Improving Distance Education for University Students:
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Ken Purnell, Eve Cuskelly, Patrick Danaher
VOL. 11, No. 2, 75-101
This study examines issues related to improving distance education course quality raised by university students in Australia. Focus group sessions were held in a number of rural and larger urban areas in the State of Queensland. Six interrelated areas of concern were identified: student contact with lecturers/tutors, assessment tasks, flexibility, study materials, mentors, and educational technology. These issues and the implications for the provision of distance education are examined in detail in this article. On some issues there were significant differences between participants in larger urban areas and those in rural areas. Participants especially appreciated real time interaction with other people in their studies, particularly with their lecturers/tutors. This desire for interaction was strongest in rural areas and contrasts with earlier models of distance education where students were often presumed to be fairly autonomous learners. The nature of support distance education students want is also changing, particularly in rural areas. The findings of this study support more learner-focused approaches to distance education especially as we move towards greater use of information technologies for communications and learning experiences for students.
Cette étude examine diverses questions relatives à l'amélioration de la qualité des cours d'éducation à distance, questions soulevées par des étudiants de niveau universitaire en Australie. Des groupes de discussion ont été organisés dans plusieurs régions rurales et grandes agglomérations urbaines de l'état de Queensland. Six sujets de préoccupation reliés les uns aux autres ont été identifiés : le contact des étudiants avec les chargés de cours/tuteurs, les tâches d'évaluation, la souplesse, le matériel d'étude, les mentors et la technologie éducative. Cet article examine en détail ces questions ainsi que leurs implications pour la prestation de services d'éducation à distance. Sur certains aspects, nous avons relevé des différences significatives entre les participants des grands centres urbains et ceux des régions rurales. Les participants ont particulièrement apprécié les interactions en temps réel avec d'autres personnes rattachées à leurs études, notamment les chargés de cours/tuteurs. Ce désir d'interaction était plus prononcé dans les régions rurales et se démarque des modèles antérieurs d'éducation à distance où l'on présente les étudiants comme des apprenants relativement autonomes. On observe également un changement dans la nature du soutien que souhaitent obtenir les étudiants qui suivent des cours à distance, surtout dans les régions rurales. Les résultats de cette étude appuient un plus grand recours, dans le contexte d'éducation à distance, à des approches centrées sur l'apprenant, compte tenu du fait que nous assistons à plus grande variété dans l'utilisation des technologies de l'information pour les expériences d'apprentissage et de communications des étudiants.
Learning at a distance where there are few or no on-campus commitments is the most viable way for many people in Australia to undertake their tertiary studies as life style changes require more options and greater flexibility in approaches to doing tertiary study. With the growth in part-time jobs and short-term contracts, more people are likely to have two or more jobs to create the equivalent of full-time work. The increasing needs for ongoing professional development in more competitive regional and global economies will also see larger numbers of people undertaking tertiary studies while working. The provision of quality education that is flexible in its delivery is, therefore, increasingly important to students and providers alike. To improve the delivery of distance education, it is critical to understand the needs, interests, and demands of students. This study explores the key issues identified by distance education students of a tertiary institution in Australia and examines ways of improving the quality of delivery.
Providers of distance education should take into consideration the expressed needs of their students in whatever support they offer (Sewart, 1992). In this article we will examine the issues distance education students from an Australian university face as well as the improvements they would like to see in the support services provided for them.
There are many reasons why students study at a distance, including work and family commitments, geographical isolation (ATAX Evaluation Committee, 1994), and the perceived quality of courses they can study at a distance. Certain students prefer distance education because they enjoy the autonomy and flexibility it provides. These students tend to show such personal characteristics as a need for autonomy and independence, self-confidence, flexibility, and a capacity to deal with uncertain situations (Peters, 1992, p. 241). But many other students find the demands of balancing their various home, work, social, recreational, and study commitments onerous. As McMurtrie (1996a) observes:
Some [university students] choose external study when they could access internal classes, simply because the mode of study suits their lifestyles better, but most don’t. Most have to study externally because it’s the only option available to them. (p. 6)
Distance education students, with their diverse experiences, personal circumstances, and learning preferences, need a corresponding diversity of support from providers.
Providers of distance education presently offer various levels of support, including orientation sessions, library services, telephone conferences, and study centre activities. King (1988) contends that these support mechanisms demonstrate “commitments to ease of student access to courses, academic advice, assistance with administrative matters and, in some instances, counseling of a personal kind” (p. 1). The same author argues further that there is:
A recognition, common to modern distance education, that learners need support through some regular human contact in their studies. . . . It is no longer generally assumed that students will be sufficiently motivated to complete courses, whatever problems they incur, simply by virtue of their enrollment. (King, 1988, p. 1.)
