This paper reports the results of a research project investigating the use
that Distance Education (DE) students at university make of the learning
materials that are supplied to them. The research is based on a survey of
998 DE students enrolled in ten undergraduate subjects spread across all
five Faculties at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in New South Wales,
Australia. CSU is Australia’s largest DE provider of higher education. The
project addressed the following questions:
• The extent to which DE undergraduate students use their learning materials.
• The extent to which students undertake the learning activities that are often
incorporated in learning materials.
• The extent to which students obtain learning materials beyond the printed
learning materials, especially their use of library facilities and the internet to
research topics in their study programs.
• The way in which DE undergraduate students approach their study and the
study strategies that they adopt.
The paper reports the major conclusions from the survey. It was found that
the majority of students read most or all of the learning materials that were
sent to them. They relied heavily upon the prescribed textbooks, did some
additional reading as recommended, to a limited extent carried out
additional reading beyond that recommended, and worked through the
provided learning materials in a methodical manner. They generally
completed, in their minds if not always on paper, the study tasks embedded
in the learning materials. Those students that read less and paid less
attention to study tasks tended to study in a way that was focused on
passing assessment tasks. Overall the study provides a strong argument
for the retention of printed learning materials as students seem to work well
with them, and the more effectively students use them the better they seem
to perform.
