International Conference on Computer Systems and Technologies - CompSysTech’2004 - IV.7-1 - TOWARDS PROVIDING DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS WITH A COMPARABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE Karl O. Jones and R. Bartlett Abstract: The Internet has become an additional strand in the teaching strategy of many courses, as students become increasingly able to make use of computers from their home. This has led to an increase in the range and number of Distance Learning courses: either entirely online or utilising an online element as teaching support. This paper highlights some issues and areas that should be addressed to ensure that Distance Learning Students have a learning experience comparable with ‘traditional’ students Key words: Distance Learning, education, Internet, Student experience. INTRODUCTION Education is an integral part of the development of modern society, and is frequently given top priority in government programmes. Education is continually reviewed and new requirements are imposed. The traditional barriers to education can be classified into three primary categories: financial, educational or personal. For the first category, certain courses require fees; while for the second category, the most frequently encountered constraint is the entry requirement being too high for some courses. The final area constraints include a lack of confidence, a lack of awareness of what subjects are available, being too distant from the University or being housebound. From the early days of education, teaching has largely involved lecturers instructing their students in face-to-face settings, such as classrooms. In the last century radio, television and satellite broadcasting provided Distance Learning with new delivery methods. Advances in information and communications technology coupled with the emergence of the Internet as a global network are making access to information and education easier than ever before. Within Higher Education, e-learning has emerged as one of the fastest growing trends. Despite the huge interest in e-learning, academic research on using the web in a pedagogical context has been limited to 'accounts' of technology implementation' with limited comment on wider issues [3]. Hara and Kling [4] are concerned that studies do not address human factors such as student isolation and the loss of personal contact with classmates and lecturers, or frustrations with technical problems. The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK and the Santa Clara University are examples of educational establishments that have developed computer/web-based packages and studied the effects upon student learning patterns [5]. DISTANCE LEARNING In the UK the proliferation of Distance Learning and the range of experiences it covers, has required the QAA to produce guidelines for quality assurance within their Code of Practice [6]. Within these guidelines the QAA acknowledge four ‘dimensions of Distance Learning’: 1. materials-based learning – this refers to all the materials provided to the distance learner in place of face-to-face classroom contact. The materials may be in a number of formats including paper-based, audio/visual, web-or IT based. 2. programme components delivered by visiting lecturers – this refers to teaching staff from the institution travelling to the location of the learners to deliver parts of the programme. 3. learning supported locally – in place of staff travelling from the institution, teaching staff are employed locally to deliver elements of the programme including student support.