King (1988) also suggests that most support services provided for students tend to be “added on” rather than integral to the design of the materials provided. This view is supported by Dekkers and Sharma (1988), who found that funding for support services is often on an ad hoc basis and that for some providers there is competition for the same funds between materials production and support services. Striking an appropriate balance to meet the needs of various stakeholders is obviously a major issue. Sewart (1992) contends that what support services are offered depends on:
Distance education in Australia has been largely based upon a model of developing self-taught and self-paced materials that require students to be fairly independent and autonomous as learners (Dekkers & Sharma, 1988, p. 5). This model does not, however, suit the many students forced to study at a distance for the above-mentioned reasons. The need to challenge this model is alluded to by Peraya and Haessig (1995), who compared the development of distance education materials at two European universities and observed:
Written material constitutes basic medium, and it represents about 80 to 90% of the teaching material, whereas audiovisual, electronic, and interactive media amount to between 5 and 10%. . . . However, both universities are considering increasing the proportion of interactive teaching in years to come. (p. 29)
These findings are similar to the situation at the Australian university from which the participants in this study were drawn.
In a research project involving 220 distance education students of the University of Southern Queensland, Jegede and Kirkwood (1994) found that major factors influencing study for these students included the study materials’ content, finance, time, students’ readiness for study, and their employment status. They noted many distance education students are of mature age, have demanding family and work commitments, and have often had a long break since their last formal study. Consequently, the students faced a variety of sources of anxiety as they juggle demands from various areas (such as study, work, and family), financial costs, and the requirements of the study materials themselves. Jegede and Kirkwood note that “learning within the distance education context may be a daunting prospect for many students” and that student performance may be directly related to the anxiety engendered (p. 279). Another significant cause of concern for some distance education students is that on-campus activities are required for particular units. These activities result in costs for some students (such as financial costs, time off work, and time away from family life) that create disincentives (see Cameron et al., 1991; also Cuskelly, Purnell, & Lawrence, 1995). These factors, amongst others, affect the type of support distance education students want.
The literature indicates that distance education students need support services that contribute to:
(See, for example, Bernt & Bugbee, 1993; Carmichael, 1995; Dillon, Gunawardena, & Parker, 1992; Peters, 1992; Ramaiah & Srinivasacharyulu, 1991.)
Jegede and Kirkwood (citing Knights & McDonald, 1982) note that for women, who are often the chief nurturers of children, there can be additional issues affecting their studies. Cuskelly, Purnell, and Lawrence (1995) also found that a number of women who were the principal caregivers faced additional pressures while doing university studies at a distance. With the participants in that study, this issue was more common in rural than larger urban areas. In discussing women’s experiences of distance education, May (1994) notes that:
The women interviewed unanimously agreed that distance study “isn’t for everyone” and that it is a significantly different experience for female learners than it is for male learners. These women were grateful that communications technologies, despite their imperfections, allowed them to study from their own homes, at times most convenient to their personal schedules. (p. 81)
Issues associated with the different experiences of men and women in distance education at the tertiary level along with the effects of educational technologies will be explored in this article.
To further facilitate support of distance education students, educational technology is being employed to provide access to information, deliver some study materials, and provide additional communications links between students and staff and between students and students (not necessarily doing the same unit nor enrolled in the same institution). New study and teaching techniques are being employed with such technologies that allow, for example, greater interactions between students for group work and increased access to lecturers and tutors (see Davie & Wells, 1991; Gunawardena, 1991). In examining interactive television (a medium available at the university where the present study was conducted), MacKinnon, Walshe, Cummings, and Velonis (1995) note that “developers caution that this medium is only effective when it is used in ways that support ’interactivity’; its use in disseminating information in a more didactic fashion seems to be ineffective” (p. 76). Zirkin and Sumler (1995) argue that in their study “overall, interactivity was found to be an important factor in student achievement, whether in the classroom or through video/audio instruction” (p. 99). The importance of interactivity for distance education students will be examined in this article. In commenting upon the use of new educational technologies for teaching and learning, Fleming and Toutant (1995) observe:
Interest in technology’s promise as a means of enhancing instruction is certainly not new. Decades before educators proclaimed that computers, laser discs and information systems were essential educational tools, generations of school officials, government planners, and teachers sought answers to the instructional problems of their day by adapting radio for educational purposes. (p. 53)
In summarizing the discussion on educational technology and its uses for distance education at the “Voices of Experience Network Conference,” McMurtrie (1996b) argues that:
Whiz-bang technical gizmos are often seen as the ultimate solution to the problems created by teaching and learning at a distance. But the message that came through loud and clear is that this attitude should be avoided at all costs. Technology should be viewed as a useful tool when used appropriately, with adequate support services, but not as a cure-all haphazardly inflicted on a defenseless audience. (p. 11)
McMurtrie (1996c) suggests further:
Technology is often seen as the answer to the difficulties of teaching and learning at a distance. But its introduction is often more problematic than helpful, more exclusionary than inclusive, and more limiting than equitable. This can result from students’ lack of access to technology, a lack of competence or confidence in using the technology, or a hesitancy to trial the technology. (p. 23)
In a study of women’s use of the Internet involving one hundred Internet users from around the world (Slingsby, 1997), a participant noted that “the Internet helps to break down the isolation that some women may experience by . . . living in geographically isolated areas” (p. 70). Another participant was also concerned about the impact of rural isolation on a remote farming property and observed what a positive contribution to reducing this impact the Internet can have:
Sometimes for the first time we in the bush can have a voice . . . there is a lot of untapped potential . . . that is being stifled by distance, lack of money, and by not having an outlet for their talent-especially remote women living on properties (like me) who have skills from former lives that go to waste due to isolated circumstances. The Internet can provide an outlet for that. It provides cheap interactive communication. (p. 71)
In commenting on the difficulties of encouraging women in rural areas to access and use the Internet, it was observed that
Women are very keen to join the information super highway but they are hindered by the “tyranny of distance.” I believe it is important for women to actually see what it is all about and its potential for increased participation and visibility. But they have to see it. Consequently it is important that someone packs up a computer and takes it to the rural areas to show people what it is about. (Slingsby, 1997, p. 101)
The literature shows that there are a number of views and debates on the role new educational technology such as the Internet will play in the delivery of distance education and support for students. The opinions of participants in the focus groups on the usefulness of such educational technologies to them will be canvassed in this study.
