Your approach to supporting learners will depend, to some extent, on the type of e-learning your institution uses. There are three main types of provision of technology-enhanced distance education (Definitions from Commonwealth Department of Education and Science)

1. Web-supplemented (WS) programmes

Online participation is optional for learners. Enrolled learners have the option to access information about the course and other online learning resources. This information supplements face-to-face instruction, and also print-based distance education.

2. Web-dependent (WD) programmes

Online participation is required for one or both of the following:

  • Accessing course content
  • Communicating with staff and or other learners

Other methods are also used, such as face-to-face instruction.

Web-supplemented and web-dependent programmes are often referred to as 'blended learning', or 'hybrid' programmes, because they include both online and offline components.

3. Fully online (FO) programmes
All interactions with staff and students, educational content, learning activities, assessment and support services are integrated and delivered online. For examples of how three higher education institutions in South Africa are operating within this framework, see the Case studies in the next section.  The diagram below shows how these different ways of delivering distance education form a continuum:

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4. Which of the above support mechanisms do you feel most comfortable using? Are there any that you could be using but have not yet tried? If so, you may want to read the relevant sections in the stated units, and discuss these ideas with your colleagues. 

Reflection

  1. Which type of online learning does your institution use?
  2. Which of the following ways of supporting learners are available to you?
    1. Spending time and effort at the start of the programme on discussing learners’ expectations, and your expectations of the learners (WS, WD, FO) [Unit 1]
    2. Written materials, e.g. induction materials, course orientation notes (WS, WD, FO)
    3. Materials in audio or video format, e.g. course overview, tips on how to manage time (WS,WD, FO) [Unit 4]
    4. Face-to-face tutorials (WS, WD) [Unit 5]
    5. Telephonic tutorials with individuals (WS, WD) [Unit 5]
    6. Use of SMSs to learners’ mobile phones, e.g. reminding them of assignment deadlines, asking questions to check their understanding, replying to learner’s questions (WS, WD, FO) [Unit 2]
    7. E-mails between you and the learners (WS, WD, FO) [Unit 5]
    8. Encouraging students to support one another, e.g. establishing study buddies (WS, WD, FO) [Unit 3]
    9. Synchronous online tutorials (WD, FO) [Unit 5]
    10. Discussion forums in which you and the learners participate asynchronously (WD, FO) [Unit 5]
    11. Giving learners open-ended assignments (rather than multiple-choice) and providing detailed individual feedback on their work (WS, WD, FO) [Unit 6]3. Perhaps as you worked through the above list, you realised how many different ways you have to support your learners. Consider these ways in relation to the following statement from the NADEOSA quality criteria for learner support.

Learners are provided with a range of opportunities for real, two-way communication through the use of various forms of technology... and the stimulation of peer support structures.

Can you explain how a few of the above examples facilitate two-way communication between either tutor and student, or between learners? 

Additional resources

The following slide show from Dr Terry Anderson, Professor and Research Chair in Distance Education at Athabasca University, explores the history of distance education and current issues in distance education and educational media. Brazil Keynote 2008