Distance learners: connected, mobile and resourceful individuals

Article

Andrews, Trish and Tynan, Belinda. 2012. "Distance learners: connected, mobile and resourceful individuals." Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 28 (4), pp. 565-579.
Article Title

Distance learners: connected, mobile and resourceful individuals

ERA Journal ID20265
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsAndrews, Trish (Author) and Tynan, Belinda (Author)
Journal TitleAustralasian Journal of Educational Technology
Journal Citation28 (4), pp. 565-579
Number of Pages15
Year2012
PublisherAustralasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE)
Place of PublicationFigtree, Australia
ISSN1449-5554
Web Address (URL)http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet28/andrews.pdf
Abstract

In recent years the student experience of higher education in general and distance education in particular has been strongly influenced by the wide scale uptake of Internet based learning approaches and an expanding distance education market, amongst many other trends. As competition within the sector increases because of access to the WWW and other in-country socio-political influences, the push to attract and retain students is becoming a key issue for institutions. Understanding the distance student's voice in relation to these trends and developing appropriate responses to ensure a satisfactory learning experience is of critical importance. This paper reports on a recently completed study that explored the distance learners' experience at one dual-mode Australian institution. The paper outlines a rationale for investigating the student voice to meet the unique needs of the distance learner. It describes the approaches that were adopted to undertake the research and discusses some of the main themes that emerged from the study - individualness, connectedness, quality, mobility, and resourcefulness. The paper concludes with
considerations for policy and practice in relation to utilising the distance learners' voice in enhancing distance learners' experiences.

Keywordsdistance education; mobility; students
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020520102. Educational psychology
390303. Higher education
390409. Learning sciences
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Queensland
Pro Vice-Chancellor's Office (Learning, Teaching and Quality)
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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