The institution providing the distance education service in this study is a major domestic provider. It is a multi-campus regional university with students throughout Australia and some from overseas. Most of the students studying at a distance with the university are from the State of Queensland with a concentration of students in the hinterlands of the campuses (almost 50% from within the region). Some support (such as tutorials and lectures) is provided in particular units at the various campuses for distance students, but most distance education is conducted through the main campus. Distance education students of the university were invited to participate in focus group sessions held in various towns and cities. This provided a clear spatial dimension to the study and canvassed the views of students in cities (capital and regional), large coastal centres, smaller (inland) towns, and more isolated areas. Focus groups were held in Brisbane, Bundaberg (three groups), Cairns, Emerald, Longreach, Mt. Isa, Rockhampton, and Warwick.
Discussions in focus groups provide the opportunity for participants to share knowledge and expand upon and debate particular issues (see Krueger, 1994; Morgan, 1993). Differences in experiences and opinions can be discussed in such sessions, and group attitudes and priorities can be explored. The facilitator(s) of focus groups can elicit involvement from participants and ensure that the ideas are a product of the group (not the facilitator[s]). Frey and Fontana (1993) have suggested that it is important for the facilitator(s) to take an active role in guiding discussions where participants do not know one another (which was the case in these sessions).
The researchers had available a series of prompts and questions to focus the discussion as Krueger (1994) suggested, but generally these were not used-the participants’ discussions covered a wide range of areas relevant to their experiences of distance education. The trustworthiness of focus group research depends upon such issues as the extent to which the method is suited to the problem being investigated, the extent to which the participants feel anonymous, and the abilities of the facilitator(s) to lead the discussion (see Albrecht, Johnson, & Walther, 1993; Krueger, 1994). Knodel (1993) argues that reliability in such research is improved where there is a team involved and cross-checking occurs. Having members of the research team present during the focus groups and the same people jointly involved in the analysis of the data provides further confidence in the accuracy of the interpretation of the results. In conducting the focus groups, we believe that we followed the appropriate precautions to ensure the trustworthiness and reliability of the research. The main purpose of the focus groups was to allow participants to share understandings and differences in understanding on issues. The focus groups were conducted in a relatively short time frame on a limited budget (see Morgan & Krueger, 1993), and no follow up interviews with individual participants were conducted. Therefore, each focus group was conducted over a relatively long time period of approximately two hours.
Participants were selected from lists of names of distance education students of the university, classified by study centre, and listed in alphabetical order. On enrolment distance education students are assigned to the study centre nearest their home address. We aimed to have approximately 10 students in each focus group and, therefore, tried to identify and contact about 20 students to get the 10 (some students could not be contacted and others were not available at the time and venue to participate). For each study centre it was determined how many students there were, that number was divided by 20 to determine “n,” and each “nth” student was selected (at one study centre this may have been every 5th student, whereas for another it may have been every 20th). To get a balance between males and females, younger and older students, undergraduates and postgraduates, those who had just commenced their tertiary studies and those who had almost completed them, and across the various faculties, minor adjustments were made so that a student above or below the ’nth’ one for that study centre might be contacted. Attempts to contact potential participants were made by telephone. Those students able to participate received a letter confirming the details of time and venue. Generally, groups comprised between five and eight persons (see Krueger, 1994). We also considered it important to have a spatial dimension in the study, and hence we included various locations on the coast and inland, ranging from larger cities to rural settlements. In most of the focus groups there was a reasonable balance across faculties, age groups, stage of studies (early in program of study or later); slightly more females than males participated.
