Abstract
The provision of learner support is pivotal in understanding the development trend in distance education. A survey of the literature indicates limited incorporation of the student perspective in learner support strategies in Open and Distance Education in Uganda. To investigate the students’ perspective of the university learner support practices, this study used a quantitative approach involving a 45 questionnaire items to collect the students’ views. Using factor analysis technique, findings from the study revealed four constructs of learner support, namely; academic advising support, library and technology support, counselling and career support, and communication service support. The study concludes that analysing and incorporating the views of the students in decision making at faculty and institution level help to consolidate learner support efforts, nurtures a relevant learner support culture and creates a pathway to improved learning in Open and Distance Education. It therefore recommends that the views/voice of the students should be considered in the planning and delivery of Open and Distance Education. In addition, investment in affordable ICTs is key to the effectiveness of learner support management and delivery in Open Distance Education.
Highlights
The role of learner support in distance education cannot be underestimated (Brindley, 2014; Tait, 2000)
The slight difference between the male and female participants is an indication of the increasing number of females in the teaching profession in Uganda and their efforts to use distance education to foster professional and career growth
With a lowest factor loading of .357, the finding on easy to interact with fellow learners corroborates those of and Mayende et al (2014) which point out the limited use ICTs in learner-learner interaction in Uganda
Summary
The role of learner support in distance education cannot be underestimated (Brindley, 2014; Tait, 2000). In the USA for instance, the Institute for Higher Education Policy of USA focuses learner support in distance education on issues of institutional support (including electronic security measures like password protection, encryption and back-up systems); course development (involving guidelines used in course development, design, and delivery, and review of instructional materials); teaching and learning (including students’ interaction with tutors and peers through a voice-mail, e- mail, feedback on assignments, and methods of effective research); course structure (outlining course objectives, concepts, and learning outcomes); student support (information on admission requirements, tuition, books); faculty support (tutor training and peer mentoring); and assessment (based on enrolment data, costs, innovative uses of technology, intended learning outcomes) (Phipps & Merisotis, 2000; Stella & Gnanam, 2004). Research indicate (Alves & Uhomoibhi, 2010) that due to increased use of computers and web
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