Early Childhood Students' Perceptions of 
Studying by Distance Learning for the 

Diploma of Teaching (ECE) 

INTRODUCTION Traditionally, 
tertiary teacher education has been 
delivered in New Zealand through face-
to-face teaching courses with students 
~istenin~ and taking notes while receiving 
lJlstructlOn froul a lecturer. Interaction 
between lecturer and students in a 
cIassroolll setting has been considered a 
vital cOlllponent in this process. 

Today, political and public interest in 
distance learning has increased in 
countries where students seeking access 
to tertiary teacher education are 
geographically widely dispersed. There 
has also been a noticeable change in the 
composition of the student population. 
No longer largely restricted to school 
Ie avers, there has been an increase 
in lllature and employed applicants 
seeking access to tertiary teacher 
education progranlllles. At the same time 
distallCe education tedulologies have 
expanded very rapidly. Advances in 
infonnation and computer tedmology 
have provided impetus to the growth 
in dil:)tance leanung (DL}, and have 
prom.pted the rapid growth in a new 
lllode of delivery, online leanring (OL). 

Distance learning instruction can be 
delivered in a lllalUler as sinlilar 
as possible to traditional face-to-face 
teaching. This can be achieved through 
a dassroonl with two-way audiovisual 

JUNEKEAN 
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND 

interaction. TIus is the basis of the Iowa 
Dlode] which provides distance leanlers 
with experiences that InITrOr traditional 
face-to-face teaching, via a nonnal 
classroolll setting and live, two-way 
audiovisual interaction. On the other 
h.and, the Norwegian model c0111bines 
negotiated distance teaching with local 
face-to-face teaching (Schlosser & 
Anderson, 1994). This 111 0 del could be 
said to be reflected in the approach 
adopted by several New Zealand teacher 
education providers, whereby distance 
learning students who are considered. to 
be Self-lllotivated are supplied with 
printed course lllatl:~rial by post, SOUle 
forn1 of teleconferencing, access to 
further relevant literature via a Website, 
and use of the institution's library 
resources. Ongoing support for their 
studies is provided by phone / elnail 
contact by distallce. On-cmnpus or 
regionally located face-to-face study 
weeks (contact courses) are provided 011 
a regular basis to allow for peer/staff 
contact and interaction. 

This paper is structured as follows: 
background infornlation is pl<ovided 011 
the tertiary institution in which the 
study was conducted; the nlajor purpose 
of the study is outlined; the aspects of 
DL receptivity as contained in the 
questiOlmaire are indicated; a description 
of the sample follows; the results of the 

Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 7/ No I, 2003 © Distance Education Association of New Zealand 

18 



survey are reported and then discussed 
in ternlS of recent literature; the 
limjtations of the study are indicatedi 
issues and factors that have influenced 
the perceptions of students are 
analysed and future directions al'e 
considered in the delivery of this 
di~tance learning nlode for early 
childhood teacher education. 

BACKGROUND New Zealand 
Tertiary College (NZTC) is a private 
provider of teacher education for the 
early childhood sector in New Zealand. 
N~TC resources focus solely on early 
d1Jldhood leachl'r education. The 
pr~gralnml)S offered are the Early 
Childhood Teachers Certificate of two 

(for r(~()pIe wishing to work in 
early childhood centres such as childcare 
centres, preschools, and kindergartens, 
etc,) and lh(~ three-year Diplonla of 
Teaching (EeE), which is the current 
benchuli:1.rk qualification for early 
childhood education in New Zealand, 
The Diploma of Educati.on is 
approved for teacher registration by 
the Council. These progranlmes 
are approved by the New Zealand 
Qualifications Authority under the 
provisions of the Education Act 1989, and 
NZTC is accredited to offer thenl. 

The New Zealand Qualifications 
Authority (NZQA) had approved the 
Diploma of Teaching (BCE) progrmnnle 
for delivery by New Zealand Tertiary 
College in Septeulber 1996. At that paint; 
the diploma prograul111e was approved 
to be delivered through two modes only 
(college-based and field-based), Students 
in the college-based m,ode, who were 
nlaillly school Ie avers, attended a full~ 
time progranlme on campus, and had 
regular periods of three to four weeks 
of assessed and supervised teaching 
practice in early childllood centres. 

Students in the field-based lllode 
were required to att~nd On-CalllpUS 
teaching/learning seSSlOns for two 
evenings per week, and were required 
to complete sixteen hours per week 
of supervised and assessed teaching 

in the centres in which they were 
employed, and to cO]]lplete weeks 
pel' of teaching practice in another 
centre. students had considerable 
eXlpeI'iellce as early childhood educators 
prior to entering the progralllme. 

