===Student’s Aims and Goals===
Over the past decade, distance education programs have developed at a rapid rate. The web-based distance education has provided a variety of educational opportunities in higher education to a broad community of individuals (Dupin and DuCharme, 2005). As the number of participants continues to increase, the importance of providing effective instruction that focuses on the needs and wants of learners would also increase (Dupin and DuCharme, 2005). Successful distance education is believed to “evolve around a learner-centred system of instruction designed to meet the needs of individual learners�? (Peters, 2001, p.12). Students have many reasons for approaching distance learning. These are constraints of time, distance, finances, opportunity to take courses or hear outside speakers and the chances of associate with other students from different social, cultural, economic, and experiential backgrounds (Sherry, 1996, p. 356). Often students who participate in distance education not only aim to gain new knowledge but also have the intention to gain new social skills including the ability to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and peers from wide areas.
===Students concern about working alone===
Phelan (1994) observed that “many barriers to learning and teaching at a distance are caused by lack of access to resources and people.�? One characteristic valued by distance education is its ability to allow all students to work individually at different times and spaces. However, students in the study by Dutton and Loader (2002, p.73) reported some confusion and anxiety because of the absence of physical interaction, as this course had no video support. Another study of distance nursing degree programs in Canada reported students’ were concerned about their limited amount of interaction with individual students as well. Two main concerns were raised regarding the issue related to interaction. These are the quality of student learning without group discussion and “the need to cultivate a sense of belonging to the university�? and socialisation with the profession (Fraser and Haughey, 1999). From the same report, students claimed a need for more face-to-face group activities and interaction among students, however, most participants reported interaction with professors was more important. Moreover, a review of more than two million learners over 25 years of age who studied at the Open University in the United Kingdom suggests that communication that is only one way leads to failure and massive dropout problems (Sherry, 2003, p.442).
===Student’s Desired Outcomes===
Students are willing to learn and adapt to the various changes in distance education technology because they acknowledge that these technologies would allow the opportunity to become independent learners (Phelan, 1994). Distance learners desire reliable technology that is easy to navigate and they require a support system for technical difficulties that is available to students 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (Ostrow and DiMaria, 2005, p. 6). Moreover, students conceive that quick feedback from the tutor is important in distance education. This is because students do not have the traditional, face-to-face communication of conventional classrooms. Therefore, it is vital that electronic communication be more frequent and highly responsive (Ostrow and DiMaria, 2005, p.7). At the same time, distance education allows students to use current technology, so, older students who may not have been very familiar with computer skills would graduate with highly improved computer skills. Graduates would apply computer skills to their workplace to increase “job efficiency, communication, and satisfaction�? (Peters, 2001, p.12 ). Distance education would allow adult learners to integrate new knowledge and skills into rich professional and social experience.
===Further Information===
See Also:
• Distance Education
• Distance Education - Models
• Distance Education - Australia
• Distance Education - Quality
• Distance Education - Students with Special Needs
===References===
Dupin, P.A and DuCharme, B.A.: International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning (2005) “Assessing Student Needs in Web-Based Distance Education,�? retrieved October 20, 2005, from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article04.htm
Dutton, H.W. and Loader, D.B. (2002) Digital Academe: The new Media and Institution of Higher Education and Learning, London: Routledge. ISBN 0415262259
Fraser, J. and Haughey, M: Journal of Distance Education (1999) “Administering Student-Related Concerns in Nursing Distance Education Programs,�? retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://cade.icaap.org/vol14.1/fraser_et_al.html
Ostrow, L. and DiMaria, A.R. (2005) “Graduate Nursing: One State School's Experience,�? Journal of Nursing Education vol.44, no.1, pp5-10.
Peters, O. (2001) Learning and Teaching in distance education. London: Kogan Page. ISBN 0749435941
Phelan, T.D. (1994) “Using Technology to provide Self-directed Learning Options for Power utility Employees�? in R, Hiemstra and R.G. Brockett (ed.) Overcoming Resistance to Self-Direction in Adult Learning, retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://www-distance.syr.edu/ndacesdch7.html
Sherry, C.A. (2003) “Quality and Its Measurement in Distance Education�?, in M.G. Moore, and W.G. Anderson (ed.) Handbook of Distance Education, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp.435-459. ISBN 0805839240
===Contributors to this entry include:===
Rie Comaroff 22:49, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