In conducting this research, the team identified key ethical issues at the outset. They involved the right for a participant to withdraw from the study at any stage, anonymous participation in the research (including publication of results and access to the data by other people), confidentiality of what participants said, debriefing processes, assurance that participation or non-participation would not affect participants’ academic standing in any unit they studied within the university, and the need for informed consent (participants completed and signed a consent form that stated that they understood the implications of their involvement). An application for ethical clearance was made to the relevant institutional ethics committee, which is formed and acts under the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. This clearance was granted, and at the commencement of each focus group the facilitator provided participants with an information sheet and a consent form in addition to a verbal description of what the study was about, why it was being conducted, and the need to ensure anonymity, confidentiality, and so on. At the end of each focus group, a debriefing period occurred, and those participants wishing to receive an interim copy of the report from the research were sent one when it became available.
In each focus group, an introduction to the session took approximately five minutes. During this time, the purpose of the project was outlined to each group, the nature of participants was detailed (at various stages of courses from across the faculties and all participants involved in distance education), ethical issues were discussed (with an information sheet provided for each participant and consent forms regarding participation signed by participants), and participants were then asked if they had any further questions. During the first hour, there was free discussion with minimal input from the facilitator, with an “observer” (a member of the research team) taking notes on the discussion off to the side of the room away from the main group. The facilitator encouraged participation by each member of the focus group and sought a balance of views from the group. The first hour of each focus group was recorded on audiotape with the participants’ permission and later the tapes from each session were transcribed and analyzed. Towards the end of the first hour, or when discussion appeared to have been exhausted, the facilitator would ask if there were any other issues that had not been covered by the participants.
There was then about a 20-minute break during which participants had informal discussions over coffee and so forth. During this time the observer from the first hour of the session would summarize the key issues that had been discussed in the previous hour and put these on a board. After the coffee break, the participants were asked if this list was a fair and reasonable representation of the key issues they had discussed as a group in the first part of the session. Participants closely scrutinized the list checking for any errors and modifying it accordingly. Overall, there were few changes made to the list for each of the focus groups. The issues agreed to by the participants as the ones they had discussed were prioritized by the group in order of importance for the group as a whole through open discussion. Group consenus on the priority of each issue was sought. Commonly, groups would identify the key three or four issues in a short period of time, prioritize them, reach a consensus, and then put the remaining issues on an equal par. Discussion in this session tended to focus on arguments supporting the relative prioritization of particular issues. In most groups, approximately 6 to 10 key issues were identified, and 3 or 4 were considered high priority. There was no disagreement among the members of the research team present in each of the focus groups about what issues were discussed by the participants and what prioritization was accorded by the group. These assessments were also verified later by examining the transcripts of the audiocassette tapes of the focus group sessions. The same two members of the research team were present in all focus groups with two groups having all three members present. Prior to writing the key issues from the first hour’s discussion on the board, at least two members of the team (usually the facilitator and the observer) would examine together the observer’s notes to determine if there was agreement about the key issues recorded by the observer. In all cases there was agreement and the participants were then able to modify the list of issues written on the board as they saw fit. The participants generally had no suggestions for modification and noted that the list of issues provided a comprehensive coverage of the issues identified and discussed in the first hour. This supported the research teams’ judgment of what the key issues had been. Because there was a large number of focus groups (10) and because the issues participants discussed were quite similar in all groups, we believe that the issues are broadly representative of the experience of distance education students of the university concerned.
In each focus group, the participants identified specific issues with respect to their studies and discussed these in detail. They then prioritized these issues. The Appendix presents the similarities and differences between the issues and priorities of a focus group in a large urban area and those of a focus group in a rural area. The following provides a summary of issues raised by the students in the six interrelated areas they identified: student contact with lecturers/tutors, assessment tasks, flexibility, study materials, mentors, and educational technology. These six areas were common in the priority list developed by most focus groups, and they provide the framework for examining the improvements participants suggested. In the next section, the researchers’ interpretations of the data are followed by a summary of improvements that come from the data analysis. Representative quotes from students who participated in the focus groups are provided, and it is indicated whether they reflect the concerns of rural (R) or urban (U) students or both (R&U).
The learning needs of the individual students varied considerably, but most were able to share examples of what they considered “best practice” by lecturers/tutors to support them in their studies. The quality and quantity of personal contact can influence a student’s integration into their study program (Kember, 1989), and therefore personal contact with lecturers/tutors was viewed as a very high priority for a number of participants in this study. Personal contact was more important in rural than in metropolitan areas. The students who participated in this study had a considerable range of support needs. Most students found that at one time or another they needed to contact their lecturer/tutor, usually by telephone. The main purpose of this contact was to clarify content and assessment task requirements. The students reported a range of experiences in contacting their lecturers/tutors. Although most participants were satisfied that they received appropriate assistance expeditiously, some had significant concerns about access. Most students reported experiencing time delays, and a few received no response. The many demands upon students and lecturers/tutors meant that personal contact can be difficult. Both groups tend to work full-time in daylight hours, and students typically study at night and on weekends. Effective use of voicemail and being able to contact staff outside normal working hours were important to a number of students. Students who had been studying longer tended to find it easier to contact academic staff, whereas newer students were more hesitant, particularly if they thought their request was minor. Contact with academic staff or students with whom a participant had previously had contact was reported as being easier than when contact was being made for the first time.