The college-based and field-based 
delivery modes appear to have catered 
adequately for applications received for 
early childhood tertiary studies fTOlll 
school leavers, alld early childhood 
educators elllployed in centres in the 
Auckland llletropolitan area. However, a 
large nUlllber of inquiries continued to be 
received from prospective students in a 
variety of regions throughout New 
Zealand. Concenl to nleet the tertiary 
study needs this group prompted New 
Zeala11d Tertiary College to consider the 
introduction of distaJlce leanung as an 
alternative ulode for delivery of the 
diploma progralllllle. TIUs form of 
delivery met the needs of those students 
:,h~ l~ad linlited access to tertiary 
11lStItuh0l1S because of their physical 
location, family and work COllllllitm,ents. 
According to the literaturey studying at 
a distance can be as effective as 
traditional methods of face-to-face 
instruction provided the nlethods and 
technologies em.ployed are appropriate 
to the perfornlance criteria and 
learning outco.mes of the course design; 
opportunities are built in for peer 
interaction; and supportive teacher 
contact and interaction is readily 
a vailable to students (Moore & 
Thonlpson, 1990; Verduin & Oarkr 1991). 

Journal Learning, Vol 7, No 1, 2003 Distance Education Association of New Zealand 

19 



Adult learners have a wide variety of 
reasons for pursuing studies through 
distance learning. These include 
constraints of time, distance f-rom. 
institutions providing early drildhood 
teacher education progranunes, financial 
considerations, and the ability to com.e 
into contact with other students 
from different social, econolllic, and 
experiential backgrounds. Provision of 
contact courses (block courses) of 
twenty hours each, which students attend 
twice for each stage of the progrannne, 
goes some way towards gaining llew 
knowledge and the opportunity for social 
interaction with other students. Distance 
learning students are encouraged to 
set up informal networks with other 
students to share and discuss written 
nlaterial in study guides, ruld concerns 
and problenls in dealing with the content 
and assignments. To reduce feelings of 
isolation, regular m.eetings of small 
groups of students in the local area and 
email or phone contact within this group 
of students also assist students to deal 
with their studies nlore effectively. 

Often face-to-face teaching focuses on 
teacher-centric instruction in which the 
teacher is the primary interlllediary for 
transmission of knowledge to the 
learner. In contrast, distance learning 
progranlmes need to focus on learner-
centric ulstruction in which content 
is lllanipulated by the leanler, with 
the teacher actulg as a catalyst and 
a facilitator of student leanung 
(Sherry,1996). 

These above considerations were 
incorporated in the design of the NZTC 
distance learning nlode. This lllode of 
delivery of the Diploma of Teachlllg 
(ECE) was introduced in February 1999, 
and approval for teacher registration 
purposes was received from the (then) 

Teacher Registration Board (TRB) in 
March 1999. The author brought a decade 
of experience in deSign, coordination, 
and monitoring of an early childhood 
djstance learning programme in an 
Australian university to the fonnulation 
of the NZTC distrulce learnulg 
programme. Print materials, plus video 
material, form the basis of the 
programnle. Each student is allocated a 
distance learning tutor to provide 
guidance and support, and regular 
interaction occurs via phone and enlail. 
Practice teachulg experience foHows the 
SaIne pattenl as that required for the 
field-based ul0de. Also, students are 
required to attend two block courses 
per stage. Attendance at block courses is 
compulsory and provides students with 
a face-to-face flexible and individualised 
programnle that allows for the 
m.onitoring and asseSSlllent of student 
progress, an opportunity for student 
networking and shared learning 
experiences, material and knowledge 
that supplem.ent and complenlent the 
leanmlg outconles embedded in the 
courses for the diploma programme, and 
knowledge related to specific courses 
that is best gained through experiential 
learning (e.g., Maori courses). These 
block courses are held in a variety of 
locations each year. 

Once underway, approximately 100 
students were enrolled by the latter 
half of the second year. This has since 
grown to more than 200 enrolments in 
the distrulCe learning programme. 

NZTC was concerned to put an effective 
process for programme evaluation in 
place. Throughout their studies, distaIlCe 
learning students com.plete an evaluation 
form on the cOlllpletion of each course, 
but the block courses provided an 
opportu11ity to nlonitor and evaluate the 

Journal Lea711ingl Vol 71 No 1, 2003 © Distance Education Association of NelN Zealand 

20 



perceptions of students about the 
effectiveness of studying by a distance 
learning 111.ode. Over the past two years 
while attending block courses held 
in Auckland, Rotorua, Napier, 
Christchurch, and Blenheinl, distance 
learning students cOlnpleted a 
questionnaire designed to evaluate their 
perceptions of the advantages and 
disadvantages of studying by distance 
with NZTC. Suggestions provided by 
Willis (1993) for evaluating distance 
learning courses were utilised In the 
design of the questionnaire. 

PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY 
The lnajor goal of this study was to 
gather data on students' perceptions of 
the effectiveness or otherwise of study 
by distance learnjng for the NZTC 
Diplonla of Teaching (ECE). The basic 
assUlllption underlying this was that 
student perceptions would assist staff 
in estinlating the effectiveness of delivery 
of a distance learning progralllllle, and 
that these perceptions would assist in 
evaluating student learning and provide 
data that could inforlll future directions 
for the delivery of the programme. 

SURVEY INSTRUMENT 
Method 
A questionnaire was designed to gather 
student perception of distance learning as 
a ]node of study. These early drildhood 
students were asked to COlllment on the 
following aspects of distance leanling as 
a mode of study: 

Q print nlaterial (student handbooks, 
study guides and assigtlu1ent 
requirenlents, value of the accompanying 
readings per course, most helpful 
lllaterial per course); 

e degree of support provided by 
distance learning tutors, colleagues, 
and parents; 
It the perceived effect of new 
knowledge on centre progra1lunes; and 
individual learner characteristics. 

They were 
the overall 
of studying 
suggestions 
delivery. 

also asked to identify 
advantages/ disadvantages 

by distance, and to ll),ake 
to inlprove progranlme 

The nlajority of the questions were op(~n­
ended in order to encourage students to 
consider the issues in S01ne depth. Pre-
coded quesUons sought infomlation on 
students' previous acadenlic studies, age, 
and gender. 

Description of the Sa111ple 
One hundred and five distance learning 
students responded to the questionnaire. 
All students were felnale and were 
elnployed in either part-tinle or full-time 
positions in early childhood centres 
througbout New Zealand. Forty-eight 
percent were mature age students. 
Previous acadelllic studies had been 
undertaken by 26 percent of the students 
(e.g., NZTC Early Childhood Teachers 
Certificate, MIT Certificate in Childcare, 
NZ Playcentn~ Supervisors C(~rtificate, 
National NarulY Progranlme, Seacoh 
Certificate or Diplom.a, and DiploUl,a of 
Nursing). Several students had 
conlpleted. som.e papers through 
Massey UniverSity, or had overseas 
early childhood qualifications, or 
diplomas/ degrees in unrelated areas. 

RESULTS 
Value of Print Material 
Seventy-five percent of the students rated 
the student handbooks as useful to very 
useful as a source of information about 
the progrmnme (study and practicum 

Journal of Distance Leaming, Vol 7, No 1, 2003 © DistanC(~ Education Association of New Zealand 

21 



requireulents), Responses included: 
"helped Ule to get started," "good to 
keep, I refer to them often/' "helpful on 
how to write my essays and how to do 
a bibliography," /I goodJ clear guidelines 
and precise tllstructions/' and "kept it 
beside my com.puter and used it as a 
constant guide." A nUlllber of students 
lllade the comment that they were using 
them llluch more after they were advised 
to do so while attending block courses. 

Ten percent did not make COllllllent 
on the usefulness or otherwise of the 
handbooks. Fifteen percent said that 
although the handbooks provided useful 
information, they thought the handbooks 
would have been i1nproved if they had 
been combined into one handbook with 
one table of contents; that they needed 
to prOvide Ul0re m.aterial on referencing 
and citing of resources in the body of an 

111 ore information on report 
writing; provision of samples of student 
assignnlents which would have helped 
them understand the grading system. 
better; needed to be Ulore firmly bound; 
and needed to have included a summary 
of the content of each course :in the 
section on the outline of the progrmnme. 

The general opinion (93 percent) was 
that the study guides were reasonably 
easy to follow.! particularly 'when the 
lllaterial was presented in a standard 
organisational form.at (where a study 
guide did not do thisJ one student 
complained that she was cOlllplete]y 
thrown by thi':i and had to seek a 
great deal of help [rom her distance 
learning tutor). 

Several of the respondents during the 
first six lllonths of the survey reported 
several 1/ glitches" in the content of the 
study guides. These included incorrect 
page llum.bers for the edition of the texts 

issued, reference to graphs not included, 
etc. However, responses recorded later 
in the delivery of the prograulme were 
nlore positive. For eXaIllple ... litook me a 
while to understand what was involved/' 
and "should have read through the study 
guide lllore carefully at the beg:inlli11g, 
but once I did this I found the task.., 
and refiection.c; built up knowledge to Lip 
the assigllments/' "very 1nteresting Jnd 
I learned so luuch about childrpn'.., 
development," "confusing at first hut 
after reading more carefully the artidl''' 
included gave Ule lots of th.e answ()r~, ,. 
and "found the accolllpanying readil1f ..... 
per ulodule very valuable." 

