The Distance Learning Experience: Evaluating the Needs of Post-Graduate Students.

To provide successful and sustainable distance learning courses it is important to identify and understand the various needs and preferences of our ‘dispersed and diverse learning populations’ (Davidson & Goldberg, 2010:2). This presentation will report on the findings of an evaluation designed to explore the needs and experiences of Masters students undertaking a distance learning course. The MSc Public Health – Health Promotion distance learning course is in its infancy having started on-line in the autumn of 2014. The course recruits from a number of different countries across the world bringing students virtually together from a range of different professional and academic backgrounds to study health promotion. Translating traditional, face to face courses into distance learning provision needs to be done with students’ circumstances and learning needs in mind. Keen to ascertain how students are finding the experience of distance learning, members of the teaching team have carried out an evaluation of the student experience. The overall aim of the evaluation was to explore the needs and experiences of the students on the programme. The specific objectives were to a) explore the students’ experiences on the course; 2) to assess the students’ learning and professional development needs and curriculum inclusivity and 3) to identify recommendations for strengthening inclusiveness on distance learning courses. In order to achieve this a qualitative approach was adopted. All students on the programme were invited to take part in an in-depth interview with an independent interviewer external to the course team. Interviews took place via telephone or Skype over a period of two months. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. The presentation will report on the initial findings from the data which are indicative of areas of success and areas for development and improvement. The focus will be on how students’ diverse needs and expectations can be met and managed within a distance learning environment.

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