Summary of Improvements Suggested by Participants
Quotes from Participants - Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R & U)
I’ve set up and started some programs 8 o’clock at night and finished at 3 a.m. the next morning. With the hassle of ringing somebody up at that hour of the night or whatever, and getting somebody when you’re “hot to trot” is a problem. R
The second [biggest issue] . . . would have to be the iso-lation, the fact that you need to contact somebody quickly. The lecturer actually gave us his home phone number and he has actually rung me at home to see how I was doing with an assignment even though I hadn’t con-tacted him. . . . I do appreciate his call. R&U
I tried to ring the lecturer and it was just an answering machine and it says that [students] would get help quicker if [they] ring the hotline. And I rang the hotline so it was an answering machine still and I get an answer about two and a half weeks later. That was terrible. R&U
Some subjects I do are [offered] internally as well. And they do get to have lectures as well. And do the pracs. So maybe we’re a bit disadvantaged. R
[The lecturer] rings you when you’re at work [rather than when you are studying]. U
If I want to discuss, say, what does this concept mean . . . I don’t expect the lecturer to be available for that. . . . But I think it’s just what you’ve got to accept as an external student. R&U
The teleconferences were great, because we actually got to talk to other students in other campuses, and we got to talk to the lecturer. And I think more was achieved in those teleconferences sometimes than a whole semester’s reading on a subject. R&U
The videos are great because you see their faces and you get to know their personality and mannerisms . . . you know a face to the name. R
If I had the option I’d go face-to-face. R
Although many participants indicated that they were receiving appropriate feedback in a timely manner, nearly all had experienced some level of dissatisfaction in this area. Contact with academic staff frequently involved concerns about assessment tasks. Such issues included questions about content and length of tasks, referencing, and expectations of markers. Some participants were frustrated at being required to submit further assessment tasks when little or no feedback had been received on previous tasks. Issues such as turnaround time and quality feedback that can enhance student achievement need careful attention since these can be critical in supporting students in their studies.
A number of participants were concerned that they had little access to a wide range of resources because of their rural location, and they believed that this limitation made it difficult for them to obtain high grades. Some commented that assessment tasks were set by lecturers who did not appreciate their circumstances and that there were occasions when only someone in or near a larger urban area could adequately address the question (for example, one participant described an assessment task requiring a visit to a particular type of retail shop. The nearest one was hundreds of miles away. Another student noted that it was a two-hour drive to the nearest town and that there was no library there). Having assessment tasks set that take into consideration the resources available to distance education students was considered important by a number of participants.
Summary of Improvements Suggested by Participants
Quotes from Participants - Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R & U)
The best markers that I’ve ever had-the best feed-back . . . they’re the ones who say you’ve done this well, and you did that well. And they start out with the positives. And then they say, but if you had done this or you had left pages 8 to 9 or if you had struc-tured your argument more tightly-if you had done this or had done that you would have got a better mark. Now that’s the sort of stuff you really need. R&U
Assignments that come back just with ticks and a mark on, I hate. R&U
There should be some kind of fairly clear criteria that you have to address in the assignment. . . . If you are an external student you are a little bit at a disadvantage in knowing exactly what is expected, because in the lecture you would probably have heard it or you would probably have had discussion with the lecturer after-wards. You miss out on all those cues so you take a kind of gamble that what you areproducing is what’s wanted. R&U
They sent us out the criteria of what they-how they were going to mark your assignment-what they expected, which was excellent. R&U
I think I had all the assignments done before I had one back to get any sort of feedback, and I sort of would have liked the first assignment back before I completed the second one to know whether I was doing the right thing or on the right track. R&U
To be able to get instant feedback is one of the major issues. R
Resources were always a problem. Library resources, there were never enough to go round. You could never access them at a time when you wanted them. R
[Exemplars of assignments] would have been a help at the start, I must admit. R&U
Residential schools held at the university’s main campus were viewed as valuable by a number of participants and integral to their studies. However, there was a large number of participants who indicated a reluctance to participate in such schools. New formats for residential schools were suggested by participants that included a maximum duration of three days, preferably over a weekend, with time to visit the library and areas nearby.
To meet the needs of students better, initiatives are being examined by the university whose students participated in this study to have a four-term year (rather than the present two semesters). Initially, the change would allow overseas students and gifted domestic students to progress through their courses at a faster rate with all the financial and other benefits this might provide (for example, accommodation and travel costs might be reduced for some students who could complete a three-year full-time undergraduate degree program in two years and who could commence or return to work sooner). Access to accelerated programs with a possibility of students being able to chose which terms to study in will also be appealing to a number of part-time and full-time students. For a growing number of students distance education is likely to be an attractive option, and processes that increase flexibility and meet the differing needs of individuals will make it even more so.
