(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2011) Beukes, Florida
Lecturers tend to assume that their carefully crafted resources will guide student learning and that students will work through our materials more or less in the manner directed. However, research into distance students’ use of study materials (Merland et al, 1990) and the use of formative activities (Lockwood,1995) suggests that there are far more complex behaviours at work. The amount of support services an institution can off er largely depends on that particular institution’s capacity and resources at its disposal. For ODL to be effective, effective management and administration systems need to be put in place. It is particularly important to make sure that ODL students are not isolated though they may be at a distance. An effective system of two-way communication between student and institution is therefore an important element of good management and administration.