I always need to remind myself that support can be both positive and negative and support has an associated intensity. For example I may complain about my supervisor's negative or lukewarm support for my proposal to attend a January conference in Hawaii. We probably all have come to realize that persistence by the adult learner in an educational program may have more to do with support received by family and friends than the quality of our program. And yes, negative support by the family may in some cases cause the learner to persist to effect the changes the learner seeks. However, positive support by the family is the focus here.
Adults have multiple roles in today's society and the role of learner is but one of the many roles.
As educators and program planners we can help families to be supportive. We can be friendly by providing information about the educational program that family members can understand. We can develop brochures, videos, web-sites and host open houses to help family members understand what mom is doing on Wednesday night when she goes to class or why she spends so much time at home in front of the computer. When an instructor is not on-site, learners often turn to their peers for support. We need to recognize the importance of peer support for the distance learner.