Summary of Improvements Students Would Like
Quotes from Participants Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R&U)
That’s why I wanted to do it [study] this way [externally] so that I had that flexibility. U
We had our residential in town [a remote country town]. So there was enough of us for the lecturer to come up and in some ways it was beneficial because there was only ten of us and one lecturer. R
It probably takes longer to get there and back [from the far west of the state] than the actual residential. R
Two or three days is probably long enough [for residentials], because by then . . . you’re sort of brain dead anyway by the end of it. R&U
The first time I studied with [name of university] I had to go to some residential schools, and I purposely choose courses now where I don’t have to go to residential schools. U
I chose [name of university] because I didn’t have to go to residential school, because with family commit-ments with young children I just cannot go. R
I’m all for non-compulsory residentials. U
Everyone’s so different. My lifestyle’s changed at least three times in the last seven years so new techniques and new skills and new disciplines have had to be found. R&U
In terms of the actual study I don’t believe it’s any harder [for women] than the guys, but in terms of the logistics without a doubt [it is harder]. U
The trouble with all distance education is being able to structure family life, your own life, your personal life and lastly your study life. R&U
The grasshoppers and insects were so bad you couldn’t have the lights on at night [to study at my remote cattle ranch]. R
I think that they don’t realize that we are students that do work during the day, and depending on the day, some days you could be in there [a mine] for 16 hours, and it’s just hard to then decide to come home and then, “oh yeah, I’ve got to do some reading.” R
I have certain times when I’m very, very, busy with various things at school which don’t coincide in any way with the semester and the assignment schedule. I know a lot of the lecturers are fairly flexible in recognizing your commitments to other things, but I sometimes wish that I could just sort of say the semester isn’t on just for these two weeks. R&U
I would like to see some of the units that are offered over my break times. R&U
At a minimum, participants in the present study wanted to receive their study materials in the week prior to the commencement of the semester. They also wanted “executive summaries” of other materials sent to them, such as administrative information. A number of participants reported that the sheer volume of such additional materials and the way some of them were written placed unnecessary time and other demands upon them. The need to be mindful of the isolation of some students, particularly in certain rural locations, in providing materials and support was made very explicit by a number of participants in this study. Participants indicated that they felt on-campus students were receiving similar material in a much more succinct manner. Although opinions were divided on self-contained study materials, there was a general feeling that in earlier units of a course, the materials provided and the text should allow students access to all grades (including higher ones).
Summary of Improvements Suggested by Participants
Quotes from Participants - Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R&U)
The way that the notes are explained and the assistance that I was always given was far more than I expected. R&U
You people send, in your first mailing, you send a little booklet to work out how much time you have available and to tell you how to study. [Name of another university] would never do that. U
If you’re external and study in Brisbane, you’ve got about five libraries you can go to. It’s not a hassle. If you’re external and you study here [a rural town in western Queensland] and I imagine if you go west it’s even worse-suddenly your resource capabilities diminish quite substantially. R
Whilst you can get the books out from [name of university’s main campus], you’ve still got to pay for them to go back. So that’s a cost incurred for a provincial student, that a city student doesn’t have. R
It suddenly hit me that you are truly external when you go west [to rural areas]. R
The best subjects are the ones where your study guide matches your text book and matches your resource material. It all follows through and when you get to your assignment you know exactly what they’re on about, you know, and it’s all just beautiful and clear. R&U
Receiving information on time-that’s been a problem for me. R
It was six weeks into the semester before I got all my books. And that wasn’t my fault. R
You always go short on the references and they always write not enough references and then you talk to other people and they say, well, what do they expect from the country areas? You live in the country and you haven’t got the facilities of the big city. R
Resources would have to be the biggest one [issue]. Just getting those books when you need them because without that you can’t even think about doing an assignment. R&U
I do get a lot of useless information from the university, especially when all you want is the notes and the books. U
The university from which the participants in this study came is piloting a mentoring system for distance education students. Although some participants indicated that they preferred little or no interaction with other students, a significant number believed that having access to a mentor, at least in the first year or two of their course, would be highly desirable. These participants noted that many of the questions (such as those related to assessment, accessing resources, and administrative matters) could be addressed by someone in the later stages of a similar course. The extent to which a mentoring system may be an “intrusion” rather than a valuable support in their studies was an issue for a number of participants.
