A framework for supporting ESL learners studying via telematic learning systems
Abstract
Success in ESL learning has been shown to be influenced by individual differences, and that
based on those differences, students exhibit varying rates and levels of success. With learning
shifting from being instruction-based to being learner-based, the profiling of students has
become important in order to understand how the characteristics which students bring to the
learning situation affect their performance. Knowing and understanding the learner in distance
education settings is even more complex because of the physical and temporal separation
which characterises distance education. However, it is important to profile students in order to
address the high rates of attrition/drop out and/or failure that plague higher education, both
distance and on-campus . The measures intended to effect successful learning in distance
education can best be provided through a comprehensive support system, which is designed
for a specific type of student population, based on their profiles.
The purpose of this study was to design a framework through which a distance learner support
system could be provided, based on the factors that were found to affect the failure/drop out or
success of ESL distance students, on students' indication of services they would like to be
provided, and based on the capacity to which the PU for CHE distance learning unit, TLS, felt
they could provide support services to distance learners.
The personal factors affecting attrition/drop out and/or failure were found to be the following:
* Demographic variables;
* Affective variables;
* Learning styles;
* Metacognitive variables; and
* Learning strategies.
The contextual variables affecting attrition/drop out and/or failure included:
* The microsystem;
* The macrosystem; and
* The mesosystem.
The results of this study indicated that students' support needs included:
* Administrative support;
* Academic support; and
* Relational support.
With regard to the support services offered by TLS, the following results were found:
* The implementation strategy needs better co-ordination among all university
departments involved in distance education;
* Support provision needs to be conducted by specialised departments (i.e.,
administrative support mainly by TLS, academic support mainly by academic faculties
and lecturers, and relational support mainly by specialised professionals); and that
* One of the most important factors in providing support is accountability.
A framework was designed for the provision of support services for distance learners based on
the findings of the study. The framework outlines the types of support that need to be provided,
the degree of support needed at each academic level, when support ought to be provided, the
description of each type of support, who ought to provide that support, and how it will be
delivered to distance learners. The study was conducted on ESL students, and the framework
was designed based on the needs of ESL students. However, the use of the framework need
not be confined to ESL distance learners, as it was the intention of this study that the
framework be relevant for all distance learners.
Collections
- Humanities [2671]