Exploring Partnerships between Unisa and Education Stakeholders in Supporting Adult Learners at a Distance

Educating adults through distance education, provides opportunities for those who for one reason or the other cannot attend full time studies. Inadequate support for distance learners across the world has prompted some commentators to question the effectiveness of using distance education as a tool for addressing the legacies of the past and as a skills development strategy in South Africa. The present research explored how partnerships between education stakeholders can be used as a way of addressing the gaps in learner support systems among students in general and adult learners in particular. The author of the present study is of the view that and distance education providers such as Unisa can tap into the support structures of the stakeholders to address the gaps in the system to enable students to have enduring distance education experience. The study uses document analysis and literature review to identify stakeholders and some of the best practices some distance providing institutions across the world are using to support their adult learners studying through distance.