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Virginia Tech

Motivation and Needs of On-line Learners at Virginia Tech

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

There has been a phenomenal growth in distance education since it's early days as correspondence study. Computers and the tools that go along with them, help to bridge the gap between physically separated people. Computers allow for resource sharing, decentralization, and limitless opportunities for instantaneous communication and transfer of information around the world. A variation of the traditional distance learner is the on-line learner. The on-line learner is a student on or near campus who chooses to take a class on-line versus the traditional classroom method. Questions are generating regarding why these students choose to take these on-line courses when they have they have access to the physical classroom. Since these students are familiar with an on-line setting, questions are also generating regarding the availability of on-line services. The participants included in this study were on-line learners enrolled in 13 totally on-line classes offered at a large, public, research university located in a mid-Atlantic state. The purpose of this study was to examine what motivates students to take on-line courses and to assess their interest in receiving other academic and student services on-line. Data were collected through a survey designed specifically for this study.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Department dc:contributor.department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1999

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Everett, Fredric L.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Janosik, Steven M.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Muffo, John A.
  • Cross, Landrum L.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-052899-125332
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33314

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Everett, Fredric L.. Motivation and Needs of On-line Learners at Virginia Tech. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33314