This project is aimed at putting in place for eLearning, student support services similar to those that brought about the success of distance learning.
Student support services in eLearning responds to the statement of the American expert T.H.Davenport writing in 2001: “The use of eLearning is generally unsupervised by any instructor or training professional; this is one way it achieves economic efficiencies”.

http://www.linezine.com/5.2/articles/+deatae.htm

This contributes to the distrust of eLearning in recent surveys: “Recent opinion surveys, give indicators that the world is reluctant to accept eLearning on a par with residential instruction”.

http://www.geteducated.com/vug/oct01/vug1001c.htm

Another factor is the unacceptable level of drop-outs and non-completion in many eLearning programmes. Distrust of eLearning needs to be faced if eLearning is to become an essential part of provision, as envisaged in e-Learning – designing tomorrow’s education of 24.05.2000 and other Commission documentation.

A major solution is the provision of student support services in eLearning as proposed in this project.

In spite of the importance of the learning materials in ODL systems, it was the provision of student support services that distinguished distance education programmes from Teach Yourself Books or Self Instruction Packages and justified the awarding of nationally and internationally recognised degrees, diplomas, and training certification through distance learning.

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