Practicality Issues of a Computer Assisted Counselling and Learning Support System

Abstract

This article discusses the practical issues that maybe encountered by participants of an online academic advising and language learning support system established in a tertiary institute offering sub-degree programmes to secondary school leavers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Ethnographic analysis of the evidence gathered shows that users of this system may encounter a few issues which can be countered effectively by slight changes in communication modes. This paper concludes that online counselling and learning support is a viable alternative for active learning to take place outside of the traditional classroom environment in spite of the issues addressed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.