Distance Learning with a Difference: Using the Internet To Deliver Higher Education

Abstract

This paper reviews the development and delivery of a higher education module as part of the University of Plymouth's (England) Integrated Masters Programme (IMP) through the Rural Area Training and Information Opportunities (RATIO) telematic centers. The aim of the project was to provide computer-supported solutions that could assist remote learners living in the southwest of England to access higher education as part of a technology-assisted distance education program. The module represented a shift from traditional educational delivery systems with the use of World Wide Web pages, e-mail, and videoconferencing. Out of the 16 participants who enrolled in the Masters module, four completed the learning sessions and two submitted final assignments. The mainly positive experiences of the remote tutor and the students in such an initiative and the implications for the use of the Internet for distance education are discussed. Sections of the paper cover: project aims; project implementation, including recruitment of participants, delivery of the module, and evaluation of the student and tutor experience; findings related to student attrition, a survey of students' previous experience with information technology, qualitative analysis of e-mail correspondence, and the personal reflective journal of the tutor; outcomes and discussion; and difficulties encountered. (Author/DLS)