ICT for Learner Support Services in ODL System in Developing Countries: Challenges and the Road Ahead

Abstract

The rapid globalization has brought about a lot of competition in the domestic markets of the developing countries. To cater to the competition, the demand for extremely skilled workforce that is suitable for international jobs has increased. With the growing need to develop skilled workforce in these countries, it is a huge challenge for the higher education institutions to cater to millions of potential learners through traditional universities in a short time span due to lack of infrastructure. However, the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system is well equipped to impart higher education to the large population of learners of the developing countries. The ODL system and its associated learner support services need to be extended to reach the unreached and improve the quality of these services. The increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the developing countries may be helpful in designing suitable ICT-based learner support services. Indeed, the ICT tools are being increasingly used in the areas of learner support services in the ODL system, right from the pre-admission stage to the certification stage and even beyond. This chapter attempts to provide an overview of the existing scenario of the learner support in ODL system. The ODL system provides a flexible learner-centric environment that encourages self-learning and collaborative learning. It has been found that learners are increasingly using various ICT tools during their studies. This chapter discusses the current use of ICT in higher education in the developing countries, the advantages of the ICT tools, and also explores the learner readiness in these countries to use ICT for learning purposes. This chapter describes the different types of learner support services offered by the ODL system and the ICT tools being used to offer the services. The learner support services in the developing countries face several challenges in terms of infrastructure, skills, resources and policies. These aspects are touched upon in this chapter. Based on the existing scenario of the use of ICT in learner support services in the ODL system of the developing countries, this chapter attempts to provide suggestions to help improve the quality of the learner support services through policies, infrastructure, planning and innovation.