“Off‐campus support” in distance learning – how do our students define quality?

Abstract

The nature of quality teaching and learning in higher education has been subject to ongoing research and debate. In distance learning programmes, “teaching” comprises several distinct tasks including the provision of distance learning materials and the support of students’ learning when they are away from the campus. This study examined the nature of quality in terms of the provision of “off‐campus support” to students in a particular postgraduate distance education context. A questionnaire was administered to investigate students’ perceptions and expectations regarding off‐campus support. While students identified support related to their academic work as being the most important component of an off‐campus support system, issues related to the availability and accessibility of this support were also highlighted. These findings informed the development of a model of quality off‐campus support in the context of advanced level, distance learning programmes.

Citation

Smith, A. (2004), "“Off‐campus support” in distance learning – how do our students define quality?", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880410517414