High School Students in the New Learning Environment: A Profile of Distance E-Learners

Sakarya University. Esentepe Campus, Adapazari 54000, Turkey. Tel: +90-505-2431868; Fax: +90-264-6141034; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.tojet.net

Y

6

Electronic Learning; Part Time Employment; Distance Education; Access to Computers; Foreign Countries; Reading Ability; High School Students; Educational Technology; Computer Uses in Education; Online Courses; Comparative Analysis; Gender Differences; Student Attitudes; Employment Level; Self Esteem; Computer Literacy

1303-6521

The relative ubiquity of computer access and the rapid development of information and communication technology have profoundly impacted teaching and learning at a distance. Relatively little is currently known about the characteristics of those students who participate in distance e-learning courses at the secondary school level. In an effort to provide a better understanding of who secondary school distance e-learners are, this study utilized a logistic regression analysis to examine data from a survey of students at 35 public schools in the Eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The survey sample included students who did and did not participate in distance e-learning courses. The results of the analysis suggest that secondary school distance e-learners are more likely to be females who are a) completing a demanding academic program, b) positively disposed toward school, c) not employed in a part-time job, and d) confident of their computer and reading abilities. (Contains 3 tables.)

As Provided

16

2010

EJ875769