This study examined relationships between students’ perceptions of course-related interaction and their course satisfaction within the learner-centered paradigm in distance education. A Students’ Perceived Interaction Survey (SPIS) instrument was developed to examine nine separate hypotheses about the nature of course-related interaction. A volunteer sample of 855 students from the 949 students...

Four models of descriptive characteristics (Demographic, Experiential, Motivational, Inhibitory) were examined using discriminant function analysis for Distance Education (DE) and On-campus students. Of 240 targeted students (120 DE and 120 On-Campus), 174 responded to a questionnaire identifying characteristics of students who enroll in DE. Using a Demographic model only 61.5% of the sample wa...

The purpose of this study is to develop computer aided instruction courseware for introductory statistics and to examine the effectiveness of this type of instruction for schooling. Following the theory of educational technology, statistics is a subject area that needs CAI for university students. The courseware of statistics developed meets this need. Using CAI, students not only receive tutor...

Distance Education has become widespread in the United States. Many have questioned the appropriateness of distance education when the research clearly demonstrates that most learners prefer to learn in traditional educational settings. Because of the availability of sophisticated telecommunications systems there has been a redefinition of distance education, and an attempt to use technology to...

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the evolution of social presence research in the field of distance education and identified problems in investigating this construct. The researchers took an integrative review on existing social presence studies to answer three questions: (a) How definitions of social presence evolved since its establishment (b) How research focus shifted...

This paper summarises some of the major trends in distance education in the first decade of the 21st Century, and explores the implications of these trends for international collaboration among institutions of veterinary medicine.

In recognition of the difficulties posed for New Zealand medical students by travel during rural general practice attachments, a system of distance teaching was devised for final year medical students at the Waikato Clinical School. In place of weekly small group teaching using reflection on practice at the central campus led by a tutor, students participated in reflective learning via an elect...