The importance of learner support has been emphasized over and over in the distance education literature but there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of this issue. Besides that, most of existing studies on learner support are based on large-scale correspondence program and few of them provide guidelines for planning and implementing support services in Web-based environments for dual-mode institutions, which is the majority of distance education program providers in nowadays. In this paper, a body of literature on learner support, including various journal articles and technical reports, was examined, and three issues emerged from the review: (1) the lack of research on cost-effectiveness of learner support; (2) the lack of empirical research; and (3) the need for learner-centered approach in designing and implementing learner support. These issues are discussed in detail to enhance understanding of learner support in post-secondary level distance education program, and it is further argued that future research should focus more on developing and refining methods for cost-benefit analysis of learner support, developing a general framework of learner support model in dual-mode institutions, and developing systematic methods to identify, analyze, synthesize, and assess the needs of distance learners. (Contains 63 references.) (Author/AEF)