Support Groups in Distance Education

Abstract

For most distance education systems, distance, time or opportunity isolate learners from the teacher and from their fellow students. The system should attempt to cater to the student as an individual, even though content delivery involves mass production. Suitably prepared course material can reduce the effect of isolation from the teacher, but often it is only through interaction with others that full understanding occurs. To facilitate interaction most systems include different types of support groups, which may or may not include a teacher. This is an introduction to issues associated with such groups