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Summary

This report focuses on the advantages and limitations of distance learning in New Zealand. While there are others, this paper concentrates of the following two advantages: the targeting of students with special circumstances; and the links provided to the global education community. Two disadvantages will also be highlighted. These are: the difficulties of quality control of distance education; and the challenges of simulating face-to-face contact that is so arguably a part of a fulfilling post-secondary education.

INTRODUCTION  
The relationship between education and technology is more important than ever both globally, and in New Zealand. With vast developments in the internet and other teaching and learning tools, the possibilities of using technologies as supplements to conventional education are booming. This has its advantages as well as its limitations. This issue is the subject of this paper.
 
THE ADVANTAGES OF DISTANCE LEARNING IN NEW ZEALAND 
1. Targeting students with special needs 
One of the main advantages of distance learning in New Zealand is the potential for students with special needs to participate in education. Perhaps one of the best recent examples is the case of extramural study offered to New Zealand soldiers who were on peacekeeping duty in East Timor. More than 50 student-soldiers took distance education courses from Massey University in subjects ranging from arts to business studies to information science (The Dominion Wellington 03.31.2000). Major Richard Taylor says that distance education offered by Massey is critical in the continuing education of his troops for two key reasons: first, because ‘study can provide just the stimulation and mental break that the soldiers need’; and second, because soldiers are often posted overseas at short notice (The Dominion Wellington 03.31.2000). Their education need not be disrupted. Of course, soldiers are but one example of students with special needs. Others, such as working mothers and those with full-time jobs constitute part of the 80 per cent of the student body of 17,000 extramural students at Massey who need education that offers flexible timeframes and easily accessible advisers, and distance education library resources (The Dominion Wellington 03.31.2000). 
2. Links to the global education community 
A clear advantage of distance education in New Zealand is the link it provides with the global education community. Ormond Tate, the founding president of the Distance Education Association of New Zealand, made great strides in forming crucial links with distance learning providers in countries such as Fiji, Indonesia, Palestine and Zambia (Brock 05.13.1999). New strides continue to be made in creating a truly global format of distance education (language, for instance, poses a challenge), though work is being done on creating more user-friendly, cooperative models (Brown 1995). This is of great value to some rural schools in New Zealand. Geographically isolated parts of the country are slowly developing new ways of improving their access to educational opportunities (Stevens 1995). 
Better access to the global education community is also important for students living in urban areas. One of the universal benefits of distance learning are the new opportunities for access to advisers and mentors, libraries and student interchanges through chat-zones and e-mail discussion groups. There is also the significance of access to resource centers and educational materials elsewhere around the world. This kind of interchange holds great potential for developing ‘discussions’ in tutorial groups, that in conventional settings (because of large student numbers) may not be conducive to such interchange. LIMITATIONS OF DISTANCE LEARNING IN NEW ZEALAND 
1. Challenges of quality control 
To be sure, there are great advantages to distance learning in New Zealand. But there are a number of limitations as well. One of the most important ones – and this is not a problem unique to New Zealand – is the difficulty of monitoring the quality of educational tools open to those studying independently as distance-education students. Globally, language, access and levels of technology and other factors such as national, political and cultural sensitivities must be considered as serious issues in distance education programmes and materials (Pelton 1990). The various forms of transmitting educational material need further examination and evaluation to determine their full capabilities, argues J.N. Pelton (1990). That was a decade ago. The current advances in new technologies, like computer-assisted instruction and interactive video, will certainly pose a series of new challenges to educators in the twenty-first century. A fundamental challenge will be in choosing the right technology for the teaching and learning task at hand. 
2. Lack of face-to-face contact as part of the education experience 
As conventional education, that being teaching and learning in a class or lecture-room setting, changes, it is an issue whether a significant part of the education experience – that of face-to-face contact – will be lost. True, there are vast possibilities for generating student interchange through net-based learning and e-mail discussion groups. But it remains unclear how much of the college or university ‘experience’ is lessened by distance education. This is one reason why technology-based learning has been used in conjunction with more traditional methods of teaching. Students can progress at different rates, doing assignments and tutorials as, and where, it suits them. Dr. Andrew Higgins, head of flexible learning at Otego University’s Higher Education Development Center, has argued that technology does not fit all needs associated with learning (Vine 05.25.2000). Some students may not flourish to their full potential in ‘cyber’ groups. There is the additional worry, says Higgins, that growing dependence in the internet and other computer-based technologies as a crucial part of distance education might mean a shift of expenditure onto students already burdened with fees (Vine 05.25.2000). Students will feel the need to get their own computers, which may prove difficult for the less advantaged.

CONCLUSION 
There are clearly advantages as well as limitations to distance learning in New Zealand. Due to space constraints, I have focused only on the advantages offered to students with special needs, such as soldiers and full-time employees, and the links available to the global education community for all distance-education students. As for the limitations, I have concentrated on the difficulties of quality control and the unknown problems associated with eliminating or minimizing face-to-face contact in the learning experience. There are other challenges, only briefly mentioned here, such as the problems of creating a truly global distance education system. Regulation and systematization are difficult in the face of constantly changing technologies. The preliminary nature of this report suggests that a great deal of exploration must still be done on this subject.

Works Cited

Brock, Hayley (05.13.1999). 'Advocate for learning from a distance,' The Evening Post.

Brown, Alison (1995). 'Professionals on-line: A cooperative model of continuing education in New Zealand,' in D. Sewart, ed. One World, many voices: quality in open and distance learning. Open University, London.

N.A. (03.31.2000). 'Keeping brains busy during peacekeeping,' The Dominion Wellington.

Pelton, J.N. (1990). 'Technology and Education: friend or foe?' in M. Croft et al (eds.), Distance Education: development and access. Fondo Editorial Universidad Nacional Abierta, Caracas.

Stevens, K. (1995). 'Geographic isolation and technological change: a new vision of teaching and learning in rural schools in New Zealand,' Journal of distance learning (Vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 32-38).

Vine, Gillian. (05.25.2000). 'Net teaching not the only tool,' The Southland Times.

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