Is distance learning becoming the new norm in the world of adult education? In 2024, 60% of companies would have offered a training offer that is mainly distance learning (FAD) or hybrid. Even if this percentage shows a trend towards the digitalization of training, it should be noted that it is down compared to last year (64% in 2023).
The presence of a tutor is the number one motivator for completing distance learning. Thus, the priority for trainers, beyond the creation of asynchronous digital content (48%), is the enrichment of learner support (24%).
Moreover, according to e-learning specialist Jacques Rodet , we can observe a constant from the first correspondence courses in 1728 to today with MOOCs ( massive online open courses ): in most training courses that do not include a distance learning support system, dropout rates can exceed 90%.
However, since 2019, following article D6313-3-1 , the existence of a human support person is no longer mandatory to implement training. The path is thus opened to the automation of remote support .
One of the biggest challenges of distance learning is therefore maintaining the connection with learners and their engagement despite everything.
Support for learning and professional projects
Learning online is not limited to taking a few hours of classes; it is a more complex process that requires tailored support. Although learning support has been the most developed support approach , it is far from being the only one, or even the main one. Indeed, the approaches to support the professional and personal project to give meaning to studies – so that the experiences lived, in and outside of training, become truly formative – are at the heart of the problem of distance support. It is also about encouraging the learner’s autonomy to avoid dropping out.
But how can trainers effectively support students they never meet in person? A study published in 2024 confirms the basic principles of remote support: availability of support staff, establishment of a relationship of trust remotely, adaptation of support to the needs of learners, facilitation of interactions enabled by digital technology with easy-to-use platforms with technical assistance offered, exchanges with peers around the experience of distance learning to combat the feeling of isolation.
Four key steps for effective remote support
Another work completes the elements cited above by proposing four approaches, around a key principle: placing the learner and their experiences at the center of the system.
Educational support
The distance learning system, unlike a face-to-face system, is made up of multiple spaces and times, digital environments and enriched educational scenarios. As a result, its structure further complicates its handling by the learner. The didactic support then aims at understanding the elements prescribed by the training system, such as the theoretical elements to be retained, the digital uses to be adopted and the training rhythms imposed.
Integrating personal experiences
The learning process in adult education is not based solely on the transmission of knowledge, but rather on an approach to raising awareness of the knowledge that is latent in action. Learners bring with them personal and professional experiences that enrich their learning. Support, known as experiential, aims to problematize learners’ experiences by integrating them into discussions and educational activities. Allowing learners to connect new information to their experiences means putting their project at the forefront. The support worker must therefore stand alongside the learner to let things happen.
Adapting learning rhythms
A study, published in 2023 , shows that the primary motivation that leads learners to engage in distance learning is the ability to study at their own pace. Indeed, each learner has their own learning pace, and it is crucial that distance learning respects this diversity. This means offering flexibility in deadlines, allowing deferred access to course materials, and adjusting support according to individual needs.
A personalized approach allows learners to progress at their own pace while respecting the training objectives. In addition, the support aims to make the learner aware of their way of learning remotely. When do I learn best? How is the training structured between remote, synchronous, asynchronous, and face-to-face times? How can I articulate my own work and life rhythms with the time constraints of the training?
Mastering digital tools
Digital tools are at the heart of distance learning. Beyond simple explanations on how to use the tools offered in distance learning (didactic support), the challenge here is to make the distance platform as flexible as possible and open to learners. They will thus be able to manipulate the tools they have chosen, or even create others.
The platform thus becomes a dynamic and open space, both for trainers and learners, in order to meet the needs of all. This support for digital tools also aims at the learner’s understanding of their needs and habits of action in terms of tools, so that they take charge of their mediated training.
Strategies for training stakeholders
The success of distance learning depends on the right balance between the time spent providing knowledge, the time spent producing it and the time spent providing support. Reducing the time spent teaching content to leave more room for other activities, in which support plays a central role, will allow the learner to be placed at the centre of their training and guarantee their success.
Producing support scenarios and not just educational ones in order to plan structural tutorial interventions , thinking about distance support engineering in the same way as training engineering and finally involving learners in the co-construction of distance courses and peer support are some strategies to follow for training stakeholders.
Author Bio: Melpomeni Papadopoulou is a Lecturer in Educational Sciences/Vice-president in charge of educational innovations at the University of Tours