S1.2.4

=E–learning design and (re)development plans are guided by the available support facilities. =

Evidence
Quality e-learning provision can only occur when the appropriate support services are in place (see S1.1) Hence, the availability of support services dictates to some degree what it is possible to deliver.

According to Kirschner et al., (2004), there can be significant difference between intentions for support and users perceptions of them. They describe an iterative model for designing for e-learning that attends to six steps, including learner competencies, interactions, and tasks, towards ‘determining how computer support can be best applied’ (p. 31). The model pays close attention to actual and particular learner needs, including: how best to address and support those needs, the learner’s perceptions of the support provided, how the support is actually used, and how effective the support is for actual learning achievement: ‘We might be tempted to say that this is “the proof of the pudding”’ (p. 30).