Students' Support in an ODeL Context

Open distance and e-learning (ODeL) gives students who occupy multiple roles and are affected by the barriers of distance, cost, and time an opportunity to pursue their studies; these students are called distance students. For them to be successful as distance students, knowledge of technology is important as teaching and learning is conducted online and students are expected to interact actively online. There is no value if you have knowledge of technology as a distance student but do not interact online. The student must actively interact with peers, lecturers, study materials, and the university; failure to do so will affect learning and teaching negatively. Most students do not interact online. ODeL institutions prescribe technological tools for the students to interact online, but they lack academic, administrative, and technical support, which is a concern. ODeL institutions must commit themselves to always supporting distance students – academically, cognitively, administratively, institutionally, and affectively.