Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
Research into the outcomes for students of different study modes has generally concluded that there is ‘no significant difference’ between outcomes for students studying face-to-face and for those studying by a variety of distance or flexible means. As the shift towards CIT-based and independent learning for on- campus students accelerates, it is important to establish how student outcomes are affected. This paper reports on a survey of the experiences and satisfaction of on- campus students with different learning environments and compares the satisfaction of those students who have experienced both on- and off-campus study. These comparisons were made based on students’ employment status and their reasons for studying off-campus. The findings revealed that students were significantly less satisfied with their off-campus than on-campus experience regardless of their work status. Further, the results indicate an association between students’ satisfaction with off-campus study and their reasons for studying off-campus. Given the evidence provided in this paper in support of face-to-face learning environments for ‘conventional’ on-campus students, both academics and administrators have an interest in ensuring that it remains central to the higher education experience of current and future students.
Keywords: satisfaction; study mode; paid work