Tackling Challenges for Higher Education: Learner Support Services for Distance Learning for Sustainable Collaborative Learning Communities

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In the past, the objective for education was to produce a knowledgeable and skilled community. Today, the goals of education are integrated with technology and associated skills. This integration extends from schooling, university and then continues at the workplace. Institutions are expected to add in more budget to enhance more support for various kinds of facilities for learners when in fact increasing budget allocation is not an easy task. Policymakers have to integrate a more collaborative approach to scientific learning and research. Today, use of technology has enhanced learners’ ability to communicate on social media within a social circle of peers and academicians. However, research findings for distance learning state that there are a number of challenges faced for collaborative projects and learners. Instead of learners learning individually, learning communities can help serve as platforms for discussion, network for academic learning, reflective practices and become composers of new forms of knowledge. To enhance instructional strategies, one needs to consider why learners face certain challenges and improve on the existing challenges with distance learning. Although students prefer flexibility in their learning, they are more challenged when they have to work collaboratively on a project because of the lack of communicative competencies or lack of time. There are challenges such as delegation of work and non-cooperation from difficult peers. Students are also faced with challenges due to time constraints, inability to communicate with social peers, lack of specific skills to complete assignments, inability to collaborate due to lack of specific skills, juggling working hours and finishing assignments. There is also a gap concerning tutorials for distance learning if facilitators do not respond to them on time. Assessment factors impact distance learning, and distance learners’ anxiety is an issue when it concerns completing their assignments when examination and assessment techniques are not provided. Other factors that impact learner dropouts are the lack of ability and time to socialise for receiving support on existing “gaps” in their understanding. The dropout rate thus becomes high for distance learning because the above-stated challenges are not sorted out at the beginning and learner faces a state of stagnancy because of low motivation and frustration. This chapter will provide solutions for quality learning in order that students become a part of globalising sustainable learning community. This chapter discusses a model that can help distance learning in a sustainable way to help learners to sustain their education without dropping out and at the same time gain skills for employment. Distance learners face “learner anxiety” because of their lack of time, competencies to meet language requirements and socialising skills for distance learning. Ideally, the support that will help sustainable education for distance learning is from their peers, field experts both internal and external and collaboration of various field players so that learners in learning communities benefit from learning. Such collaboration helps to sustain education in developing and developed countries where the cost of technology is rising and the need to meet new demands with educational policies which integrate technology. To tap learners’ potential and enhance their knowledge and skills, a new model is conceptualised and introduced in this chapter. The model integrates a unique concept which enables collaborative learning in higher education so that there is enhanced motivation for learning communities who are involved in distance learning to gain access to quality education. The model calls for policy changes for distance learning in higher education.