INTRODUCTION

The Human Development Report defines development as a process to increase choices that people have in order to improve their lives. In particular, the report asserts that the purpose of development is “to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives” (UNDP 1995, p.11). In order for this to happen, people need to acquire knowledge, information and experiences and to access resources that would enable them to achieve development goals. The role that education plays in promoting an enabling environment has come to be accepted by the world. As a result, governments, through various world bodies, are signatories to the conventions such as The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education for All and others. Education is becoming indispensable today as the world is confronted with the scourge of HIV and AIDS and other diseases, the challenges of deepening poverty, ravaging wars and their devastating effect on citizens, the promotion of good governance and democracy.

How does ODL come into this quandary? The world now accepts that ODL is a viable alternative to formal education. ODL is relevant for all educational levels including primary, secondary, post secondary education and lifelong education. In particular, ODL plays an important role in opening access to education, in extending service at a reduced cost and in providing and promoting quality learning. Key to achieving these goals is the learner and the kind of experience s/he is exposed to. Such experience determines the success and quality of the product. This is where learner support comes in.

The Institute Of Extra Mural Studies (IEMS)

IEMS is the one organ of the National University of Lesotho (NUL) that promotes access to higher education through open and distance education. Although the programmes are to a large extent based on face to face tutorials and the use of print media, IEMS has managed to reach out to those who would not normally qualify for straight admission through the strategies of openness and the distance method. Openness here is used in its limited sense to indicate relaxing the rigidity in the conventional university admission criteria. IEMS admits mostly those high school graduands with third class pass and General Certificate in Education (GCE), the lowest high school leaving certificate. IEMS has also opened access to mature students with three years secondary education level plus working experience.

At the same time, the part time mode has allowed working adults as well as those far removed from the head quarters to attend classes during specified weekends or after work hours. The programmes offered are at diploma level in mass communication, business management and adult education and a four year degree in adult education. It is planned to start with new programmes of degree in business entrepreneurship and masters in adult education in the next academic year.

Challenges Faced by IEMS Learners

Learning at a distance poses a special problem for the learners. Some of them come from the rural areas where schools/centers are very far from their villages. They travel long distances to come for tutorials. The mountainous terrain make some areas inaccessible by road. Such places may not have access to radio, telephone and electricity. Recently Government stopped sponsoring programmes such as adult education and mass communication, on the basis that they are not within government priority areas of sponsorship. As a result, these adult learners struggle to pay for their learning commitments. Implications are that, some learners fail to be regular for f2f tutorials because of various financial commitments. Attending f2f tutorials is also a challenge for those who are employed and are not given leave of absence.

Low self esteem is another major problem among learners ( Dzakiria 2004). This is because of the attitude that still prevails that distance education is of inferior quality to the conventional programs. Because most of the learners are women they face a lot of community challenges because of the patriarchal nature of society. Women have community roles to take care of the sick especially today in the face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, and other community responsibilities like feasts, funerals and many traditional activities. Community members do not understand why these women do not take up their responsibilities as expected.

Many of the learners come to IEMS with conventional education experience from primary school and secondary/high school. They have been exposed to the learning culture of full time f2f, teacher centered methods of learning and in general, a situation where a learner is dependent on the teacher. They lack experience as independent, self-directed learners.

LEARNER SUPPORT

Learner support within ODL has received a lot of attention because of its centrality for promotion of successful quality learning for the distance learner. It has been classified in many ways. Dillon and Blanchard (1991) for example, present four types of learner support. First is support based on unique learner needs largely influenced by the learners' background. Second is learner support and content, third is support provided by the institution to facilitate the learning process and finally is learner support and technology, its quality and its consistency of availability.

Harrington, Laster, Stennet, and Cornwell (2004) have used a model of learner support that comes from the work of Cornwell (2000) that puts learner support into categories. The first category refers to academic support, access to all information required for academic work including availability and responsiveness of faculty. The second category is practical learner support related to practical help on learning, personal assignments etc. The last category is the emotional support that learners receive especially from others like family. Harrington et. al. have used this model to develop a Learning Support Needs Questionnaire (LSNQ)) for diagnosing students' needs. One of the critical points their study makes is that most of the work in this area tends to focus on what faculty can do to promote learning and that there is little emphasis on what the learners' needs for learning are “in order to help students to diagnose their own support needs and therefore develop their own strategies for dealing with them” (p.9). However, it is also true that learners, especially in the situation of ODL in Lesotho, would still need the facilitation to support them to develop their learning strategies. Learner support and learner needs are therefore taken as two sides of the same coin, mutually complementary.

