure that they remain a working system. It was uncovered that the originally envisioned support system ultimately broke down as support became compartmentalized to those providing support resulting in gaps in a learner support system that was envisioned to encircle students with assistance when needed. However, despite this breakdown, the results showed that learner support can help students feel encouraged and satisfied with their online experience. The majority of students found the support they received was helpful and that alerts about their academic standing motivated to continue in their course. This research study also illuminated support strategies the faculty and the academic advisor used to optimize student interaction and persistence. The academic advisor, as a one-stop resource for providing nonacademic support, increased students’ feelings of connectedness. This study also found that regular support interactions and timely responses from course faculty helped students’ feel supported and reduced their perception of being isolated. This study also uncovered the faculty and advisors’ perceptions and challenges in providing support to students. Lastly, the study identified the types of support that students found most helpful to their learning in an online environment. The students found timely responses to their requests for assistance as most important to their learning and preferred easy methods to communicate with their professors. The support preferences between traditional and nontraditional students were also investigated

Technology for Efficient Learner Support Services in Distance Education

Technology for Efficient Learner Support Services in Distance Education
Author: Anjana
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2018-09-26
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 9811323003

This book explores the ways in which technology is being used by various open universities in developing countries to extend learner support services to distance learners. It shares the best practices being followed by different open universities so that these may be replicated by other universities. It provides an overview of the use of various digital technologies, e-learning tools, eLearning platforms, virtual learning environments, and synchronous and asynchronous technologies in open and distance learning (ODL) systems. Moreover, it discusses the importance of ODL systems in providing inclusive education in developing countries through the use of ICT with a special focus on adult, rural and elderly learners, as well as the role of technology in science education through ODL system. A transformative model of sustainable collaborative learning is presented, integrating concepts based on theoretical frameworks to increase the flexibility and solve existing issues in developing countries, which may be used for policy changes in distance learning. It concludes by examining various challenges in successfully implementing technology for effective delivery of learner support services in distance education systems in developing countries and exploring the strategies required to overcome these challenges.

Rethinking Learner Support in Distance Education

Rethinking Learner Support in Distance Education
Author: Roger Mills
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2004-08-02
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1134418086

Distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way of studying, and most universities now provide courses using these methods. Today's students, though, are demanding high quality, consumer-focused and flexible courses, as well as learning resources and active learner support. This means that providers of distance education need to reconsider key issues about their learner support systems, ensuring that this is delivered appropriately and effectively. Considering the changing needs and demands of distance education students, this book draws together contributions from the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Botswana, to offer an international perspective on: * the challenges and opportunities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) * quality assurance, commercialisation and the learner as consumer * the impact on learners of cultural differences on internationalised curricula * the implications for learner support of a wider range of learners This book should be read by all those involved in developing and delivering distance education courses.

Online Distance Education

Online Distance Education
Author: Olaf Zawacki-Richter
Publisher: Athabasca University Press
Total Pages: 520
Release: 2014-06-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1927356628

Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda offers a systematic overview of the major issues, trends, and areas of priority in online distance education research. In each chapter, an international expert or team of experts provides an overview of one timely issue in online distance education, summarizing major research on the topic, discussing theoretical insights that guide the research, posing questions and directions for future research, and discussing the implications for distance education practice as a whole. Intended as a primary reference and guide for distance educators, researchers, and policymakers, Online Distance Education addresses aspects of distance education practice that have often been marginalized, including issues of cost and economics, concerns surrounding social justice, cultural bias, the need for faculty professional development, and the management and growth of learner communities. At once soundly empirical and thoughtfully reflective, yet also forward-looking and open to new approaches to online and distance teaching, this text is a solid resource for researchers in a rapidly expanding discipline.

International Perspectives on Supporting and Engaging Online Learners

International Perspectives on Supporting and Engaging Online Learners
Author: Jaimie Hoffman
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2021-09-16
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1800434863

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated growth in online education across the world, forcing many to learn remotely. Presenting case studies from authors around the globe, this volume provides College and university personnel with research, theoretical foundations, and best practice to support and engage online learners.

Evaluation and Implementation of Distance Learning: Technologies, Tools and Techniques

Evaluation and Implementation of Distance Learning: Technologies, Tools and Techniques
Author: Belanger, France
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 246
Release: 1999-07-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1930708548

The twentieth century has seen the creation and evolution of technologies beyond imagination a century ago. The computer has enabled the digital presentation of knowledge, and increased the speed with which information can be captured and processed. The acceptance of these technologies has led to a new alternative for providing education and training--distance learning. This book focuses on the processes, techniques and tools that are being used to successfully plan, implement and operate distance learning projects.

Supporting Online Students

Supporting Online Students
Author: Anita Crawley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2012-01-31
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1118192842

Supporting Online Students shows how effective and efficiently delivered support services improve academic success and course retention for online learners. Drawing on a decade's worth of research, Anita Crawley describes the scope of services from admissions and registration to advising and student engagement. The book includes guidelines and standards, planning and implementation, innovative practices, and describes specialized services needed by particular online student groups. "Effective student support is the single most important factor in sustaining high-quality online learning programs. Anita Crawley presents the most effective guide to achieving that success. Her book is a blueprint for building thriving online programs through comprehensive student support." Ray Schroeder, director, Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, University of Illinois Springfield "As distance learning continues to grow, this book addresses the often neglected other side of the coin: online student services. This book provides a great introduction and overview of the research, literature, and innovative practices for planning, implementing, and evaluating support services for online learners." George Steele, director, eStudent Services, OhioLearns "Anita Crawley has crafted a splendid volume on a topic of increasing importance in contemporary higher education. Her book promises to be the foundational piece for those who work with students in an online environment. Her thinking and analysis are superb and undoubtedly will provide the basis upon which to develop online programs and services in the future." John H. Schuh, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Emeritus, Iowa State University "Bringing together extensive examples of innovative practices, summaries of current research, and a wealth of experience in student services, Anita Crawley's comprehensive guide to supporting online students is a rich resource for institutions with existing, growing, or new online programs. Diane J. Goldsmith, former executive director, Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium

Supporting Students in Online Open and Distance Learning

Supporting Students in Online Open and Distance Learning
Author: Ormond Simpson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2013-04-03
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136360034

This new addition to the respected Open and Distance Learning Series is an up-to-the-minute guide for educators wanting to come to terms with their support role in open and distance learning. Covering all aspects of student support from tuition and counselling through to the broad range of delivery methods available, the book offers practical solutions that are set within a sound theoretical framework.

Strategies for Sustainable Open and Distance Learning

Strategies for Sustainable Open and Distance Learning
Author: Andrea Hope
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2006
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780415345262

With scarce material available in the field, this volume examines the nature of sustainability in open and distance learning in order to provide a guide to successful implementation. It is published in association with the Commonwealth of Learning.

Distance Learning

Distance Learning
Author: Nancy Franklin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 130
Release: 1996
Genre: Computer-assisted instruction
ISBN: