Croft, M.  (1991).  Report on round table on student support services (pp. 1-56).  Vancouver, CANADA: The Commonwealth of Learning. This report consists of a keynote paper, views from the field, and recommendations. COL participants summarized the current state of student support services, for their adult learners, and identified strategies for improvement. Five specific areas were addressed: evaluation and research; staff training; collaboration between institutions; records management; and information services. The paper provides a fairly comprehensive case study from which other institutions can benefit.

     Dillon, C.L., Gunawardena, C.N., and Parker, R.  (1992).  Learner support: The critical link in distance education.  Distance Education, 13(1), 29-45. An evaluative study of the Oklahoma Televised Instruction System (TIS), through analysis of the student support system. This study is focused on resources available to the student, coordination between on-campus and distance sites, and the transfer of information. The study includes a comparison of attitudes and performance, between on-campus and distance students. A questionnaire was designed to yield data which could support future improvements to the program. While the overall performance results showed no significant difference, practitioners involved in state-wide broadcast programs, such as TIS, will find helpful information here, regarding both instruction and support.

     Glennie, J.  (1996).  Towards learner-centred distance education in the changing South African context.  In R. Mills, and A. Tait (Eds.), Supporting the learner in open and distance learning (pp. 19-33).  London, UK: Pitman Publishing. The author documents the tragic legacy that colonialism and apartheid have had on the education system in her country. From there, she lays out the new goals, values, and principles that the new government has adopted for distance education, and describes the learner-centered approach, that the South African Institute for Distance Education is advocating. While many of the challenges discussed in this article are unique to South Africa, it is worthwhile for any ODL practitioner, to examine how a well-resourced national program can be unevenly distributed, and entrenched in outmoded concepts of distance education and delivery.

     Robinson, B.  (1995).  Research and pragmatism in learner support.  In F. Lockwood (Ed.), Open and distance learning today (pp. 221-231).  London, UK: Routledge. The focus of this article is on the contrast between the effects of research and theory, versus pragmatism, in the field of learner support. While several possible explanations for the dearth of research in the support area are offered, the central question here is whether or not decisions regarding learner support should be based on research findings, or be determined by contextual pragmatic criteria. The article addresses some very fundamental and important issues at the core of learner support in distance education.

     Tait, A.  (1988).  Democracy in distance education and the role of tutorial and counselling services.  Journal of Distance Education, 3(1), 95-99. The author discusses how large, state planned and controlled distance education programs relate to Otto Peters' industrialized model, and explores the undemocratic political implications of such systems. Tait argues against the dissemination model, and objectification of knowledge, and for an approach that is student-centered, at the micro level, and democratic in the larger sense. If you miss the Cold War, revisit 1988 in this article, when the threat of "totalitarian educational practice" loomed on the horizon.

     Tait, A.  (1995).  Student support in open and distance learning.  In F. Lockwood (Ed.), Open and distance learning today (pp.232-241).  London, UK: Routledge. Tait addresses some of the central concepts of student support, and how the practitioner can realize them. The elements discussed are tutoring, counseling, and instruction. The author notes the necessary balance between mass-produced materials and the individual needs of students. He also recognizes the need for balance between theory and practice. Readers are wisely instructed to ask two very fundamental questions, which make this a very worthwhile article for the ODL practitioner. Who are your students? What do your students need and how will you provide it?

Garland, M.R. (1995). Helping students achieve epistemological autonomy. In Sewart, D. (Ed.), 17^th World Conference for Distance Education: One World Many Voices: Quality in Open and Distance Learning: Volume 2 (pp. 77-80). Milton Keynes, UK: International Council for Distance Education and The Open University. The author suggests that by replacing behavioural learning theories with cognitive approaches, educators can better assist students in achieving epistemological autonomy. The article specifically examines constructivism, situated cognition, and problem based learning. Garland offers a strong argument for an approach which can ultimately lead students to self-direction and personal control over their learning.