Assigmllent requireulents Wt'rt' 
considered to be clearJ although 0111' 
student clamled they "vere II ambigllOlI .... : 
Several others agreed with the studt'nl 
who main.tai11ed that the "amount 
of work in each lllodule v\'"", 
overwnehning," and another who Sd Id 
she "found the questions hard III 
understand and struggled to kno\\ 
what was uleant." The opportunily [II 
conlplete reflections and practicum la~k.., 
interspersed throughout the course stll d ~ 
guides was seen by 75 percent of LIlt' 
students as livery helpful to understdnd 
the content/' "helped nlake sellSt) pI 
what I had read/' and "helped Ule to l n 
out new approaches to learning d 11~1 
teaching,/f 

Support and Interaction Provided 
Students were asked to cOID111ent 011 lilt' 
degree of support prOvided by disliJllt (' 
leanring tutors, colleagues, and parents. 

Ninety percent of the students were very 
positive about the help and support they 
received fronl their di~tance learning 
tutor and the feedback received on 
assignnl€llts. TIley said their tutors were 
easy to contact and retunled their calls 

Journal of Distance Vol 7, No 1,2003 © Distance Education Association of Ne,v Zealand 

22 



prolllptly. They cOllllllented: "struggled 
initially, but Iny tutor put ille right," 
"kept having to ask my tutor to explain} 
but 'this was Iny first .lllodule apd rve 
been away frOlll study for a long tinle/' 
and "should havc~ phoned Iny tutor more 
at the beginning, but once I started doing 
this found everything so illuch easier.rJ 

A high level of satisfaction was expressed 
by students concerning the willingness 
of their tutors to assist theI11 with 
understanding content and requirem,ents, 
and being sensitive to different 
cOlllmunicatiol1 styles and cultural 
backgrounds. Tutors are expected to 
contact each of their stu dents by 
pbone on a regular basis, and to m,ake 
thenlselves available at set tiInes (usually 
evenings and weekends) for students to 
contact them. by phone, and lllake regular 
contact/ visits to therr centres. 

Where centre colleagues provided 
considerable support for their studies, 
22 percent of the students said 
they valued this highly. This support 
had included discussing assignment 
requrrements with them and offering 
helpful advice and resources; willingness 
to enlploy relievers to enable students to 
have study tim.e, to conlplete practicuuls 
at centres outside of therr houle centres, 
and to attend block courses; increasing 
their confidence ill their studies; and 
being willing to complete questionnaires 
and take part in surveys being conducted 
by students as part of their coursework. 
The support and. interest shown by 
parents varied considerably. Smne 
parents (10 percent) were reported as 
having very little knowledge of the 
programme being c0111.pleted, and several 
cOllllllented that the student "must be 
lllad" to undertake stud y on top of 
her work commitments. On the other 
hand, some parents were delighted that 

students were updating their know led ge, 
were very willing to have students 
conlplete child studies with therr 
dlildren, and were eager to have well-
trained staff in their centres. 

Effect of New Knowledge 
011 Centre Progra111tnes 
It was of interest to note that the 
lllajority of students believed their 
studies contributed to their work in therr 
centres and to relationships with the 
comUluluty. They cOlllll1ented: "in the 
biggest way-now am, tenfold nlor~ 
effective across the whole spectrum, 
"nluch more reflective in illy teaching 
practice,ff "have gained more awareness 
of theories to back up illy teaching/' and 
U our centre is trying out new approaches 
l1luch nlore and lllaking TIlllCh Dl0re use 
of Te Reo with children." 

Lean1er Characteristics 
Students vvere asked about their 
1110tivati.on for undertaking this ll10de. 
Responses included the following: "to 
better In yself," jJ for personal professional 
developlllent/' "to gain a higher rate 
of pay," "to meet Ministry, Teacher 
Registration Board, and NZQA 
requrreUlents," "leanung more that 
will help III y own dUldren as well/' 
"to complete a formally recognised 
qualification/' "improve lny skills, 
confidence, and self-esteem/' /J to beconle 
lllore effective in illy role as an BC 
teacher/' "encouragement and support 
frOlll my enlployer/' "Rts round and 
complements llly role with my family," 
JI to develop and continue learning and 
acquiring skins and galn nlore respect as 
an EC educator," and "to widen illy 
career options." For these students} and 
for those who lllade snnilar conllllents 
(46 percent), motivation centred on 
enhancing their profeSSional role as early 
clUldhood educators. 

Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 7, No 1,2003 © Distance Education Association of New Zealand 

23 



Most nlature aged students m.aintained 
that the progranlnle had assisted thenl 
to add a professional outlook to their 
experience as nlothers and teachers; 
that life experiences had equipped thenl 
well to undertake studies, to understand 
issues more deeply, and to be self-
disciplined and nlaintain focus on their 
studies. Younger students said they 
had lllore energy as they had fewer 
commitnlents in terms of child rearing, 
housework, and preparation of meals, 
and had not moved away from the study 
mode as they had not long left school. 
Those who had completed other tertiary 
studies before starting the progranlnle 
felt these experiences had 111em1t they 
were more confi,dent about lneeting 
study requirelllents, and were strongly 
lllotivated to pursue further education 
that would enhance their perforlnance III 
the role of an early childhood educator. 

Future Goals 
With regard to future goals that students 
had in mind, they comm,ented as follows: 
lito continue to learn and develop,a 11 gain 
greater insights on EC teaching," 1I make 
lllore nloney/' "be able to run my own 
centre," IJ to be a better role m,odel for 
my own children as well as the 
children in the centre." Twenty-six 
students indicated their intention of 
purSUing further studies at degree level, 
specialising in SOUle area of EeE (e.g., 
special needs, becom.ing involved in 
ECE teacher training). Opportunities to 
widen their horizons and expelience 
through teaching III another country, or 
to travel and observe children and 
centres in other countries, were sought 
by ten students. 

Study Habits 
The study habits of students studying at 
a distance were of particular interest to 
staff involved in the delivery of this 

lllode. These varied frOlll conlments 
indicating that they preferred to 
study in. conlplete silence and without 
interruptions to the preference for 
studying while listening to quiet fIowll1g 
music. Strategies these student'! said they 
elllployed to study effectively reflected 
conSiderable understanding of the factors 
involved. Apart frOlll six students who 
said they preferred to study in the early 
Inornillg (when their brains were fresh), 
a1nlost all students who responded 
studied m.ost evenings and weekends, 
wIllie SOllle indicated that they were 
fortunate in havi1lg been given a study 
day a week by their employers. They said 
that they laid out study tasks for the next 
night early in the lllorning, tried to set 
specific goals about what they wanted to 
achieve III one session, needed to ll1ull 
over questions/tasks ahead of study 
time, formulated plans before doing 
essays, organised study time to take a 
break every hour to allow infornlation to 
sink in mId review the lllaterial covered. 
Even when tired, one student cOlllnlented 
that she tried to cOlllplete at least one 
task she had set for herself per study 
sessi.on. This group of students work 
either full- or part-tinle, and lllany have 
families of their own, so it was not 
surprislllg to lean1 that they studied late 
into the night only when facing pressure 
fTOlll deadlines. Many c01l1nlented that 
they were able to study only when the 
children were in bed. Women in this 
situation have to be well organised and 
adopt strategies that will free them 
to study. TIus is evident in comments 
SUdl as the following: "have to keep 
housework to a '111irrinlU1n when the 
pressure is on/' 1J need to clean and tidy 
the house before I can concentrate," and 
"have one day off a week and use it to 
the full for study wIllie the clllidren are 
at schoo1." Several students cOlnnlented 
that havi11g a supportive husband or 

Journal Learning, Vol 7, No I, 2003 © Distance Education Associatioll of New Zealand 

24 



partner was an iJnportant factor in coping 
with their studies. 

Positive Aspects of Distance Learning 
Seventy-five percent comnlented on the 
positive aspects of being a distance 
learning student. These included II as 
there is no teacher education course 
available in my area, it answered the 
need to cOlllplete an early childhood 
qualification," II great for SOllleone who is 
an independent learner," 
what I alll learning as I go, not feeling 
pushed/' "study tilnetable negotiated 
and organised one-an-one with DL 
tutor," II able to work full-tinle whjle 
gaining a qualification/' and able 
to work at my own pace and my 
own tune." Two students said it meant 
there was no need a babysitter. Six 
were grateful there was no need to travel 
after working hours, twenty-five students 
said they appreciated access to a quality 
ulstitution since there was not one 
available locally, and ten were relieved 
they could work while 
studying and coping with a fanlily. A 
large nunlber of students conlmented on 
the supportiveness of their DL tutor and 
said they did not miss contact with other 
students but enjoyed it very llluch during 
block courses. The networks established 
Ineant students could discuss and share 
concerns with a group of their peers on 
an ongoing basis. An increasing nunlber 
appear to be m.aking use of enlail for this 
as well as makillg use of phone contact. 
The use of free postcards to lllake 
requests for resources from the NZTC 
library was cOllllllented on favourably, as 
were the reSOUIces available tllrough the 
NZTC Website, 