The ADEA Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning (ADEA) conducted a comprehensive literature survey in ODL policy and practice (2002). They emphasize the critical role that learner support plays in the success for ODL programmes . Their classification of learner support is also in three categories. First are services related to teaching and learning needs; second are services related to access and information process and needs; lastly are services related to social and personal needs.

Classification of learner support therefore depends on angles or approaches taken. Learner support may also be taken as learners needs. Support to be given in order to meet these needs can be categorized as that which is (i) directly related to the academic programme and learning, (ii) related to the process-facilities etc. and (iii) related to the personal like counseling, motivating, urging on. A lot of work has been done on what support is required for academic aspects; this is especially done at the motivational level and takes the various forms of support such as registration, getting materials, contact with facilitators, getting feedback, writing examinations. While a lot more has been done on the first two areas, work related to some aspects of the personal still needs to receive more attention. Here we talk about the kind of support a learner needs as a person at institutional level and beyond. Dillon and Blanchard (1991) talk of unique needs like motivation, confidence, financial difficulties, adult learners and learners with disabilities. Harrington et.al. (2004) refer to help with house work, child care, emotional support, tolerance, emotional reassurance etc; while ADEA (2002) add aspects of peer support and study groups, career guidance, social events and language problems.

In what way can IEMS as a training institution collaborate in order to address some of these needs, especially those at the personal level? This study aims to contribute to this debate through looking at the how collaboration for learner support can be, expanded to include a number of stakeholders especially beyond the institutional level.

COLLABORATION FOR LEARNER SUPPORT

Collaboration in ODL is a pillar in helping providers realize their goals to promote access at reasonable or low costs and high quality. The concept of collaboration has been explored at length. Indeed, as Perraton (2004) clearly indicates “much open and distance learning, at all levels of education, has been built on collaboration between partners” (p27). Collaboration partnerships have been formed at institutional, national, regional and international levels. The Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA) is an old form of collaboration done at a regional level. Here members collaborate in terms of materials sharing and development, sharing of experiences, exchange of programmes , research, capacity building etc. DEASA is now extending its wings into the whole SADC region and opening wider areas for collaboration in order to improve on ODL offering in the region. Whatever level that collaboration exists at, it requires commitment, a clear understanding and meeting of minds for success and mutual benefit. Perraton (2004 p31) proposes the following as pillars for successful collaboration:

• Clear goals and clear statement of purpose
• Significant roles for administrative and academic staff in all member institutions
• Governance and funding structure that fits the purpose
• Members of a partnership need to see that they have complementary roles and there are benefits to all
• Commitment of resources from all partners.

What kind of a model for collaboration in terms of learner support can we have? Why is it relevant? These and other questions have been pursued through this preliminary study.

RESEARCH APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

This paper presents results of a study undertaken at (IEMS) on the collaboration efforts to promote learner support. The study was conducted as preliminary to a larger research. The focus was on a small number of stakeholders which included ten former students, six part time lecturers, four educational institutions and four employers. The purpose was to explore the views of the stakeholders on learner support for the promotion of learning and whether through collaboration with various stakeholders learner support can be improved and strengthened.

This study employed a qualitative design, which utilized interviews to collect data. Two focus group interviews were conducted, one for past students and one for part time lectures. Employers and educational institutions were interviewed individually. The various qualitative responses including sharing of experiences were recorded and analyzed into themes and sub themes guided by the research objectives.

Research Objectives

It is assumed that stakeholders' collaboration has a great potential for improving learning, teaching and research activities and can strengthen existing learner support services. The objectives of this study were to:

•  Identify possible areas of expanded learner support.

•  Identify strategies for improved stakeholders collaboration in learner support

•  Explore areas of collaboration between IEMS and various stakeholders on learner support services

THE FINDINGS

Findings of this study cover views from various stakeholders. Common themes that were recorded are extended learner support, areas of collaboration and attachment.

(I) Views about Extended learner support:

(Learners)

•  Learners felt there is a need for more networking and collaboration between learners and tutors, learners and administrators, learners and other learners during and after study period.

•  Printed materials are the strength of learner support, there is need for IEMS to have more written materials for all the programmes.

•  Improvement of library facilities and addition of more relevant and up-to-date reference materials.

•  Improvement on IT in all the centers to enable access by all learners and tutors.

•  “Sometimes it is personal needs where we need support, counseling, a listening ear, comfort and understanding.” This was a view echoed by all learners.

•  Education is not only about learners but affects families, employers and colleagues, communities etc., all should form part of learner support.

•  If we can be given recognition and be accepted this will be great motivation

•  Women are majority of learners, they need to get more support

(Employers)

•  A policy that supports learners through study leaves already exists. What is important is to ensure that there is proper implementation .

•  Employees and employers should work together, with no secrets kept about studies.

