Standard 7: ­Learner Support

General Standard 7­ – Learner Support

Learners have access to institutional support services essential to learner success.

Overview

Learners know what support services they have access to at their institution. Many of these support services can be included in the syllabus. There are four kinds of support:

  • Technical Support
  • Accessibility Support
  • Academic Services Support
  • Student Services Support

Examples

7.1 The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to obtain it.In the syllabus, add a description of what technical support services the institution has available to students, including a link to the technical support center and contact information.7.2 Course instructions articulate or link to the institution’s accessibility policies and services.

Overall, your course should be designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. In the syllabus, include contact information for the institution’s accommodation services to ensure everyone can succeed in the course and know where to obtain any additional support services.

7.3 Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution’s academic support services and resources can help learners succeed in the course and how learners can obtain them.

Academic support services differ among institutions. In the syllabus, include the support services available at your institution, including new student orientation, library resources, tutoring and testing services (such as The Writing/Math Place at Northwestern), etc. Students should be able to access these services through links from the course site or LMS.

Additional Resources