Disadvantages of Distance Learning 
The major difficulties of studYUlg at a 
distance were seen as having less 
opportunity for discussion with others, 

getting hold of extra resources, lack of 
easy access to resources since local 
libraries do not always have relevant 
academi.c book", sense of isolation frolll 
other students, maintainmg motivation, 
and tinle manageDlent in ter.ms 
of balancing study with other 
cOlllnlitnlents. Six students reported they 
needed a great deal of clarification 
(regarding concepts/questions) but their 
DL tutors were very willing to help. 
However, as two students cOllllnented, 
"not all DL tutors know everytlling about 
every nlodule." 

Concerns and Suggestions for 
IntprOve111ent in Progranune Delivery 
Sixteen percent of students lllade no 
COlTI.lnents about concerns or 
suggestions for inlprovelllent. 
NZTC was urged by 48 percent of 
the students to keep up block course 
workshops on theorists, reSOUIce nlakil1~ 
child development, prejudice, d1.ild 
abuse, Te Reo. These block courses were 
seen as a very valuable aspect of their 
programllle in providing the opportunity 
to network with other students and 
getting to know college tutors and 
gaining ulformation first hand, A further 
group of students said they would like to 
view examples of essays tllat have 
graded at pass! merit, and distinction 
levels. Several others requested nlore 
contacts with visiting tutors. Twelve 
students asked when NZTC would be 
offering a Bachelor of Education (ECE) 
programme! and indicated interest in 
ellrolling Ul it. They were pleased that the 
cost of textbooks was built UltO their fees, 
but asked for nlore texts to be sent out 
with each COUTse fronl the N ZTC library. 

Qui.te a nUlllber of students complained 
about the financial difficulties they 
experienced because of the requirement 
ot' three weeks practicunl per stage 

Journal Lea.rning, Vo17, No 1, 2003 © Distance Education Association of New Zealand 

25 



in a centre other than the one in whidl 
they were employed. They appeared to 
be unaware that this was a Teachers 
Council. requirement. 

CONCLUSIONS In the lllain, 
students found that print lllaterials 
~upported their learning very satisfactor-
Ily. The suggestion that SUllllnaries of 
course content should be in the student 
handbook has now been followed 
through. Print nlaterials have been a 
significant cOlnponent in the delivery 
of . the prograllune by distance lean-ring. 
Pr-mt lllaterials have the advantage of 
being cost and tune effective to prepare, 
easy to review and revise (Misanchuk, 
1994). vVIrile the intention is to add to the 
repertoire of tools tlrrough greater use of 
?th~r tedulological developments, print 
1S ill(ely to continue to foml the basic 
feature of future delivery. 

Beare (1989) has pointed out that the 
prOvision of a toll-free telephone line, 
prepaid library request cards, and a 
satisfactory assiglIDlent tUTIlaround are 
important factors in distance learning. 
These facilities were noted and 
appreCiated by the students. An 
inlpo~tant factor in the effective delivery 
of distance learning courses is the 
opportunity for regular interaction with 
supportive teachers (Sherry, 1996). 
Students' comnlents indicated that th(~ir 
distal:,ce learnulg tutors were usulg 
effectlve strategies to lllotivate and llleet 
the needs of students Ul terlllS of both 
content and individual needs. 

For the lllajority of these students, 
lllotivation to conlplete the progralllme 
centred on enhancing their profeSSional 
role as early dlildhood educators. 
TI,ese C01nments reflect those factors 
highlighted by Schlosser and Anderson 

(1994) as contributing to successful 
lean-ring at a distance. 

The differences between adult learners 
and younger leanlers as described Ul tllP 

_,"> literature are reflected in the student 
responses. Adult learners bring JJ a rich 
background of life and work experience 
to the dassroom/' and unlike young(lr 
learners JJ are more li1(ely to identify till' 
skills they wish to acquire" and i,lf"(' 
lllore likely to have /I an ulcTeasvd 
awareness and appreciation for ]1('\\ 
knowledge" (Needy, Niellli, & Ehrhard, 
1998, pp. 72-73). 