•  There should be meetings between employers and educational institutions to discuss what skills are required and how to support each other

•  There is no clear understanding of how IEMS works and programs like adult education

•  We need to give learners some time for studying during working time

•  Learners should also show their commitment to earn the support

•  We should be a learning community around the learners, their learning affect everyone around them,

•  Learner support should come from all who are connected to the learner directly and indirectly

(II) Views on Collaboration:

There seemed to be agreement by all stakeholders that collaboration with educational institutions. There are indirect ways of collaborating like participating in each others events, sports, celebrations, conferences etc. This is important and promotes understanding and good relations among institutions. IEMS should show goodwill where it has skills that could benefit other institutions, whether this are paid for or given gratis. Collaboration should be reciprocal not just one way. Other views follow:

•  Culture of volunteerism should be encouraged among learners.

Volunteer services open channels of communication between the employer, the learner, and educational institutions. It allows for sharing of experiences and skills and contributes to a learning culture in communities.

•  IEMS should share its programs and involve employers in plans for new ones and in the review. Curriculum would be improved, be more practical and relevant to the developmental needs of the country.

•  Other employees would be motivated to learn and that would lead to and promote learning communities.

•  There should be collaborative research in the areas of policy studies, development, advocacy, and action research

•  Relevant stakeholders be invited for learners research supervision to ensure relevance to development

•  Sharing of technological resources.

•  Business people advertise themselves through IEMS for a fee

•  IEMS collaborate with others for teaching and for transfer of credits

•  Institutions could collaborate for formulation of ODL policy

•  Such collaboration could be extended through national associations.

(III) Attachment

All interviewees expressed the same passion about attachment. Their observations were that if well planned attachment could:

•  Help learners get hands on practice and exposure in working with communities

•  Get opportunity to market themselves.

Employers could:

•  Benefit by having free, extra and willing hands to do the job.

•  Connect with the university through attached students.

•  Contribute in the development of the materials and curriculum because they will be involved in the learning process

•  Where possible share resources with the university to improve learner support.

•  There could be short and long term collaboration depending on the agreed model.

DISCUSSIONS

How can families and communities become part of the expanded learner support collaboration? Does an educational provider have responsibility to foster collaboration of various stakeholders in order to build up an expanded learner support? Who are the potential collaborators? These are some of the questions that this study has tried to respond to. This preliminary study on collaboration of stakeholders for learner support at IEMS has raised some key issues regarding learner support on the one hand and collaboration on the other.

While in the first instance learners and tutors were interviewed separately, the findings seemed to be complementary in the kinds of issues that were identified as critical.

The educational institutions also seem to be in agreement about strengthening the facilities within institutions and encouraging collaboration in order to benefit from each others' strengths. The fact that the major source of funding for education is the Ministry of Education, is very important and should be taken as the raison d'etre for collaboration in all matters relating to ODL.

Ways in which employers can collaborate with educational providers for learner support include financial sponsorship, time to study, facilitating practice, offering opportunities for attachment, providing counselling and mentoring etc. These are at the heart of the problems that learners experience and in many cases contribute to attrition.

Collaboration for learner support may also come from families and communities. Distance learners feel isolated from the communities and families because their time outside work is spend in school work. Very often they miss on social activities like funerals, weddings and feasts, they feel like outsiders (Yum et. al. 2005). On the other hand, they need the understanding and support of the communities and families. It is our contention that beyond the direct support that learners receive, from education institutions, there is also the indirect learner support provided by others, to facilitate an efficient learning process. As providers, learning institutions are strategically placed, and have a direct and moral responsibility to coordinate the various stakeholders for collaboration and strategic partnership that will foster the required learner support for the distance learners. It is hoped that such expanded learner support collaboration will also promote collaborative learning among the stakeholders and build a culture of learning in our society. The distance learners will no longer feel isolated but will play a central and active role in their environments while at the same time becoming active drivers of the learning process.

CONCLUSION

The results of this preliminary study confirm the need for expanded stakeholders' collaboration to strengthen leaner support. There is consensus that expanded collaboration for learner support should not just be the responsibility of an educational institution but a collaborative effort with stakeholders around the learner. From this study, no model has been established yet, but as Perraton (2004) indicates, collaboration requires commitment and a clear understanding of what is envisaged. The second phase of this study will further explore this issue including volunteerism, attachment, roles played by families and communities in promoting collaboration of stakeholders for expanded learner support.

References

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Dillon, C L and Blanchard, D (1991), “Education for Each: learner driven distance education.” Paper Presented at Second American Symposium on Research in Distance Education. The American Center for the Study of Distance Education, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania.

Dzakiria, H. (2004).” Providing Distance Learning Support for the present and Future

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