University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2014
Abstract
Learner support is the critical link in online education. A learner support system is comprised of human and non-human resources that contribute to the learning process of an online course and should be designed as an integral part of the course. For example, if the online course requires students to access library resources to complete a research paper, then, easy access to library resources must be provided as part of the learner support system for that course. Learner support for online learners will differ based on the context, learner characteristics such as needs, expectations, prior learning experiences, etc., and the learning process. Online learners are not homogeneous. They differ in age, gender, culture, education, language, social and economic background, family and employment commitments, goals, objectives, needs and desires. Each individual has his or her own needs that have to be met.
Publisher
Stylus
Publication Title
Culture and Online Learning: Global Perspectives and Research
First Page
79
Last Page
90
Language (ISO)
English
Keywords
Online learners, diversity support
Recommended Citation
Gunawardena, C. N. (2014). Supporting diverse online learners. In I. Jung, & C. N. Gunawardena (Eds.), Culture and Online Learning: Global Perspectives and Research (pp.79-90). Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
This is an unedited version of the chapter, uploaded to the UNM Digital Repository with permission of the publisher, copyright © 2014, Stylus Publishing, LLC.