Student Support Disadvantages

2.3 Drawbacks of Student support

Despite the value student support brings to the open distance educational system. Open distance educational systems around the world face challenges with changing vital procudures and policies that allow for the accomodation of the increase of students (Van Zyl & Spamer, 2012), Contrary to this, according to Krishnan (2012) open distance educational institutions excelled in providing learning opportunities to disadvantages individuals, but the problem lied where the system neglected to provide the basic requirements to its learners, such as on time delivery of module material. According to Thorpe (as cited in Olivier, 2016) advances in technology in open distance learning institutions resulted in move from traditional

As the study material as an element of student support caused issues that resulted in pitfalls of the student support offered to students in a open distance education institution, as noticed in the research conducted by Krishanan (2012) although study material was seen as the primary mode of student support that signifgantly determined students success, study material given to students in the study conducted failed to meet quality standards in terms of delivery and adequate supply. While previous reserach findings indicated the need for imporvemnet in student support in order for student support to be benefical to open distance students. The support most students received during tutorial sessions (element of student support) was more beneficial than studying alone, tutors regarded this support as important, as a result instructed students to come see the activities done and get the worksheets to revise at home (Ogina & Mampane, 2013)

Motivation is seen not only as necessary but sufficient to ensure academic success. As a result, the author of the strengths approach suggests while learning necessary skills may be a factor in student success, the most important factor a student needs is motivation. Without motivation, a students ability to develop and learn new skills will not occur. Similar to this; if students are not motivated, the impact of student support will be minimal. Futhermore as stated by Ogina and Mampane (2013) different students have different learning methods, and as a result some students need more support and guidance depending on their learning methods. Thus in order to keep students motivated one should note that different (undegraduate and postgradute reseach methodology) students require different learning methods to remain motivated and goal orientated. This is justified by Dzakiria (2005) as although similarities between students exist, the learning experiences of no two groups of students are the same, students may have different learning methods, as a result preferences of certain student support services provided. Thus studies conducted on student support of Law distance learning students may differ from student support studies on research methodology students. Differences amongst students in their preferred studying method and their preferred choice of study material exist.