Holmberg, B. (1983). Guided didactic conversation in distance education. In D. Sewart, D. Keegan, and B. Holmberg (Eds.), Distance education: International perspectives (pp. 114-122). London: Croom Helm. Holmberg equates good distance education to guided conversation. Here he defines his concept of guided didactic conversation, offers seven postulates that support it, and states his formal hypotheses. While the theory he presents is intriguing, the tests cited in the article proved inconclusive

Keegan, D. (1986). Interaction and communication, (Chapter 6, pp.89-107). In Keegan, D., The foundations of distance education. Kent,UK.: Croom Helm. This chapter of Keegan's book presents the views of five authors concerned with the institution's role in providing a satisfactory learning experience, once course materials have been developed and distributed. Those profiled represent both theoreticians and managers of distance learning systems. The author has assembled some very thought provoking viewpoints on interaction and communication in distance education.

Morgan, C., and Morris, G. The student view of tutorial support: Report of a survey of Open University Education students. Open Learning, 9(1), 22-33. Here are the results of a 1992 survey of OU's School of Education students. Findings indicate a very high level of general satisfaction, but point to some specific areas where improvement is needed. Those practitioners who face the challenges of tutoring geographically remote students, and those dealing with ODL marketing strategies, will find the article most useful.

Relan A and Gillani B. J. (1997). Web-based instruction and the traditional classroom: Similarities and differences. In Khan, B. (Ed.), Web-based instruction (pp. 25?37). New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications. This article compares and contrasts web-based instruction with the traditional classroom environment, based on a discussion of instructional strategies. The authors are strong advocates of the World Wide Web for instructional delivery, based largely on it's potential for innovation and collaboration. They elaborate on the advantages of features such as hypermedia and hypertext, and ultimately pose a powerful argument for a move away from traditional approaches to a rich Web-based environment.

Romiszowski, A. (1997). Web-based distance learning and teaching: Revolutionary necessity or reaction to necessity? In Khan, B. (Ed.), Web-based instruction (pp. 91-111). New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications. Romiszowski looks ahead to the workplace of the future, and the types of skills it will require. The focus here is on how new technologies are developing to support new ways of learning, all leading toward "knowledge work" in a "networked society." In place of a crystal ball, the author uses systems analysis to "make sense of the future into which we may be moving."

Wolcott, L.L. (1995). The distance teacher as reflective practitioner. Educational Technology, January/February Issue, 39-43. The author recommends reflection as a means to meet the unique challenges of distance teaching and learning. Those challenges are discussed in detail, as are strategies for reflecting on content, learners, and teaching methods. Overall, Wolcott presents an interesting approach to prepare practitioners for distance teaching, and perhaps to inspire current instructors to seek new innovative solutions by questioning their most basic assumptions.

Bowser, D., and Race, K. (1991). Orientation for distance education students: What is its worth? Distance Education, 12(1), 109-122. Believing that many student support programs stem from perceptions, not research, the authors present results of an evaluation of the orientation program at UCCQ in 1989. The article provides a thorough discussion of the study and the orientation program it targeted. This reading would prove helpful to those intending to evaluate their own institution’s orientation program, and to those considering adopting a program.

Brindley, J.E., and Fage, J. (1991). Counselling in open learning: Two institutions face the future. Open Learning, 7(3), 12-19. The authors compare the very different development of counseling services at Athabasca University and the Open University, UK. The most striking difference, is perhaps, the level of commitment to support services between the two universities. Future challenges in the student support area are also addressed in the article.

Manning, E. (1997). The preparation of students for distance learning: Two very different approaches from a wider European perspective. In Tait, A. (Ed.), Collected Conference Papers, The Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning, (pp. 114-119). Cambridge, UK.: The Open University. This paper evaluates two very different approaches to student orientation, undertaken within the Open University, UK system. While deeming the school’s virtual orientation a success, the author stresses the value added to the residential weekend session. Also considered here is the overall importance of preparing students for distance education by introducing them to available resources and good study habits.

Nilsson, V. (1989). Voluntary academic assessment to enhance independent learning. In Tait, A. (Ed.), Conference Papers, Interaction and Independence: Student Support in Distance Education and Open Learning, (pp. 167-181). Cambridge, U.K.: The Open University. Nillson describes Athabasca University’s Voluntary Academic Assessment Program and the benefits it yields to adult learners. The article reveals how the school’s student support services have set learners up for success by providing diagnostic tests and follow-up prescriptive advice. The author stresses the voluntary nature of the program, in order to prevent any perceived conflicts with the University’s open admissions policy. This is a program student support practitioners should be aware of.