Summary of Improvements Suggested by Participants
Quotes from Participants - Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R&U)
Certainly since I’ve moved to the country, because I started in Brisbane, it’s been more difficult because I’ve been able to speak to fewer people. R
My first year was internal, actually part-time, and it was wonderful. It was like a small family, because there was only about six of us that started off in the first year, and we got to know each other quite intimately. So it was quite a shock when I then turned to external studies for the rest of the four years. . . . I think you can’t go past the isolation, the aloneness, the struggling with problems that you can’t just talk to [someone about]. Like an internal student can go to a tutor or a fellow student and say “What the hell’s this mean?” R
The only reason that three of us did finish, even though we started to move around Queensland, we kept in touch, and we formed a buddy system. R&U
I tried ringing a couple of people, but they didn’t seem interested in making contact. U
I think if we had someone here where you had to then meet it would be more hours out of my day which I can’t afford. A couple of people have rung me up, and I’ve just spoken to them on the phone, and I’ve not suggested meeting because I have enough to do with work and then I’ve got a family and other things that are involved. R&U
I’m happy to work on my own, but I need other people at times when I’ve got a specific problem. U
You don’t ring, contact someone who you don’t know from Adam because you see them on a list. U
[Mentoring should not be] a checking up process but ring around and say “Look, are there any issues? And that sort of thing. Can I help you?” R&U
I found that by going into study groups where people were a lot younger than me, I’m forty-four, you were virtually becoming the father-figure and the tutor for the rest of them. Not that I minded that, but my studies were suffering. R
Many of the participants in this study were keen to utilize educational technologies in their learning. Ones more familiar to them, such as audio-or videocassettes and teleconferences, were generally preferred. Although these technologies are largely passive, they do provide some exposure to lecturers/tutors and other students. Few of the participants had direct experience with such technologies as video conferencing or the use of electronic discussion lists and bulletin boards, e-mail, and the World Wide Web in their studies. This lack of experience made it difficult for them to make informed comment on educational technologies. Most participants indicated that the printed materials they used in their studies (study materials, textbooks, etc.) were portable and gave them flexibility in, for example, where and how they studied. Other forms of communications and delivery of study materials were seen as largely supplementary to the printed materials. Participants in this study also indicated a general preference for personal contact with lecturers/tutors and fellow students. If new educational technologies are perceived as impersonal by students, such technologies may not meet their support needs.
A number of participants expressed concerns about using some educational technologies. For example, viewing a video or participating in an interactive television session can require them to be in a certain geographical location at a particular time. Some participants were also concerned about the financial costs of accessing and using the Internet. Most who had used the Internet indicated that there had been significant problems with access and ongoing support. The problems especially arose in rural areas. Despite the difficulties experienced, most participants indicated that they believed it “inevitable” that some teaching and learning in the future would be through the Internet.
Care needs to be taken to use newer technologies appropriately to enhance learning experiences-not just move from one medium (such as print) to another (such as the World Wide Web) without taking advantage of what the new medium has to offer (for example, links to other related sites relevant to the study or audiovisual presentations). Even “simple” technologies such as voicemail require some skill to be used effectively for distance education students. For example, information can be provided from a menu, and in some cases a few lecturers have the 10 most asked questions from students each week with their responses. More effective use of technologies can provide the academic and social support that distance education students want, especially those from rural areas.
Summary of Improvements Suggested by Participants
Quotes from Participants - Rural (R), Urban (U), Rural & Urban (R&U)
I think nothing probably will replace the fact that you can read a book and take it with you. . . . You can read it in your lunch hour, and underline things. R & U
Reading is easier to go back to. A video, you’ve got to sort of set it up again and find what you want. R&U
In the [name of] subject that I did, we used to get [audiocassette] tapes, and that was very good . . . you could listen over and over again. R&U
CD-ROM was the best thing I’ve seen since sliced bread. I mean it was wonderful-the ability to access material overseas in just slipping a disc [in]. U
I think it’s wonderful [the Internet]. Well, it’s here now, it’s going to stay. U
I look at this e-mail and think what the hell’s that. No. Sorry, I’ll just stick to the telephone and the field that I sort of know. R
I think definitely that external studies could use the Internet. I think it’s a wonderful way to go, but I also think it’s going to put studies maybe out of the reach of some because of the costs involved. U
I think the problem with e-mail is that it is not immediate. When you’ve got an assignment due, you’re studying late at night and on weekends, it’s immediacy you want. R&U
I at one point in time considered buying the equipment so that I could join Internet, but when I discovered how much it was going to cost me it was not going to be very cost effective at all. R&U
With the technology, I would really like to find some ways of reducing costs. And access to advice that really can help me. R&U
We haven’t really had an Internet provider that’s been cost effective and stable. R
What’s happening now is that it’s [the Internet] clogging up with so many more people getting onto it. I’ve noticed that about a year ago you could get on there pretty easily and get your links right around Europe and the USA pretty quickly. Now you’re waiting half an hour sometimes. R&U
A range of issues relevant to the needs of distance education students were identified in this study in six interrelated areas: contact with lecturers/ tutors, assessment tasks, flexibility, study materials, mentors, and educational technology. The issues in the different focus groups were similar but the priorities they gave to some of the issues differed, particularly between larger urban areas and rural areas. The two most common issues discussed in the focus groups were contacts with lecturers/tutors and assessment tasks. Although it was resisted by some students, personal contact was seen as an integral part of the support services for distance education students by the majority of participants in this study. The most common form of contact involved the telephone through either personal conversations or tele-conferences.
