Targeting Rural Students With Distance Learning Courses: A Comparative Study of Determinant Attributes and Satisfaction Levels

Abstract In an empirical study, the predominant needs of 2 contrasting groups of students in distance learning programs were investigated. One group was composed of traditional, on-campus students. The other was composed of nontraditional, off-campus students from a rural area. We administered a survey to 95 distance learning students to determine their primary educational needs, and completed a contrasting analysis to determine if accessibility of the instructor and satisfaction levels varied across groups. Results show that satisfaction levels did not vary significantly across student segments.