学习支持服务的新模式

Learner Support Services: Going beyond the Usual Notion in Open and Distance eLearning

远程教育项目实施的关键因素之一就是学习支持服务。传统的学生支持服务观念将其界定为"除课程材料制作和传送之外帮助学生学习取得进展的一切活动"(Simpson，2000)或者"课程制作之外的所有过程"(Sharma，2000;Keegan，1996)。随着在线学习的发展及其在远程教育中所处的主导地位，有必要反思学习支持，且不同于传统或第一代远程教育中的学习支持。网络技术促进了知识的社会创建／建构和对用户生成内容的共享，二者均将学习者看作是知识创建／建构的积极参与者。本文分析了开放与远程数字化学习情境下学习支持服务的关注点，并重点关注在线学习者的挫败感、在线讨论中的沉默文化、基于共同体的学习支持，以及教师在整个学习支持服务提供中的角色。文章主要基于菲律宾开放大学十多年来实施开放与远程数字化学习的经验，并就学习支持系统应具备的属性提出了建议。

One of the key components in the implementation of programs in distance education is learner support services. The traditional notions of student support services look at it as "all activities beyond the production and delivery of course materials that assist in the progress of students in their studies" (Simpson, 2000) or "those processes outside course production" (Sharma, 2002;Keegan, 1996). With the general trend and dominance of online learning in the DE context, there is also a need to rethink learner support which should be configured differently from the traditional or first generations distance education. The web technologies facilitate social construction of knowledge and sharing of user generated content which look at learners as active participants of knowledge creation / building. This paper looks into aspects which should be the focus of learner support services in the open and distance eLearning(ODeL) context. Specifically, it will focus on students frustrations as online learners, the culture of silence in online discussions, the communitybased learner support, and the role of the teacher in the overall schema of learner support provision in ODeL. The paper will draw heavily from the more than 10 years of experience of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) in implementing open and distance eLearning. The paper also attempts to recommend necessary attributes of a successful learner support system in ODeL.