Resumen de Students’ perceptions on distance education: a multinational study
Patricia Fidalgo, Joan Thormann, Oleksandr Kulyk, José Alberto Lencastre de Freitas Borges de Araújo
Many universities offer Distance Education (DE) courses and programs to address thediverse educational needs of students and to stay current with advancingtechnology. Some Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) that do not offer DE find itdifficult to navigate through the steps that are needed to provide such courses andprograms. Investigating learners’perceptions, attitudes and willingness to try DE canprovide guidance and recommendations for IHEs that are considering expanding useof DE formats. A survey was distributed to undergraduate students in Portugal, UAEand Ukraine. The results of this pilot study showed that in all three countries,students’major concerns about such programs were time management, motivation,and English language skills. Although students were somewhat apprehensive manyindicated they were interested in taking DE courses. Six recommendations informedby interpretation of students’responses and the literature, are offered to assistinstitutions who want to offer DE as part of their educational strategy.
