HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A PROFILE OF DISTANCE E-LEARNERS
ABSTRACT
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.