Motivation and Needs of On-line Learners at Virginia Tech

There has been a phenomenal growth in distance education since it's early days as correspondence study. Computers and the tools that go along with them, help to bridge the gap between physically separated people. Computers allow for resource sharing, decentralization, and limitless opportunities for instantaneous communication and transfer of information around the world.

A variation of the traditional distance learner is the on-line learner. The on-line learner is a student on or near campus who chooses to take a class on-line versus the traditional classroom method. Questions are generating regarding why these students choose to take these on-line courses when they have they have access to the physical classroom. Since these students are familiar with an on-line setting, questions are also generating regarding the availability of on-line services.

The participants included in this study were on-line learners enrolled in 13 totally on-line classes offered at a large, public, research university located in a mid-Atlantic state. The purpose of this study was to examine what motivates students to take on-line courses and to assess their interest in receiving other academic and student services on-line. Data were collected through a survey designed specifically for this study.