Planning Student Support for Open and Distance Learning

This paper examines the various factors that need to be taken into account in the planning of student support in open and distance learning systems. The factors discussed arise from the characteristics of the students, the demands of academic programmes and courses, the geographical environment, the technological infrastructure, the scale of the programme, and the requirements of management. These factors interact in complex ways, such that while none can be ignored, none can be given overall priority. The elements stand in tension with each other, requiring tradeoffs that between them represent the core management achievement in the design of such systems. Given the differences faced by planners in different settings, it is not surprising that there can be no universal blueprint for the design of student support services. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the many factors that need to be taken into account.