2006: Tip from Dr. Terry Lamb, University of Sheffield, UK

What advice would you give to those considering a PhD by Distance Learning?

You need to find ways of networking with other PhD students. Find out if there is a VLE, and use it. Ask your supervisor to put you in touch with his/her other research students (even if they aren’t researching in the same field). Try to find ways of meeting other research students in your area (even if they are researching in a different institution), in order to provide intellectual stimulation, methodological discussion, opportunities to articulate your ideas (and to focus your question), and, most important of all, moral support.

2003: Interview with Dr. Keith Richards, the ex-Director of the Aston University (UK) Distance Learning Courses

What, if anything, makes distance learning today different from 'open learning' or traditional correspondence courses?

The differences between Distance Learning and traditional correspondence courses are profound, but I think they boil down in the end to support. On correspondence courses the relationship between the centre and the student is one of academic information exchange: the centre sends materials, the student studies them and completes relevant tasks for marking by the centre, which then provides feedback. In this approach the centre does not need to take an interest in the student as an individual. The orientation in DL, however, is explicitly educational, with the focus much more on the student and the student's development. How far this interest extends into the student's development in broad terms is open to question, but it does promote a much richer learning environment where it invests time in trying to understand and support the student in order to offer the best possible educational experience to that student. Open learning does not have to be at a distance and focuses on different dimensions of openness (e.g. of access, of progression). DL courses are often open in many respects, but the focus is on the demands of distance as well as the possibilities of openness.

What do you see as the characteristics of a successful distance learner?

I think the ability to work independently, the willingness to seek out resources on their own, and plenty of motivation. However, in my experience they come in all shapes and sizes, so to some extent this description is my own ideal. All sorts of things work — the right combination of characteristics is probably what matters most, and that varies from person to person.

What difference has technology made to the evolution of distance learning? Does it depersonalise the learning process or create new communities of teachers/learners?

Its influence has been profound and a lot depends on the way in which it’s used. It can depersonalise the process if it’s simply exploited on a programme in which the focus isn’t on the learner. But where it’s integrated into programmes that are based on interaction with learners and committed to providing proper support, it can contribute in all sorts of ways to the development of a rich learning community. It can be very demanding in terms of time if it’s done properly, though.

How would you recommend that learners prepare for embarking on a DL course?

Talk to people who have done courses of this kind, try to read something on studying at a distance and ask themselves hard questions about motivation, time, commitment, etc. Try to identify where their strengths and weaknesses might lie.

In your experience, which types of feedback work best with DL students?

Quick feedback works best. Beyond that, personalised feedback is important. I think our audiotaped feedback works well because it is personal and it’s very much person-to-person in style.

In your opinion, what support systems should be built into a DL programme to assist students in "staying the course" and maximising the benefits of the course?

• Regular contact from tutors, updates, etc.
• If possible, group work based on, for example, e-learning (something we’re currently experimenting with in a small way).
• Good quality, encouraging feedback.

How have your own perspectives on learning been changed in recent years as a result of being at the delivery end of DL courses?

I’ve come to appreciate the value of technology more (though there are limitations associated with our situation) and my belief in the importance of support has been reinforced. I’ve also become even more convinced of the value of DL.