\!\Then cODllllenting on the positi \'\' 
aspects of DL, students stressed t1w 
importance of ongoulg ulteraction vviLh 
their ulstructors. This is consistent wilh 
the COlnnlents lllade by Christensl'l1. 
Anakwe, and Kessler (2001) that SUt h 
ulteraction contributes substanti<llh 
to the quality of distance learn in)'. 
progralllmes because of the high levPI (II 
support and guidance prOvided. Furtlwr, 
access to distance learnulg wat.; st'pn 
as very il11portant to these studpnl ... 
who have elnploYlllent and fami'" 
responsibilities and calulot travel easil~ 
to canlpus-based courses. This support.., 
comnlents lllade by Christensl'n. 
Anakwe, and Kessler (2001) all llll' 
growing trend to'wards a gn1 dl\'r 
percentage of e1l1ployed college studt1lll ... 
with ulCreased outside conllllitnwn I.., 
who are seeking other than lht· 
traditional education nlode in order l\ I 
meet their trauung needs. 

O.verall, stud~nts believed studyulg hy 
dIstance learlung to be effective. This is 
in direct contrasl to the f:illdulgS of d 
study conducted at a nlediulll.-sized 
university where students seenled to 
have negative beJiefs about studying 

Journal of Distance Vol 7, No IT 2003 Distance Education Association of Nevv Zealand 

26 



by DL and did not see DL as offeriJlg 
nlany benefits (O'Malley, 1999). 

The disadvantages of distance learning 
indicated by these students included 
less opportunity for interaction with 
tbeir peers. To a degree this has been 
countered by the provision of block 
courses and the support given to 
students to develop local networl< 
groups. NZTC has also endeavoured to 
aUocate staff to courses according to their 
area of expertise to facilitate student 
understanding of course lllateriaL 

In response to suggestions for 
improvenlent that were nlade, a recent 
NZTC initiative has been to have current 
jOUTIlal articles for stage cut to 
dic;k and m.ade available through the 
college .library. There have also been 
im.provelnents m.ade to the college 
library catalogue a vailable through the 
NZTC \Alebsite, and a growing num.ber of 
research articles (with abstracts and full 
text available for downloading) are also 
being added. 

In his closing address to the Distance 
Education Association of New Zealand 
(March 2(00), Trevor Mallard, the 
nlinister of education, stressed the 
value of distance leanung as a nleans 
of improving the supply of qualified 
early childhood teachers in areas of 
New Zealand that have been hard to 
staff, particularly Northland and th(~ 
East Coast. The NZTC distance learning 
prograllune can be said to have made 
a considerable contribution to this end. 
Further, the information gained from 
tlus survey has been invaluable to the 
college in confirm.ing the value of the 
deSign, structure, and organisation of 
print material provided for this distance 
learning mode. Although it appears to be 
reasonably effective in ternlS of learner 

satisfaction, it will be subject to ongOing 
evaluation and revisi.on. Design and 
direction for the progranlllle need to 
be consciously thought through, unlike 
classroom teaching where content Slll1ply 
needs to be identified and taught in a 
face-to-face situation. It needs to be 
pOinted out though that the leanUng 
outco1ll.es, perfornlance criteria, and 
assignnlents per course are identical 
across the lhree lllodes of delivery of the 
Diplom.a of Teaching (ECE). Of course, to 
nleet the particular needs of distance 
learners, the content/topics covered TIL 
ea.ch course are in written fOrIn with 
a CCOlllPanying tea.ching tasks and 
reflections on the content, cOlllplenlented 
by a wide range of readings fronL the 
literature and workshops and TIlteractive 
sessi.ons offered al the block courses. 

We have been aware that each section 
of written Inaterial needs to end with 
questions, tasks, and reflections. These 
student responses require tutor feedback 
as it is an important part of the learning 
process. To assist the learning process, 
the writ(~rs have enabled students to 
reflect on their own interests, needs, and 
circumstances as a starting point. An 
effective system of guidance for students 
has been put in place, but student 
feedback on the effectiveness of these 
provisi.ons will continue to be sought. 

It is clear that where D L students 
are assisted to develop good tune 
nlanagelnent skills and study skills, they 
experience reduction of anxiety about 
aSSignments. Regular phone contacts 
and/ or enlail contacts initiated by both 
the tutor and the students will continue 
to be an nnportant feature of program.llle 
delivery. Continuous support from 
tutors acting as facilitators of leanung 
experiences was very inlporlant to 
this group of learners. Opporlru.uties for 

Journal of Distance Vol 71 No 11 2003 Distance Edtl~~ation Ass('lnation of New Zealand 

27 



social and acadeulic interaction with their 
peers through networking, local study 
groups, phone and enwil contact, and 
content and support provided during 
the block courses will be nlaintained. 
Print materials will continue to be 
evaluated and revised on a regular basis 
(we have a tutors' feedback fOYlll for 
noting glitches and confusions, inaccurate 
infOIDlatioll, etc.). Although regular 
telephone contact has been proven to 
be an effective tool for learner support, 
tecluuques that need to be considered 
for ilnplementaUon in the future 
include iTIcreasingly available llledia-
based technologies. 

