Student Support Services in an Online Learning Environment

∗Online students want more than course material and successful instruction to have the best chance of success in their studies. They need access to a variety of support resources that will assist them in engaging with their institution and teachers, succeeding in their studies, connecting with one another, and successfully transitioning to the workplace. The most important aspect of any open and distance learning framework is learner support services. It encompasses a broad variety of academic and non-academic practices. This paper aims to investigate student support services in online courses at a vocational college in Vietnam. Qualitative data was collected from the email interview with 10 students from various majors. The results show that various learner support services have been employed after a number of issues concerning students online learning experiences were identified. These services are found to be crucial for online learners. However, it is recommended that a thorough investigation into the implementation and effectiveness of each online learner support service at the institution be done to maximize its positive impact on students.