Participants indicated clear support for teleconferences held early in the semester to discuss issues such as content and assessment requirements in a unit. They also appreciated the one-to-one support afforded by personal telephone conversations. The use of audiocassettes and videotapes to supplement printed study materials in some units was helpful to a number of the participants. The portability of audiocassettes made them easy for participants to use in a variety of settings (driving, walking, exercising, etc.). The use of these technologies added to the social dimensions of studying at a distance, and participants reported that these were valuable support services. This finding suggests that lecturers/tutors need to consider how to make more effective use of such technologies when developing unit materials and providing support services.
Clear guidance on requirements to complete assessment tasks to a high standard was a major issue for many of the participants. Examples of “best practice” included: a clear criteria and standards sheet for each assessment task that informs responses and that markers use to award grades, written feedback of approximately one page on each assessment task indicating the strengths of the response and how to improve in future work, and exemplars. Concerns were raised by rural participants about study and assessment requirements, which they perceived sometimes disadvantaged them compared to students living in large urban areas. Participants from rural areas were especially concerned that in some units higher grades could only be obtained by using resources that they had little opportunity to get access to, and they noted that they often “guessed” which books might be of use to them. In some cases in the outback, books took three weeks to arrive by mail, and there was little opportunity to use other resources in time if the first ones were not sufficient. Some strategies to alleviate some of the resource difficulties might involve study materials that were largely self-contained, exemplars of responses to assessment tasks, and greater use of new educational technologies such as the Internet.
Having access to units throughout the year, self-paced learning that allowed students to submit assessment tasks at times more suited to them, and optional residential schools were considered important by some participants because they increased flexibility. Others found present structures satisfactory and were concerned with issues of comparability of assessments and workloads for markers if due dates were not adhered to.
The late arrival of some study materials was a major concern to a number of participants because it reduced flexibility. It is critical to have procedures to ensure that distance education students receive all their study materials by the week prior to the commencement of a semester. Study materials must also match the set textbook(s). Other information provided should be minimized and less complex. Mentors with relevant expertise to support distance education students should be available. Just how this may be done and for whom needs to be explored further. Consideration should be given to the needs of distance education students who are geographically isolated.
There was a range of views amongst participants regarding the use of new educational technologies. The notion that these technologies would provide solutions for many of the problems faced by distance education students was contested. Although there was strong support for the use of educational technologies with which the participants were familiar, such as teleconferencing, audiocassettes, and videotapes, there was mixed support for others. The importance of personal interactions with lecturers/tutors and fellow students was evidenced in all focus groups, which suggested that if new educational technologies are perceived as “impersonal” or frustrating then students will not embrace them. Most participants who had accessed the Internet for their studies complained of costs and lack of support (particularly in rural areas). That participants in this study were somewhat resistant to newer educational technologies supported the views of McMurtrie (1996b, 1996c), and a significant number looked for the interactivity that Zirkin and Sumler (1995) had argued was critical in using particular technologies for teaching and learning. However, the participants clearly indicated that greater and more effective use could be made of new interactive technologies, a position that supports the findings of Peraya and Haessig (1995), and Slingsby (1997).
Given the range of views expressed in the focus groups on various issues, future research should examine the types of students who seek particular improvements. For example, geographical isolation has widely differing effects on different types of students and the support services that are best suited to them. Having a greater range of support services that utilize a number of the suggestions made previously will be useful, but providing a “blanket approach” in the hope that somehow all distance education students’ support needs will be met is inappropriate. Different people seek different solutions, and tailoring support more to the individuals involved is highly desirable. Balancing this in a climate of increasing ratios of students to lecturers with parallel demands for increased research productivity is problematic. This may prove to be an area of fruitful research in the future on how to improve support services for distance education students.
Ken Purnell, Eve Cuskelly, and Patrick Danaher
Central Queensland University
Rockhampton. Qld. 4702
Australia
This project has been funded by a research grant from Central Queensland University. We wish to thank those people who participated in the focus groups and Professor Geoff Lawrence from Central Queensland University who made substantial contributions to a report on which part of this paper is based (Cuskelly, Purnell, & Lawrence, 1995). Phyllida Coombes’s work in transcribing the audiocassette tapes from the Mt Isa, Warwick, and one of the Bundaberg focus groups is gratefully acknowledged as is that of Pam Gale and Paula Miller, who transcribed the tapes for the other focus groups. The suggestion made by Joan Collinge, Co-editor of the Journal of Distance Education, and the referees that informed the final version of this paper is also gratefully acknowledged.
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1. Professor Geoff Lawrence wrote the Methodology section that appeared in the report by Cuskelly, Purnell, and Lawrence (1995) on which this section is based.
Ken Purnell is a senior lecturer in Education, Eve Cuskelly is the Research and Development Coordinator for the Division of Distance and Continuing Education, and Patrick Danaher is a senior lecturer in open and distance learning in the Faculty of Education where he is also Associate Dean (Legislative).
ISSN: 0830-0445