The NZTC Website (http:! jwww.nztc 
.net.nz) provides information on NZTC 
progrmnnles, location, the application 
process, the student handbook, [mancial 
support, and recogrution of prior learning 
(RPL) procedures. Lirlks are provided to 
a college noticeboard, newsletter, online 
NZTC library, online journals, and 
ProQuest journals. A browser window 
allows students access to a variety 
of early childhood resources worldwide 
(e.g., NAEYC, ERIC searches, etc.). 
Further developnlents including the 
prOvision and oversight of chat rOOlns 
on the Web and greater use of audio 
conferencing are planned. Of consider-
able concern is the degree of access 
these students have to infonnation 
and communication teclmologies (ICT). 
A postal survey is presently being 
distributed to gain information on the 
proportion of distance learning students 
who do have this type of access and the 
amOlult of use that is lnade of this. On 
that basi'), future directions will be 
sought to incorporate lCT effectively 111 
the design and delivery of the distance 
learning curriculum. It is imperative that 
student knowledge, skills, and attitudes 
are enhanced through the appropriate 

and effective use of leT. Infornlation and 
comm.unication technologies need to be 
woven seaullessly into the curriculU111, 
and driven by educational imperatives 
rather than by technology. 

LIMITATIONS This study was 
restricted to a survey of the perceptions 
of NZTC students enrolled as distance 
learners in the Diploma of Teaching 
(EeE) prog:ratnme. Results cannot be 
generalised to college-based and field-
based students studying the Salne 
progranlme in this institution, nor to 
distance learning students a t other 
tertiary education institutions. Aspects of 
studying by distance leanling selected 
for the sm"vey were limited to those 
that NZTC had identified as of 
inlportance in irlfornling directions for 
future delivery. Other factors 111ay well 
be of iJnportance (e.g., an in-depth 
exanlination of perceptions of the 
effectiveness of the progranlDle learning 
outc0111es in enhancing understandings 
and professional development for the 
role of an early childhood educator). 

REFERENCES 

Beare; P. L (1989). The comparative 
effectiveness of videotape, audiotape, 
and telelecture in delivering continuing 
education. The American Journal of 
Distance Education! 3(2), 57-66. 

Christensen, E. W., Anakwey U. & 
Kessler, E. H. (2001, Spring). RecHptivity 
to distance learning: The eff eet of 
teclmology, reputationr constraints, and 
learning preferences. Journal of Research 
on Computing in Education. 

Mallard, T. (2000, March). Closing address to 
the Distance Education Association of 
New Zealand. Speech Archive, New 
Zealand Government Executive. 

Misanchuk, E. R. (1994). Print tools in 
distance education. In B. Willis (Ed.), 
Distance education: Strategies and tools 

Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 7, No I, 2003 © Distance Education Association of Ne,v Zealand 

28 



(pp. 109-129). Englewood Cliffsj NJ: 
Educational Technology Publications. 

Moore, M. G., & Thompson, M. M., 
with A R, Clark, G. c., & 
Goff, G. 111.e effects of dlstance 
learning: A slImmary of the literatL/Te. 
Research Monograph No.2. University 
Park: State University, 
Am.erican for the Study ~f 
Distancl::~ Education (ED 331 321). 

Needy, L., Nien"li, l A, & Ehrhard, B. J. (1998, 
Novemb(:r). Classes going the distance 
so peopk don't have to: Instructional 
opportunilil~s for adult learners. T.H.E. 
Journal, 7.2-7-1-. 

O'Malley, J. (1999, Winter). Students' 
of distance lE::arning, online 

and lhe traditional classroom. 
Distance Learning 

AnderSOll, M. L. 
Distmlct' edllcation: A review 
literature. Ames: Iowa Distance 

State 

Issues in distance lea'ming. 
from http://www.cudenver 

.edu/ puhlic/ education/ sherry /pubs/ 
issues.html 

J. R, & Cla.rk, T. A (1991). Distance 
educatioJl: J1ze foundations of 
practice. San Francisco: J ossey-Bass. 

Willis, B, Distance education: A pl'actical 
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational 

eCJ.lrHJlo'0:Y Publications. 

June Keal1 is former Academic Dil'ector Neul 
Zealand Tertiary College, Auckland, New 
Zealand. 

Journal o.fDistance Learning, Vol 7, No 1,2003 © Distance Education Association of New Zealand 

29