Practice and Evaluation of the Comprehensive Support and Advice Activities System for Adult Students of Distance Learning

Abstract

In remote self-learning systems using e-Learning for working students, one problem is the difficulty of maintaining motivation for learning. Small learning setbacks and the stress of work can decrease motivation for learning and extend periods of putting off studies. A support and advice system for adult students of distance learning which can detect such situations early on is essential to establish quality assurance for adult students. At Shinshu University Graduate School on the Internet, we have achieved some positive results by providing various types of support since 2002, but there have also been problems regarding support for individual students. Based on this previous experience, this paper proposes, implements and evaluates new approaches to distance learning support for individual working students which more actively utilizes the characteristics of e-Learning. Proposed approaches are shown to be of useful especially for maintaining motivation for learning.