O’Rourke, J. (1995). A piece of the jigsaw: Student advising in distance education. In Tait, A. (Ed.), Collected conference papers, Sixth Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning, (pp.136-145). Cambridge, UK.: The Open University. Two women with over fifty years collective experience as distance educators, students, teachers, and advisors, share their thoughts with the author on the subject of student advising in distance education. Some of the main topics discussed are: the advisor’s role; contact with students; problem solving; advocacy; and guidance.

Phillips, M., and Scott, P. (1999). Multimedia advice, guidance and counseling on the Web: A prototype learner’s guide. In Tait, A. (Ed.), Collected Conference Papers, The Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning, (pp. 121-130). Cambridge, UK.: The Open University. This paper examines OU’s efforts to exploit web-based streaming multimedia to provide learners with support service. This new delivery method for student support is illustrated by using screenshots from the school’s prototype program. Pros and cons, navigation, and interface design are all discussed. This innovative multimedia approach to student support should be of interest to anyone working in the field.

Simpson, O. (1992). Specifying student support services in the OU - the so-called Student Charter. Open Learning, 7(2), 57-59. This article reviews the development of Open University East Anglican Region’s student services document. After presenting the document’s history, the author offers the results of an evaluation to determine the usefulness of the publication, identify who should receive it, and discover what improvements might be made. Those involved in publishing support material may find useful information in this short piece.

 Library, Registry, and Other Administrative Support Services

Granger, D., and Benke, M. (1998). Supporting learners at a distance from inquiry through completion. In C.C. Gibson (Ed.), Distance learners in higher education, (pp. 127-137). Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing. The authors suggest that the key to a sound support system is to know your learners, by which they mean knowing their backgrounds, learning styles, goals, and motivation. The article extends the application of this approach beyond the faculty to professional, technical and clerical staff. Examples and case studies are provided to support this strategy.

King, T.J. (1995). The identification of high dropout risk distance education students by the analysis of student records data. In Sewart, D. (Ed.), 17^th World Conference for Distance Education: One World Many Voices: Quality in Open and Distance Learning: Volume 2 (pp. 98-101). Milton Keynes, UK: International Council for Distance Education and The Open University. This study concerns the use of existing student data to identify students at risk of dropping out from courses at an Australian college of Technical and Further Education (TAFE). The program's goal is to create a user friendly system to target high risk groups through easy to obtain data. The research design and findings, described here, are from a preliminary study. Improvement of course completion rates is always a subject of interest for distance education practitioners.

Phillips, S.E. (1995). The Commonwealth of Learning student record management system. In Sewart, D. (Ed.), 17^th World Conference for Distance Education: One World Many Voices: Quality in Open and Distance Learning: Volume 2 (pp. 437-440). Milton Keynes, UK: International Council for Distance Education and The Open University. The author describes the Commonwealth of Learning's efforts to create a system to register students and monitor their progress. The article provides details such as system requirements, the development process, field testing, systems design, etc. Screen menus are illustrated and tech support and documentation are explained. This article may be of interest to distance education administrators.

Stephens, K., Unwin, L., and Bolton, N. (1997). The use of libraries by postgraduate distance learning students: A mismatch of expectations. Open Learning, 12(3), 25-33. This is the first of a two part study of library usage by postgraduate distance education students in the UK. The study links library usage with course provider's expectations, and describes the use of local public libraries, despite general dissatisfaction with their resources. Research data is presented with charts. This analysis could prove very useful to distance teachers when considering assignments that require research.

Wong, A.T. (1997). Valuing diversity: Prior learning assessment and open learning. In Tait, A. (Ed.), Collected Conference Papers, The Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning, (pp. 208-216). Cambridge, UK.: The Open University. This paper attempts to summarize the concept and process of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). The author also discusses the challenges and opportunities that PLA presents to universities. Several examples of Canadian initiatives are provided. The article presents a number of important issues of interest to the PLA practitioner.